Chapter 16 F: The forgotten past (Part 4 of 4 Final...again)
Twilight watched as the huge chains on Night Shadow broke apart and vanish from his body. Now there was only one more flashback to go through before his mental control was freed and he could be himself again. Twilight was satisfied with her progress, but also saddened by what she had to witness several minutes ago.
"It's sad to see the ones you love go, especially when they are forcefully taken from you like that."
Twilight closed her eyes, sighing deeply.
"How can one pony go through so much and yet still keep going?" Twilight asked.
"The same way you keep on going even during these times of sadness. He had a motive, a goal to keep on pushing for. But that motive is slowly fading away."
"What is his motive, Light Shade?"
The blue eyed pony looked at Twilight with a dim look.
"To find the pony of his dreams, the love of his live…but every time he had tried to it has ended in misery and loss…and now he has found you, but he believes you betrayed him."
"I didn't betray him…I just let my anger get the better me…"
"I know you didn't, but it caused the fall of Equestria, a war, Trixie's demise, and almost released Death Fire. Your anger and the words that follow are sharper than any sword that can be forged. Keep that in mind."
"Great…I'm glad everything's not my fault…" Twilight said with sarcasm.
Fortunately, the war hasn't taken many lives, it being the least bloody war in history aside from the Nightmare Moon revolt. It's also possible that Equestria could be taken by the end of the night, if everything goes as planned. And…even though the blast did hit Trixie dead on…I highly doubt that she would die so easily."
"So she could still be alive?"
"She reminds me of Tremor…she's too stubborn to die like that. Ironically, it would take an army to take her down with her power, just like Tremor." Light Shade said, pausing for a bit. "Do you have any more questions?"
"Yes…is Herus truly gone now?" Twilight asked.
"I mentioned his return a while back because his power still has influence on Nightmare, Sombra, Desolent, and Night Shadow. Solaris I am unsure of, he's probably vanished or deceased."
"What about Sapphirine's daughter…what happened to her."
"From what I know during Night Shadow's time with Nightmare Moon is that she grew up and trained under Celestia's wing. She eventually married and had another child who was also trained under Celestia. This cycle would continue on for four thousand years until her final apprentice was corrupted by Nightmare herself."
"Who was that pony?"
"Her name was Nocturne…Night Shadow's second mare friend in a way."
"Night Shadow fell in love with his own great granddaughter?"
"Yes…but four thousand years had passed and he felt like he was reunited with Sapphirine again. Do you have any more questions...after you break the final seal on Night Shadow you will be forced out of his body and the time spell will be broken."
"No…I'm ready."
"This memory takes place 1,000 years before Luna was redeemed by the elements of harmony. This is the shortest memory and is also a time you studied on before you were chosen to be the element of magic. Good luck Twilight…I hope we will be able to see each other again on less urgent terms…
1,000 years ago
Location: Everfree forest
2 weeks before Nightmare Moons banishment…
About one-hundred guards with gray coats and dark gray and purple armor surrounded a crater. Each guard was equipped with a gray colored spear as they pointed it down at a red pony inside.
"What do you think it is?"
"Don't know, all that we were told was that we had to investigate."
"I heard he just fell right out of the sky, anypony believe that."
"I didn't see anything."
"Well that's what Princess Luna said, so we need to recover this guy before Celestia can get him first."
The red pony's eyes opened abruptly as he heard the names of his now most hated enemies. He slowly got up from the rubble and looked around at the ponies around him.
"He's….he's moving!" A guard said, slightly afraid.
"Restrain him."
The red pony continued to look around until his eyes flashed red with anger.
"Where is she…" He whispered.
"What is he talking ab-
"WHERE IS SHE!"
The red stallion slammed his hooves to the ground, knocking back all the guards and making the crater bigger.
"Restrain him quickly before he gets out of control!" A guard commanded.
"FOOL'S! I AM IN CONTROL!"
"Attack!"
All the guards ran at the red pony and tried to restrain him to the ground. The stallion, instead, decided to pick apart every single guard one by one. Because the guards were so close, he would punch and send groups of guards out of the crater. He didn't understand the point of their armor though because every time he hit a guard, their armor would fly off like a walnut being smashed with a sledgehammer. Unsurprising to the pony, all the guards lied on the ground, but they were all unconscious for some reason.
"What's going on…at least half of these guards should be bleeding or be dead by now."
"That's because times have changed." A loud voice exploded, suddenly appearing in front of Night Shadow.
"Princess Luna…why am I not surprised by your presence…" Night Shadow said, coldly. "Tell me why these guards remain unharmed by my attempts to kill them!"
"If you desire blood so much, we can grant you that wish!" Luna boomed, sounding different than she did not too long ago in Night Shadow's head.
"I gave you an order you little slave, tell me what I want to know before I kill you!"
"You will not be able to harm my stallions or anypony ever again. Me and my…sister, have placed a spell on the entire world, preventing violence and harm from ever coming back to my people and ponies." Luna declared. "It's almost like a cartoon now…but you soon find that out, won't you…Night Shadow."
"What are you talking about?! A spell that prevents violence and harm throughout the world?! Are you living in a world of fantasy?!
"Yes…but it won't be for you!" Luna yelled, exploding with a dark blue aura of miasma and darkness.
"Foolish princess…do you really think you can defeat-
Night Shadow was suddenly blasted back with magic and chopped in the neck as Luna appeared behind him. The red pony coughed up blood and slammed into the ground painfully, knocking him out.
"You have been gone for 4,000 years, Night Shadow…in this world we are the only princess of Equestria…and you will soon bow to the name of Nightmare Moon…
Night Shadow awoke on a very soft bed and in a nice room. He got up quietly and walked over to a mirror.
"Why am I completely fine…and what the heck are these things on my hooves!"
