The Moon had come up early tonight, bringing with it a crisp fall air. Reddling had wandered into the mess hall and quickly ordering a few apples and mangoes from the earth pony. Reddling's thoughts still on Web, Tops, and Nightshade, everything revolving around the Nightmares. He couldn’t tell what horrible unholy deals they had to make in the dark in order to become monsters, but Reddling had decided that it did not matter as long as they would stand aside when it was time for him to get the princesses alone and make his play.

“REDDLING!” A huge voice boomed from across the room. Reddling knew he was about to be horribly crushed by a giant bearhug, and turned around to see Bruiser trip and land on the floor, sliding slightly towards him. Letting out a sigh, he extended a hoof to help his oversized friend off the floor.

“You need to take it easy.” Reddling said quietly as Bruiser took the hoof, getting to his hooves with a giant dumb grin on his face.

“Reddling, you bastard, what the hell happened back there?” Bruiser demanded, obviously ready and waiting for some stunning tale of how the supernatural had been battled and beaten back.

Reddling looked at the earth pony, who was wearing his surly look behind the counter as always. “I’ll tell you and Midnight later, hopefully he can clear some things up. I’d prefer it if nopony eavesdrops on us.”

“What, did something else try to kill you?” Bruiser said incredulously.

“Later, Bruiser.” Reddling promised, grabbing his food and going to sit down next to Midnight.

“Ah, alright alright, fine.” Bruiser huffed disappointedly, sitting down across from both of them. Midnight turned as Reddling sat down.

“Reddling, I am glad to see you are well, although I’m afraid that we cannot celebrate. Lunar has asked us to tend to a few errands while we are free today and going about Canterlot. We should return by early morning though.” Midnight stood up, motioning for Bruiser to do the same. Bruiser nodded at Midnight as they both headed away from the table.

“Hey Reddling, good to see you’re alright, we’ll talk about all of this over a beer later? Meet us at the bar.” Midnight turned for the door, but at that moment Lunar strode in, staring around at the room and sighing as he saw both Bruiser’s shoulder and Reddling’s neck. All three of them snapped to attention as Lunar spoke quietly, without his command.

“Is somepony in this company going to try and kill themselves every night?” Lunar demanded.

Taking in a breath, Reddling sighed. “No sir.”

Lunar nodded, and then proceeded as if he had not just seen two ponies with gaping wounds on their bodies. “I’m going to be taking leave for today, and will not be here on Monday, I must oversee some preparations in Canterlot. You’re to pad your alternative weapons and train with them against one another. Do not murder each other.” With that, Lunar turned and left, sinking into the shadows of the night.

---

Reddling spent a good portion of the day wandering around the woods, making a point to avoid the place where he knew Tops and Nightshade were training. Despite visiting every dark place he could fine, the Nightmare never rose, and the shadows just stuck to themselves.

As midmorning began to close, Reddling wandered into the bar. The earth pony looked angry at being stuck with the two bats already there, who were both getting comfortable. Midnight had a second shot of brandy in front of him, and Bruiser had half his flagon of Buckwater beer. Ordering a Buckwater beer himself, Reddling tossed a few bits to the earth pony before taking a sip of the pale liquid. It didn’t taste horrible, but nonetheless he could feel his face wearing a bitter expression as he looked up.

“Can you leave us? We need privacy.” Reddling said to the earth pony.

The pony grimaced, turning away sourly. “Try not to throw up everywhere tonight.” His voice descended into a low tone, muttering a few colourful choices for his feeling about bats. Reddling returned his gaze to Midnight and Bruiser with a twitchy ear, gazing at the oozing gauss that covered Bruiser’s shoulder.

“How’s your shoulder, Bruiser?” Reddling asked.

“I’ve had worse.” Bruiser grunted. “How about you, What the hell happened?”

Reddling nodded to himself. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Midnight, you took the test and didn’t pass. What do you know about “The Nightmare”?”

Midnight looked down, his face growing shadowed before he began to speak. “…not much is known. They say that when our Princess fell into despair and bitterness, she succumbed to the Nightmare, and it transformed her into a being of terrible power and wrath.”

“Right” Reddling kept his voice level, but right under his guise his heart gave a pang. Using that power and being a monster himself would be helpful, but fighting multiple bats with that power? It would be suicide. Reddling gave his head a little shake before looking over at Bruiser.

“And everybat but Bruiser took the test. Cobalt told me that Children of the Night are susceptible to The Nightmare. Just how dangerous is this thing?”

Bruiser mumbled a few curses as Midnight responded, talking over him. “I do not know. I believe that the purpose of this, and our friends training, is to assist them in controlling it, so that it does not control them as it did the Princess. Web implied so much, though with much more… giggling.”

“Web has accepted The Nightmare too.” Reddling said dryly. “Tops and Nightshade didn’t come back, and I found them in the fields alone with Cobalt, sleeping. The entire thing feels completely wrong…” Reddling shifted his hooves around, taking a swig of his beer before turning to Bruiser. “Did you tell Midnight about the monster that attacked us?”

“How the hell do you think I explained my missing bits? Tell him I tripped on a log? Yeah, I told him.” Bruiser took a large gulp of his beer, leaning back in his seat.

“I thought The Nightmare was only triggered by that cave, because I did not understand it, but after we parted company, it visited me again. Again, I denied it, but it promised to visit once more, and that’s when I found Tops and Nightshade. I have a really terrible feeling about this, you know what I mean?” Reddling leaned back and took a sip of his beer, waiting for the other two to give him a round of applause for the detective work.

