Author's note
Two more chapters left to go. Solid Sun, despite what you said, I still find Nyx to be a fascinating creature and I did her well.

Chapter 12: Who is the Real Monster?

The depressed Demon Pony sat in a chair as he watches the rose is down to its two last pedals. Whatever or not the monster has heard the commotion downstairs no longer matters. Without Twilight, the poor thing has no more further reason to live.

Just then, two familiar figures enter his room. Boris spots the Demon Pony and smirks as he use his magic to make a bow and arrow appear, remarking sinisterly, "Ah, nice work, 'little filly'. You have served me well."

The Demon Pony looks up to see the two, Nyx has tears in her eyes as she said, "Daddy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..." The furry pony sighs in sadness as he turns away, not wanting to say anything or wanting to defend himself, not even from what's about to happen.

Boris sinisterly fires the arrow, hitting the Demon Pony right in the back hard. The cursed beast roars in pain and agony. This causes the villain to jumps at him, sending both right out the window. Nyx quickly rush out after them and watch as the Demon Pony tries to get back up but was kicked to the edge by Boris very hard.

"Ha ha ha ha; Get up, get up!" Boris laughs evilly to the Demon Pony as he kicks the hero again. "Awww, what's the matter, Demon Pony? You're too kind and gentle to fight back?"

"No!" Nyx screams as she rushes to Boris and tries to stop him. "Leave daddy alone! Leave daddy alone!" Unfortunately, the villain kicks Nyx right to the ground hard.

"Foolish foal; Once he's dead, you're next! Don't worry, little Nightmare Moon, you will be reunited with your 'daddy' soon enough!"

The Demon Pony stares down sadly, his little girl is in danger but how can he help her? Without Twilight Sparkle around, there's no point in even trying. Boris use his magic to rip off a part of the roof, making it look like a sharp object then storms to the Demon Pony, preparing on finishing his rival for the female unicorn off once and for all.

Nyx looks up and gasps in horror. Her father is about to be killed by that monster! Something suddenly begins to stir right inside the little foal, making her eyes glow as a magic fog begins to cover Nyx. In light of the anti-magic brace around her neck, she is suddenly beginning to transform, causing the thing to break.

Boris, not even noticing what's happening to Nyx, prepares to finish the Demon Pony, who just laid there, off. But then a voice was heard below, "NO!"

The Demon Pony's eyes widen as he recognize the voice, one that the furry pony never thought to hear from again. The hero looks and saw Spike, Dusk and the CMC on the bridge, looking at the battle from below. And right with them, to his happiness, is...

"Twilight..." The Demon Pony said gently and happily. Twilight has come back...

"Boris, don't! Leave him alone!" Twilight gasps in horror.

Boris eagerly brought the object right down onto the Demon Pony but then the furry pony grabs the thing in time, glaring viciously at his enemy. His confidence to fight and defend himself has returned.

The Demon Pony knocks his enemy away. Outraged, Boris made his gun appears while snapping, "You think I want to play fair? Tough! At least I can kill you when..."

Suddenly a blast of magic knocks Boris's gun away then hits him to the ground. The evil unicorn got up and gasps upon seeing Nyx...except she has transformed and is bigger! She looks like Princess Luna (her good side) but had one purple eye shadow, something to accent her otherwise utterly black appearance. In addition, she was clad in her regal armor: elegant horse shoes, a chest plate with a crescent moon, her neck plate, and the sleek helmet that Nightmare Moon herself was known for.

"Leave...daddy alone!" Nyx snarls to the frightened Boris in rage.

"No, it can't be! How could you have transformed into this monstrous form? The anti-magic brace is supposed to keep you in check!" Boris protests in horror and disbelief.

"You are a foolish stallion to think that I would be kept in check! One lesson you have forgotten: NEVER HARM MY FAMILY!"

"Nyx..." The Demon Pony said to Nyx in concern. That's his adopted daughter in the form that Twilight has told him about, but will she be able to control it?

"It's still me, daddy, I will help protect you from this monster." Nyx assures the Demon Pony in a gentle tone of voice that not even Nightmare Moon herself would've been known for.

Nyx slashes Boris with a wave of magic as the Demon Pony pounces at him as the fight begins. Down below, Twilight's group look concerned as Spike spoke up, "Aw man. Your kid is Nightmare Moon again. Even if she defeats that creep, what will guarantee that she won't go crazy this time?"

