Canterlot.

Oh to be home again and to have a body to enjoy the comforts of home. Rookwood looked forward to all manner of things, including reviving the old tradition of breakfast with Luna and Celestia. Would have to be a little earlier, done before the sun rose, but it was a tradition that Rookwood missed and longed for in his heart of hearts.

It was time to regroup and figure out what to do next. There was so much to do and so little idea of how to get it done. It occurred briefly to Rookwood that time was on his side. He was immortal. Should he wait long enough, most of his foes would die of old age and he could collect them as they expired. Not that he would do that though.

He liked his work.

He stood on the balcony looking out over the city, feeling the moonlight invigorate him. He took a deep breath, feeling air in his lungs. It had been almost a month since receiving his new body, and it had taken Luna this long to get home after dealing with the aftermath of the assault on Gibbous Moon’s location.

Luna was getting as round as the full moon and her pregnancy was taking on odd symptoms. She radiated her shadow aspect almost constantly now. Sunlight was becoming difficult for her to stand in. Luna, always so slender and graceful, was having a great deal of difficulty with her new body shape, and everything was stretched out and distended painfully.

Rookwood now knew the truth. Their rutting in the dream realm had not impregnated Luna’s fleshy nature, but had impregnated her shadow aspect. After noticing his own shadow spunk, Rookwood had confronted Hades, and Hades had reluctantly told him the truth.

Lodestar was to be the first in an entirely new race of ponies.

Shade ponies.

While lunar pegasi had shadow magic, it was weak and fickle. They were far too restricted by their own flesh and blood, which remained in constant conflict with their shadow natures. Staying in shadow too long was difficult and even unhealthy for them.

Hades told him little else, saying that he would learn more in time.

Rookwood had all the time in the world. He turned from the balcony and strode through his chambers, the ones he would share with Luna when he was physically present. She and Violet lay in the bed together, napping, bathed in beautiful silver moonlight. He exited the chambers, walking through the closed door, ignoring its solid reality completely. All around him, he saw the many careful wards that protected this room, and he was careful not to disturb them.

It felt good to walk on real legs again and he reveled in the heavy thudding his hooves now made when he wanted them to make sounds. Guards bowed as he passed, and he nodded at them, giving them the respect that they were due.

He made his way to the training yard, where a group of lunar pegasi were doing drills, beating combat training into new recruits. He watched them for a while, marveling in their strength, their dedication, their own love of Luna driving them to greatness.

Finally, he focused his and will called for one that served him.

Rolling Bones slowly materialised in the training yard, at first a shadowy whisp, and then eventually a walking corpse. Rolling Bones saluted with one decayed looking wing and snapped to attention.

“Reporting for duty,” Rolling Bones said, not sure what to actually say. The new boss wasn’t one for explaining protocols, and that made Rolling Bones rather nervous.

“I have been thinking,” Rookwood said, looking at Rolling Bones and hearing the panic all around him as the living spotted the living dead. He ignored the panicked cries. He wanted this display. “How goes your dream training?”

“Good sir, I had The Gift in life, and in death it is much stronger,” Rolling Bones reported.

“Good, good. I want to begin combing the dream realms and asserting our control. Summon up my Burning Dead and set them to task. Ignore the adults for now, put them to work guarding the minds of foals. Nightmare Moon isn’t going to go after the adults I don’t think. Patrol the nightmare dreamscape and watch for troubling signs of Nightmare Moon or her dedicated minions. Be gentle. If you harm the minds of foals with your careless bumblings I will have you flayed. Also, I don’t care what Celestia or Luna say, from now on, I want at least two of you guarding her door at all hours, day or night,” Rookwood commanded.

“Yes sir… I will do as you command sir,” Rolling Bones said, not wanting to be flayed.

“And don’t call me sir,” Rookwood quipped.

“What do I call you?” Rolling Bones asked.

“Well, anything but sir,” Rookwood replied.

“Uh, what do I call you that will not get me flayed?” Rolling Bones asked.

“I don’t know,” Rookwood said noncommittally.

“Supreme Lord of Darkness?” the undead pegasi asked.

“No, not that either,” Rookwood replied.

“The Flayer?”

“That’s catchy and tempting, but no.”

“Prince?”

“Egads, no, never that!”

“Your Majesty?”

“Nope.”

“Your Grace?”

“Uh, that doesn’t work for me.”

“Your Nightmarishness?”

“Are you kidding me?”

“Um…”

“Um doesn’t work for me.”

“King?”

“No, I am not Sombra. I’ve spoke with him though, he’s a real prick.”

“Rookwood?”

“You know, I like that. Catchy. Has a nice ring to it. Kind of ominous.”

“Yes, uh, Rookwood then. I shall depart at once and begin preparations.”

“Thank you.”

“Uh, sir, er, uh, Rookwood, generally the commander doesn’t say thank you.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know, they just don’t.”

“Well I do.”

“Well, that is pleasant of you, but I am yours to control.”

“So are you telling me that I cannot express my gratitude?”

“Oh no sir, I would never be so presumptuous!”

There was a single raised eyebrow.

“Rookwood, I mean Rookwood. I would never tell you what to do unless you specially asked me for my opinion.”

“Very good Rolling Bones. Go and deliver my instructions. I want two guards summoned right away and give them explicit instructions that they answer to me only.”

“Will do… Rookwood.”

The undead pegasi vanished, leaving behind a training yard full of disgusted and horrified onlookers, all of whom stared at Rookwood standing in the center of the training yard.

“If you fall in battle, this is the fate that might await any one of you,” Rookwood called out in a loud clear voice. “Disappoint me or fail Luna at your own risk.” Having properly inspired the guards, Rookwood turned and headed back indoors, leaving a wake of terror behind him.