Night Shadow looked down at his legs to see two, metal suppressors on each of his legs. The gems on each one were dark purple and would occasionally flash bright red. For some reason though, Night Shadow felt weaker than normal.
"How…how do I get these off?" He asked, trying to pull them off.
"Don't bother trying to get those off, I made them myself." A black mare pegasus with purple hair and orange eyes said, walking into the room.
"Who the F*** are you!" Night Shadow yelled.
"Hey, watch your language; those words have been banned for almost 4,000 years."
"What, explain yourself and this crazy world before I kill-
"You can't kill here, not ever since the spell was casted 500 years after Herus' defeat."
"What the heck are you talking about, you can't just cast a spell and ban killing."
"Actually…you can…"
The mare walked over and picked up a book, handing it to Night Shadow.
"Look up the Spell of harmonic peace…it will explain everything." The mare said, taking a set in the room. "And drink that potion will you."
"Don't tell me what to do…" Night Shadow said, looking at the book and suddenly taking it.
The stallion looked through the book until he came across the spell. He started to read it aloud.
"Spell of harmonic peace…this spell requires the user or users to have complete mastery over the archaic arts and have purity within their hearts. Once activated, the spell will enchant the user or users with the ability to cancel out and ignore the very laws of physics. One can laugh at the face of death by falling off tall building or get hit by a falling boulder, only for the user to get up and brush it off like a cartoon character. Use with caution, if the spell is performed incorrectly it will lead to detrimental consequences. Creator of spell…Princess Celestia and Luna." Night Shadow read.
"We're in a cartoon now…as silly as it sounds. The princesses casted this spell throughout the world, preventing accidents and natural disasters from ever happening again to their people. This is why she gave the pegasi control of the weather and banned the use of guns and weapons of war so no pony could kill as well."
"Is she stupid, she can't just ban guns and expect people to not touch them again. How would the ponies defend themselves from threats and those that want to harm them?"
"It was difficult at first; in fact, it took almost another 500 years to teach the ponies the art of loving one another and the revolutionary idea of friendship. Even through all the doubt, she pulled through…still…I think Luna was right to keep some weapons hidden deep within the castle for protection."
Night Shadow sighed and walked over to the window, gazing into the night sky and the full moon.
"Do you know who I am?" Night Shadow asked, looking at the mare.
"You are Night Shadow…the pony of shadows and the warrior sent through time…why do you ask?"
"What happened to me…why is everything so different? Not too long ago I was fighting Celestia and Luna to decide the fate of Equestria…now…everything is so…strange."
"According to the princess of the night and true ruler of Equestria…you were sent forward in time by Celestia. However, Luna has broken the spell, bringing you to this time in our world. Because of this time lapse, you were never affected by the spell of harmonic peace…you can still die, be harmed painfully by your environment and others to the point of death. That potion I told you to drink will enchant you with the spell…but it comes with a price."
"A price?"
"Luna has brought you out of the time spell and had given you a second chance to prove your worth. By drinking the potion of harmonic peace you will swear loyalty to the one true princess of the night and no one else."
"And why in the world would I ever do that?!" Night Shadow shouted angrily.
"Because she is no longer Luna anymore…she is Nightmare Moon, and she can help you get revenge on Celestia…"
The mare turned around and headed straight to the door, only to be stopped by Night Shadow's hoof.
"And if I refuse?"
"Those devices control your powers and magic, any signs of rebellion will result in a swift and humiliating defeat. Besides…the potion will control your mind, forcing you to join us. You have no choice…goodnight." The mare whispered evilly.
"Wait…what's your name?" Night Shadow asked.
"My name is Nocturne…former student of Celestia and now the commander of luna's guard. I hope you will make the right decision."
She closed the door softly, leaving Night Shadow in the room alone in a candle lit room. Night Shadow started to chuckle lightly as he held the potion with his magic, allowing his eyes to glow red.
"Fool…does she really think she can control us and our power?" Night Shadow laughed, looking into the mirror. "I will take your offer, princess…but once Celestia is dealt with, it will be you who swears loyalty to me and soon the whole world will bow to the name…of Night Shadow!"
The red pony laughed evilly as the candle light went out. Night Shadow had returned, and it was time to show the world who truly was meant to be ruler of Equestria.
One day passes…
"Little sister…I noticed that you're acting a bit different lately, is there something wrong?" Celestia asked, showing concern.
"I'm quite fine, Tia. Why do you even care anyways, it's not like I'm important to the ponies anyways." Luna remarked.
"What are you saying? Everypony loves you for who you are."
"Is that so sister? Then why is it all the ponies ask you for advice first instead of me, why do all the ponies cheer your name on the streets but turn their gaze when they look unto me. Why is it that when I raise the moon that everypony hides indoors, fearful of what the night may bring to them. Do they not see the beauty and effort I put into my night sky?!"
"Luna…why are you saying this…I've always loved what you do with the night, how you arrange the stars, how you give the moon just enough brightness to light the land. Everything you do is so important to the world."
"Then why am I never appreciated for what I do?! Why am I always left in the dark of my own night while you get all the fame and glory?! Why does everypony bow to your presence but not mine?!" Luna yelled in anger.
Celestia was left with a shock expression. She had never seen this side of Luna before and she couldn't explain it. The sudden bursts of anger, feelings of not being loved, wanting to be known for what she did…had she been plagued with miasma?
"Luna…these are symptoms king Sombra had before he fell to darkness…did he or Herus give you-
"Princess Celestia…a word with you please." A dark mare asked, looking exactly like Luna but with a gray mane and orange stars.
"Endershine? What's wrong?" Celestia asked.
"Forgive me mother, but it's something I must talk to Celestia in private."
Luna had a look of anguish and sadness as she looked away from Celestia.
"Luna, I'll be back right after this, don't worry." Celestia said, walking towards Endershine and closing the door.
