Moonlight Strike… the name he used during his times as a night watcher… a hero in some terms, a mask he used to hide his real pain on his heart, a pain of not being able to protect his father or sister, that mask, was actually now trying to kill him, very unusual for some people, but sadly… very real… in that precise moment, when Stormy dodged the initial attack, he noticed that his attacker was the same size as he currently is… which made him doubt for a moment, according to the " memory " he just saw, that happened when he was at the size of Pinkie Pie at the most, he prepared to unleash a magic attack, but his foe didn't moved, in fact, when the attack was launched, it just simple bounced from his target…
"simple spell, here is real magic " Moonlight said preparing his horn
His foe unleashed a magic to his hooves, throwing what it seems a magic rope towards Stormy´s hooves., he was unable to dodge, as Moonlight trapped him, he launch him towards the bookshelf, Stormy knocked all the books there, Moonlight was acting like he had no compassion towards anypony life, Stormy was not like that… memories keep flooding his mind, each time he came closer to Moonlight, he could hear screams coming from him, suffering… he quickly attacked with a magic burst, but the target was the floor, making Stormy to fly upwards, he used the gravity towards his advantage and hit Moonlight with his steel pipe, his foe mask ripped off, due to the recent blow, revealing in his face something Stormy feared….
"…. No…" he said
" what's the matter? " his foe smiled, but the smile…. " Scared of your own Reflection? " … was himself
A quick glance of a moment of his past, flashed on his head…. Everything in black, and he, as a little pony…. facing a adult version of himself… but this time…it was a exact replica… Stormy attacked again, but the " other " Stormy block it… a quick glance on his face showed a complete desire of blood, as if he was a killing machine…
" I cannot die, but you already knew that right, kid? " Moonlight said to the unstable Stormy
"but you are not me! It can't be! " Stormy mind was already shattered…
The longer the battle continued, the more his mind was out of his body, his foe was deflecting all his attacks, without much problems, Stormy started to lose grip… and his foe took advantage of this, Moonlight used a Fire spell to burn Stormy on his chest, when he jumped to avoid the attack, he trusted his horn on him… Stormy felt as if a Spear had pierced his heart…. And everything was fading….until he remembered a soft voice… a voice that rang on the deepest of his self…. The sole reason he is still on that living nightmare…
" Bro….ther….. he….l…p " it was the voice of a young colt
"M… Mistshine?! " Stormy eyes grew wide, as he saw the horn of his foe stuck on his chest
That voice… it was his little bro, Mistshine was still alive, or it was just a memory?.. either way, Stormy ignored the pain from his injuries, including the most serious one near his heart and pushed his foe away with a magic shield, sadly for him… finding out that Redhoof was killed, most likely by him, is making him forget most of his spells and not focus on the task at hand, until… he heard a voice again on his head… the voice was very familiar… but smooth and full of a caring nature…
" Even your own eyes can deceive you…. You must look closely…. With the ones from your heart" the voice ran on stormy mind
" S-sis? " Stormy replied
"Once you are gone, nopony will suffer anymore! " Moonlight prepared another spell
Gathering strength from Celestia knows where… he called upon the same Fire spell that his foe used, his foe, surprised tried to counter it with a water based spell, but Stormy put all his mind and heart on that magic… and direct it towards the floor, the flames burned his foe hooves, but the flames seems alive, as they started to crawl on the " Other Stormy " body, burning his suit… what Stormy saw… make him both relieved… and disgusted… his foe… his supposed alter ego… was nothing more than a walking corpse… flesh was falling off from the bones… several " Faces " if it could be called like that, screamed from the Creature sides… and the only " normal " part of the pony face… was his left side, that had Stormy face in, the other was pure fleshing features… a eye missing and his teeth exposed… his horn was only the bone, but with enough strength to summon spells, without the suit to protect him, the fire did good damage towards " Moonlight " body…
" Aaahhh!, wha…. what did you do to me?! " The creature spoke clearly, but with a lower pitch voice
"I know the truth… .you are not me… a faker like you, cannot defeat the original" Stormy said, recovering his mental strength
The creature levitated Stormy, throwing him towards the window, this is when Stormy finally reacted, he extended his hoof towards his enemy and concentrated his magic the best he could… he felt as time going slow motion… remembering the incantation he used each time he put his costume on Manehatten… a Incantation he found on the books on his father home… it goes like this; "Onobilisluna, electanoxinfilios, et periculosabellatibisine mevirtusDamihi virtutemetnoxmihidux! " ( Oh Gentle Moon, shining towards the children of the night, allow me you beautiful and dangerous power!, grant me strength and let the Night be my guide! ).
