The Life and Times of Nighty

by Garnot

First published 26th of March, 2016

Luna is abducted by a new form of villain, but no one could have expected that villain to be so... different. The greatest of challenges are not ones that can be or should be fought. [i]Especially[/i] when they involve Nightmare Moon.

For ten years, Equestria has known peace thanks to the council of friendship. That changes when Luna is abducted on Nightmare Night. Everyone expected it to be some new terrible villain out to conquer the world. No one could have expected things to be so… different.

Sometimes, the greatest of challenges are not ones that can be or should be fought. Especially when they involve Nightmare Moon.

Prologue, Part One—Just Another Nightmare Night

“Followers of the holy night and shunners of the oppressive sun, rejoice! For tonight is the night that our triumph is at hoof!” the changeling proclaimed in a tone loud enough to be mistaken for a roar.

Or, it would have, had he not been a few decibels off.

He almost reminded me of myself a decade ago, back when ‘making eardrums explode’ was my modus operandi. Had my hooves not been shackled by ethereal chains, I would have given him my most sarcastic applause. So, I instead opted to roll my eyes and give him a flat stare.

“Remember this night, followers of Tambelon, for tonight is the night of promise! Tonight is the night of destiny!”

The dozens of hooded and masked equines shook the walls of the roofless chamber with their cheering. Why was it that villains needed minions, even if the minions did nothing but bumble and look pretty?

Whatever the answer was. It didn’t matter right now.

The changeling's name was Gorgan. No, no, that’s not right. Was it Gangrel? Gargamel? Gilgamesh? I mean, he shouted his name right before abducting me, but I wasn’t paying attention, on account of the whole being abducted thing.

“—and I, Grogar, will help usher in this new age!”

Ah, that’s it: Grogar.

Grogar really didn’t look like any ‘ling in recent memory. Probably because of the blue mane and beard; three horns, two of which were ram-like, with the third being a twisting mockery of a unicorn horn; ruby eyes with draconic pupils; and lack of holes.

Perhaps more worrying than his looks was his magic. It felt stronger than even the most studied of sages from that one school everyone important has gone to at least once in their lives. In fact—and I hated to admit it—he was more powerful than either me or Celestia under normal circumstances. I couldn’t help but wonder if I was captured by a ‘king’ changeling.

My curiosity was far too high for me to simply keep my mouth shut. “Hey! You there. Changeling with the robe and crazy voice!”

The changeling ‘king’ turned to face me. He looked to his sides and back, as if to make sure he was the one being addressed.

With no convenient objects to bash my head against, all I could do was groan. “No, no—the other crazy changeling who leads a cult and has me tied with magical bindings like a rodeo bull—YES, YOU!”

The changeling’s brow furrowed. “Yes?”

“You’re a changeling, right?” I didn’t wait for the guy to give me an answer. “Are you a king or something? Is Chrysalis your wife?”

The changeling’s eyes widened as he took a step back, looking as if he had just been slapped with an iron-clad hoof. “W-why I’d never!” he hissed, bared his teeth, and ground them loud enough that I heard the scraping.

He stomped his left forehoof as a bright glow erupted from his horns. Seconds later, I was levitated off the ground and yanked forward, hooves scraping against the floor with such speed that my eyes teared up from the exposure. By the time I had blinked to clear the haze, my nose was pressed against his snout.

“Y-You! You will not put me and that, vile wench, in the same category!” He let me fall on the ground as he turned to his dozens of followers. “Chrysalis is a fool who believes that power can be gained only by absorbing emotion. She fails to realize the true power that lies within magic!” He turned back to face me. “Yes, I may have been a changeling once, but that was millennia ago! I no longer have the need—nor desire—to feed off emotion, for I have far surpassed that petty limitation!” He put a hoof on his chest and grinned, his teeth sharp and pearly white. I noticed he had no pronounced canines like most changelings did, his entire denture being evenly sharp instead.

I cocked an eyebrow at his vague ‘reply.’ “So, if you aren’t a changeling, then what the Tartarus are you?”

The not-changeling sighed. “Must I explain this everytime I try and do something important?” He cleared his throat and leveled his horns at me. For a second, he appeared ready to attack. Instead, a red aura enveloped his whole being, lifting him into the air as he spread his forehooves like a child expecting a congratulatory hug. “My name is Grogar of Tambelon, and I am a necromancer supreme!”

I snorted. “First of all, you’ve already told me your name. Secondly, ‘Necromancer’ is not the name of a race or species. It is a title awarded to students of the arcane after years of trials and tribulations.” I grimaced. “And finally, would you get down? You look absolutely stupid!”

Grogar snarled, the magic enveloping his body fading as he slowly set himself back down. “Necromancers are an ancient and powerful race that predate even the oldest of recorded historical records! Certainly a lot more powerful and ancient than a ‘pretty fluffy alicorn princess’!” He leaned forward and tapped me on the horn, giggling in a way that I could only describe as ‘childish.’

I gave him a smirk, opting to save my energy in case he said or did something even more idiotic down the line. “You wouldn’t be singing that tune if you didn’t have me bound like I am right now.”

He laughed. “Maybe. But the fact that you are under my bondage shows just how powerful I am compared to you!” His features contorted with a smile that threatened to break free of his mouth’s confides to encompass his ears.

I rolled my eyes. Again. “Look, are you, or you not going to tell me what you are?”

Grogar pouted. I didn’t even know he had that capability. If he had sounded childish before, now he outright looked it.

He gazed sideways and groaned. “Fine. Yes, I was a changeling.” He put a hoof over his mouth. “And in some ways, I still am...” he said in a muffled voice. “I did start out serving under that excuse for a queen before realizing she was more interested in petty conquest than the true quest for knowledge and power.” He extended his left forehoof. “Leaving was a wise choice on my part too, as you can probably see.”

I gave him a nod. “No holes means you weren’t at the siege of Trot.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Cheeselegs and her cronies got their flanks kicked so hard by Celestia that it gave new meaning to the phrase ‘slap you so hard your kids will feel it’.”

Grogar groaned and replied to my quip by smacking me in the back of the head.

“Hey!” I shouted, rubbing the spot with my wing.

And yes, against all logic, he had not tied my wings down along with my hooves. His excuse? ‘No need to have you so tied up, princess. You can’t escape with most of your magic drained anyway!’ Insert annoying cackling.

“As I was saying,” Grogar resumed, ignoring my outcry. “After I parted ways with my kin, I went on sabbatical. Came across countless wonders of forgotten magic, not to mention the ancient ruins holding all that arcane wonder! Among those ruins was the lost city of Tambelon. There, I found the necklace I now wear. It belonged to the elder arch daemon goat, Grogar.”

“But... aren’t you Grogar?” I asked.

“No. I’m just carrying the legacy,” Grogar replied.

“Then what’s your real name?”

“Bray,” He replied nonchalantly.

“‘Bray’?” I stopped to consider my next question. “Is there... more?”

“No. Just Bray.” He replied. “But I’m not ‘Bray’ anymore. I’m Grogar of Tambelon. Understand?”

“Grogar... Tambelon?”

“No. Grogar of Tambelon,” he repeated, his brows starting to furrow.

My ears ears flattened and my face sank. I could practically hear my brain cells screaming as they died horrible little deaths. I blinked a few times to get my mind going in another direction. I set my eyes on his trio of horns, beard, eyes, and strange bell necklace. “I take it the horns, mane, and tacky beard are somehow related to that awful piece of jewelry around your neck?”

Grogar’s smug smile split into a devilish grin as he leaned in. “You are a perceptive one!” He transformed his right forehoof into an eagle’s claw just so he could run the digits through the blue goatee. “While I had started to change the instant I got away from that stupid little nymph, it wasn’t until I put on the necklace that my power multiplied a thousand fold! I gained my fabulous trio of horns, developed my fearsome ruby eyes, grew my magnificent beard, and my mane became ten times as fabulous! All signs that I was chosen to inherit the ancient and powerful magic of Grogar!”

I cocked my eyebrow. Again. “So, you had a mane before the changes? I thought changelings were bald.”

Grogar curled his lips upwards. “Changelings grow manes too! Most shave it off because it helps with being aerodynamic.”

I pointed my wing at his head. “So, why do you not shave off your mane? Don't you too have to be aerodynamic?”

Grogar’s ears flattened as he averted his gaze. “That’s besides the point! All that matters is that my mane is a symbol of my distance from what I once was!” he gleefully laughed.

I flatly looked at him. “You still haven’t answered me yet. Why don’t you shave your mane off?”

He scowled, dark—er… darker—spots appearing on his coat. “I-I d-doubt your mind can comprehend the answer anyway, so I won’t bother. Instead, I will tell you something more useful.” His scowl turned into a smug smirk, his ears perking up again. “Such as what changelings really are!”

He conjured a cushion from parts unknown and sat upon it. He even used his magic to sit me upright and on my flank, but only after easing some of the pressure the ethereal chains binding my hooves together. He then fixed me with a look more befitting of a little colt granted the honor of telling his teacher all about his two-week vacation to Haywaii than an evil overlord. The only thing he was missing was the giddy trembling.

No wait. He was doing that too.

“Changelings came about because of a miracle of magic! Our womb was an old carnivorous tree that took root in a pool of concentrated unicorn magic that formed deep within one of your many pony cemeteries! Its magic unleashed thanks to your ancient sage, Starswirl the Bearded!”

I inwardly winced at that. Yeah, Star… not one of your brightest ideas, sticking a sign on that tree.

Grogar’s smile faded. “Unfortunately, alongside the rest of us came that excuse for a leader. She was born looking more developed because she managed to absorb more of the magical energies from our surroundings.” His nose scrunched the instant he finished his words.

“Hold it,” I snapped, cutting him off from going further. “‘More developed’? You bugs have physical stages?”

Grogar laughed. “Oh, Luna, that’s funny!” He slapped me in the shoulder. I had to hold back a wince by biting my lower lip. “Changelings grow physically too! Though our growth rates are primarily dictated by magic rather than just physical advancement. The more magic we absorb—either via emotion harvesting or just plain magical acquisition—the older our bodies get.” He grimaced and slapped the back of my head again. This time, with his magic rather than his hoof. “Also, we are not bugs. You bigot.”

I rubbed the back of my head again and tried not to show the tear of pain that had threatened to leave my left eye. “Alright, you’re not bugs. Got it!”

He shook his head. “Didn’t they teach you all about changelings in school?”

I gave Grogar a flat look. “Changelings were believed to be an old mare’s tale up until Chrysalis tried and wreck my niece’s wedding.” I sighed and got the infuriating memory out of my head. “Alright. Changelings use magic for long-term survival, but you also still have physical needs.”

“Until a certain point. Just like everything else, changelings grow up, get more powerful, and continue developing until—” he put a hoof on his chest, “—we get to my level! I am the only changeling in existence that has reached this level of power. Age and time are meaningless; I no longer need to absorb emotion as I can draw magic directly from the cosmos; I don’t even require food!” He laughed like a mad stallion.