Several seconds later, a purple flash shinned behind Luna. It was Enderpearl, Luna's oldest son, but he was different. He looked normal, he didn't have his dragon wings or tail, in fact, the pony represented Luna's father and husband in more ways than one.
"You called for me mother?" He asked
"Enderpearl…my adopted son…there comes a time in life when one must take action to do what needs to be done. To ensure power and authority throughout the country…and that time has come."
"Mom…what do you mean…" Enderpearl asked, looking at Luna fearfully.
Luna got up and looked Enderpearl in the eyes.
"Blaze Cast was wrong about Celestia…it's time for someone new to take the throne…and that somepony should be me."
"Mom…what you're saying is treason…snap out of it, you're scaring me." Enderpearl said, becoming afraid.
"Don't be afraid, Enderpearl, there's nothing to be afraid of…the night is our friend. Something these ponies will discover soon enough." Luna said, walking towards him.
Enderpearl bumped into the wall behind him, preventing him from backing up more. He looked up to see Luna get right up close to him before backing away.
"Meet me in the chambers of silence in six days…and bring your sister, we have a job to do."
Luna vanished with a soft sound of evil laughter, disturbing the young alicorn even more. It was then that Endershine and Celestia opened the door and walked in.
"You see what I mean, Celestia…something is seriously wrong with her." Endershine said with concern. "She told me the exact same thing not too long ago."
"It was like something was…controlling her, making her act different than she normally would." Enderpearl said, taking a deep breath.
"Celestia, you have to act on this now, I fear something evil has taken over my mom."
The princess of the sun closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I don't want to jump to conclusions even though I fear the worst..." Celestia said with remorse. "We need to be sure though…meet your mother in the chamber of silence like she told you. I will be watching and will intervene if the situation gets out of hand."
The two alicorns nodded and vanished, leaving Celestia alone. The princess walked over to the balcony and gazed over the vast trees of the everfree forest.
"Our time here must have affected your mind, Luna. But I refuse to let what happened to Herus and Sombra happen to you, sister. They both used to be good people until the miasma took control, poisoning their minds to destroy everything in their way. I promise you, Luna…I won't let it happen to you too."
Six days pass…
"Celestia, with all due respect, I forbid you from going on with this task." A small white alicorn said, glaring at Celestia with his golden eyes. "If what you say is true then it's most likely a trap for her own adopted children."
"Zepher, I need to be sure before I jump to conclusions. I was too quick to judge Sombra for his crimes; I will not do the same to my sister."
"Mom, please don't go, I just know something bad will happen."
"I will be in and out before you know it. Stay inside the castle and don't leave your room...no matter what."
Celestia vanished and Zepher got to work.
"You have five minutes, Celestia." He said, equipping some armor and enchanted rings. "Otherwise I'm coming to rescue you."
Enderpearl and Endershine entered a large room and closed the door behind them. The room was empty and old with moss on the ceiling, but a large glowing runic circle glowed at the far end of the room. Four stone steps circle the rune as torches lit the area.
"Where's Celestia...she said she would be watching us if anything went wrong." Enderpearl whispered.
"She must be watching in secret, at least I hope so." Endershine replied
Indeed Celestia was watching, but through a small hole in the wall. She figured that if she was in the room that it would ruin the entire plan. It was then that Nocturne, Celestia's prized student, walked in holding a controller of some sort.
"It's so nice that the adopted son and daughter of Princess Luna could join us..."
The next thing Celestia knew was that the entire room had suddenly been coated in a dark purple magic all too familiar to her eyes. It was all made clear when a red stallion walked in from behind the two alicorns.
"So Herus missed a couple I take it." The stallion said, starting to lazily float by the two.
"Nocturne, what is the meaning of this?!" Enderpearl demanded.
"Oh, you don't know I take it? Your little princess of the night personally requested you two here for...an initiation..." Nocturne said evilly.
"An initiation?" Endershine repeated.
"Yeah, doesn't that sound fun!" The stallion shouted with joy.
"Quiet Night Shadow, this isn't the time for you're talking." Nocturne ridiculed.
"Night Shadow?!" The two alicorn said in shock
"So the legends are true...but I thought he was dead!" Enderpearl said, taken aback.
"Nope, still alive thanks to your foolish mother. Speaking of that, where the heck did she find you silly ponies? On the side of the street?"
"We were found in the Everfree forest and taken into her care…now tell us why-
"Wait, hold on…she found you two…and you just happen to be twins and I don't know…LOOK JUST LIKE HER!" Night Shadow yelled.
"SILENCE!" Nocturne screamed, forcing everyone to shutup. "My new master, Nightmare Moon, has given me the command to converting you two into the ultimate alicorns! Your speed and power will be tripled through the power of the night and moon to destroy the worshipers of the sun! You will be assimilated into the ultimate empire that will rule all of Equestria forever!"
"I've heard enough from you, witch! You are a fool if you think you can take on the son and daughter of Luna."
"Why would I ever do that if I don't have to…" Nocturne said, cranking up the knob on her controller. "Oh Night Shadow…show them what true power is."
"With pleasure, mistress." Night Shadow whispered as his suppressors turned red, allowing his eyes to flash brightly.
Celestia watched with confusion and mixed horror as she saw Night Shadow being controlled by her former student.
'That doesn't make any sense; Night Shadow is already being controlled by miasma, the most powerful form of deception and magic. There's no way he would take second chair in the seat of power…is he just waiting for the right moment to strike his leader? Regardless I have to-'
Celestia tried to break the spell on the wall but it backfired, blasting her back instead.
'NO, I'm not about to watch my nephew and niece fall to their spell!' She thought, putting more power into her magic.
Meanwhile, Night Shadow was walking forward towards the alicorns, giving them mocking glares as his eyes turned red.
"So…who wants to die first?" He said, looking at the two.