"No, if I know Nyx, she wouldn't let the corruption take her...but we still gotta help. Come on, Spike." Twilight said as she gallantly broke through the doors, rushing into the castle with Spike on her back.

Back on the roof, Boris swing at his enemies who dodged each of his attacks. The villain looks nervously as he is backed to the edge of the roof then slips down a steep part of it; The Demon Pony and Nyx luynges at their enemy, sending the fight right onto another part of the roof.

---

Inside the castle, Twilight and Spike quickly rush up the steps to the West Wing. Hopefully they can get to the fight and help before it's too late.

---

Boris quickly kicks the Demon Pony and Nyx right off of himself. As he got back up, the villain spots a shadowy figure and user the object to bashes it head in. To his annoyance however, it's just a stone gargoyle that he just destroyed.

"Cowardly monsters, come out and fight!" Boris shouts out to his enemies angrily. He walks around, not seeing the Demon Pony and Nyx in the shadows, preparing for their next move. "Were you in love with her, Demon Pony? Do you honestly think that she would have someone like you when she should has someone like me?"

Hearing this comment has outraged the good guys. Enough is enough. The Demon Pony and Nyx appear behind the true monster and tries to attack, only for Boris to turn and swung at them both again, the two dodged each of his attack.

"It's over, you monsters! TWILIGHT SPARKLE IS MINE!" Boris exclaims in madness.

"No!" Nyx exclaims furiously as she hits the rooftop, causing Boris to fall and for him to lose his blunt object in the progress. "My mother will never be with a monster like you; Never!"

Boris got back up but the Demon Pony head butts the villain while Nyx blasts him with a bolt of lightning, sending the evil unicorn to the edge of the room. The cursed beast grabbed Boris and held him over the edge of the castle roof. All the Demon Pony has to do is let him go and the red stallion is a goner (unless he uses his magic to save himself in time but Boris is too freaked out to consider that right now).

"No, let me go, let me go, please! Have mercy!" Boris pleads to the Demon Pony, a hint of fear is heard in his tone of voice.

"Why? Did you shown mercy when you pursue my mother without taking a hint? Have you shown mercy when you tried to have my grandfather committed when it was clear that he was telling the truth the whole time! Did you show any mercy when you tried to kill both me and my father, threatening to kill me once you're done with him!" Nyx screams in fury at the terrorized Boris. She decides that he must pay the price for what the evil unicorn has tried to do to her, Twilight, Dusk and the Demon Pony!

"Please, I'll do anything; ANYTHING!"

The Demon Pony glares furiously at Boris...but then his expression change to that of a look of compassion. Have he were his old self, the cursed pony would've just drop him and be done with it.

But no, the Demon Pony is not that monster anymore. He brought Boris onto the roof, bringing him close face-to-face while saying sternly, "Now you listen. There is a reason that Twilight loves me. I care for her. And I care for her daughter. And I love her for who she is on the inside unlike you! I may be a Demon Pony, but YOU THE ARE THE REAL MONSTER! But I am not going to kill you so I will say this...get out."

The Demon Pony shoves his enemy to the rooftop ground as Nyx sighs while saying, "You should've just finished him off."

"That is something that I would've done if I were my other self...but I am not that anymore. That's something that you would've done...but you are not that monster anymore either. Neither of us are monsters..."

Nyx looks down, knowing that the Demon Pony is right. She isn't the evil Nightmare Moon anymore. Yes, the filly has transformed to save the one that she has called 'daddy' but deep down, Nyx is never evil and will never will be, even if she herself was forced into the role by the cult.

"Demon Pony; Nyx," A familiar voice is heard. The two looks up to see Twilight and Spike are now on the balcony, looking at them in relief.

"Twilight," The Demon Pony spoke out gently. It's her; Twilight Sparkle has truly come back...

The Demon Pony and Nyx begin to climb up the side of the roof to make their way back to the balcony. Boris looks up and snarls in hatred and jealously. He isn't down just yet...

Once the two has gotten to the balcony, Nyx was able to fly back on herself while Twilight held out her hoof to take the Demon Pony's to pull him up. The former Earth Pony prince smiles gently with tears in his eyes as he said, "It's true...Twilight, you have come back..."