I hated that a part of me was genuinely paying attention to his ‘lecture’. Still, it wasn’t entirely for nothing. Aside from information I could use later, the longer I stalled him, the more time I gave Celestia.

The... idiot... had left a note on my personal guards—which he had only put to sleep without even bothering to tie them up. Wrote his name, where he was taking me, and a long gloating line about how he had claimed victory over me. My guard was probably already speaking to Celestia about my capture.

I almost felt sorry for the idiot in front of me once my sister burst in here with a mane of fire and the itch to kick flank.

Almost.

“So... you haven’t eaten anything in hundreds of years?” I said. A part of me looked for the nearest wall to smash my head against. What kind of idiotic question was that? I could have asked anything, but instead, I just had to ask about his food intake?

Grogar stopped laughing and coughed, covering his mouth with his hoof. “Actually, I had some donuts and coffee this morning!” He rubbed the back of his head and sheepishly smiled.

And he answered the question. The absolutely mad pony actually answered the question! Just… go with it.

I stared right into Grogar’s eyes despite his best attempts to keep his pupils from fixing on me. “So… if you are the pinnacle of your race’s evolution—” I had to pause to let the words I had just spoken out loud truly sink in. With a light exhale, I ignored the internal screams and continued. “—Why are you not the one leading the changelings?”

He sneered. “Because fate’s a very cruel mistress!” He spat his reply out like venom. “To think she was born with such power, only to squander it on petty goals!”

I bit my tongue. I cannot believe I am about to say this…

“What’s stopping you from kicking her flank and taking over?”

Grogar did not look at me, opting instead to set his gaze at my hooves. “My distaste for Chrysalis began when she took over Timbucktu and crowned herself our ‘queen’. My outright disgust for her boiled when she revealed her plans to conquer and destroy Trot and all of its great libraries. The instant she came up with that... idiotic... idea of the wooden horse, I knew she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. That’s when I left. And good thing too, as your dear sister came not long after and put her and the rest of my kind inside a volcano.”

That’s when it hit me like a mallet to the head.

“You deserted because you wanted to be more than just another conqueror...”

Grogar kept his expression eerily neutral. At least at first. That slowly deflated as his shoulders slumped. “I-I’ve never been one to try and force anything to do something they do not want to.” He set his eyes on me, and I could see something else in them. Something that was not pride. “I’m a seeker of knowledge. Of power. I want to experience all the magic this world has to offer. I-I don’t want to... want to…”

He sighed. Mournfully.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be a king or an emperor. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone; I would like to help everyone—if possible.” He stood up and turned away from me. “You were gone a millennium. During that time, I saw it all: conflict, prejudice, injustice; all brought about by greed and hate and indifference.”

He chuckled. It was bitter.

“Truth is that no matter what we say or do, we all want to live by each other’s happiness—not by each other’s misery.” He turned back to face me. “A-and that’s why I believe the world needs something to bring it together under one single banner that transcends race and ideals! That’s why I want to release you from your prison of flesh: so you can take your true form!”

I widened my eyes as he finished his little speech. “Is… is that really your plan?” How did we go from gloating and simple villainy to… unity and—what. The. What?!

Grogar’s lip rose into a grin. “Of course it is! I’m no ruler, but I’m sure you are the perfect one!”

“Are… are you serious?”

“Never been more serious about anything in my long, long life!”

I kept staring Grogar, trying to get the gears in my head to turn faster than they already were. It didn’t matter how I tried, though, the result was the same.

I lowered my eyes. “So. You want me to become Nightmare Moon, because you believe I can usher in a true unified world?”

“YES! And with my collected knowledge over the last millennium, you will be able to rule as the true goddess you were always meant to be!” He put a hoof on his chest. “And I will be your trusted and loyal advisor!” He started shaking again, this time looking like a colt who had ingested a week’s worth of sugar. Or if Pinkie Pie had been given strong coffee and told she had to plan the world’s birthday party.

“A-aren’t you excited!?” he added, taking a step forward, eyes full of determination. “Y-you’ll soon be free!”

It started off muffled, my desire to maintain some semblance of posture overriding my current feelings. But with every attempt to staunch the flow, the dam broke little by little. It didn’t take long for the grin to form on my lips as my chortling gave way to laughter. Every breath only serving to increase the volume and ferocity of it.

Grogar’s reaction to it only added fuel to the increasingly overpowering comedic blaze.

“Y-you really…” I snorted, just barely keeping spit from flying out of my mouth. “Y-you think I am some kind of prison for—” I snorted again, shaking my head and using my wing to wipe away some tears in my eyes. “Oh! That’s... That’s. Just. Precious!”

Grogar took a step back. “Wha… what?”

I sucked in my desire to laugh further and fixed Grogar with a glare so intense that Fluttershy would have been proud. “Listen, and listen well. Yes, I was once Nightmare Moon, but I was never any good for this or any world. I became that fiend because of jealousy and hate for my sister! Gods only know what would have happened had I successfully taken over.” I pointed my forehoof at him. “Your plan is to set loose a daemon bent on conquest and tyranny: the very things you hate!”

Grogar flinched and took a step back, shaking his head. “No…! Y-you’re wrong! Nightmare Moon; s-she promised, everlasting peace a-and unity!” He fixed me with a glowing glare. Equal parts angry and confused. “Yes, she did plan to plunge the world into darkness! B-but I’m sure I can prevent that should she try it! I-I’m powerful. Enough to stop the sun and moon from moving if I want to!” His brow furrowed. “S-she—y-you—was… is—will be—i-incredible!” He grabbed hold of my right hoof. “Only she—YOU—can really make my vision real!”

I yanked my hoof and shoved him away. “No. I am not Nightmare Moon anymore, and I will never be Nightmare Moon again!”

He fixed me with a pleading look. His message was clear, but I would not answer it. I only shook my head in reply, not bothering to waste any more breath on the matter.

“I… I see.” Grogar stood once more, eyes set on the floor. “I guess… you. You don’t want to be Nightmare Moon. And here I thought… that all this time, you had just been biding your time.” He laughed. Though calling it a ‘laugh’ was a stretch; It sounded closer to a sob.

“I am afraid you and your followers have been wasting your time. Now, let me go, and I promise I will have you only arrested for being a nuisance,” I said. Seeing as you clearly aren’t any danger to anyone save the extremely sane, and gods know we don’t have enough ponies like that in Equestria.

He laughed again. This time, the sadness was supplanted by delight. I could feel my ears flatten at the tone.

“No! There is still one thing left that I can do! Something so ancient and powerful that few have even dared to attempt it!” He turned to face me, eyes full of desperation. “Don’t you see! Y-you won’t become Nightmare Moon again, and I won’t force you to. B-b-but that doesn’t mean she can’t come back!”

I got up and took a step backwards. “What are you—” Before I could finish my words, I felt what remained of my higher magics drain. I was left with just enough that, given weeks, I would recover.

I collapsed, the chains around my hooves vanishing. No doubt willed away by Grogar now that I was all but powerless. “W… what, did you… do to me?”

Grogar, his horns a mixture of my navy blue aura and his own red aura, reached out with his hoof to help me up. I didn’t have the energy to push him away as he gazed deep into my eyes, his own, wide and filled with newfound determination. I couldn’t help but recoil.

“I’m going to do the impossible! This world must be united before it tears itself apart!”

I gritted my teeth. “But there is nothing wrong with the world!” I snapped back. “This isn’t like the old days when ponies were divided into tribes! There has only been peace for a thousand years!”

My words went on deaf ears. Grogar was absolutely filled with stubborn determination.

“I’m going… I’m going…” He giggled, releasing me and turning towards a large empty part of the roofless chamber. “Words will not do it justice. Only actions can!” His three horns erupted with light. The amount of magic forming on them was… Not since Tirek banished me, Cadence, and Celestia to Tartarus have I felt such power in a single being. No. It’s getting even stronger!

A wind picked up as the very clouds began to swirl ominously overhead. My body instinctively began to tremble as the very ozone filled with raw electrical power. My coat felt as if any second, it would burst into magically induced flames. The power now swirling within Grogar’s being emanated with something that could usher forth life itself.

And that’s when it hit me like a train going a hundred miles an hour. “Y-you’re going to attempt Sourcery?!”

Sourcery: the very arcane force that the elder gods had wielded at the beginning of time to breathe life into the cosmos. So called because all magic sprang from it in some way, shape, or form. It was a power feared and revered by mortal and immortal alike, for if entropy was the Omega, Sourcery was the Alpha.

As I gazed upon Grogar’s figure, I could feel myself shrink with the first feelings of genuine fear since before my ascension. Somehow, someway, the changeling who had forsaken his queen in order to obtain power and knowledge had achieved a level of might only dreamed about by all other would-be conquerors and tyrants that had come out of the woodwork to harass Equestria over the last ten years.

Grogar allowed all the charged up magic to form into a sphere of pure white energy before him. As the sphere grew more refined and stable, I could feel a great heat emanate from it. Only when my eyes had adjusted did I spot the containment field surrounding the orb. The parts within the field had already turned to magma. Had that field not been present, the orb would have continued to grow by absorbing everything around it, until it had become another full-sized star.

I felt myself gulp in horror. “Y-you made a SUN!”

Grogar chuckled and turned to face me. “Stars are the foundry for all life in the cosmos. Besides, it’s not just any plain sun.” His grin grew even wider. “It is your sun! I made it using all the magical power I borrowed from you. I only had to apply the necessary sculpting.”

I almost didn’t want to ask my next question. “A-and wh—”

“What is my plan?” Grogar said, finishing my question. “Like you said earlier. I’m going to perform Sourcery.” He conjured a magical dagger. “But in order for it to work, there needs to be some form of biological basis.” He placed the small blade over his right forehoof and ran it across the fetlock. The resulting wound dew a great deal of blood before it closed just as quickly as it had been formed. “You provided the magic. I will provide the biological basis. Together...!” He put both hooves together, once more using his magic to levitate off the ground. “Isn’t it wonderful? I call it a ‘star womb’!” he snickered.

Without another word, he levitated the blood and packed it into a crystalline form. He shot the shards into the miniature sun without another word. Soon as the crystals had entered into the celestial body, the whole orb turned a navy blue color and cooled considerably, enough that Grogar dispelled the barrier, allowing some of the still warm magma to splash on to the sides.

Grogar set himself down and sighed, stretching his neck to the sides until several audible snaps rang out. “Now then, it’s just a matter of waiting. Of course, I still have to regulate the womb to ensure that it doesn’t implode on itself. If everything goes well, new Nightmare Moon will be born within the next few minutes!”

I shook my head. “So. You wanted so desperately to bring back Nightmare Moon that you went so far as to create life?”

Grogar tapped a hoof on his chin. As if he had to think about it.

AS IF HE HAD TO THINK ABOUT IT!

I put a hoof up and stopped him from speaking. “Doesn’t matter what you say. You already did it. Somehow, you tapped into a power only the elder gods could use, forged a miniature sun here on Equus without frying everything in the process, and turned said sun into a surrogate womb for your child!”