Enderpearl dashed at Night Shadow, only to get punched into the ceiling and fall down next to him.
"Alright, who's next?" Night Shadow said, picking up Enderpearl by the neck. "How about you, little mare…ready to meet your maker?" He asked, looking at Endershine.
Endershine backed up to the door, trying to get enough distance before running away.
"How sad…you're just going to abandon your own brother…such a coward." Night Shadow said with a dark chuckle.
The alicorn mare became furious and blasted at the red stallion with a beam of blue magic, only for Night Shadow to use Enderpearl as a meat shield.
"Hmmmm….looks like somepony is a bit angry." He said, dropping the now scorched and burned Enderpearl. "Come on, try it again, I dare you." He said, licking his lips.
"Night Shadow! We came to capture them, not to wound or try to kill them!" Nocturne yelled in anger.
"Shut up you harlot! I will do what I want!"
"Are you trying to resist me?!" The mare screamed.
Night Shadow turned to Nocturne slowly, giving her an insane smile.
"Only if you believe it to be…"
Night Shadow teleported and kicked the controller out of the mares' hooves before jabbing her hard in the stomach. Nocturne hit the ground, gasping for breath as Night Shadow lifted up her chin to meet her gaze with his red eyes.
"Don't worry about them…I'm just going to eat them…HAHAHAHAHA!"
It was then Night Shadow appeared behind Endershine and kicked her right into the wall. Celestia watched in complete horror as she watched her niece become a living rag doll to Night Shadow, almost forgetting what the warrior from the past was capable of. She could do nothing for them until Nocturne regained her strength and turned the knob on the controller.
"MAYBE YOU WILL LISTEN TO THIS YOU REBELLIOUS DOG!" Nocturne yelled, pointing the controller at Night Shadow.
The red pony was just about to impale his hoof into Endershines heart until a huge shock coursed through his body, forcing him to drop the mare. Night Shadow screamed in agony as he hit the floor, still enduring the electric volts as it flashed all around the pony. Images of Night Shadow's skeleton could be seen as he shook on the floor, crying out for it to stop. But they also saw something else. They saw not one, but two ponies in Night Shadow, one being red and the other being pure black.
When the lightning stopped, the suppressors glowed dark purple and Night Shadow's eyes returned to normal, but something was off about him now.
"Night Shadow, I command you to restrain her now!" Nocturne demanded.
The stallion looked around in fear and trauma as he shook in place.
"The voice…the voice in my head…make it stop…" Night Shadow pleaded, starting to tear up.
Nocturne, instead of becoming confused, became furious as her eyes glowed purple.
"I COMMAND YOU TO RESTRAIN HER!" The corrupted mare ordered.
"I can't control it…you can't control it…no one can control it…run while you can before it's too late…
"Enough with these games! Get up an-
"The voice…that wicked voice of hatred…make it stop…MAKE IT STOOOOOOOOP!"
Night Shadow shined bright white before a huge wave of purple energy blasted everypony against a wall.
"YOU TOOK HER AWAY FROM MEEEEEEEEEE!" He screamed, causing a tornado of energy to form as he floated in the air
Nocturne had no other options left. Her pegasus wings turned into that of a bat and her eyes glowed bright orange and became slit like a snakes. Her teeth morphed into fangs and her ears became ruffled within seconds. In that instant, Nocturne teleported and grabbed the controller, increasing the power on the device to its maximum and pressing the trigger. A huge burst of lightning exploded around Night Shadow, forcing him to scream even louder than before.
As Night Shadow's shield around the room faded, Celestia intervened by blasting the control out of Nocturnes hooves. As the lighting around Night Shadow abruptly stopped, he fell unconscious, only to be caught in Celestia's hooves.
"Celestia! Ummmm, I can explain." Nocturne said, becoming frightened and ashamed of her true form.
"You don't have to explain anything; I've seen enough as it is. Give up now and I promise no harm will come to you."
"No…you don't understand…I-
Nocturnes eyes turned from orange to purple as she collapsed to the ground. That's when she saw her, the cause of it all right before her eyes. Her very own sister…or what she thought was her sister. Before the being known as Nightmare Moon could grab Nocturne, Luna appeared in the room next to Celestia with a battle ready stance.
"Celestia, get the children out of here now." Luna said, keeping her gaze on Nightmare moon.
"But what about-
"I said now!"
Celestia darted to Endershine while Luna grabbed Enderpearl. As Celestia turned back to see her sister, Nightmare Moon fired a powerful bright blue ball of magic at her.
"GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" Luna ordered.
Celestia, holding Night Shadow and Endershine, quickly teleported out of the room. As the ball of magic hit the ground, it did nothing. The image of Nightmare Moon faded into black smoke and slowly flowed back into Luna's body, making her chuckle evilly.
"Foolish sister…you may have Night Shadow for a short time, but now I have my eldest son to control. And best of all, you don't suspect a thing…"
"You might have her fooled, but now I have enough evidence to turn you in." Zepher said, stepping out of the shadows.
"That's very brave of you, but what makes you think you can escape us and live to tell about it." She said, turning to him. "For soon not even you will resist the power of the moon…"
The next day…
"Why are you keeping him in your room? He's a living time bomb waiting to go off." Luna said, looking at Celestia. "It would be better if I kept him in my chambers to keep you safe."
"No, I have made my decision to keep him in my room. I need to know what this Nightmare Moon is capable of and perhaps try to free him of his curse. I have all my guards on full alert for this threat; I suggest you do the same." Celestia said, opening the door to her room. "How is your son doing?"
"He's still out, but he should be better than ever soon. In the meantime, I have my guards searching every inch of the land to find Zepher…he must be worried sick."
"That's good to hear, I hope he's ok."
"Don't we all…"
Celestia closed the door behind her as Luna walked away from her chambers. Her eyes became slit as she chuckled evilly.