“It visited you again?” Midnight said, suddenly much more serious than was usual for even him. Reddling nodded as Midnight looked up uneasily. “Did you seek it out? The Nightmare? Perhaps that beast did not come from Tops, or Nightshade, or Cobalt Flare, but from you.”

Reddling just snorted. “I was not looking for it, and I denied it anyway… No, it was not from me.” Reddling looked down at his beer. He had been afraid that Midnight might suggest that the creature had come from him, he’d been wondering the same thing over the walks he had taken that day. What a horrible thought. I couldn't possibly have summoned that creature. I hadn't ever even seen that thing. No, I am certain it wasn't me.

“I would be cautious. It bodes ill with me that it has sought you out again, and will seek you out once more. …Once was plenty for me.” Midnight looked devastated the more he thought about the topic, but Reddling really didn’t care. Whatever power was there, it was not something that he intended to pass up again.

“The powers it offers must be extreme. I’ve seen them in action- or rather, didn’t see them, if you know what I mean.” Reddling looked down at his beer, not meeting the eyes of the others as he whispered his statement to the pale liquid. When he looked up again both Bruiser and Midnight had slightly interested looks on their face that showed they had no idea what Reddling meant.

“When I was on my date with Web, she uh, vanished a few times. She just… totally stopped existing one moment.” Reddling mumbled.

“Somehow I am not surprised.” Midnight said sagely.

“Ugh dammit, that’s not what I mean. I mean she was like a shadow against the Diamond Dogs.” Reddling sighed.

“No, I believe you.” Midnight offered, lifting up his shot and downing it with a slight cough.

Reddling breathed in deeply before he spoke his next words. To say it aloud meant to confirm something that he did not want to think, but he knew it was important to make sure that he got it out, otherwise he would only be deluding himself. “I guess I’m a bad pony for this but… If they saw anything like I did, then they’re complete monsters for accepting the Nightmare.”

Midnight and Bruiser were both silent. Bruiser buried his face in his flagon as Midnight sat down his shot glass and looked up uneasily, as if he was not fully sure of what he was saying himself. “Reddling, it may be unfair to judge them so harshly. Perhaps you should speak to them. I am sure, after their time with Cobalt, they will understand it better.”

“Maybe I’m judging them too harshly, that’s what I am hoping.” Reddling whispered to the bottom of his flagon.

“You ought not to worry about them so much, Reddling. I am sure they are in good hooves.” Midnight said as he leaned back with Bruiser.

“Forgive my trust issues.” Reddling said solemnly as he took another swig of his beer. Midnight blinked as Bruiser finished his beer, then stood up.

“You are a good soul, Reddling. You ought not to worry so. Farewell, I am off to bed before the sun begins to rise." Midnight said, staring hazily forward.

Oh, if you only knew Midnight. You poor bastard, if you only knew. “Thank you… pleasant dreams.” Reddling mumbled, swishing around the last droplets in his drink.

Midnight gave a smile before departing, “And also yourself.” Reddling sat alone with Bruiser for a while, both of them observing the early morning silence. neither of them could think of a comment to make as the minutes ticked by, faint sunlight tapping the bar's windows.

“Magic is a bunch of feathermoltings, this is why I don’t screw with it.” Bruiser finally said, breaking the silence.

“I’m not sure I can look at any of them the same again.” Reddling laughed bitterly, keeping his voice hushed. Could he look at himself the same way again? They accepted the power because they were too weak to resist, but I’m trying to sell my soul off just to get whatever power it is that they’ve got now.

“Damn bro, they didn’t seem any different to me. Hell, Midnight was the one who got all spooked out and flipped, not them.” Bruiser said.

“You didn’t take the test, so you wouldn’t understand. There is nothing to be scared of… just, acceptance-“

“So why didn’t you accept it then?” Bruiser cut him off, looking quite curious.

Reddling exhaled his statement before biting it back, “Because the price was to-“ he took another breath, looking at Bruiser sadly. “The price asks a great deal of me, something that I’d like to believe I’d never be capable of!” Reddling found his breath taken away as a sudden spike of pain hit him in the side of the head, piercing painfully into his skull.

“OH REALLY? Oh Really?? You wouldn’t kill all of them to get at Luna? Ha!” Reddling grabbed his head quickly, not taking his eyes off Bruiser as he brushed his mane back, trying to pass it off the the sudden pain of a voice that was not his hitting his head. Bruiser apparently accepted this, as he didn’t seem to be perturbed at all.

“Kill? You know why I joined the guard?” Bruiser asked. Reddling shook his head gently, still trying to fight at the pain that had left him with a headache now.

“There was an amnesty program; serve in the guard instead of in prison. I kicked some heads in.” Bruiser did not seem to be greatly remorseful outwardly, but his voice had edges of regret and something deeper, sadder, hanging onto its coattails.

“Oh…” Reddling said, staring at the dregs at the bottom of his beer. He wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to this enlightenment.

“The Night Guard was a good way to put that behind me, permanently. Different ponies are alright with different stuff, Reddling. What might seem terrible to you might be normal for somepony… You need anything else tonight? ‘else I’m going to bed.”

Reddling shook his head, draining the little remains clinging to his flagon. “I-Yeah, I’ll be fine, thanks for listening, get better soon.” Reddling nodded at his shoulder, which caused Bruiser to just snort.

“I told you, I’ve had worse. Pleasant dreams, or whatever.” Bruiser lumbered out of the room, letting the door shut behind him. Reddling sat in the room alone even as the sun began to rise, staring blankly at the flagon and shot glass his friends had left behind. The faint scent of pears with a hint of honey and herbs hung over the beer flagons, intoxicating the room with a faint bitterness mixed among the serene smells.

What have I gotten myself into?

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