Grogar’s face turned pale at my words. “M-m-my c-child!?” His eyes widened to the size of small plates. “N-no, no, no, no, no! You misunderstand me! I-I’m not having a child! I’m creating life!”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My whole body trembled as rage built up in me. I just wanted to scream and rage and kick something. Anything!

“You mean to tell me that… that—” I placed a hoof over my face and tried to hold back the desire to smack the fool in front of me as hard as I could—which given my lack of magic, wouldn’t really be that hard. I took a deep number of breaths; one of Cadence’s old tactics for getting her nerves under control. “Okay. Question,” I started, trying to keep my tone as neutral as possible. “Do you know where babies come from?”

“Wha…?”

I took an even deeper breath, ignoring the dying squeals that were my neurons. “Do. You. Know. Where. Babies. Come. From!?”

Grogar coughed a few times, his cheeks turning red. “O-oh course I do!” He cleared his throat. “When enough magic energy accumulates in a specific location, and a suitable biological sample can be used to imprint into the magical signature, the—”

“STOP!” I shouted, unable to contain my cold fury.

Here I was, standing in front of a being whose power equalled that of an elder god, yet he didn’t even know where babies came from.

Only in Equestria…

I stopped as another lightning strike threatened to shoot me right out of the sky. The wind had picked up, making it all but impossible keep a direct flight path. Already, the muscles in my wings felt as if they would burst into flames at any second. I kept on pushing forward ignoring my slowly cramping appendages out of pure sheer will. I was not going to let ten years of sitting on my rear from stopping me.

“Princess!” Twilight called out to me from below, her friends managing to keep up despite her flying speed. “It’s too dangerous to keep flying! You need to pull back and let us deal with this!”

I felt an anger rise in me. I bit my tongue and swallowed the words I had been forming. I am calm; I am caring; I am the wise and endlessly patient princess of the sun. For a thousand and ten years I have ruled fairly. Peace and prosperity have thus spread nearly the world over.

Yet. There was a time when I teetered close to the same edge that claimed my dear sister. Harmony may have chosen us once, but it abandoned me the day I neglected her wellbeing. The fury I had felt at my own failure, it boiled over.

So, for a time, I became a warrior. There was no altercation I could not solve by charging forward, loyal troops at my beck and call. But I changed. I saw the error of my way and became a kind ruler instead. I promised I would not allow myself to be controlled by such base emotions as rage and desire. I became a protector rather than a conqueror.

But would a protector allow herself to be defeated so easily on multiple occasions? The question buzzed in my head like a fly that would or could not be squashed. What have you accomplished as of late, ‘princess’? Whenever there is a disaster, it is not you who solves it, but your former star pupil and her friends. What makes you think that you’ll change that by leading this rescue party? You WILL fail. You always fail! You’re only good for sitting on that overly decorated throne of yours and looking pretty.

I furrowed my brow and snarled. I would not—could not—fail.

My body and mind stopped in their flightpath entirely. It took a few seconds for my brain to catch up. Even then, only a numbness replied my demands for an answer. At least at first. I got a real reply to my question via the ungodly power I could feel saturating the very air.

It was a power I had never felt before in the flesh, yet felt too terrifyingly familiar to wave it off as some kind of anomaly of the forest. Either by instinct of the very nature of arcane studies, I did recognize a part of the fabric of it, for it was the same one that made up the sun and all the stars above. It was primal life energy in its rawest form; the kind that could breathe sentience into even the barest of places in the cosmos.

“Princess!” Twilight said as she stopped right next to me. “Do you feel that as well?”

I… I could not form words, for I could taste that power. I could only stare forward, eyes wide. Despite my best efforts, my body would not stop trembling. Ice flowed through my veins as I realized that someone—or something—was harnessing a force that escaped my attempts at giving it a label other than ‘elder’, perhaps even ‘eldritch’.

I gritted my teeth and zoomed forward as fast as my wings could manage against the fierce winds, leaving everyone else behind despite a part of me screaming that it was a horrible tactical choice. Much as I would have loved the full support of the guard and bearers of harmony, there was no time to waste.

“Princess!” I heard Twilight shout, her voice growing ever fainter as I put miles between us.

I could already see the old palace. I lit my horn and willed my body’s magic to a razor-sharp focus. Light turned material as body armor I had not worn for nearly a millennium returned to me like an old yet faithful friend. This time, I was the spearhead. This time, I was my kingdom’s wrath. No more sitting on my flank and pointing others to fight.

I was once a warrior; it’s about time I started acting like one again.

Author's Notes:

Hey! Thank you for reading up to this point. If you are enjoying, you know what to do.

For those of you wondering why there are certain things mentioned in this story that don't line up with stablished canon yet choose not to use the "AU" tag, that's because many of the events mentioned occured in the comic book published by IDW. If it isn't already obvious, this story follows that a bit more than the show's cannon. The reason being that I find the comic more detailed in regards to lore.

Now, another thing some of you are probaby saying, is: "Hey Garnot! Only one prologue chapter? Where's the rest! I'ma gonna find you and choke you until you give me the rest!"

Well, I got some good news and some bad news. The good news is that that there is indeed more to this tale. The bad news is that due to the necessity of cleaning up things, I will be posting them one per week, each one on a saturday. So if you really like this story, you'll get your continuation next week.

For now, have a good weekend.

Prologue, Part Two—Here Comes the Sun

Grogar took an uneasy, almost shaky, step forward. “So. Uh… where do babies come from?”

I could only place a hoof over my face and take dozens of rapid breaths to try and keep myself from losing all semblance of sanity. It was a battle that I was not meant to win by any means. Please, if the old gods have any mercy on me… end this now!

That’s when I felt it. Grogar must have sensed it too, as he snapped around to face the same direction I had.

The thick and ancient wooden double doors sealing the roofless chamber burst open in a magical blast of such power that it almost had me reeling. Out of the cloud of dust flew in Celestia looking less like the dignified princess of Equestria, and more like a blazing star given sentience. Her mane—normally an awe-inspiring rainbow of cerulean, cobalt blue, turquoise, and heliotrope—was alight with a flaming aura of golden solar fury. Her whole body was encased in the same golden armor she once donned like a second skin some one thousand years ago. It made her look less like a pony, and more like some kind of god-empress.

The first thing she did the instant the dust cleared was unleash a wave of energy that knocked all of Grogar’s followers down with such force that a few landed a few dozen meters away as nothing but twisted heaps. The few that didn’t get bent out of shape quickly got back up and charged.

Celestia made short work of them with a combination of magical attacks and nimble acrobatics that seemed impossible for a pony so heavily armored. I had to remind myself that the armor was enchanted, making it virtually weightless to her. Not so much for everyone else. I just hope she doesn’t brag about it on the way back home.

“Sister!” she cried out, setting her eyes on me, one of the cultists still wrapped in her telekinetic grip. “I came as soon as I was informed!” She tossed the masked pony aside and rushed to me, but not before delivering a blow of such ferocity that the metal mask on his face bent inwards. “Are you injured?”

Rather than give a spoken reply, I tried to stand up. But as I endeavored to do so, I stumbled back down and landed on my belly. I couldn’t help but yelp as I got the wind knocked right out of me, leaving me as a gasping mess.

My sister’s ears fell upon her head as her eyes lit with blazing fire the likes of which I had only seen once in my life: right before she delivered the smack down upon King Sombra. She glared at Grogar, who just stood there unfazed by eyes that would have made anyone else tremble and soil themselves.

“Fiend! What have you done to my sister!”

“Well,” Grogar started, “I, uh… hmm... well...” He rubbed the back of his neck and sheepishly grinned. “I-I might have borrowed... most of your sister’s magic,” He turned his attention back to me for a split second. “To, uh, recreate, Nightmare Moon!”

Celestia’s eyes fell on the miniature blue sun, at which point they widened to the size of small plates. “How the Tatarus did I miss that?” she half-muttered to herself. It was only on second inspection that the full magnitude of the blue ball of arcane plasma truly sunk in. “Is that... a SUN!” she shouted, taking a step back out of sheer shock.

Grogar laughed in reply. “Why, yes! Yes it is!” He teleported himself next to the infant star and placed a hoof on its surface. Against my expectation—or desires, for that matter—his limb went un-burnt. “Not too bad for a first attempt. Am I right?”

Celestia took a step forward, brow furrowed and teeth bared. “Did—did you say something about Nightmare Moon?!” she bellowed loud enough that the roofless chamber shook. She could have given my old Canterlot voice a run for its money.

Grogar’s eyes lit up. I wasn’t sure if it was with excitement, or fear. “Ah, yes. I did. You see...” He turned to face me, grin still plastered on his lips. “I originally thought that Luna was pretending to be ‘reformed’, and that she was still Nightmare Moon at heart.” He turned back to Celestia. “But I was wrong. Turns out she gave up on that personality the day she was defeated. Not wanting to force her into something she did not want, I instead opted to do a bit of Sourcery to make a new Nightmare Moon instead.” He once again rubbed the back of his neck. “But things have… changed. I’ve just been told by Luna that what I am doing is essentially giving birth to a child.” He stood on his hind legs and stretched his forelegs as far as they would go. “Isn’t it wonderful! I’m going to be a daddy!”

Celestia seemed to have ignored everything spoken by Grogar except for one thing: “Did you say you performed Sourcery?!” she asked, her posture quickly becoming one of battle readiness.

Grogar pouted for the second time that night. “Why is everyone acting like it’s a big a deal?! It wasn’t that difficult to do!” His smug smirk returned in full force. “Then again, I am talking to a wamby-pamby fluffy princess!” He snickered at what he no doubt he thought was a great insult. Had he been paying attention, he would have seen the fire intensify in my sister’s eyes to the point that she could have set any lesser being ablaze with her glare alone.

Celestia stomped her forehoof hard enough to leave cracks on the granite. “You! You seize my sister, strip her of her magic, trap her and attempt to force her back into the shadows, abuse natural forces that are beyond anypony’s right to control in order to create something that should not be, and still have the gall to insult me!?”

Grogar placed a hoof on his chin.

“YOU REALLY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT?!” I growled, unable to keep the question as an inner thought anymore.

Celestia lit her horn, the shimmering miasma glowing along with the pale moonlight. “Just who are you really? You cannot be the same Grogar spoken of in legend.” Her eyes hardened. “That Grogar, the one known as the Necromancer God, was vanquished long before the formation of Equestria. Our ancestors gave everything—everything—to seal him in shadow for all time!”

Grogar kept his smile intact despite the weapon directed at his being. “You are right in that I am not him.” He turned his head just enough to direct a single eye at me. “‘God’ does not mean I’m willing—or able—to rule.” His full attention went back to my sister. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I still control all of his power. Like it or not, I am his undisputed successor!” He laughed so wildly at his words that his sharp teeth glistened with the moonlight. “Sure, I’m no goat, demon, or demon goat—but who needs to be those when power and knowledge is all that really matters in the end?!”

The blue sun began to hum in a dull monotone. Every five to eight seconds, it dimly pulsated. Much like a beating heart.

Grogar turned to face his creation, eyes growing wide with what I could only really describe as ‘pride.’ “She’s almost ready to return to this world!” he giddily purred as he turned back to face my sister. “You might want to teleport to the nearest store to buy a gift or two. I think new Nightmare Moon will appreciate the gesture.”