"Enjoy your time with him, Tia…for we will soon shroud the world in eternal night…forever."
During this, Celestia was watching over the unconscious Night Shadow in her bed. She didn't treat him like a prisoner or a common criminal however. It looked like a mother taking care of a sick child in bed. Almost too well…
"4,000 years…I still can't believe it…" Celestia sighed, putting her hoof on Night Shadow's head. "But I'm glad it's finally over…"
Before she could even react, Celestia's hoof was grabbed and Night Shadow pointed his own hoof at her head.
"You took her life, now I will do the same for you!" Night Shadow yelled, blasting Celestia's head with energy.
Or at least he tried to. Night Shadow energy and magic were completely gone, his strength had vanished and he suddenly felt as heavy as a stone. The red pony let go of his grip on Celestia and fell onto the bed with a thud.
"What did you do to me?!" Night Shadow screamed, attempting to lift his hooves.
Oblivious to Night Shadow, the red devices on his hooves were black and devoid of color. They were also humming softly as Night Shadow started to sweat and pant on the bed, practically gasping for air.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!" The stallion shouted once again, groaning in pain.
"Hold still." Celestia said, holding him down with magic. "Struggling will only make it worse."
"LET ME GO NOW!"
"Hold still! I'm trying to help you."
"YOU COULD NEVER HELP ME AFTER WHAT YOU DID!"
Celestia put a calming spell on Night Shadow; even though it had little effect, it was enough to stop him from screaming and squirming around.
"There are so many things you don't know about me…but I know a bit too much about you. Please, this is for your own good."
Celestia placed her horn on Night Shadow's head and was instantly taken into Night Shadow's mind. What she saw was Night Shadow standing in the white light while the dark form of Night Shadow circled around him.
"Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot, IDIOT! Why did you let her into your mind?! Do you have any idea what she will do to me if she…finds…oh that's just great?!" The dark form said with sarcasm, looking at Celestia. "What do you want, can't you see we're closed!"
"SO YOU'RE THE DARKNESS THAT HAS CORRUPTED NIGHT SHADOW'S MIND!" Celestia shouted, flaring out her wings and charging her horn.
"What makes you think you can defeat me in my own body! I have absolute power here and I will…destroy…WHY AREN'T MY POWERS WORKING?!" The dark form yelled, looking at his hooves before looking up at Celestia. "Hey…remember how I threatened to kill you all and take over Equestria…hehehehe…you know me…I would never do such a thing…"
"Night Shadow might have caused the death of many, but he redeemed himself when he fought by our side in the face of true evil. You, on the other hand, are a direct creation of Herus himself, forcing Night Shadow to commit horrendous acts beyond believe!" Celestia boomed.
"Hey now, we can talk about this right?! You love talking…" He said, hiding behind Night Shadow.
"You threaten my sister, tried to enslave my people and the world, brutally attack my nephew and niece, AND THEN CAUSED THE DEATH OF NIGHT SHADOW'S LOVED ONE!"
"YOU'RE THE ONE THAT REDIRECTED THE BLAST! IF YOU HAD JUST DIED LIKE YOU WERE SUPPOSE TO THEN-
Celestia grabbed the dark unicorn by the throat and slammed him to the ground.
"You have caused too much pain for Night Shadow and the entire world. That is why you must be destroyed!" She yelled, pointing her charged horn at him.
"NO WAIT PLEASE, I CAN CHANGE, NOOOOOOO!"
Celestia tried to fire, but she found herself to be in the same predicament as Night Shadow and his darker self. She was powerless.
"HA! STEP ON A LEGO AND DIE, CELESTIA! I'M STILL-
The dark form was punched in the face so hard that his face became a pancake with a hoof imprint.
"You can't escape from here can you? You're locked in here and you can't take control because of Night Shadow's suppressors. I'll give you this warning here and now. Once my sister and I have dealt with Nightmare Moon, it will be you that we come after next. And when we do, there will be no second chances. You have one week before your time on this world ends…permanently." Celestia declared, walking away from the scene.
"Foolish pony, you do realize that killing me will result in the ultimate demise of Night Shadow…he will perish along with me because he is me." The evil pony laughed, fixing his head and standing up. "Your perfect plan has backfired on you as well because your little sister also happens to be Nightmare Moon right under your nose."
"What did you say about my sister…" Celestia demanded, turning to face him.
"The sudden bursts of anger, the craving for power, the want for ponies to praise her name…hahahaha, did you really think Nightmare and Luna were two separate beings. They are one in the same like Night Shadow and I, and they seek to overthrow you like I had before."
"Don't you dare call my sister by that name again; you are trying to turn me against my own sister!" Celestia blurted out in anger.
"Am I…am I really? You know it to be true, but you won't act until you are completely certain that your sister has turned to darkness. However, by then it will be too late…and you will be destroyed by the very one you swore to protect."
"I've heard enough from your wicked tongue."
"Fine then, don't listen to me…" He said, laughing evilly. "It will only make my goal that much easier when your sister takes the throne. With you out of the way, I will be free to take Equestria from her, ending the alicorn threat once and for all."
"You won't succeed, I'll be sure of it when we finally destroy the last reincarnation of the master of shadows. You can't hide from the light forever, and soon, it will overpower you and rid you of Night Shadow for good."
"Then by all mean…play your cards and set your pieces in the game of life…I will be king of this world…and no one will be able to stop me."
The dark form of Night Shadow smirked and narrowed his eyes.
"Blood will be spilled like wine, war will erupt like pillars of fire and steel will be crafted into creations never before seen by our eyes. The dead will rise again from desolation and the army of shades and shadows will conquer all through the dark bearer of magic. There will be nowhere to hide…peace will forever die…and none will survive the reign of death and fire."
"We will see about that…"
Celestia came back to reality to find Night Shadow unconscious on the bed once more. Soon afterwards, Endershine appeared in the room with a panicked look.