That incantation allowed Stormy something that usually happens only during the stress time, his moondust magic, it formed a magic rope towards his foe, like a web, trapping his foe, he used the strength of his enemy towards his advantage… pushing himself towards Moonlight… he took out the pipe with his spare hoof, ready for a good blow, his foe made a magic shield… but stormy used a few of his magic on the pipe… his enemy shield didn't last and it broke… receiving the attack in full, a impact with the skinless flesh made a few dips of blood fall on stormy face and coat, as if he already didn't had enough on him… the creature screamed, all of his faces at the same time… Stormy did his best to shield his ears from the screams, that is when the creature saw its chance and attacked, using a magic bullet spell, Stormy used his moondust magic to launch a " web " towards Goldenscroll Desk, covering himself, and taking care that the corpse corresponding to Redhoof didn't suffer more damage, that the one that already provoked her death.
"Why do you protect that corpse?, you killed her remember? " the monster keep trying to depress Stormy with his comments in low pitch voice
"Because she is my friend!, and I didn´t do it! " Stormy yelled at the creature
Despise how well Stormy manage to recover… he seems still to hold on the hope that Redhoof is not dead… despise the obvious evidence… until, a fire spell came, just that the target… was Redhoof corpse instead… her remaining where burning into ashes… and Stormy could not do anything otherwise he will also burn… this was enough to drive him into a blinded rage, thing that the creature seems to enjoy… but that moment of pleasure didn't last, Stormy changed his weapon towards his little brother wrench, it's hit was more than enough to knock the creature… just that stormy took the open edge of the wrench and wrapped it around his foe horn
" You will never use magic ever again! " Stormy said, furious of the monsters actions
" once a sinner…. Always a sinner " The creature was not afraid, instead… smiled
A crack was heard… Stormy ripped apart the creature horn, a twisted scream came from it, without the horn, the creature had lost it's only defense… or that is what Stormy thought, the creature used a very powerful buck kick, Stormy was losing patience… but also felt something… his moondust magic was fading… and instead of being pure white as snow… it was crimson red… as blood, he was letting the rage getting the best of him, he calmed himself down… but the red dust still there…. And he could feel as his lungs where no longer working to him… he was getting poisoned… by his own magic… the creature tried to pick his horn back with its hooves… and pointed towards Stormy… ready to stab him… Stormy needed to calm down quickly, he dodge the attack, and calmed down a little more…his dust started to change to white again, once he saw his change… he modified his moondust in a different way… he used the dust to attach himself on the ceiling , then he used several " webs " lines to trap the creature, finally, he used his pipe in one final blow, the pipe broke the creature ribs, once the dust disappeared, the body felt to the floor, just for stormy to finish it hitting it on the skull with his pipe… the creature was no longer moving, the radio that was making noise ever since the start of the fight… grew silent.
"Perhaps I made mistakes in my past…. But you can't live on the past forever " Stormy said to himself as he took breath
Looking to where Redhoof corpse used to be… Stormy approached… with a more than obvious sad look on his face… he magically lifted all the ashes… but then a flashback of some short came…
"Manehatten police!, freeze! " a colt said
He saw that a young version of him was next to him… covering the ghostly corpse of Redhoof, the police unicorns didn't hesitate in shooting, that made the young Stormy, with a more than torn Moonlight costume to jump from the window… on the door, he noticed another unicorn similar to him, without the suit… smiling evil… as he walked downstairs… once the ghost disappeared, on Redhoof last place… there was a note… written in a hurry
" If Anypony read this letter, I am no longer in this world, I can only leave you a hint of who was the cause of all the criminal outbreak in our city…. It was " the name of the culprit was covered with a black marker, the note continued " it was really hard for me to accept it… but I had to face reality… I couldn't let more ponies suffer, when dad gave me my bracelet, it was comfy, but at the same time, I felt that my eyes opened… yes, I admit I was searching for colts most of the time… but one colt in particular opened my eyes to the real world… he is so kind and brave… but suffers a lot and don't want anypony to know… thanks to…. Him.