Celestia’s already bright eyes did something I thought all but impossible: they intensified even further. I was shocked she wasn’t already shooting beams of fire from them. Her mane erupted like a volcano, losing all color and staying as bright and yellow as the sun. Her pale white coat turned a bright gold as the very ground she stood upon started glowing white hot.

Grogar snickered at the sight. “Whoa there, Celestia. All that fire can’t be good for your body!” He charged his three horns, his eyes setting themselves upon my sister’s being. “I know just the place for you to douse that fire of yours!” There was a bright flash of crimson that temporarily blinded me. When the light faded and my eyes had adjusted, she was gone.

“Wa-! Whe-! How…?” I growled and glared at Grogar. “Whe-where is she?!”

He chuckled. “I sent her someplace where she could put out all that fire.” Grogar lilted, the smile on his lips remaining absolutely serene. “I just hope she landed in a good spot, and not one of the more… unsavory locations.”

There was another flash. This time of a radiant gold. When the light faded, Celestia stood facing Grogar. Only, she was drenched head to hoof in both water and mud, and reeked of rotten plants and stagnation. Not even the gold armor was safe from the muck stains.

“I guess I miscalculated the landing zone. Oh well, at least you aren’t a little fireball anymore.”

Celestia’s glare only intensified. I could see the smoke rising from Grogar’s body as my sister’s scowl tried its best to turn the changeling into a pile of ash.

He stuck out his tongue at her. “Guess you didn’t like the bogs, did you?”

Celestia let out a roar. It was loud, primal, and absolutely filled with fury. The very earth shook in response.

“Still a little too hot to handle, I see. Maybe this time, you need to chill out.” Grogar’s horns became enveloped in magic once more. Celestia’s glare was barely on him when she once more vanished in another flash of red.

Grogar shook his head. “Really now. I was expecting her to be more serene than this.”

I slammed my hoof on the floor. It was about the only thing I could do to defy my enfeebled state. “She’s the sweetest, kindest, most forgiving being you will ever meet in this or any other life!” I shouted, my voice already feeling coarse. “You’ve done the impossible by angering her!” I felt a cold shiver run down my spine as memories of that fateful day played in the back of my head. “Only one other time has she been this furious at somepony else.” I set my glare on the changeling. “And I think you already know who that other individual was.”

Grogar shuddered. “Don’t remind me. Still get all shivery just thinking of having holes all over my body.”

Yet another flash of golden light. Celestia appeared from it again. This time though, half her body was encased in a thin crust of ice. What few parts that were not outright frozen sported small flurries of snow. Even the armor looked to have lost some of its gold hue. Despite the absolutely furious death glare she was giving Grogar, she could not stop her body from shivering.

Grogar took one look at her and broke into laughter. “OH, that’s just too much!” He stood on his hind legs and wrapped his forehooves around his chest as he let his body fall back as he hit the floor, rolling around in absolute jubilation. Even I had to bite my hoof to stop myself from giggling. It was terrible that I was finding my sister’s situation so amusing.

Celestia wrapped her whole body in flames this time. I could feel the heat even from my distance away.

“YOU. WILL. RESPECT. ME!” she bellowed, forming a sphere of solar energy.

My eyes widened. She meant to use the same spell which she had used against Chrysalis and her army at the battle of Trot. The same one that had left every single of the ‘lings forever scarred with holes If she uses that here, she’ll most certainly bring the whole place down!

I tried to raise my voice to stop her, but I was too late. With a mighty war cry, she unleashed the spell. The blast of pure white-hot arcana traveled towards Grogar in a matter of seconds. I could feel the hot air singe at my coat. It was like standing meters away from the sun itself!

Grogar stood back up just in time to face the blast. Against my expectations of him dodging or teleporting, he instead lowered his head and charged his horns. The blast made contact, swallowing his being.

“Hey!” He called out from somewhere within the blast of magic. “Trying to catch me off guard, huh? That ain’t nice!”

My sister’s eyes widened in absolute horror. Grogar, horns ablaze with his own scarlet energy, pooled the energy and redirected it skywards using nothing but his forehoof. The blast travelled into the ether of space, no doubt looking like a pillar of fire to anyone that bothered to be stargazing.

With a sigh and sly grin, he waved his hoof around. It was emanating smoke, yet looked no worse than an appendage that had been dipped in hot water.

He shook his head, all the while clicking his tongue. “Princess, you naughty you! Trying to strike me at my most vulnerable moment! With a spell that would have no doubt hurt your sisters, no less! Why, if all the rumors about you weren’t true, I would say you’re no better than that Tirek brute from a decade ago. For shame!” He trapped Celestia in his telekinetic grasp. “Since you’ve been a very bad filly, I think it’s only fair that you get a bit of a time out.” The grin on his lips grew.

Celestia glared swords at him. “You wouldn’t dare!”

Without another word, my sister vanished in a flash of red light. Grogar levitated his whole being, hooves placed together as he hovered towards me. “Question. Why was Celestia so angry at me?”

The stupidity of the question almost made me have an aneurism. Still, something compelled me to speak. “You really want to know why? Well then, sit your flank down and shut up while I tell you just why!” I took very deep breath and set Grogar with my harshest glare. It was somewhat livened by the fact that he had, in fact, taken a seat on his flank just as I had asked.

“Let’s start from the beginning.” I said, my voice staying as razor sharp as I could keep it. “You are the successor to the Necromancer God, a being whose exploits were etched into the very fiber of many civilizations’ myths. You foalnapped me during a time of celebration for Equestria and planned to see me transformed back into Nightmare Moon!”

“Which is not going to happen anymore, might I remind you,” Grogar interjected.

“That’s not the point!” I retorted, nose flaring as I tried to keep my anger in check. “You still abducted me! That alone is bad enough, but then you had to go and add fuel to the fire by having that ridiculous plan of yours!” I sat on my own hunches and crossed my hooves. “And after that, you went and stole most of my magic and used that to make little sunshine back there,” I motioned to the still pulsating blue sun in the ruined chambers. “And all for what? So you could live out a stupid little desire that makes absolutely no sense!”

Grogar’s brow furrowed. “What part of it makes no sense?” he asked, snapping his head upwards and huffing. “I think my plan makes perfect sense!”

“Oh really?” I leaned my head forward, smile creeping on my lips as I raised an eyebrow. “Have you seen the world lately?”

His ears folded.

“Have you noticed the lack of—oh, I don’t know—conflict?!” I snapped. Before Grogar could use that mouth of his to fib his nonexistent point, I interrupted him. “The world’s more at peace now that it has ever been! Sure, it’s not perfect, but that’s part of life!” I stomped my hoof and grimaced. “The way I look at it, the only conceivable reason you would want Nightmare Moon back is not because you think she can rule the world fairly—which she won’t. I can guarantee you that.” My grin widened. “It’s because you fell in love with her a thousand years ago!”

Gods dammit. Had I just said that outloud? What was wrong with me?!

Grogar stood up and took a step back out of sheer shock. “N-no! Y-you’re lying!”

Screw it. I’m already down this path. Push the advantage while I still have it!

“If you really wanted a companion,” I continued, rising quickly to add to the weight of my words. “Then why not go out there and find somepony instead of reviving a daemon to be one for you!?” I shouted the last of my words, the anger that had built up in me all but overriding the tidal wave of embarrassment. I couldn’t really tell if the fire now raging in my cheeks was because of the anger or the sheer awkwardness of the situation.

“B-b-b-but Luna,” Gorgar started, his face closer in coloration to a boiled tomato. “I-I-I’m—No—C-ca-can’t!” He took a visibly painful gulp. Of what, I didn’t know nor wanted to know. “N-N-Nightmare Moon was really the only one to understand me!” His eyes grew forlorn and large. I was reminded of a puppy’s stare. “She told me so herself before the fateful night of her banishment!”

I walked up to the him and grabbed hold of his shoulders, shaking him as hard as I could. “You idiot!” I bellowed, following that up with a single slap to his face. “She was manipulating you!” I slapped him across the other cheek with the back of my hoof. “Can’t you get that through that thick skull of yours!? She never actually liked you for who you were! She only wanted your power!” I grabbed hold of his head and twisted it to face his ‘star womb’—whose glowing pulses had increased to almost one every five seconds. “If you bring her back, you’re only going to be hurting yourself! Stop this lunacy before you make a mistake you’ll regret for the rest of eternity!”

Grogar shook my hooves off and took a step back from me. “I-I can’t.” He wrapped his right foreleg around his left forelimb. “I-I can’t—end—the process. It’s now self-sustaining! New Nightmare Moon will be born tonight!” He fixed me with a dull, but still fierce glare. “Stopping it now would be akin to murder!” His eyes grew steely. “And I will not kill. Ever!”

With each pulse, the figure of a small young mare was starting to become visible. Already, her power was matching that of my sister and myself. I furrowed my brow and tried to think of a way to end the madness unfolding before me, but every single conclusion I came up with involved destroying the star womb in some way. There was life inside that sun, even if it was something as potentially dangerous as Nightmare Moon. Life was still life.

What right did I have to end it?

I bit my lower lip. Maybe she’ll not be the same as I was a thousand years ago, I mused. After all, Nightmare Moon had been borne out of neglect, jealousy, and hatred. She hadn’t just come about overnight either. For years, she had existed in the back of my mind. She had started as a thought. She then turned into a second conscience. Then, a reflection that stared back with every glance of a mirror. Day by day, she grew more and more powerful as the neglect continued. Day by day, she convinced me she was my only salvation, and day by day I believed her to be absolutely right. Dark thoughts became moves of conspiracy against my sister, each ploy meant to further push Nightmare’s agenda and our grand plan. When at last I snapped, there no longer was any distinction between Nightmare Moon and myself.

I had become Nightmare Moon.

Maybe if we show her kindness and give her the attention I once craved? It was a bit of a long shot, but if Discord—the very spirit of disharmony and a god of chaos—could not only be reformed, but redeemed, then anything was possible.

If nothing else, I at least have to believe.

There was what sounded like a muffled thunderclap. Grogar was the first to look up. I turned my head to follow his gaze: the moon.

A small flash of sunlight emanated the celestial body, forming a growing ring of light that traveled the whole of the moon’s surface until it faded away into space. I didn’t have to think too hard about what had created the blast.

Despite my best efforts, a grin had formed on my lips as I looked at Grogar. “You sent her to the moon?”

Grogar opened his mouth to speak—probably would have said something witty—but at that precise instant, a flash of gold light erupted in the room. When my eyes again adjusted, I saw my sister.

Yet… that possibly can’t be her…

She stood behind Grogar, her entire being once more wreathed in sunfire. Her horn was lit with radiant gold arcane energy, which I instantly recognized as a very powerful form of telekinesis. Her face twisted into a vicious snarl, eyes devoid of any emotion other than pure anger. Raised above her head was a magically ethereal blade of gold and fire.