"Celestia, come quick!"
"What is it?!" Celestia asked with rising concern.
"It's Zepher…but they…they…
"Show me."
Celestia and Endershine looked over the unconscious alicorn with grave faces as he lay in his bed. When he opened his eyes, all they could see was white. His eye color and sight had been taken away from him.
"Why did you try to fight her alone, I told you to stay here because I knew something would happen to you." Celestia said, trying to calm herself down as she held his hoof.
"I'm sorry mom…I tried my best to defeat her…but I couldn't…stop…her…"
Zepher slipped into unconsciousness, letting go of his grasp on his mother. This left Celestia shaking with sadness and anger before she regained her composure.
"Inform the solar guards to double their efforts and order more of the lunar guard to switch to solar guards." Celestia whispered, looking at Endershine.
"I'll inform my mother-
"No…don't tell her…if what I was told is true then the truth will soon be revealed. And Endershine, I want you to stay close to me at all times, I fear something has happened to both your brother and mother. If you must depart from me, always stay with a group of guards and in the light, don't go alone. We will draw this nightmare into the light of day and end it before it's too late."
Three days pass…
"So you're not loyal to Princess Luna?" Endershine asked.
"Yes, Endershine, I don't care much for her or Celestia. This Nightmare Moon however, peaks my interest. Why would it take so long for the miasma to take effect when it only took a whole day for me?" Night Shadow asked.
"Maybe she had patience."
"Yeah, something I'm running out of right now." Night Shadow groaned.
"Celestia told me to watch you, so don't expect me to move."
"I can't even move! Where would I go, I can't even use magic or energy. Can you just put a spell around the room and leave me alone."
"Why, so you can escape!" Endershine yelled.
Night Shadow narrowed his and looked at the mare.
"It's been four days and I haven't been able to move from this spot. I have to be spoon feed and I feel like I'm getting fat because of it! Do you know how embarrassing it is to have to ask for a bucket because you can't even get up to use the bathroom!" Night Shadow screamed. "Three days…THREE DAYS I HAVE HELD IT IN! CAN YOU PLEASE JUST LEAVE THE ROOM!"
Endershine felt awkward at the situation and headed to the door.
"Fine…but if I hear anything I'm coming in."
She closed the door and left him alone. Night Shadow sighed in relief, surprised that his lie actually worked. Closing his eyes and trying to relax, he felt a hoof cover his mouth, preventing him from screaming. He opened his eyes to look at Nocturne who was holding the controller in her mouth.
"I came here to help you, don't make a sound." She said, spitting the controller on the bed.
"Help me? You have been torturing me ever since I meet you, trying to control me to do your bidding. You really think I want to be-
Nocturne leaned in close to his face and kissed him on the cheek.
"Now do you want my help now."
"No, you tried to-
This time, instead of kissing Night Shadow on the cheek, she went for the lips.
"How about now?"
"I-
The mare grabbed Night Shadow around the neck and full blown made out with the stallion for a full minute, leaving Night Shadow blushing furiously.
"How…about…now…" The mare asked, panting softly.
Night Shadow continued to stare Nocturne in the eyes, trying to get words to come to his mouth.
"I…it…you…guards…table…banana…"
"Shhhh…here's the plan…I'm going to increase your power to about five percent so you be able to move by yourself. In three days, Luna will begin her plot to take over the palace with her son and never raise the sun again. She will also remove the spell of harmonic peace among the ponies, allowing us to kill again with violence. I need you to cause all sorts of damage and distract them when that happens."
Night Shadow nodded, closing his eyes.
"Anything for the princess of the night…" He whispered.
Nocturne picked up the controller and bumped up Night Shadow to five percent power. The only problem was that it wouldn't stop increasing. Night Shadow faded right through Nocturne and pinned her to the bed, opening his eyes to show her its bright red color and knocking the controller out of her hooves.
"Foolish pony…did you really think I would give in so easily?" Night Shadow whispered, covering her mouth with magic and shutting off the controller. "No…you had your chance and now it's my turn. I've been playing your little game of follow the leader and it was quite fun, but now you're mine little mare. All mine…"
Night Shadow broke the mind control spell placed on her by Luna and replaced it with his own, forcing her eyes to flash red.
"Night Shadow did always want a mare friend…I guess I'll give him that. I, on the other hand, need you for a much higher calling. You are the commander of Luna's guard, so I want you to turn them against her at just the right moment and make them loyal to me."
"Yes master…I will do as you ask…" Nocturne whispered.
"Good girl." Night Shadow said, kissing her on the lips again. "Because you are the first to join me, you will be given five percent of the land when I win, becoming my queen. Now, report back to your former master and inform her that Celestia is now plotting against Luna as well. This should make her panic and cause her to be disorganized. I will work with Endershine here; they won't know what hit them."
"It shall be done."
Nocturne vanished as Night Shadow got in the bed again. He looked at the controller and smirked as he put it in his hair.
"Now I am in control." He whispered, pointing his hoof to the right.
With a blast of energy, he blow open a hole in the wall and lay down in the bed with a panicked expression. As expected, Endershine and several guards came rushing in.
"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" Endershine yelled in complete shock.
"Luna…three days…moon never to set again…" Night Shadow said weakly. "They will strike…and you will fall…"
Endershine caught a glimpse of Night Shadow's eyes flicker red as he looked dead at her, raising her suspicion.
"Inform Celestia of this news." She said, looking at her guards. "I will continue to keep watch over him in the meantime. Lock down the castle, no one will leave here until this treat is taken care of."
Sooner than expected, the day of nightmares had arrived. Luna vanished and the moon was never lowered, causing widespread panic. The nightmare rebellion had begun right in the center of Celestia's home and Night Shadow couldn't help but watch with a smile as his plan unfolded before his eyes. Luna's forces fought Celestia's in an all out riot, completely corrupted by Nightmare's power. Her son, Enderpearl, lead the army to battle as Endershine tried to maintain order.