Im sorry if I couldn't tell him how I felt, how happy he made me… each time he looked at me with those kind eyes… i… I felt like a Pegasus… flying… but… seems I don't have much time…. The " Cause " will come for me too, because I seek help…. Because I let the princess know what happened!, he will come to silence me, and with me gone, the truth will go with me… please… don't judge him…. Believe in him…."
The last part of the letter, had a bloodstain letter like a last will… it was Mistshine hoofwritting… a hint, he needed to know… to where his brother was…
" Come…. To Ponyville "
Ponyville?, the town where he meet Pinkie Pie and her friends?, why there?, he took the letter and stored it in his saddlebags… he looked at the outside with the broken window… it was already a while that the siren hasn't gone off… strange for the already weird place he was in, he noticed a garden on the first floor, Stormy noticed the window had a balcony, he could jump towards the first floor from there, he tried the door, but seems the stairs had broken, he jumped from the window, landing on the soft earth of the garden… since he still had the ashes from Redhoof floating with his magic… he quickly dug a grave and drop them there… giving her a burial, maybe was not the best course of action… but it was the correct one, he exited the garden and entered the Town Hall again… this time on the first floor, he could smell a faint perfume on the air… similar to the one Luna use… did the princess witness all the fight?, he searched to all the rooms, most of them where broken… just one door responded… one that lead towards the Ballroom, there was a large hole on the floor there… but also, there where broken tables and chairs, also the windows where the instruments used to be where broken, only the piano worked, but there was something attached to the music sheet, it was a page of the Book of Harmony
"Hold on… why is this here? " Stormy questioned the convenient place
He could smell a trap from miles away… but he needed that book complete, but he felt for the trap, as soon as he stepped closer to the piano, the door made a clicking sound, indicating it was locked from the outside, and a huge animal roar could be heard, Stormy played the unicorn path song, but even that didn't allow him to see anything…the chairs and tables got crushed, as if something giant was in the room, coming closer to him, his last hope was the page in front of him, the song says it was the Buffalos Lullaby, as the name implies, any creature large enough as a buffalo or worse, falls asleep, it could really come in handy against certain enemies… IF he had the chance to perform it, Stormy played the song to memorize it, clearing his mind from the problem behind him, indeed it sounded like a lullaby, it didn't consumed much energy… but as he finish the song… a loud thud was heard from the ballroom, just like if a buffalo had tried to crush him felt asleep, in fact he could hear it snore… try to sneak up towards the door was out of the question… so he jumped to the hole, taking the page with him.
Once he felt ground on his hoofs, he illuminates the room with this LED Lantern, he manage to see a storage room, there was a little white box, containing a Zap Apple Pie Slice, come to think of it… besides the Mint Cupcake that he still has in his saddlebags, the Zap Apple Pie was looking way to delicious to resist, so he ate it… the sweetness from the cake… the Apple Slices…. The frosting…everything was the perfect mix, going down his throat towards his stomach, with gratefully accepted the dessert, he haven't eaten a thing besides apples, as he opened the door, he felt a increase in his magic capability, glad for this change, he opened the door, only to find a long hallway, with several newspaper clips on the walls, most of them where Manehatten history… but the last 3, told of his alter ego, Moonlight Strike… he remembered that he didn't dispose of the suit, in fact, he still keep it, but he didn't remember where did he put it, he continued walking until he reached a big glass door, it was locked, it had a slot for a key slot… wait… a key slot?, that's it!, he remember the police report he found on the university, it had a key attached to it, he took it from the police report, Officer Keeneye…
" ahh…. Keeneye…. Always you where a kind pony on the force… I wonder if you still out there? "
Stormy used the key on the glass doors… it opened without any problems… as soon as he entered the platform… there was a button lit up… he pressed it with his hoof, and a silver train came…
" This train…. I remember…. The Mayors use underground trains as a both secure and private way to travel to other places of Equestria when they have meetings… I can use it to reach Ponyville… "