What she did next…

She forcefully lifted Grogar into his hind hooves so hard that I heard a snap of bones. The instant he was vertical, she plunged the blade downwards with such ferocity that a single blink of the eye would have caused anypony to miss it.

The magical weapon entered a little below the shoulder, likely traveling down where the lungs and heart would be. It exited right from the middle of his chest, the fire leaving a searing yet gaping hole. The smell of burnt flesh was overpowering. Sickening.

My eyes widened in absolute horror as I covered my mouth instinctively.

Celestia stood there, a victorious yet vicious grin forming on her lips.

Author's Notes:

As usual, next chapter will be posted next Saturday. Thanks to those who have read so far. Hope you are enjoying the story so far.

Prologue, Part Three—The Fall of the Necromancer God

When my eyes adjusted from the red flash, I found myself floating in an black sea of stars. I extended my wings to fly, but there was no air resistance. I tried to take a deep breath, only to be met with an airless void. I started darting my head from side to side to get my bearings, my eyes falling on an endless expanse of gray dust hundreds of meters below my hooves.

I cast an atmosphere bubble around me and took several deep breaths of air, the flames around my body dying in order to conserve oxygen. I carefully manipulated the gravity field to land on the surface of the moon, eyes falling on the blue orb that was home.

I stomped my hoof. The quake picked up a cloud of gray dust. “HOW DARE HE DO THIS TO ME! HOW DARE HE TREAT ME LIKE A FOOL!” I shut my eyes and tried to hold back tears of frustration. “I really am useless!”

I shook my head and took another deep breath. “No! I-I ju-just miscalculated!” I croaked.

Miscalculated? More like outright underestimated! Worst part is this is not the first time. Remember Chrysalis nine years ago? How about Tirek ten years ago? Do I even need to bring up Luna and Sunset Shimmer? Maybe it's time you stopped being so ‘nice’ and reminded everyone why you were so feared back in your prime.

I shook my head and started taking quick controlled breaths. Just like how I had taught Cadence more than a decade ago. “No,” I said, relaxing my posture and puffing out my chest. “A-a fair and kind que—Princess, does not give in to her baser desires. She does not let herself be ruled by the aspiration to rule.” I sighed to that. “And now, I am talking to myself.”

Still, there was some validity to my inner thoughts. I am standing on the surface of the moon because of a changeling with the power of an elder god who still has my sister under captivity. Worse, he’s planning to bring back my greatest single mistake.

Still, there was something that didn’t quite add up with Grogar. He was powerful; unfathomably powerful, even. He had slapped one of my most potent spells aside like a pony slaps a piece of paper caught in the wind. Yet, in doing so, he prevented the ruins from being destroyed. That was what worried me the most. At the moment of my attack, I had not cared about collateral damage. I hadn’t felt rage like that for more than a millennium.

What’s happened to me? Ten years ago, I would have welcomed anything to get me out of the monotony of daily life, even going so far as to plan for the unusual! Now, I got annoyed by the slightest of things going wrong. Ponies avoid me more than ever before. Even Twilight chooses to tread lightly when I am around. I have changed, but why?

I think I’ve gotten tired all the nonsense over the last thousand and ten years. Grogar’s antics are merely the point where it’s all spilled over. His actions have proven just how feeble I really am! I was the foundation of Equestria once upon a time, but now there are others that can take my place. Like Twilight. How about letting her take the throne while I go back to doing what I used to do best?

I felt my heart skip a beat. “Wh-what I used to do best?” I shut my eyes. “N-no! Harmony chose me and my sister because we demonstrated the needed qualities to rule at a time when fear was the predominant emotion!”

But harmony left me…

A blade of light formed in front of my eyes. I lifted a shaky hoof towards it, unsure of just who was really controlling my body at this point. The thoughts running through my mind should have disturbed me, but they didn't.

Grogar has powers that can easily destroy the world. I can’t just allow him to continue existing if he really is that powerful. I could feel the fire in my heart intensify. Have to prove that I’m not just sitting on my flank and looking pretty anymore. I allowed the blade to become a part of my magic as I felt newfound power surging through me. I have to act now, before it is too late. The blade radiated like a small star. Because if I don’t… No! Better safe than sorry.

I snapped my eyes open with newfound resolution. A fire once more surged through my veins. Grogar had dared to assault my family, and dared to defile the laws of nature with the creation of his star womb. He was evil through and through. With the power he wielded, he could be unstoppable. I have to strike now, before it is too late. He is distracted; he is weak; he is unfocused and full of conceit!

I charged my horn and set my mind on a teleportation target.

The ethereal sun blade vanished after piercing Grogar’s chest. The wound instantly bleed. All blood splashed on Celestia’s armor, leaving a stain that looked much like a wound of its own.

The Necromancer God looked down at his wound and grimaced. “Oh...” he started, voice devoid of the joyful conceit it had bore just minutes earlier. “I... don’t think this... is how it was supposed to turn out.” He fell on all four knees and turned to my sister. “Celestia. I-I can’t believe you—” he hacked again. Some of the blood landed on her face. She instantly brought a hoof over to wipe it off. Yet, in that second, I saw a hesitation in her movement.

He covered his mouth and wiped away the loose blood, leaving only a small smear running down into his beard. “You… you—cheated!” He put on a sad—disappointed, really—grin as he shook his head. “You… supposed to—teleport and appear... in front—me,” he solemnly snickered. “Well. M-maybe—I’m the stupid one—expecting you to follow—” he coughed again. “C-can’t blame you. A-after…” He turned to face me. “I... am. The... Stu—bad guy, here.” He wheezed, then coughed, and finally broke into laughter. “Wow… this, really hurts! I don’t, think I can bounce... back from this one as easily. My magic’s not, c-closing the wound.” He turned to look at Celestia. “You... used magic, to prevent me, from healing. D-didn’t you?” he asked, snickered solemnly. “Well played, C-C-Celestia. Maybe you aren’t a fluffy pretty—p-princess, after all...”

I took a step forward. “That’s it then?” I felt anger rising in me. “All that talk and you’re just going to die?!”

Grogar’s head perked up. “I’m... not, going... to die!” He retorted, snorted, and muttered something under his breath which I did not catch. "I—I... I can't..." He cleared his throat, spitting some of the blood that had started to pool in his mouth and fixed me with a determined look. “I’ll admit... this injury, is the gravest I—suffered in... ever! But it’s n-not going to kill me.” A wide grin formed on his lips. It held no joy. Only bitterness. "I am... immortal..."

Celestia stepped forward. “So, the injury I gave you is not enough?”

Grogar turned to look at her, his brows furrowed. “Do I—to repeat... myself?”

Celestia’s eyes once more lit up with rage. The blade was once again materialized. “Then maybe if I chop off your head this time?!”

I got ready to step between the two when several blurs of blue streaked pass by me. When my mind caught up to the situation, I realized that at least twenty of Grogar’s followers now stood in front of their boss, horns alight and ready for battle. Some still bore dents on their masks from my sister's earlier attack.

Celestia, probably just as surprised as I was, took a step back. “If you value your lives, you will move out of my way!” she bellowed, voice loud enough to cause a few of cultists to recoil. Still, they stood their ground, horns only glowing brighter with each passing second.

“That’s... enough!”

Celestia and I both stood in shock at the loudness of the shout. Our attentions fell on the source.

Grogar clumsily stood back up, wincing as he tried to keep his hoofing even. He had to wrap his hind legs in telekinetic magic to get them to move. The three steps he took might as well have been a hundred by how contorted his face turned. “My... followers. I truly—thank you for... loyal services.” He set his eyes on Celestia. Eyes that now held nothing short of contempt. “But—cannot allow yo...you—more pain. At least... not—my behalf.”

The masked ponies turned to face their boss. None said a word.

Grogar lit his horn. Unlike his normal ruby aura, this one was a bright green. “I... release all—from your contracts. Go... to the great beyond, knowing that—have more than paid back. May—find more peace... in that world, that you did in... this one.”

The magic faded. Each and every masked pony fell to the floor, their robes and mask unfolding to reveal nothing. Yet, from the nothing, ghostly silhouettes floated upwards. Dozens upon dozens travelled up and away into the sky, their forms becoming one with the stars above. One of the ghostly beings—a colt who couldn’t have been older than nine—stopped in front of Grogar. The changeling gave the spirit a warm smile, and the colt in turn hugged his muzzle. He then floated up into the sky, where he too became nothing more than another star in the night sky.

Grogar sighed and allowed himself to fall back on all four of his knees. “Okay.” He fixed Celestia with another grin, his voice no longer as shaky as before. “You may... proceed with the decapitation attempt.”

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “Were those.... ghosts?!”

Grogar chuckled. “Not ghosts. Souls.” He levitated one of the masks from a former follower of Tambelon. “A sad... unfortunate truth. A lot of ponies die... with unfinished business.” He levitated one of the robes this time. “As a necromancer, I have the power—commune with such lost souls. Most other necromancers would force souls into servitude.” His grin grew. “But I’m not ‘most’,” he allowed himself a chuckle. “I make a contract with them: in exchange for... their help, I allow—a chance to return and... complete—pending business.” He looked skywards. “What you saw were... all the spirits—chosen to stay behind. I’m r-really going to... miss them. At least, I know they are going—a better place.”

I was left with no words. What could I say?

Celestia stomped the ground. “STOP IT!” she yelled, her voice uncharacteristically cracking. “Y-you are a vile... fiend... whose goal is to bring about ruin to this world! You are a villain, not some misunderstood cur!”

Grogar allowed himself to fall back on all four knees. “Celestia. Answer me this question.” He turned to look at the Star Womb. It was now pulsating once per second. “Say I— you kill me. Would you... allow the star womb to exists?” He turned back to face her. “Would you... give the mare inside that sun—chance to exist?”

Celestia’s eyes grew hard and cold. “No.” Her voice carried with it a chill that made my very blood turn frigid.

Grogar mournfully grinned. “I... had a feeling—you would, s-say that.” His horns started glowing once more. It was faint at first, but the glow grew with each passing second. “I—don’t have much of a choice... do I?”

“What are you—” Celestia started, but never got to finish her words. Grogar’s trio of horns glowed so bright that the light enveloped the entire room. I felt so much magic that for a second I feared he had opted to create another sun right on top of us.

When the light faded, Celestia and I immediately started scanning the room for any changes. Immediately, we noticed a lack of blue light. I paused and set my eyes on the small crater still flooded with molten rock where the star womb had once been.

Celestia was the first to speak. Though ‘speak’ was an understatement. “Where is the star womb, Grogar?!” she roared, grabbing hold him with her magic and dragging him up so she was snoot to snoot with him.

Grogar gave Celestia a weak grin. “She... will—born. A-and she will—given a chance... to live! That y-you are… determined to take a-away.” He set one of his eyes on me. “True, I do not know... what she will be bo—desiring. But, everything deserves... life.” His gaze fully turned to my sister, where it hardened. “Used what remained—magic that I haven’t already exhausted… healing, to teleport—star somewhere... you—not find it!” He chuckled and stuck out his bloodstained tongue at her. “You... lose. Good night to—you.”

Celestia growled as she glared daggers at Grogar. She looked just about ready to try and run him through with her horn.