There was no turning back for them now…Celestia's sister had fallen to darkness…replaced by a being known as Nightmare Moon.
Day of Summer Solace…
Hours before Luna's banishment…
Night Shadow's second strike…
"Seal the door now!" Endershine ordered, running into Celestia's chambers with seven other guards.
The guards sealed the door as Night Shadow looked up in confusion.
"Hey, what's going on?!" He asked.
"The moon hasn't been lowered and the lunar guard has gone completely insane! It's like all of their eyes turned dark purple and then they started to attack everypony in the name of Princess Luna."
"Did I not tell you this day was approaching? I guess Celestia didn't believe me after all."
"You told her about this?"
"Sort of. All I said was that Luna was really Nightmare Moon and left all the details out." Night Shadow said with a smirk.
Endershine appeared before Night Shadow and slammed him into the bed with magic.
"What else are you hiding, you snake!"
"That the entire Lunar guard is actually under my control, Luna now believes Celestia is plotting against her, I tricked Nightmare into thinking I work for her, and that the spell of harmonic peace is now gone. Hmmm, what else did I miss…oh yeah…"
Night Shadow charged up a large energy ball and placed it on Endershines chest.
"I have my powers back."
Night Shadow blasted Endershine in the stomach, forcing her to bounce off the ceiling and land on the floor bounded by red rope. Taking the bed covers, Night Shadow threw it at the guards and blasted them with what looked like transparent red fog as they were distracted. The guards dropped their weapons as their eyes flashed red before turning back to normal with darker coats.
"You like it, Endershine, I call it the hatred wave. It such a useful spells when all you're surrounded by are weak-minded guards. Don't you all agree?"
All the guards nodded, making Night Shadow laugh.
"Because of that infernal harmonic peace spell, I won't be able to kill you easily. No matter, I'll let my 'master' decide your fate."
The main door was blasted open by dark blue magic, forcing the guards to hit the walls as Night Shadow stood completely unfazed. Luna, Enderpearl, and Nocturne walked in through the smoke slowly, admiring the room. Enderpearl was different though, his wings and tail had been converted into that of a dark dragon and his power had skyrocketed to match Blaze Cast's years before. Regardless of the new transformation, Night Shadow smirked as he bowed to Luna, giving a mocking glare to Endershine.
"I see you have already defeated my ignorant daughter, I can't wait to see you in action." Luna said wickedly.
"I assure you, princess, Celestia and her pitiful forces will not see the light of the sun ever again." Night Shadow laughed.
"Then let us clear the way for our new ruler." Enderpearl declared, leaving the room.
Endershine tried to stand but was only forced down by Nocturne.
"And what should we do with her, princess."
"Dispose of her out on the balcony, unless she decides to join she is useless to me." Luna ordered, heading to the door. "Come, Night Shadow, we have lots of work to do." She said, leaving the room.
Night Shadow's horn glowed bright red as he looked to Nocturne.
"You know what to do…" He said, running into the hallway.
Nocturne grabbed Endershine and forced her outside to the balcony, allowing her to see her doom down below. But before she threw the bound alicorn off, she cut the magical rope and turned her around.
"Inform Celestia of what is happening. I can only resist the spell for a short time." Nocturne said with panic.
"So you really are on our side then."
"Hurry and just go, before it's too late."
Endershine flared her wings and took flight, disappearing above the clouds. Nocturne then started to chuckle as she reentered the room.
"All according to plan…"
Luna walked down the main hallway to the throne room with Night Shadow to her right and Enderpearl to her left. Throughout the entire castle were unconscious guards of both factions as the battle continued to rage throughout the halls. The clashing of spears and metal could be heard loudly as they continued to walk the straight path, occasionally being slowed down by solar guards. Every Time this happened, both Night Shadow and Enderpearl would combine their magic to toss them aside like ragdolls.
What Luna and Enderpearl didn't know was the Night Shadow was secretly corrupting the downed guards with his dark spell, just waiting for the right moment. It didn't take long to reach the throne room's doors, the last obstacle in the way.
"Knock it down." Luna demanded.
The red pony walked up to the large, thirty foot gold door and cracked his neck and hooves. Enderpearl soon followed as they both placed one hoof on the door. They both reeled back their hooves and punched the door with all their strength, forcing it to swing open and slap back about twenty guards. Without another order, the two ponies dashed in and wiped the floor with all the solar guards as Luna walked by. Night Shadow got a bit carried away as he summoned up all his power and released all of it in one explosion, blasting holes in the walls and blasting the roof off of the throne room.
Once all the guards were finished off, the two fighters walked to the center of the throne room and bowed to Luna.
"The throne is now yours, princess of the night." Enderpearl declared.
"All that is left now is Celestia. Once she is dealt with there will only be one princess to rule Equestria." Luna declared, standing on a large balcony. "As it rightfully should."
"We will remain guard and try to weaken Celestia so you will have guaranteed victory." Night Shadow said, letting his horn glow red.
The two fighters walked slowly to the door and closed it shut behind them. Luna sighed deeply as she prepared herself to fight her very own sister.
"I'm sorry it's come to this…but I have no choice…forgive me, Tia." Luna said, shedding a tear as Celestia teleported in the room and stood before her.
Just when the doors closed to the throne room, Enderpearl was apprehended by ten lunar guards as Nocturne emerged in her true form. He tried to resist but was quickly slammed to the ground by red magic.
"Wha…what is the meaning of this! Unhand me this instant!" Enderpearl demanded.
"Yeah…and here's the part where I double cross you." Night Shadow said, walking up to him and bringing him up to his face.
