Chapter 41: Nightmare Stars 6
Silence descended over Ponyville as the dark cloud approached, flying down from the moon like a bird of prey, ready to feast on the dreams of all living creatures in Ponyville.
"Nightmare Moon..." Celestia hissed in anger as she glared at the cloud and at the Mare inside of it.
"Princess Celestia," Twilight Sparkle walked up to her, "The Elements won't work without Rarity, What will we do?"
Celestia looked down at her pupil and felt her face relax, "No need to worry Twilight, I already told Luna and the rest what the plan is, You just need to wait for my signal," Celestia sent her pupil a cheeky grin, "You'll know when it's time."
Twilight Sparkle frowned in worry but chose to trust the words of her teacher regardless.
Elsewhere in the town, Ponies were getting ready for the Nightmare's arrival.
Pans and shovels were being swung in preparation, slingshots were being pulled, and two specific Unicorns were getting ready for their specialized missions.
"Okay Shining, This is It," A White Unicorn with a blue mane whispered to himself as he pumped himself up, "Just wait for them to reach the town, and then do it, you know you can do it, you trained for this."
"Don't miss," Starlight Glimmer whispered to herself, her eyes searching the moon above the cloud of Nightmare Magic, searching for any hint of her boss's safety, "Stay out of range, Move when approached," She repeated words that were drilled into her head, some from Blueblood after he caught her training, and others from Celestia when she spent hours of her week training her in "Body-guarding Duty,"
But the most important pony right now was simply staring up at the cloud, silently, her face a mask of grim determination.
She cannot fail.
She will not allow it.
"Nightmare Moon, We will take you down, once and for all..." Luna whispered quietly, her eyes boring into the center of the cloud, where she felt a familiar magic resonating.
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"Don't worry Jerome, We'll free your bodies," Spike said with a confident smile as he sat near the Girls, the Moon Creature that helped him escape sitting worriedly beside him.
"Oh I know, Spike, I'm not worried about that," Jerome told him with a weak smile, "It's Larry I'm worried about,"
"Larry?" Spike asked, "That's the mean one who hangs with Nightmare Moon, right?"
"It's more than that, but yes," Jerome said, his large yellow eyes staring at the encroaching cloud of darkness, "He's always wanted to leave the moon," He whispered.
"Why would he want that?" Spike asked.
"I don't know," Jerome shook his head as the answer alluded him, "But he was never the friendliest type, even before Nightmare Moon arrived on the moon... Maybe that's why he..." Jerome quickly shook his head, silver smoke flying off his body as he changed his thought.
"We will save them," said the Yellow Pegasus, Fluttershy, "All your friends and all the cute animals on the moon will be saved," She smiled gently at the Moon Creature.
"Heh," He smiled, scratching his nose with a paw, "Thanks,"
"You don't need to thank us!" Rainbow Dash added loudly, "That's what friends are for!"
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"That Idiot!" Shadowfright sneered as he looked down at Ponyville, his red eyes locking on to the form of the Moon Creature that was supposed to keep the Elements in the Dungeon.
His mind raced as he looked at the back of Nightmare Moon, "This is our last shot..." He whispered to himself, his eyes glaring holes into her spine.
"Larry," She said, causing Shadowfright to float forward next to her, acting as if he hadn't glared hatefully at her back just moments prior.
"What is it oh glorious one?" He asked, his beak smiling as he flew next to the Mare on the Moon.
"Get rid of that traitor," She spoke coldly, her eyes also looking down at the Moon creature near the back.
Shadowfright smiled cruelly, "With pleasure..."
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As soon as the cloud of Darkness dissipated, revealing the form of Nightmare Moon, still in control of Rarity, and her army of Nightmare influenced Moon Creatures, the battle began.
Not with a bang or with a cry of war.
But with a single Stallion doing the one thing he is truly talented at.
And with a glow to a horn, A Magic Bubble surrounded Ponyville, Trapping everybody inside.
Now If Nightmare Moon wanted to flee, she had to first take down the shield.
The second thing that quickly followed, was a beam of Aquamarine Light, moving through the lines of armed guards, and impacting directly with Nightmare Moon.
Replacing the beautiful diamonds on her flank, with an Equals sign.
The third thing that happened, was the many guards and ponies rushed forward, kicking, punching, and hitting the many Moon Creatures.
Leaving only a few ponies to face off against the now wide-eyed Nightmare Moon.
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"HOW?!" Nightmare Moon yelled in anger, however, her anger felt subdued, almost averaging out with her other emotions.
She glared at the symbol on her flank, before a blast of Light hit her in the face, causing her to close her eyes with a wince.
"Whatever plans you had, Nightmare, They end here!" The White Alicorn that stood in front of her yelled, her mane glowing brightly with magic, causing a corona of colors to leave her as the Princess of the Sun glared at the Nightmare.
"You think you can defeat me?!" Nightmare Moon screamed at Celestia, her eyes twitching in anger as her magic subdued itself, caused by that damned symbol on her flank.
"Without the Elements of Harmony, I am unstoppable!"