At that instant, the cacophony of several dozen hooves filled the room. First to enter through the already busted doors of the ruins were Twilight and the other five elements of harmony. Following closely behind them was a mixture of royal and dusk guards.

“Princess,” Twilight started, her and her friend’s bodies already altered by the power of the rainbow of harmony. “We came prepared to—” She stopped abruptly, her eyes falling on the still fresh stain of blood on Celestia’s chest.

My eyes widened as the implication became all too clear.

Twilight’s stance changed, her whole body arching as she set her hooves apart, eyes falling on Grogar with a sharp glare that seemed capable of carving stone. “What did you do to Celestia?!” She growling through clenched teeth.

Celestia, to my shock, let go of Grogar and took a step back, putting a hoof over her ‘injury’. “Twilight... he is more powerful than he looks! I managed to deal a stunning blow, but he won’t be out for too long. Use the Rainbow Power before it’s too late!”

I winced. Celestia wasn’t lying about Grogar’s power levels, but that didn’t change the fact that she—who was princess of the sun all that was supposed to stand for righteousness and justice the world over—had just lied! And not just any little white lie either.

Twilight charged her horn, the magic surging and swirling around her. The other five members of the Elements of Harmony stopped forward, Twilight’s magic surrounding them as well. “Alright girls, let’s do this!” Twilight said, her words triggering each of the mares to polymorph into their respective Rainbow Power personas. A rainbow of raw magical power circulated the six, growing only more intense with each passing second.

I felt myself rooted in place. I was very familiar with the power now forming a rainbow of arcane might over the six friend’s heads. I had been at the receiving end of it ten years ago. I had felt it strip me of my magic and madness, leaving me only at half of my original power, and in the body of a much younger mare. While grateful for the event, the agony I had felt that day still haunted me, forever serving as a grim reminder of what awaited me should I ever be tempted to turn back to the madness of Nightmare Moon.

The six friends directed their magic at Grogar, and the rainbow of power took flight. I looked at Grogar, who eyed the rainbow now traveling towards him with curious awe instead of fear. I couldn’t help but feels an absolute sense of dread wash over me. He was not only weak from teleporting the Star Womb, but he was also injured in a way that would have killed a regular pony a hundred times over by now. If he gets hit in his state… My eyes widened as much as they ever would. I tried to get my legs to move, my wings to flap, even my magic to spark, but it was futile. By the time I managed to get one of my limbs to stretch forward, the rainbow had struck Grogar and consumed him, his figure vanishing into the multi-colored lights.

I set my gaze on Celestia. I wanted to shout at her, shove her forward, demand she do something! but what I saw left me wordless.

Celestia, who had been standing but a short distance from Grogar the moment the rainbow struck, was cowering away. I could see parts of her being smoking just by being near the rainbow of harmony. H-how is… that possible?!

As the rainbow receded, it left behind a plume of dust. Twilight and her friends panted from the exertion, yet gazed on at the sight of their combined spell’s impact. Meanwhile, Celestia looked at herself in horror as she tried to process just why her being had reacted to the rainbow of harmony like that. I too wondered the same thing. A few ideas crossed my mind. None of them pleasant.

We heard a groan, followed by a soft chuckled. We all turned out full attention to the source of the sounds.

Grogar still lay on all four knees, even if the floor around him was scorched black and filled with smoking rubble. His shape looked smaller than before. It only took a closer look realize why: a lone horn instead of three; eyes of a solid pupil-less ruby color; and body size at least two sizes smaller—in fact, he was no larger than a young mare entering her adulthood. The blue beard and mane remained, but they were considerably shorter. The only thing that still looked identical was his ancient bell necklace.

Grogar picked himself up just enough to set his eyes on me. He chuckled, voice low and distant. “Healing… magic’s returned. Now… I sleep… and—recover” With those last words, he let his body fall and his eyelids drop. “Wake me… up… in a few—” He never got to finish those words, as all traces of sentience faded from his eyes. By the time he had fully entered into his ‘deathless slumber,’ he was nothing but a gently breathing changeling that looked far too fragile to be dangerous, and far too innocent to be some kind of malicious elder god.

Celestia allowed her magic to fade, the armor vanishing and her mane and tail returning to their original rainbow coloration. She walked up to Grogar and fixed him with a glare as her horn began to glow. For a second, I worried she was going to take the opportunity to finish him off. She settled with only yanking the bell necklace off him and sending it away with a flash of gold light. She turned to the guards, who stood at attention at her sight.

“All regiments, sweep the area. If you see or feel any kind of magical anomaly, inform me right away!”

“Understood, your highness!” Both dawn and dusk guards replied, gathering their forces and carrying out their orders without any further word.

She turned the guards nearer to her. “Sweep up that… fiend… and take him into custody. If he moves… inform me.” The guards replied with a salute, quickly surrounding Grogar and carefully levitating him off the floor and into a stretcher used by the medical corps.

Celestia finally turned to face Twilight and her friends. “As always, thank you—” she paused for exactly one and a half second, “—for saving Equestria.”

Twilight sighed and smile. "Glad we got here just in time. Are you still hurt?"

Celestia coyly laughed. “Don't worry about me. I healed myself while you casted the rainbow of harmony. Also, I think the rainbow itself helped with the healing process.”

I grimaced at the words. Lies.

Twilight and Celestia started talking. Whatever it was they discussed, I did not pay attention. I set my gaze on Grogar. Now that he looked more like a changelings, he was harmless. I found it hard to believe that such a small body held enough power to outmatch Celestia and myself. I shuddered to think how things would have turned out had Grogar really been out to cause harm to the world.

Something in the back of my mind bothered me to no end though. I still didn’t quite know what to make of all the events that had happened tonight. Something compelled me to stick close to Grogar, however. Maybe a perceived sense of injustice? No. I wasn’t sure what it was.

I felt a hoof fall on my shoulder. “Where are you going, Lulu?” Celestia asked, concern in her eyes.

I gazed at her for a second and turned back to face her fully. “Nowhere.” I sighed and hardened my gaze. “Tia. We need to talk.”

Celestia looked around a few times, as if to make sure there were no prying eyes on us before nodding in agreement.

“Why did you lie to Twilight?” I bluntly asked.

Celestia coughed. “Whatever do you mean?”

I cocked my eyebrow. “You know well what I mean,” I snapped back.

She laughed and fixed me with a grin. “Oh Lulu, I think tonight’s drama has got you remembering things that didn’t happen. A good night’s rest will do you good.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Tia, you lied about being injured.” I hesitated on my next set of words, but I had to speak them. “And you lied about the Rainbow of Harmony… it was affecting you.”

Celestia’s eyes widened, causing her posture to slip for just long enough that I could see the fatigue. I was surprised she was still managing to stay standing after everything that had happened tonight.

“I think you might be suffering from stress-induced delusions!” Celestia chimed, her eyes darting from side to side, as if to check that no one else could see her. “No such thing happened.”

I opened my mouth to speak, but I found no real words to say. I closed my eyes and sighed. “Maybe I was seeing things. It’s been a heck of a night.”

I saw it. I know I did! Why am I trying to go along with her deception? Am I still afraid of disappointing her?

Celestia placed a hoof on my shoulder. “Everything’s fine, Lulu.” She sighed and sat on her flank. “Maybe lying wasn’t exactly the best thing to do as a princess, but it was a tactical choice that sprung up. One I had to take to beat Grogar.”

I looked her in the eye. “But did you really have to deceive your own family to do it?”

Celestia’s brow creased. “You know as well as I do that a little lie is sometimes needed for the greater good,” she said nonchalantly.

But grogar was beaten. You could have killed him with that choice of yours. I caught myself in that thought. Why do I care? He was the one who abducted me in the first place!

“We’ll find the star womb, and we’ll put an end to Grogar’s scheme,” Celestia said, her words catching me off guard.

“But what if we’re too late? What if new Nightmare Moon is born?” I asked.

Celestia’s eyes hardened. “You let me worry about that.”

I felt myself gulping. Even if new Nightmare Moon was a separate being, a part of her had been—was—me. “Are-are you going to… kill her?”

Celestia straightened her body, standing to her full height. “I will do what I must to keep Equestria safe.”

I chanced a gaze at Grogar, who was now strapped to the stretcher and ready for transport. “And what about him?”

Celestia’s eyes turned to ice. “With any luck, he won’t wake up again.”

“And if he does?”

It was a simple question. I hoped for a simple answer. Instead, Celestia said nothing. She only gave me a light tap on the shoulder and turned away, back to her guards and to Twilight, who welcomed her presence with open, yet cautious, hooves.

I considered following her to try and coax an answer out of her, but a part of me knew well she would not really give me a satisfactory answer.

So I sat there, under the pale light of the moon, thinking back to everything that had happened that night. The guards who hadn’t already departed to look for the star womb gathered the discarded masks and robes and formed ranks once more before marching out of the ruins. Twilight’s friends went along with them. The small garrison was probably returning to the Palace of Friendship in Ponyville, the other five elements tagging along for protection. All that, and I still sat there.

“Luna. Are you coming?” Twilight asked as she stood next to Celestia. She fixed me with a curious gaze. “Don’t worry. You can rest in my castle tonight. Heck, you can stay as long as you wish!”

I gave my sister-in-law a warm smile and a nod. I could not deny that I needed rest.

I spread my wings and took flight behind my siblings, just barely able to keep my wing beats even. The three of us flew towards Ponyville in relative silence.

Good thing too, because I had a lot to think about. Not just about the possibility of being faced with a doppelganger of my darkest hour, but also of the implications that tonight’s events held.

I had to find out more about the Rainbow of Harmony.

Author's Notes:

So, Grogar has been defeated, evil has been stopped in its tracks, and the only lose end now is the Star Womb and the evil being ready to be born from it. Evil will be stopped, and all those who are guilty will be punished.

But are things really as they appear?

Stay tuned for the final part of the Prologue act that will drop right after this chapter goes live.

Interlude One—Something Wicked This Way Comes

The blue star now pulsated every half second, the humming loud enough to be confused for the wail of a windigo. Clouds had formed over the miniature star, rain pouring down like waterfalls from the heavens. Each drop of water fizzed away the instant it came into contact with the small sun's surface. Lighting occasionally lit the forest alongside the sun's pulses, but it also hid the small sun's location from prying eyes.

Each pulse of the sun lit up even the darkest corner of the surrounding forest. The denizens of the woods could only watch on with wariness as the orb of blue plasma sat firmly on the soil of the clearing, the surrounding earth turning to glowing magma as the star's pulsing only intensified, only to be cooled back down by the downpour from above.

Within the small blue sun, a lone figure stirred. It was no larger than a teenager, give or take a few inches. Its frame lithe, mirroring the image of some of the best well-kept mares in the land.

More lightning. More thunder. The roaring wind mixing with the hum of a star; it all served as a clear warning to anything nearby, while also being an almost impenetrable veil of natural camouflage. Not even the Royal Guard or the Wonderbolts that had been sent out a half hour earlier to search for it could continue flying in such bad weather.