"You serve Nightmare now! How could you have-
"Quiet!" Night Shadow yelled, slapping the alicorn. "Let me tell you something about me. I have voices in my head…voices that pull me to different paths of fate and life. But you want to know something? The darker side is the strongest and always wins in the end…I have no other choices to take." Night Shadow declared, having his eyes turn red before him. "Power of magic, energy and miasma…such a deadly trio all wrapped up in a battle ready unicorn. There was no way a potion would be able to control me when my power compares to no one else in this world."
Night Shadow charged up a ball of energy and pointed it at his head.
"And to be honest…I always wondered how alicorn meat tasted…"
Before he could fire, his eyes turned purple and his hoof was redirected to the air, making him blast a huge hole in the ceiling. As sudden as it was, this caused a huge part of the ceiling to slowly crumble right over Nocturne.
"NOCTURNE MOVE!" Night Shadow cried.
Nocturne looked up just in time to see the huge part of the ceiling fall right above her, sealing her fate.
"Night Shadow, I-
Night Shadow watched as his actions once again caused the life of another soul…this time being the very apprentice of Celestia herself. The fact that the poor red pony found out that she was a long lost ancestor of his once beloved Sapphirine tore his heart apart. Making it the fourth time in his life where he just felt hopeless. Night Shadow could go one no longer…and gave up trying to resist.
When Night Shadow released his magical hold on Enderpearl, the alicorn took this advantage of this conjure up a dark purple ball and blast the lunar guards off of him. The enraged pony started to walk over to Night Shadow, laughing as he did. The dragon pony grabbed Night Shadow with his hoof and began to choke him in the air.
"Stupid mortal…this is what comes to those that deny my mother's power." He said, enjoying the pony's struggle in his hoof.
"Enderpearl…drop him." A voice demanded from behind him.
The corrupted pony turned to face Endershine who had her horn glowing bright white.
"Sister, do you really think you can hurt your own brother…I think not."
"Try me!" Endershine yelled, putting more power to her spell.
The alicorn chuckled to himself as he felt the stallion lose consciousness. He threw him into a nearby table, shattering it to pieces as he conjured up his own magic.
"Then let's see if you can survive thi-
The alicorn was then grabbed by Night Shadow from behind and punched right through the chest by his hoof in complete anger.
"ENDERPEARL!" Endershine screamed, witnessing the act.
The alicorn stood there with a pained expression but soon started to regenerate.
"No matter how hard you hit me…I will never be defeated by such a simple move."
"Then prepare to be eradicated." Night Shadow whispered, conjuring a red ball inside of the alicorns body.
"Enderpearl, move!" Endershine screamed, firing the overloaded blast of magic.
Endershine instantly regretted this decision as Night Shadow threw Enderpearl into the blast like he had before. In a huge burst of light, Enderpearl was locked into a transparent gray bubble as he screamed in pain. After about five more seconds, the alicorn had vanished in a large, white explosion. Endershine was in complete shock at what she had just did before she was blasted by a purple energy ball. Sliding along the floor, Night Shadow appeared behind her and smashed her into the ground, causing her to cry out in pain.
"You would have thought that you would have learned from your past mistakes!" Night Shadow said, picking her up by the neck. "You would have thought you would have learned from the errors of your ways, learned the consequences of what your powers could do! But you didn't did you…no…you thought you were capable of doing everything yourself, you thought you had enough power to change the fate of the world!" Night Shadow said, pointing his horn at her head. "This is why you have failed…this is why you will never be on the throne…and this is why you could never-
"Win…" Celestia whispered, firing the elements of harmony at Night Shadow in a huge blast of colors and magic.
Night Shadow's eyes dilated as he saw the blast come at him in the corner of his eyes. A wave of fear and terror came over him as the blast hit him directly, making him scream out, afraid he would spend eternity in darkness. But in never came. Instead, over all the screaming, the real Night Shadow felt peace, hope, and purity as the light spectrum flowed around his body. He accepted his fate with open arms as he closed his eyes in tears, just wanting it to end.
"Don't give up, Night Shadow…I'm here for you…" A soft voice whispered in his head as his eyes turned blue. "Your pain will be all over soon…"
The light spectrum ceased and Night Shadow fell to the floor with tears in his eyes. Looking up at Celestia, he continued to sob in pain.
"Celestia please stop! You have already punished me once before by turning the love of my life against me. What more do you want of me!?" He said, tears forming into his eyes
"I'm sorry Night Shadow, but until you turn from your evil ways, you will never be able to live among us. You are a danger to all that live among you and I can't allow you to continue your reign of terror!" Celestia boomed, as a portal opened behind Night Shadow that threatened to suck him in.
"Don't you realize that your acts of judgment won't change me but only make me worse! I beg of you, don't do this again!" Night Shadow screamed in fear, latching on to whatever he could grab.
"I really wish there was another way Night Shadow, I really do. But this is the only way… I'm sorry." Celestia said, as tears streamed down her face as Night Shadow lost his hold.
"CELESTIAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Two weeks later…
"So this is uuhhh… what is this place?" The red unicorn pondered, as his downright ancient map levitated up into his face. "Why isn't this on my map? And what the hay is Ponyville?" He shouted to himself.
He soon decided to keep on trotting down the road because, well, there was nowhere else to go, and he was hungry as a horse.
"Okay, I will make refuge here for today and maybe I could get some answers." He said, beginning to carelessly walk with his map in his face again.
He soon reached the small bridge that went over the stream along Ponyville until he tripped on a loose cobblestone. The map he was levitating began to fall to the floor in front of him only to be stopped short by a certain lavender mare.
"Oh man, I am so glad I found you, I have been looking everywhere. Oh, where are my manners? I'm Twilight Sparkle, what is your name?"
"I'm sorry, have we meet before?" The red unicorn asked as he looked up at her. "My name is Night Shadow by the way."
"No… I don't believe we have..."