"But you're not!" A shout came from her side, causing Nightmare Moon to quickly turn her head, only to be greeted with a beam of dark blue magic slamming into her face, knocking her away towards a group of Ponies.
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Spike moved quickly, Jerome on his tail as the two tried their hardest to avoid fighting.
The Dragon already tired from his time on the moon, and the Moon Creature not wanting to hurt his friends, no matter how consumed by darkness they may be.
"Those girls better hurry up, Spike!" Jerome yelled, his body floating around the battlefield, avoiding beams of magic and stray flying objects, "I don't know how long I can keep dodging."
"Just a bit longer!" Spike yelled, grabbing onto the Moon Creatures' tail as he floated the two of them farther away from most of the conflict, and closer to Nightmare Moon and the Princesses.
And as the two boys flew in the Princess's direction, they failed to notice a red-eyed, beaked figure made of shadowy smoke following after them, his body sticking low to the ground, less like the bird he looked like and more like a snake or a shadow.
"Traitor!" Shadowfright yelled in his mind as his eyes followed the body of the Moon Creature helping the baby dragon fight off Nightmare Moon.
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Shining Armor frowned heavily as his horn ached with each impact made on the shield covering Ponyville, be it from stray magic hitting it or Moon Creatures trying to escape.
This was the largest Shield he has made, covering an entire town, and he was surprised it still held as long as it did.
Unfortunately, in order to keep the shield up, he was unable to cast any other spells as the drain on his magic only increased with time.
How much training would he need to shield something bigger than a town? Shining thought to himself, a small smile growing on his face at that thought.
Maybe if he could shield all of Canterlot, Cadance will finally say yes? Oh, who was he kidding, He doesn't need to shield all of Canterlot just for her to say yes.
He instead needs to find the perfect ring! YES! And then his dear booboo-sweety-muffin-cheeks wouldn't be embarrassed to be seen with him! OF COURSE!
"Armor! Stop Daydreaming and reinforce the shield!" Shining Armor snapped out of his thoughts at that shout! His head snapping backward and hitting the stray Moon Creature that made him daydream in the middle of an important operation before more magic left his body, the small cracks that started appearing in the bubble over Ponyville fixing themselves.
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Starlight fired more and more beams and arrows of magic, slowly inching away from any Moon Creature that got too close.
"Keep your distance," She reminded herself, repeating the words Celestia and Blueblood told her, "Don't go full auto," An arrow of magic shot out of her horn before she quickly teleported to the other end of the street, "Always aim before shooting," Her eyes focused on her target, a Moon Creature floating above a blue Unicorn with a weird cape before a beam of magic hit it and knocked it away.
"Thanks!" The Unicorn yelled at her, receiving a wave from Starlight before she once again teleported, her eyes quickly searching for the next target.
"What would Blueblood say in this situation?" Starlight asked herself, wiping some sweat off her brow as he kept moving, her black suit covered in dust.
"Ehh, He'll probably smile widely like a loon and scream about how this isn't enough to take him down," Starlight laughed to herself before side-stepping a Moon Creature that rolled in her direction after receiving a shovel to the face,
"Followed by laughing maniacally while shouting to the world 'Take that Mother Nature! This Rush proves I'm still alive!' Heh, Idiot," Starlight smiled at that, her eyes quickly looking at the moon above her, distorted behind the shield Shining Armor made, but still there nonetheless.
"Please be okay..."
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"Alone at the edge of a universe humming a tune
For merely dreaming we were snow,"
A Bored Unicorn sang to himself as he lay on the floor of an old balcony, surrounded by weapons made of gold and treasure, staring up at the earth below him.
Wondering when someone will come to pick him up.
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Nightmare Moon screamed in rage as the Elements of Harmony yelled at her, encouraged that fool of a mare Rarity to fight back, and worst of all.
It was working!
With that cursed Symbol on her flank, her magic was practically gone! Add to that Celestia stopping her from getting close to those mares and Luna running around cleansing her minions, Nightmare Moon was scared she might lose!
AGAIN!!!
But it was then, that a scream sounded out, followed by the baby Dragon that followed Rarity like a lost puppy to fall from high above.
And Nightmare Moon's body shook, as the mare she controlled started fighting back.
She could feel her, kicking and screaming deep in the recesses of her mind, images of time with her friends going through her mind, and Nightmare Moon hated it.
She looked back from where the dragon fell before a sharp smile spread on her lips as she saw it.
Eyes of blazing red, wings of razor-sharp feathers acting as claws, piercing through the back of that traitor that brought the Elements of Harmony back to Equestria.
"YES! LARRY! KEEP IT UP!" She screamed at her minion, his red eyes turning to her, a sneer on his beak as he screamed back at her.
"MY NAME IS SHADOWFRIGHT!!!" Nightmare Moon Ignored it, however, as the sight of that traitor turning into silver smoke as he dissipated off the claws of Larry made her heart soar.
"Hahaha!" Nightmare Moon laughed, and it was then that she lost.
As staying hidden throughout the battlefield, a certain filly waited for her opportunity.
"Bring my sister back!" And just like that, with an explosion of light, Nightmare Moon's body collapsed into shadows and mist, leaving the brightly smiling Unicorn known as Rarity behind.