And so he did… once the door of the trains opened, he made his way towards the cockpit… when the train by itself started to move, he sat on one of the chairs abruptly, the electronic voice of the Mayor's train let him know his destination
" Welcome to Goldenscroll train, destination, Ponyville, remember, keep your belongings at all times! You don't want those pesky street foals take the bits without effort right? " The electronic voice said, it was very similar to the mayor voice
"Puaj… even as a robotic voice, he is still a greedy bastard… " Stormy said to himself
Didn't take much to the train to reach another underground station, just that this one, looked more honest and noble, the train stopped, and the electronic voice let now another information " Welcome to Ponyville! " but the voice changed at the end " Where the truth lies " The truth?, Stormy stepped out of the train, just to see how it resume it trail, without any passengers…
He walked the short hallway, finding the old newspaper clips about the Ponyville foundation and history… the Zap Apple Jam Discovery by Granny Smith, the First Know Business, Stinking Rich – Authorized Provider and Seller of Zap Apple Jam in Ponyville, The Foundation of Ponyville, kind of hard to believe really, that the Apple Family and the Rich Family where the ones that founded Ponyville, and Still Applebloom and Diamond Tiara don't get along… wait… why are those 2 fillies coming along now?, is if he is remembering only good times from the place he currently is now… the Hallway only had one elevator… he used it to go up… as the elevator moved towards the ground level, tons of questions ran is his mind, Why Ponyville of all places would serve as a truth hiding place?, why the monsters where so familiar with him?, he took a moment and took out the Book of Harmony, suddenly…as if the book was like a beacon of hope… he smiled, but as he saw the Winds of Friendship song…
" oh crips!, Luna! "
Just when he was taking out the ocarina, the elevator stopped, a loud crack was heard and the elevator when down again with all it's strength, Stormy quickly used a moondust rope that attached to the ceiling, preventing him to fall to a painful death… using his horn, he concentrated his magic on his hooves and played the winds of Friendship song… there was answer…
"What happened Stormy? " Luna voice, even telepathically, let know a obvious angry tone
"P-princess?, im sorry!, im sorry if I didn't contact you earlier " Stormy tried to apologize for his lateness "
"What you should have been apologize for… is that you never told me about Redhoof!, why didn't you tell me about her?! " More than angry, her voice was seeking a answer
"I didn't remember her!, unless until now… but… " he tried to find word " oh who I am kidding?, im sorry Luna… guess I was having problems ever since I entered Manehatten… now you know why I didn't want to stay there " Stormy was a little sad, that the Princess found out about her more quickly than him
" Its ok Brave… I know more than you think… I am also sorry… I shouldn't be yelling at you… its just that I was not expecting that " Luna confessed, hiding the jealousy " how did she died? " she asked
" can you help me out avoid death first?, look under the balcony! " Stormy said, noticing his magic grip was fading
" The balcony? " Luna look at the place where she was told " Sweet Moon! " Said luna noticing the moondust line " how did you get in there?! "
Explanation was the easy part, the hard one was for Luna, trying to hold Stormy´s weight with her levitation magic… but once she got him out, the door closed, hiding the secret passage, The Princess looked at Stormy, she could tell that he just came from a very painful moment… perhaps, if Redhoof was still alive, she could have gone more far with him?... As Stormy quickly gave Luna the simplified version of what he has gone trough when they got separated, including the fight against Moonlight, Luna simply gave stormy a kind but surprising kiss on the cheek, much to Stormy surprise, he was looking at the princess, smiling kindly to him
" I already know… I found it on the Town Hall… I knew you were innocent "
Those words made Stormy smile and blush, once he got up, they decided to continue forward, if Mistshine was in Ponyville, they will find him, but first they searched for something of utility… the use of the moondust, prevented stormy to feel pain… but as the minutes passed, his bleeding and wounds started to open up… he needed to rest, Luna used the stairs to check the Town Hall second floor, on the main balcony, a not so pleasant flashback came to her, Since Stormy was sitting on a bench on the first floor, he could see her perfectly, he saw several ghost on the town hall, and where Luna was standing… Nightmare Moon was instead.