The Everfree wasn't called as such for no reason. Only the brave—or foolish—dared to enter into its grasp.

The humming intensified into a single high-pitched shrill that was barely drowned out by the wind and thunder. The pulsating was now taking place every fraction of a second, and it only increased in speed. It was not long before the pulsating had become a single unbroken and piercing light.

The once blue sun became a pale white as it began to shrink. As it did, it lost its spherical shape, taking on the contours of wings, a head with a horn, and four folded limbs. Slowly, the shape continued to shrink, until the blue sun bad become nothing but the glowing silhouette of a mare.

Then as if to offer one last moment of the spectacle before forever going silent, a bright flash erupted that lit up the woods for miles on end. It lasted but a second, but in that instant, it was brighter than even Equestria’s yellow sun. And yet, it went unnoticed in the storm raging above.

The wind began to die down, but the rain only picked up ferocity. Thunder and lightning vanished as a lone figure now stood where the blue sun had once rested. In the small crater, a young alicorn of a very dark cornflower blue coat and a mane of brilliant phthalic blue with a persian azure outline began to stir.

Author's Notes:

So, Grogar's wishes came to pass. New Nightmare Moon has been born. The world will soon face her wrath.

Or will it?

Guess you'll have to wait and find out~

---

So guys, this is it for now. The prologue arc is over. Stay tuned for the next story arc starting soon. There may be a bit of time between the new things being published due to some small issues with scheduling.

Some may be wondering why I posted three chapters of the prologue instead of just going ahead and posting as a single thing? Well, will anyone have read all of that at once?

Later chapters will certainly reach higher lengths. Stay tuned. If you like this story, help this author grow! Read, Rate, and Coment.

Until next time, farewell.

Act One, Chapter One—Return

Where I?

Who I?

What I?

Night? No. Darkness? No. Nightmare...?

Oh. Why so cold?

I stood, stretching hoovies and wingies widely without making ouchie. Cramped. I move in… ever?

Wet. Cold. So wet. Shiver Brrr, Brrr! Find warmth, only darkness. Dark. Darker—Darkest. Nothing good, nothing happy. Cold, wet, scary!

Don’t want to hug dark. Dark is scary! Dark is very, very scary! I no like dark!

Trembling. “So wery scwary.” I paused. “Twesting, twesting.” I stick tongue out and move jaw. Why I sound weird?

I sit on hunchies. “Mwaybe I hwit hwead?” I get angry. A cough, hack, and clear throat. Throat starts to get ouchy, so I stop.

“Twes… Twe…” clear throat one more time.

I thought of words.

More and more words remembered.

More words meant more language.

More language meant more variety.

More variety meant a higher sense of cognition!

Yeah, words are flowing back into my mind, filling me with knowledge, ideas, experience! A smile creeps on my lips. “O-Okay. Think I have talking… down.”

I don’t know why, but I feel proud of myself. It was only then that I wrapped my hoovies—I mean, hooves—around my body in self-congratulatory celebration. Still feeling cold, though. Words can't fix that.

I looked skywards. That’s when my eyes got a hit with the torrents of water falling down. Is water dripping from the sky? Are there sad ponies up there crying? No, that’s not it. It has a name, what was it again? R-ruin? Rean? Rain? Yeah, Rain! That’s what’s falling from the sky: “Rain!” I said as loudly as my voice could manage with my throat still feeling sore. “Raiwww—” I backed away and looked down, spitting out a mouthful of water. Okay. Not a good idea to open my mouth and look up when skywa—I mean, rain—is falling.

“All right. Rain makes things wet, and being wet means being cold; that much I know now. Being cold is bad, of course. So, to not be cold anymore, I need to get out of the rain.” I started looking around. “But how do I get out of this rain? There is nothing out here but darkness. If only there was a way to have light…” I looked down at my hooves. They were sinking into the mud. The only thing stopping my body from being outright swallowed by the muck were the countless small rocks that formed a somewhat stable base.

Wait a second. I looked down at my hooves again. But of course!

I ducked on all fours and started digging through the mud to get to the rocks. If I smash them together, I’ll create sparks. Sparks mean fire, and fire means light and heat!

My hooves finally broke through the muck and found a nice group of healthy-looking rocks. I reached down and grabbed as many as my hooves could scoop up and placed them beside me. When I was happy with my haul, I turned my full attention to the stones.

With one hoof, I brought up the largest stone that I could carry without it feeling uncomfortable. Sadly, because of my size, that meant something that would not have been larger than a pebble. With my other hoof, I picked up the roughest stone from the bunch. I took a deep breath of air and started smashing the two pieces of earth together, making sure that each hit also carried with it a scraping motion.

One hit. Two hints. Three hits! Ten hits, TWENTY HITS!

I continued smashing the rocks together as fast and as hard as my hooves could manage, yet, with each hit, the rocks started to crumble more and more. And still, not a single spark. I tossed the defective stones aside and picked two new ones. I again got to hitting the rocks as fast and as hard as possible, and the stones again fell apart before they had produced sparks. I grabbed yet another two rocks and continued my attempts, only for the same thing to happen again.

And again, and again…

“Why won’t you give me sparks!” I yelled to the heavens. “When I smack you together, you are supposed to go ‘boom’ and give me fire!” I smash the two rocks in my hooves together as fiercely as I could manage one final time. They shattered from the force, yet refused to give me what I wanted.

I felt rage course through my veins, like something very hot and very bright. I shut my eyes so tight that I could see colors. My body trembled, and a ringing began to start in my ears. There was a heat that enveloped me. The numbing cold disappeared as the light filtering through my shut eyelids grew in intensity.

Wait a second. Light? Heat? Wha—

I shot open my eyes and was met with a sight that left me with a slacked jaw. Surrounding my being was a bubble of what I could only describe as fire air.

Fire air? What am I, a foal? It’s got a name! Uh… ou-iu-ai-eo-aura. Aura! Yeah, that!

The aura emanated a gentle heat that not only dried my body but also acted as a shield, preventing more rain. It was bright too, letting me see more than half a meter away from my body. That was the first time I got to see just where I really was.

So I was in what looked like a small clearing in the middle of a very heavy forest. The twisting and thick trees were so close together that they formed a wall of green and brown. In the dark, I could see a few glowing eyes directed at me. Probably small animals curious as to the sudden glow in the clearing.

Wait. Are small animal eyes supposed to glow green?

It took me a second to notice it, but the light’s source was not the bubble, but me. I traced the glow to a spot just above my forehead. Going cross eyed, I spotted the appendage that was emanating the light. I ran a hoof over the cone-like thing. It couldn’t be anything else other than a unicorn horn.

But I have wings already. Either I’m a pegasus, or I am a unicorn. No way I can be both.

This was quite the puzzle. Something in the back of my mind told me that being both a unicorn and pegasus was not ‘normal’. In fact, it might have been as far away from ‘normal’ as possible. Then again, what was normal other than what was known and understood? Or, was it something else altogether?

I shrugged to myself.

So I was some kind of… pega-corn? Great. Did that mean I could do something no pony else could do, or was I some kind of freak? If I am a freak, does that mean that I’m supposed to do something no one wants me to do? Am I am going to end up having to hide my wings and horn just to fit in?

Maybe. Something in the back of my mind told me the world wasn’t exactly all strawberries and lollipops—though it certainly would be cool if it was. Whatever the case really, the first thing I had to do was move. I couldn’t just keep standing in the middle of a storm.

I mean, I guess I could, but would be pretty stupid. What kind of idiot chooses to stay outside in the middle of a rainstorm when they can get somewhere dry? Sure, the bubble of—whatever it was—was holding nice and strong. But I had a feeling it would not stay up for too long, and it being my only source of light…

Well, better not tempt fate. I really don’t like the idea of being stuck in the dark again.

“All right,” I said out loud to no one in particular, “let's go that way!” I pointed forward at a random direction. I kept a wide grin on my lips but knew pretty well that I had no real destination. I figured that if I kept on walking, I would have to run into someone eventually.

I took my first real step forward—

—Only to end up wobbling and falling flat on my face, right into the mud. Unfortunately, I had my mouth open as well because of the grin. I ended up taking a huge bite out of the muck.

I raised my head and spat out the liquefied dirt. I even wiped my tongue for good measure. “Ywuck! Dwirt twastes awwful!” I stood up and tried to take another step forward. This time, I managed to stop myself from hitting the dirt face first.

I looked down at my four limbs and frowned. “Stupid hooves!” I half-shouted. “Why are you being so useless?!” I stood up again, this time managing to keep my limbs from flailing like noodles. Confident, I took another step forward. The forehoof made contact with the soil without issue.

Off to a good start.

The next hoof, the hind one, moved into position as well. It wobbled a bit, but it ultimately made contact with the ground as well.

Starting to move now!

Confident that the worst was past me now, I pushed forward with my hind leg, readying my other forehoof to receive my weight. Before I even had the chance to plant the limb into the ground, the forehoof I already had placed into the dirt started to teeter. Two and a half seconds later, it gave out and slipped at an angle that left the muscle feeling sore. I hit the wet dirt again. This time, though, I'd just enough time to close my mouth to prevent swallowing another mouthful of muck.

I sighed and started to stand up again, pushing back the tears forming in the corners of my eyes. “I’m going to be here a while, aren’t I?”

I did not wait for anything to give me a reply. I stood back up again and tried moving my legs in rhythm.

I forgot to keep my mouth shut as I fell into the mud yet again.

It’s going to be a loooong night…

Yes, this has been a long night. Too long.

I landed at the edge of the Everfree forest, right beside a number of yellow and purple colored tents my loyal, if a tad overzealous, guards had erected.

As soon as my hooves touched the ground, I allowed myself an exhale. Tossing ‘proper’ royal etiquette aside, I sat on my haunches. I couldn’t see it because of the thick cloud cover, but the moon was probably near the horizon by now. Six hours, and still no sign of that blasted star. Had I not been as powerful as I was, I would have probably dropped dead from the exhaustion.

I grimaced. I swear when I find that cursed thing… I allowed my head to hang, giving my neck muscles some much-needed rest.

How was it possible that I was still empty hooved? I could understand if my guards had found nothing. They were mortal, after all. What excuse did I have?

I have my limits as well, the voice of a small pony rang in the back of my mind. For starters, I haven’t done anything like this in centuries. Secondly, I am not as powerful as I once was.

I blinked and ignored the thoughts. I was starting to strongly consider the idea of having myself looked over by a therapist. Hearing voices didn’t bode well in regards to sanity. A part of me also feared the possibility—however slight—that I was suffering from something far worse.

I shook my head and scoffed. “Corruption,” I whispered to myself. Not so distant memories of the Rainbow of Harmony’s unpleasant warmth started filling my mind. “Corruption…”

I looked up to the still cloudy skies to take my mind off the troubled feelings now swarming my psyche. At least it had stopped raining. I was glad for that. The added weight of the water made flying difficult. I really had to give it to the Wonderbolts for being able to take wing as fast as they could even in the worst possible weather conditions.

One of my royal guards, an older unicorn stallion garbed in gold and purple armor stepped forward the instant he saw me.