As neared Luna’s chambers he could see two guards already settling in, much to the dismay of the living guards that already stood watch. He passed them, the living and the dead, nodding his head as he did so, and walked though the door which he did not bother to open.

Luna lay, still asleep, looking beautiful enough to cause Rookwood’s breath to catch in his throat. He stood watching her sleep, his eyes lingering on the rounded curve of her belly. Her teats were already swelling, preparing for motherhood. Every inch of her most delicate and intimate places were exquisitely beautiful. She lay sprawled out on her back, her mouth opened slightly, Violet curled against her side, snuggled against one wing.

Rookwood stood, content to watch.

After standing completely motionless for almost an hour, Rookwood settled into a sofa, closed his eyes, extending his will and pushing himself into the dreamscape.

It was time to catch up with an old friend.

Doing what he had once done that had brought him to his own bitter end, he focused intently on Nightmare Moon, focusing on her shadow signature. The physical realm faded all around him as the dream realm shifted to take its place.

The sky was dark and full of stars. It had been in this place not all that long ago where he had let go of Luna and had drawn Nightmare Moon into him, and taken her for a ride.

There was no swirling vortex, no storm of darkness, not much of anything. Just a floating insubstantial wisp that stared at him balefully.

“Tisk tisk, you don’t look well,” Rookwood teased.

“Every day I grow a little stronger and reclaim what is mine,” Nightmare Moon hissed.

“How does it feel knowing that you must know rely on little mortal ponies to sustain you?” Rookwood asked. “I bet that galls you.”

“Not for much longer.”

“Oh, I know, I am coming for them all. I have already taken Gibbous Moon.”

“You cannot stop me.”

“Oh, I can. And I will. I understand that you cannot be killed, but you can be subdued and taken to Tartarus. And once I am strong enough to do that, I will replace you.”

“You have no idea what is coming. I have powerful allies. Your own immortality does not threaten me. You too can be subdued.”

“Oh, I already know about your little ploy with the demon Lords of Tartarus. They are going to be dealt with. You do understand, they are not true immortals. They feed off of hate and fear, and they can be destroyed with enough effort.”

“We shall see.”

“Oh yes we shall.”

“You can’t keep everything you love safe.”

“You know, you don’t seem as scary. Without a body, or even a means to try and torture me, you are actually kind of boring. I don’t know why I was ever afraid of you.”

“You should be afraid of me.”

“I don’t know about that. I feel like yawning actually. Would that be rude?”

“I hate you.”

“I am glad you do. One day, I am going to drag into a punishment that will make everything that you’ve done to Luna, Violet, and I seem quite pleasant.”

“You’re new to this immortal verses immortal concept and painfully stupid. Wait until you are bound into something for one thousand years, away from your little loving Luna. I doubt your bravado will survive.”

“She will wait for me.”

“Yes, a thousand years of agony for both of you.”

“I doubt that'll ever happen.”

“Wait till Celestia discovers your necromancy.”

“I am a Reaper now, necromancy is in my job description.”

“You have no idea what is coming. I will delight in crushing you and ripping that foal from Luna’s womb.”

“You’re nothing now. A mere shadow of your former self. Your threats have no meaning.”

“We shall see.”

Rookwood, growing tired of this exchange, winked out of existence, leaving the shadow of Nightmare Moon drifting among the stars.

The room was still dark, but now something stirred in the bed. Rookwood came back to his senses, snapping into reality, seeing a candle beside the bed had been lit. He could see Luna’s teal eyes staring at him. He watched her yawn, and felt a powerful ache within his barrel.

“You stepped out,” she whispered, her voice velvet slipping over velvet, trying to not wake Violet who was still slumbering.

“I did. I had a conversation with an old acquaintance,” Rookwood confessed.

“I see. And how is she?” Luna asked.

“A shadow of her former self,” Rookwood replied.

“She is still very dangerous Rookwood my love. Do not fall into hubris or complacency once again. Learn from your past mistakes. Very important that you do that now as an immortal,” Luna suggested, her voice a creeping shadow trailing through the midnight hour.

“You are right of course, I shall listen to your warnings. I said some brash things. Perhaps I was out of place,” Rookwood admitted, his voice low. “She is just drifting now. If I knew how to capture her, I would take her to face judgment now. She is utterly powerless.”

“But beyond your means to capture, so perhaps not so powerless,” Luna patiently explained, using logic. “In a thousand years or so you might be this wise,” Luna teased.

“In a thousand years, I hope to be still finding new ways to make you make that face you make,” Rookwood said with a grin.

Luna turned a dark purple colour and shook her head. “You pervert.”

“Luna, what if something happened and one of us was bound into something, and we spent a thousand years apart?” Rookwood asked.

“I- I do not know,” Luna replied, looking distressed.

“We must be careful and hold one another accountable for each others actions,” Rookwood whispered.

“Yes, I suppose that would be wise my little bird of the wood,” Luna agreed.

“I would endure anything to remain with you,” Rookwood vowed.

“I know my love,” Luna said. “I hope that I am worthy of your love and devotion,” Luna replied in a nervous whisper.

“I wasn’t afraid of immortality until I thought about spending a long stretch of it without you,” Rookwood admitted. “Once again, Nightmare Moon has found a way to unsettle me. I hate that bitch.”

“We both do Rookwood, I think that is what drives our love,” Luna replied with a wry grin.

Author's Notes:

A bit more transition.

Now, as we continue the hunt, we begin to experience the battles of the dream realm as they spill out into the waking world.