" The Night will last… FOREVER! " the Nightmare Moon Ghost laughed as thunders came from her mane
" I remember this… " Luna said, a little ashamed " it was my return to Equestria after a 1000 years of banishment…. Then I went to…. " Luna also remembered that moment of her past
" The Everfree Forest, and your old home…. The Ancient Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters " Stormy finished
" then I guess we must go there… but first let´s find your brother " Luna said, trying to forget that memory
Once all the ghost had disappeared, a Nightmare Moon Statue was on the Balcony, on it, a page was attached, it was a Harmony Page, Stormy tried to get himself up to read it, but he was still putting his bandages on, and changing the old ones, Luna took the page and gave it to Stormy, the song was Nocture of Nightmare, a song that allow the user to control the shadows, and hide on them… just as the Elegy of Chaos, it was a dangerous song according to the page, Stormy did not performed the song… mostly because he feared that if he played the Elegy of Chaos or Nocture of Nightmare in his current state, could cause his mind to shatter, he just restored the page to the Book of Harmony. Stormy was more tired that he thought, since he felt from the bench… Luna checked his temperature… he was getting cold as a corpse
" You have lost too much blood!, we will have to walk slowly" Luna said
" Are you sure?," Stormy said, a little blush appeared on his face, he was now the vulnerable one
" yes, we.. I mean, I am " Luna said
Stormy got up, and walked slowly with the princess at his side… it will take a while for him to recover fully, since he need to be constantly eating… once they opened the Town hall doors… they saw Ponyville state… it was just the same as Canterlot… just that this time… the Siren was heard… some of the buildings started to lose color, some remained the same… the floor was still earth, but with a more light brown color, some of the street lights still worked, but the metal was now rusted… both ponies looked at each other
" Here we go again " They said at the same time
With Luna's wings injured, and Stormy condition, Flying and fighting was not going to be a good option… they needed a place to rest… and quickly, since Stormy radio started to emit a low static, indicating monsters presence near them… Stormy let a suggestion
" Luna…. Why don't we go to Sugar Cube Corner?, I have the key " Stormy said, taking the key out
" Where did you get it? " Luna asked, looking at the key
" would you believe me that I found it on my apartment in Canterlot, inside a cake mix bowl? " he said
" ….. I think so " she said, almost letting out a short laugh
The princess and Stormy walked towards Sugar Cube Corner, since Luna was the one with the map, she could find the place more easy… she may have not travel the whole town by trotting, but she already knew Twilight Library, Fluttershy Cottage and Carousel Boutique, once they got to the bakery, Stormy used the key on the door, the key disappeared in their eyes… and both ponies entered the Bakery, from the inside it looked exactly the same as Stormy remembered it, just that much of the sweets where missing, the basement door was locked and the kitchen was dirty and stained with… some sticky red substance, could be strawberry jelly… or something worse… Stormy directed Luna to go straight to Pinkie Room, the princess did as his companion advised, the door was opened, Pinkie bed was very comfy at the touch, and Stormy rested there for a moment, not before Luna locked well the door and used a nearby closet to barricade it, in case of some strange visitant came, she was next to Stormy, making sure the bandages where properly healing him, Stormy would need though a little healing magic… after all, she was the princess, if anypony can get him better, is her.
"Again you are the one healing me… " Stormy said a little blushed
"Well… I shouldn't be judging you… we have been through a lot o things, like to fight each other right?" Luna responded to him, healing him with her magic
"you are right, I have a few apples if you want " Stormy kindly offered his apples if Luna ran out of magic
"thanks, but im ok" Luna said, but a question came to her mind " hey… why did you want me to heal you on the Elemen- I mean Pinkie Pie house?, did you know her? " Luna asked the wounded guard
" Well… my memory is a little fussy about much things… but I remember that she always was by my side, made me laugh when I felt depressed, and also… " Stormy remembered something
"What?" Luna looked curious
"She was also with me… visiting my brother " Stormy remembered
He smiled… he remembered that he came to Sugar Cube Corner several times, since she was always available, she traveled with him to Canterlot Hospital, to visit Mistshine… Stormy smiled and took out the Mint cupcake… he decided to share it with Luna
" is my favorite flavor of cupcake, let's share it " Stormy smiled as he offered the cupcake.