Twilight and the Demon Pony look into each other's eyes passionately with the purple unicorn holding the beast's hoof right to her face. It looks like nothing can ruin this monster now...

But suddenly the Demon Pony felt a stabbing motion in his bck, causing him to roar in pain. Twilight, Nyx and Spike gasps in horror as they saw that Boris has stabbed the cursed beast in the back...literally and with a knife! He laughs madly as the red unicorn continues stabbing his rival.

"NO!" Nyx exclaims in horror then turns furiously to Boris, "YOU MONSTER!"

Nyx then fires a blast of lightning right at Boris, hitting him right on the head. He screams in pain as his own horn is blasted right off. The Demon Pony then hits Boris hard, causing him to lose his balance as he screams some more while waving his upper forelegs around like a windmill.

Twilight was able to grab the Demon Pony before he could fall just as Boris falls right off him, pulling the furry pony to safely in time. The evil stallion wasn't lucky as he continues screaming for the last time. Without his horn, Boris cannot use his magic to save himself. The evil unicorn continues falling until he disappears from sight. Boris is gone forever.

Twilight, Spike and Nyx helped the mortally wounded Demon Pony right onto the balcony. During this time, Soarin', Caramel, Applejack, Rainbow, Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy rush to the window, stopping and look horrified as they saw their fallen master. The males' eyes went widen while the females hold their upper forelegs to their mouths.

"No..." Fluttershy squeaks in horror. The Demon Pony has been stabbed...and with how deep the wound is, the poor pony doesn't have much time left to live...

Twilight laid the Demon Pony right down onto his own balcony; her eyes have tears as she put a hand on her face; The furry Earth Pony opens his eyes as he saw the mare that he himself loves...coughing badly.

"Daddy..." Nyx said, with tears in her eyes, even in her Nightmare Moon form.

"Twi...you came back..." The Demon Pony said weakly to Twilight while coughing a bit.

"Yes, I did...I couldn't just let them..." Twilight pauses then sobs as she hugs the Demon Pony while continuing, "Oh, it's all my fault. Why didn't I get here sooner! This wouldn't have happened otherwise..."

"Perhaps it's better this way..."

"No...don't talk like that, you will be all right! We are together now. Everything will be fine!"

"Well…at least I get to see you...one more time." The Demon Pony said weakly while putting one hoof on the tear shedding Twilight's face.

Twilight held the Demon Pony's furry while he held it there for a second, the sadden unicorn begins to sing a bit.

Twilight: We are home
We are where
We shall be forever

Trust in me
For you know
I won't run away

From today
This is all that I need
And all that I need to say

Don't you know how you've changed me?
Strange how I fin'lly see

I found home
You're my home
Stay with me

"Twilight..." The Demon Pony begins to cough weakly. He wants to tell his love something before he himself goes.

"Yes?" Twilight ask in sadness, smiling as a tear roll down her face.

Sadly, whatever the Demon Pony wants to say, he will never say it. His hoof begins to drop as it begins to go limp. Twilight looks saddened as the Demon Pony lay his head down, closing his eyes for the last time. The mare claps her upper hooves over her mouth. No, it can't be...but it's true! The Demon Pony is dead...

No...no, please, don't go! No! Don't leave, please!" Twilight sobs, her eyes begin filled with tears as she buries her face in the Demon Pony's chest. Then she sobs his, "I love you..."

Inside the west wing, the last petal fell from the rose, landing on the table. Soarin''s group saw this and turns away in sadness, the male Pegasus pony's eyes are filled with tears with him putting his own upper hooves over his eyes. Applejack sobs as Caramel put one hoof over her shoulder.

The Demon Pony is gone...and no one else who was cursed in the castle will ever become their true selves again...

Author's note
No, the Demon Pony is gone and the curse remains forever. Or has it? In the next and final chapter, something happens. What is it you asked? Read, review and suggest.

Yes, I know Nyx has all of her powers taken away in 'Past Sins' but since this story's continuity is different than that one, I have the transformation remains. No worries, it will be resolved in the last chapter.

I added the Nyx hitting Boris with the lightning thing just to make sure that Boris won't use magic to save himself.

The last song at the end of this chapter is a reference to the musical.