I quickly stood back up and straightened myself. No room for weakness, I sternly told myself. Be the pillar they all expect you to be.

“Your highness,” the captain said, saluting and staying in attention. “Welcome back. We weren’t expecting you for another hour.” His eyes focused on me more intently. “Is everything alright?”

I’m tired, I’m hungry, and I’m wet. Nothing’s all right! I put on a warm smile gave the captain a nod. “Mr. Ingot,” I started, keeping my tone as soft yet assertive as I could make it. “What’s the current situation here?”

The captain tensed, his muscles rippling under his coat in reply to my question. “We are now six hours into combing the Everfree looking for the target.” His stance tensed some more. “Unfortunately, reports from all divisions, including the Wonderbolts, are the same.” He allowed himself a hard gulp, a few beads of sweat already forming on his brow. “I’m sorry, your highness, we just haven’t been able to find anything.”

For a moment, I felt anger rising in me. I strongly considered clearing the skies and forcing the sun to rise earlier than it should, so it would banish the bothersome dark. I hated the dark; loathed it. If I had a choice, I would make sure it never again bothered anyone.

I felt a great pang of guilt at my own thoughts. No. I am not like that. Those thoughts were the kind that had led to ruin and endless strife. Not again. Never again. I will not fall to such base desires.

Yet I still stabbed him through the heart with the intent to kill. He’s only alive because he’s immortal. I inwardly winced at the little voice in my head. It was right. Passion had driven me to do something that, while I didn’t completely regret, still had left a very bad taste in my mouth. I was supposed to be better than that. I should be better than that.

I blinked a few times, got my thoughts back on track, and gazed directly into to the captain's eyes. “Double your efforts and expand the search beyond the Everfree. I want pegasi flying from the Ghastly Gorge all the way to Appleloosa and Dodge City if necessary.” I turned my eyes back to the forest. “I’ll double my own efforts for as long as my energy holds out.” I narrowed my eyes. “I’ll fly all the way to the frozen north if I have to!”

The captain’s eyes widened. “M’lady, you do not need to do anything!” He placed a hoof on his chest and stood tall and proud. “Leave it to us. It’s what we have been trained for all our lives!”

I stomped a hoof and set a glare on the stallion. “No.” The captain’s posture instantly deflated, unable to stop himself from flinching. “I am not going to sit idly by while the greatest threat to Equestria continues to be free.” I locked eyes with the captain. “Am I not the leader of this nation? Am I not responsible for the safety of every single one of my subjects?”

Captain Ingot blinked a few times, almost as if unsure of just how to answer my question. I understood that I was putting him in a bad situation, but my annoyance was just too great to keep contained.

And I felt like scum for taking it out on him.

I sighed and gave myself pause before I could let my thoughts get any further. The soreness of the day was starting to catch up to me like a creeping numbness that made every step and every spell a struggle. I could only dread the stiffness that was to come in the next few days. The worst part was that no one could know about it. No one could know of the weakness of their princess.

The captain winced, almost instinctively flexing his foreleg in a salute. “O-of course!” He took a very hard gulp, trembling as he kept his eyes on me. “I-I apologize, your highness.”

Before I could raise a hoof to ease my captain’s wariness, he took a step back and turned to the camp. “Alright, maggots, listen up! Time to double our efforts. I want no stone left unturned and no area left unchecked. Double time everything. NOW!”

At the captain’s words, every guard present stood back up, strapped their armors back on and left whatever they were doing, put out most of the fires going, picked up their spears and shields, and got back to searching. The captain turned back to me with a salute and followed right behind his troops, leaving the camp a virtual ghost town of half-eaten meals and dying embers. Only a few guards remained, those assigned to guarding the camp, as well as those assigned to the medical tents.

I sighed, unable to bring myself to say anything. I should have been proud of the speed and efficiency with which my guard took to their tasks, but a part of me couldn’t help but feel sad for those that had gotten pushed back into work despite being as tired as I was. The one way I could make it up to them was to take flight myself and work twice as hard.

I levitated the nearest canteen of water from the supply table, double checking to make sure it wasn’t owned and was full. As soon as I popped the lid and brought the bottle to my lips, the sweet smell of chocolate hit my nostrils.

I groaned. “Discord, I know you’re here. Come out before I force you to come out!”

“Boo! You’re no fun,” a voice purred, ringing from seemingly everywhere at once.

“Stop playing around,” I replied, switching the canteen for the next one within reach. “I’ve had a very long night, and I’m in no mood to humor you.”

“But I’m a trickster god. Playing is my expertise!” There was a flash of yellow, followed by the sound of something popping, almost like a faint crack of lightning. It only took seconds, but Discord now stood before me, a smug expression on his face. Though, ‘stood’ was not quite right, for he was hovering inches above the ground, his legs crossed and his tail dangling limply.

I snorted and took a swig of real water. A sigh of satisfaction later, I turned back to him. “What are you doing out here anyway? Shouldn’t you be with Fluttershy or bugging Twilight?”

Discord grinned. “Oh, sweet Fluttershy’s sleeping right now. Poor thing came back exhausted from today’s little excursion. And Twilight’s too busy with her search spell to be vulnerable to my antics.” His expression darkened. “I honestly can’t believe you did what you did, though.” He allowed himself to stand as he spread his arms wide. “ ‘Princess Celestia, lying!’”

My ears dropped as I Instinctively turned around to see if any of the guards had heard the accusation. Thankfully, there were none within earshot. I had to remind myself that my guard wouldn’t take Discord’s word seriously anyway. I should not have to worry. Still, I understood well that I demonstrated guilt just by my act of checking.

“Did Lulu tell you that?” I asked, keeping my expression neutral. A part of me knew that was futile in the face of Discord, but I lost nothing by trying.

Discord shook his head. “She didn’t need to. I saw it with my own two eyes. Besides, she’s been too busy keeping an eye on that Grogar fellow to really speak to anyone.” He snorted. “Hard to believe that little changeling is the fearsome Grogar from legend.”

I was half tempted to ask Discord just how much he knew about the so called “necromancer supreme”, but it was his first statement that caught me most off-guard. “You were there?” I asked, unsure as to why I was even surprised. Discord was a master of being where he shouldn't be when he should be. “Where were you?”

Discord crossed his arms, grin still plastered on his lips. “Now, now. I’m not an open book. I have to keep my own secrets if I ever hope to have ponies’ respect.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You were alongside Fluttershy invisibly, weren’t you?”

Discord’s lips lowered ever so slightly.

My own lips, in reply, started rising. “You really do love her, don’t you?”

Discord coughed and cleared his throat. “A-at any rate, I was there when you lied about the injury.” His eyes narrowed. “Everyone else may be blind to the signs of a real injured princess, but I am not.”

Of course, you would know about injured princesses.

That thought made me realize how different things were today. Thirteen years ago, I would have certainly had no qualms with Discord vanishing, especially after all the Tartarus he put Equestria through. The fact we were speaking now as amiably as we are is almost a miracle in onto itself. And it was all thanks for Fluttershy. She did what no one else in the history of Equestria had. The element of Kindness indeed.

“More importantly,” Discord continued, his words snapping me out of my thoughts, “I’m actually more curious why your body reacted like it did to the Rainbow of Harmony.”

I couldn’t stop my body from instinctively taking a half-step backward. Regardless, I kept my face in as neutral a position as possible, eyes fixed on Discord’s own. “Are you here just to accost me, or did you have something to say?” I corrected my body’s mistake by taking a step forward, closing the distance enough that I was face to face with the spirit of chaos. “Because if you do, I’m right here. Say it straight to my face,” I narrowed my eyes at my words.

Discord signed and placed his clawed hand over my snout, pushing me back effortlessly. “Personal space, Celestia,” he said, grin returning to his lips. “Now, if you really want to know what I think of you. Well, I don’t think I have to say anything at all!” He laughed. I intensified my glare in reply.

“In all seriousness,” he started, his amused tone vanishing so quickly that it startled me, “you’ve changed quite a bit over the years. If I had to start somewhere, I would say you’re not nearly as fun—or willing to have fun—as you used to be.”

“Explain,” I said, my tone bordering between curiosity and indignation.

“Well,” Discord started, once again taking to hovering in place. “There was the time you got invited to tea in Fillydelphia about a year ago. Whole town tossed you quite a party, only for you to keep this scrunched face the whole time. Didn’t even bother to liven up the mood.” He snickered under his breath. “Oh, and there was the time Cheese Sandwich did that roast of you! You banned him from setting hoof in Canterlot for a whole year!”

I kept my glare set on Discord. “Is that it?”

Discord snorted. “Oh no, that’s just off the top of my head!” He snapped his fingers, at which point a scroll materialized in a flash of light. The scroll unrolled, traveling down the length of the floor and over to a nearby guard, at which point it traveled up his body and down his flank, where it continued until it vanished from sight.

Of course, you have a scroll. Why wouldn’t you have a scroll?

He cleared his throat and took a deep breath of air in preparation, but before he could get a word out, I spread my wings and took flight.

“Hey, where are you going?" Discord snapped.

I groaned, rolled my eyes, and turned back to face him. “I really don’t have time for your nonsense right now. There is a very real threat to this nation out there, and I am going to do everything in my power to find it."

"You really should take it easy for a bit." Discord said, the scroll in his claws vanishing in a puff of smoke. “You’ve been flying for six hours straight. Even you have limits.”

I narrowed my eyes. "Some of us can't afford to take things easy!” I snapped, not bothering to keep my rising rage in check. “Some of us have to be strong when no one else can!”

Discord snorted. “Same old rhetoric.” He laughed and grinned. “You know, you’re not really proving anything by doing all of this. You’re just wearing yourself out.”

I held my head up high. “A princess must lead by example.”

Discord crossed his arms and laughed. “Keep telling yourself that. See what good it does you.”

I glared daggers at Discord. I have enough power to send him somewhere very far and very unpleasant right now. Why not use it?

I shook away the thoughts. “If you excuse me, I have a search to continue and a sun to raise.” Without another word, I beat my wings as hard as I could, sending me dashing towards the horizon at speeds that would have made Rainbow Dash take a second glance. It was less to prevent further annoyance from Discord, and more to keep myself distracted from the thoughts now buzzing in my head.

No more distractions. I’ve already wasted enough time entertaining that fool. I must find that star before it’s too late. The clock is ticking Celestia. The clock. Is. Ticking...

Author's Notes:

Howdy Folk, Garnot here. I have a bit of bad news for fans of this story. Unfortunately, the next batch of chapters isn't quite as far along as I would have liked. On top of reworking the previous chapters for quality purposes, writing has sort of slowed down majorly. Most of the blame lies with my work hours as of late, but other smaller issues related to the writing process itself have come up.

Until those issues can be fixed, I'm afraid I have to put this story on a longer hold that I would like. The good news is that said hold shouldn't last too long. In the meantime, I will go ahead and give you guys this chapter. The rest will be posted one they are complete, and only once they are all done. So expect something once per week once my schedule is back on track.

So until then, enjoy this tale. As always, thank you very much for reading, and until next time, farewell.