"Pinkie Pie backed it? " Luna asked, as she saw the fresh baked cupcake
" Yes… I, I guess I don't remember much about Ponyville… only sugar Cube Corner, and that I always ask Pinkie for a Mint cupcake " Stormy said
" He seems to know much about Pinkie's House, but not from all Ponyville?, maybe this living nightmare is something more that a bad dream? ". That is what the princess had been thinking, watching Stormy reactions, and he is also aware of it, maybe could be a hidden trauma he had?, or the feeling of losing somepony else?, that kept him from remembering?, Luna took a bite from the cupcake Stormy gave her, and he also eat, both ponies seems relieved, as they started talking, about their favorite games, music, candies, as if they where friends all the time, kind of strange, taking in consideration they current location, the smiles decorated both of their faces… but they where cut short when a loud bang was heard from the door, as if something was trying to take it apart, both ponies got ready quick, Stormy was not fully healed, but enough to walk on his own and attack, the bag grew louder and louder, knocking out some of the things on the drawers, one of the things however… was Pinkie Party Cannon, " how in Equestria did she fit it on a drawer?, on the other side, is Pinkie we are talking about here ", the Princess noticed that as soon as he picked up the cannon, the banging stopped, against their well judgment, the open up the door, only to find a trail of blood, leading towards the kitchen, Stormy, armed with party pony cannon, moved to investigate, with the princess very near him, they came downstairs, the kitchen was busted out, like if something had blew up… the red sticky substance form before, was indeed strawberry jelly, but there was a smell of something nasty coming from one of the bowls, it was a key… but when Stormy levitated the key, a tentacle thing came a grab it, it was not strawberry however, it was made of flesh and what It seems, had some horseshoes on it, it grabbed Stormy´s back hooves, Luna instantly hold him with her magic
" For Celestia Beard!, what is that thing!? " Stormy said, as he pulled out the cannon, aiming to the bowl
" Like if I know! Shoot it guard! " Luna demanded.
Exhaust quickly came to the princess, from the healing spell came she used before, but it was not that, the reason she lose focus, is the strawberry jam on the floor that made her slip, the creature was lifting stormy to take it inside the bowl, Stormy shoot a Cake to the bowl to cover it up, it did work, Stormy and Luna exited the kitchen quickly and closed the door.
" what in the name of Tartarus?!, isn't just one thing here that is not trying to kill us?! " Stormy said already tired of the weird things, happening to them
" Maybe that? " Luna said, pointing with her hoof at the basement
On the door to the basement, there was a shadow there, on the darkness, Stormy lit up his LED lantern and found out that it was his little bro, next to him, was a Fluttershy doll, pointing out towards the basement door, before his brother could get near him, Mistshine took the doll and ran towards the dark basement, but Stormy found the doll before on his home, or it was on the University?, either way… he took the doll out from his saddlebags, and noticed that the doll left hoof was pointing towards the basement, like a compass, both ponies looked at each other with a puzzled face, as they went down, both lanterns shinned on the darkness, trying to make them see beyond their hooves.
" what are we searching now? " Luna asked
" Anything useful… I don't know what is happening… but… somehow… I feel that I must continue… I must find…. The truth "
The truth… Stormy reflected upon those words that just came out of his mouth, the truth about what exactly?, about what happened to Redhoof?, About why he do not remember anything from Ponyville?, About…. His brother?... he remembered that Twilight, before all this madness started, mentioned that all could be related to him, to his brother… by finding Mistshine, Stormy will know the truth… he stopped, and the princess also stopped, as she saw how Stormy seems to have remembered something.
" What is wrong? " the princess kindly asked
" I get it now…" Stormy said " Why is that i have not been able to get answers... we are not the only ones alive here "
" you mean... " Luna cached quickly the meaning of Stormy words.
" my brother is still alive... and he is guiding us to somewhere... is like if he want us to find something " . Stormy said as Fluttershy doll pointed towards the shelf
The doll was pointing towards a drawing, on it, it was nothing peculiar, just a map with 5 different buildings, easy recognizable, and it looked like a ponyville map, draw in crayons… the first one, was crossed out, it was Sugar Cube Corner, the other ones where in order; Branches & Books Library, or commonly know as Twilight Library, Lyra´s & Bon Bon House, Vinyl and Octavia House, right next to Twilight Library, and finally, Fluttershy Cottage, near the edge of the Everfree Forest, but there was a additional building on the drawing, deep inside of the Everfree Forest… the building, was a old Castle. To be more precise… The Ancient Castle of The Royal Pony Sisters.