Children of the Guardian

Chap 17

"As you already know David, Nightmare took form shortly after the daylight savings began and the sun was up longer than usual." Luna began looking out at the now full moon.

"Celestia then banished Nightmare to the moon for the next 1000 years. However… that's not where things began." She said quietly turning to face him, her dark mane glittering in the moonlight.

"Have you ever noticed that when you use your magic, or when Twilight does the same, some of the excess magic used is burned off and vanishes?" She asked.

"Yeah I've noticed that. It feels like you have something left over, but then it disappears." David answered quietly not sure where Luna was going with this question.

"That is how Nightmare came to be David." She whispered turning toward the moon again. "It was small at first. My excess magic created her and she would be that little voice in my ear trying to turn me against my sister. The "little demon" on my shoulder I guess you could say. However…"

She stopped and turned back toward David. Only this time she was letting her magic flow out of her body and it formed what looked like a small filly made of dark blue magic standing next to Luna.

"Over time that "little" demon grew, and grew, and grew from my use of magic." As she said this the small filly did indeed grow and grow until it was a splitting image of Nightmare's silhouette and it was now hanging over Luna. "She was my only friend, and I was blind to the threat she posed." Luna said as the silhouette walked around the room, as if it had a mind of its own.

"Luna I don't understand though. Surely she wasn't anywhere near your power. How was she able to take over and cause so much damage?" David asked standing next to her. Luna sighed and ushered him out onto the balcony.

"It wasn't long before I noticed my "shadow" following me around. So I decided to limit how much magic I used on a daily basis in the hopes that I would weaken her. It didn't work…"

"Wait why not?"

"Even though at that time she was far weaker then I was, you need to remember that all of the excess magic that made her was anger derived. My fury and sadness at my sister was the main fuel that kept her around. So even without my constant supply of magic, she could always feed off of my anger or sadness to find magic there."

David scratched his head. "Wait… that makes no sense. Are you saying that alicorns emotions are linked to their magic supply?" He asked confused.

Luna giggled, her beautiful laughter filling the room and causing the silhouette to hiss angrily. "Yes that's exactly what I'm saying David. Haven't you ever noticed that when Twilight is excited or giddy that her magic output increases? Like for example… when you two made love for the first time in this room after your marriage?" She said concealing her laughter.

David's cheeks flushed a bright crimson and he started to open his mouth when she realized that it was a good example. "I'm sure there was some kind of magical release after that moment. Or maybe two or three…" Luna said now laughing hysterically as every part of David's face was now dark red.

"Can we please lay off the innuendos please?" He said starting to sweat from embarrassment.

"Of course we can. All I'm saying is that it's the exact same thing. The emotions of alicorns control how much magic goes into the spell. That's why Nightmare was able to become so powerful. Fear and anger are some of the strongest emotions, and they hold vast amounts of magic behind them, and my anger was burning all the time." She said sighing as she sat down on the bed.

"Now it's starting to make sense. She took advantage of where your power came from and what you wanted."

"That's right David. She promised the power to rule all of Equestria, told me that my sister didn't care for me, and that I was nothing but a waste of Celestia's time and effort to care for. She picked and prodded at everything sacred, everything private, all to get what she wanted. Which is exactly what she did too you." Luna finished tapping David's chest.

"She targeted my love for my parents, my secret desire to be back in my human body, and she even tried to seduce me by becoming a human female." David recounted as the Nightmare silhouette approached and began growling at him.

"David if you could get your human body back now, but have to give up everything to do it… would you?" Luna asked seriously.

"Never." David answered putting his hoof to the ground. "I may want my body back, but that doesn't mean I'll give up everything. This world is my home now. The human body has no purpose here, while the one I have now does." He said as he closed his eyes. "Sometimes what you want, and what you need are two different animals, and right now what I need is to be the Guardian everyone can look up too."

"That's very noble of you David. I wish I had been stronger the day everything went bad for me. It was right before the summer sun festival and I was furious at Tia for something she had done… I don't remember. That's when Nightmare put her plan into action. She asked me if I wanted to rid the world of Celestia forever and bring about a world where the night was more important than the sun and I said yes."

Luna stopped as tears fell upon her the bed. "She took control of my body. It felt like cold water was working its way over my body as the transformation took place. I closed my eyes for just a moment because I was starting to see only black, but when I reopened them I could see fine. Except now it was her voice talking to me, and I couldn't hear myself speak anymore. She had become real, and I… the voice in her ear. I had to watch as she tossed aside my sisters guards and argued with my sister. All the pain and rage I felt before was now being used but I felt awful. I was seeing what my anger was capable of, and what it could do." She sniffed and continued.

"I watched as my sister send her to the moon and there I suffered for 1000 years incased in the body of my anger personified. She continuously ranted about brining eternal night, and getting her revenge on Tia. I tried to argue saying that wasn't what I wanted… but it didn't matter anymore. She was in control now… Luna was gone… and Nightmare had arrived."

She finished her story and put her head onto the bed. "I can only warn you David. I can't prevent it like you can. If anger takes control of your body you won't be yourself anymore. You will be your own monster and if it turns out like me… you won't even exist."

David hugged her as she finished. He had never asked for Luna to spill her guts like that to him, but to see her come clean to him, with a story that probably few ponies even knew made him feel very uncomfortable.

"Luna I'm sorry for making you tell that story. I never meant for it to open fresh wounds." He said nuzzling her. Luna smiled as she got up.

"It is I who should be thanking you David. I have not told that story in a long time, and I'm glad you listened. If not for you… well I suppose I would have kept it bottled up inside me. Thank you." She concluded by kissing his cheek. "Now I must go. Farewell Guardian." And with a quick burst of magic she was gone, leaving David alone in the room.

The silhouette of Nightmare continued to walk around the room but stopped and then leaped at David when it noticed Luna was nowhere to be seen. Quick as a flash however a magic crafted hand appeared from David's horn and began squeezing the silhouette. "Anger and temptation will not control me." He said as his horn glowed fiercely and the silhouette exploded into smoke from the crushing vice of the hand. Next Chapter: Chapter 18 Estimated time remaining: 14 Minutes