"SWEETIE BELLE!" The Element of Generosity rushed forward, grabbing her sister into a hug, as all around the battlefield, The Moon Creatures yelled as the shadows that covered their bodies disappeared, revealing their true forms underneath.
All but one...
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With eyes red with rage, and wings of black smoke acting as his arms, The Moon Creature formerly going by the name Larry glared at the shadow gathered on the ground next to where Nightmare Moon once stood.
"She lost again?" He quietly asked himself, his anger only building as he stared down at the patch of shadows, yet to be cleansed by the Elements of Harmony.
The Shield above Ponyville came down once it was clear that the fighting was over, But Shadowfright kept himself near the shade of a building, his red eyes staring at where Nightmare Moon stood, his anger only building more and more as the cheers and Happiness of the ponies and other Moon Creatures around him became apparent.
"If you want something done..." He whispered to himself, his red eyes blazing in anger, physically so, as the Nightmare Magic that surrounded his body grew lively in response to his emotions, making him almost seem like he was made from black fire.
"Do it yourself."
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"This was your loss," Princess Luna looked down at the small spot on the ground, a single blue eye glaring up at her from a small shadow on the ground.
Was this truly all that was left of Nightmare Moon? A single Eye, glaring hatefully at the Princess that it used to be.
NO! The Princess it wanted to be.
Not second fiddle to Celestia, but an Equal, with the love and adoration that came with it.
Or maybe it isn't really the love and adoration from the people that she wanted? Luna turned her head to see her Sister, handing the Elements of Harmony over to their bearers.
Ready to get this over with.
Luna smiled at that, happy to be with her family again.
Only for her to instinctively close her eyes as the wind around her picked up before immediately letting down again, almost as if something flew quickly by her, just below her sight...
Almost as if it was close to the ground...
Like a...
Luna quickly turned back, spotting a Bird made of flaming shadows carrying what was left of Nightmare Moon, flying away from Ponyville.
"Celestia!" Luna yelled, causing her sister to quickly look at her, before also seeing what was happening.
"We'll be right back!" Celestia yelled behind her before running up to Luna, "After them!" She yelled before kicking off the ground, her white wings spread widely as she and her sister flew after the fleeing Nightmare.
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Shadowfright glared hatefully at the small blue eye in his grasp, the shadows surrounding it sparkling like stars from the night sky itself.
"Good work Larry," He grimaced as the voice of the Nightmare echoed around in his mind, "You were always my best soldier,"
Shadowfright's eyes briefly moved up to his target, the Castle on the Moon, before glaring back down at the eye he had in his grasp.
"You know..." He whispered to the eye, a cruel smile spreading from his beak as he flew, "I Never really liked you after you failed us all those hundreds of years ago, but I kept it to myself," He told her.
"You were supposed to build us a kingdom, down on earth, and you failed," He grimaced, "This is the third time,"
"Larry..." The Nightmare warned him, "Watch how you speak..."
"Well no more!" He yelled at her, his body growing more animated as the shadows moved like a blazing inferno, "I am done following a failure like you!"
"Larry... I will give you one chance to apologize, I might forgive you for this, You do want forgiveness, don't you Larry?"
And as his Anger reached a boiling point, He Screamed at her, Like a Horrific Phoenix reborn from the Shadows, covered in flames of Darkness, He screamed.
"MY NAME IS SHADOWFRIGHT!!!"
And with a single bite from his beak, Nightmare Moon was no more.
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Hearing a scream In the distance, I opened my eyes and stood up, my head looking around to see where that sound came from.
Before I shadow spread over the balcony, causing me to look up.
Directly at a Bird made of flaming Shadows that was heading directly toward my face.
"...Fuck."
And with a loud crash, My body was thrown backward through the door behind me and down the corridor, before I hit the wall at the far edge of the hallway, my body screaming in pain.
And with a scream of rage coming from the bird, I was gone.
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Breathing Heavily, I looked down at my new hooves, my new legs, my new body.
No longer made of dust and smoke but of Flesh and Blood.
My Black Coat contrasted with the brilliant Gold Mane on my head, sparkling as if made of stars.
Must be the influence of Nightmare Moon after I ate her...
My new Cutie Mark, a compass star, gold and silver in color, contrasted nicely with my new smoky black fur.
And as my eyes locked on to the golden weapons laying all around the floor around me, My smile widened immensely.
With a quick flare of my new horn, a glow of red coming out of it, the weapons levitated around me, and I smiled.
"Don't let a Princess do a Nightmare's job," I chuckled to myself, the shadows on the floor extending towards the weapons, covering them in inky black smoke.
And with another red glow to my horn, The shadow-covered weapons flew away, Shooting out at the two Princesses that were nearing my castle.
And as I searched through this new Body's memories for any plan to win, I smiled widely.
"This will be so easy!" I cheered, a plan already forming in my head as those pesky Princesses flew closer to my castle.
But it was no matter, They will not win.
For one simple reason.
I can no longer lose.
It is simply as basic as that.
I WILL WIN
"MY NAME IS SHADOWFRIGHT!!!"