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Demons & Nightmares, M3.5

By Durr0694
Created: 2025-02-10 06:14:54
Updated: 2025-05-03 13:57:34
Expiry: Never
ocnightmare moonhuman/moon/day

  1. >Be Sepia, unicorn
  2. >It has been a long time, but you are finally home
  3. >The Phantom you are riding in is filled with ponies and Spartans dressed in casual clothes
  4. >Notches, his horn in a thin cast, is standing beside you
  5. >White Cap is on your other side, her wings fidgeting against her back
  6. >You can understand her nervousness since this will be her first face-to-face meeting with Princess Celestia
  7.  
  8. >You feel the floor underneath you jerk as the Phantom touches down on the airship landing pad
  9. >The side ramp lowers and lets in the midday light
  10. >You all squint your eyes to see
  11. >There are over a dozen landing pads of various sizes around Canterlot and you weren't told which one you were landing on, so you look for landmarks
  12. >Beyond the small crowd, which is headed by the Princess, the buildings are all businesses
  13. >You look for the castle to see if you are in the southwest or south end of the business district, but you don't see it
  14.  
  15. >Oh, right, Canterlot Castle is gone
  16.  
  17. >The cheering and stomping crowd brings you back
  18. >Sean and Aden, both dressed in black casuals, look down at the three of you and step aside
  19. >You all take the hint and walk out of the Phantom down to the smooth stone of the landing pad
  20. >Sean picks up a backpack and follows you with Aden behind
  21.  
  22. >Princess Celestia, just as beautiful as you last saw her, steps forward
  23. >The crowd silences itself
  24. >All three of you stop in front of her and bow
  25. >"Rise, my little ponies."
  26. >You all stand back up to see her give you the warmest smile you've ever seen
  27.  
  28. >"Welcome back."
  29.  
  30. >The crowd behind her erupts with cheers
  31. >Celestia walks over to White Cap and leans down to tell her something you can't hear over the renewed stamping of hooves
  32. >Bashful, White Cap responds, to which Celestia says something that makes the pegasus step back and nod with a smile
  33. >She bows, then turns and flies right back into the Phantom
  34. >The ramp closes up immediately and the dropship lifts off, turning and bolting in the direction of Manehatten
  35.  
  36. >You turn back to see Celestia smiling down at you
  37. >"Sepia. I'm glad you're safe."
  38. >You return the smile,
  39. "I'm glad to be back, Princess."
  40. >"There are many things we must discuss, but they can wait until after you say hello to your family."
  41.  
  42. >The Princess steps aside, and you see several Canterlot Guard part the crowd
  43. >You see your parents and younger siblings being led to the front of the crowd
  44. >They don't make it before you slam into them, trying to hug them all
  45.  
  46. ()()()
  47.  
  48. >You are Sean B094
  49. >You watch from the side, arms crossed, as Sepia gets enveloped by her family
  50. >The crowd gathers around them, aw'ing and crying
  51. >You look around and find a familiar mare nearby
  52. >With no one greeting you and with Celestia busy talking to Notches, you take the time to walk over to the indigo-coated earth mare who's staring at the middle-aged stallion
  53. "Hello, Grape Vine."
  54. >She jumps, startled, and clutches her chest with a hoof as she glares up at you
  55. >"Can you stop sneaking up on ponies?"
  56. >You smile,
  57. "Not when you make it so easy, with how hard you're staring at Notches."
  58. >She looks back at him, concerned
  59. >"What happened to his horn?"
  60. "He can tell you himself. He's been taking it well so far, but you certainly can help."
  61. >"How?"
  62. "Simple: be there for him. He's fine now, but it'll catch up to him and he'll need you then."
  63. >Celestia gestures with a wing over to you
  64. >Notches spots Miss Vine
  65. >Both of them blush
  66. "Well, see you later, Miss Vine."
  67.  
  68. >You speed walk back over to Aden
  69. >His right arm is across his stomach as if in a cast as he takes in the fantastical scene around him
  70. "Right, time to meet Her Majesty."
  71. >He only nods, still unsure
  72. >As Notches walks over to his good lady friend, the crowd starts to dissipate, most of them following Sepia and her family
  73. >You bring Aden to Celestia and gesture to him
  74. "Princess, this is Aden Beta one-oh-three. He was part of my fireteam during training and Torpedo."
  75. >Celestia keeps the smiling mask on for him,
  76. >"Another Spartan of fireteam Yankee?"
  77. "Yes, ma'am."
  78. >You mirror your stance
  79. "Aden, this is Princess Celestia, currently the monarch of Equestria. She has ran this nation for over a thousand years and effectively controls the sun."
  80. >His face doesn't change much, but you know he's even more confused than when you briefly explained Equestria to him
  81. >As you turn back to face Celestia, you spot another familiar face among the few ponies loitering around
  82. >You ignore him for now and focus on Celestia
  83. "Any developments while we were gone?"
  84. >"Quite a few. Twilight will want you to at the university soon. For now, Spartan, you have a sister to visit."
  85. "Thank you, ma'am, but we have to tell you something before we deploy again, in private."
  86. >The mask doesn't slip, but you know she'll have a pit in her stomach since you've never made a request like that to her
  87. >And she knows exactly what you mean by 'we'
  88.  
  89. >The two of you square up and bow to each other, more for the citizens' benefit than for the two of you
  90. >You turn back to Aden, who looks at you curiously
  91. >He heard your conversation, but keeps quiet as you lead him off of the landing pad
  92. "Let's go. You've got quite a few in-laws to meet."
  93. >"In-laws?"
  94. "Jane's husband is the youngest of six."
  95. >You scratch your head as you remember what Jane told you before this last trip
  96. "The family home is the family business and it's gotten crowded so she and Sour's looking for a place of their own. The invasion's obviously halted things, but I think they'll just build their own place somewhere outside Canterlot. Maybe Ponyville."
  97. >Aden looks at you deadpan,
  98. >"Ponyville?"
  99. >You give him a cheeky smile,
  100. "If the names alone get to you, Aden, then you're gonna have a hell of a time here."
  101.  
  102. >You stop in front of the familiar unicorn and smile down at him
  103. "Ho, Shortbread."
  104. >He doesn't return the smile
  105. >You note the bags under his faint yellow eyes
  106. >"Ho, Sean."
  107. >He looks over at B103,
  108. >"You're Aden?"
  109. >He nods
  110. >Shortbread gains a look of impending doom
  111. >"Please tell me you're not staying over."
  112. "Neither of us are, so don't worry about that. We're just stopping by to say hi."
  113. >He sighs, muttering something thankful, then turns and starts heading towards the bakery with you and Aden in tow
  114.  
  115. >You get a good look at the rebuilding efforts along the way
  116. >No more rubble
  117. >Most of the scaffolding has already been taken down from brand new building fronts
  118. >The purple and gold paint still looks fresh, though
  119. >Aden whispers to you
  120. >"They rebuilt all of this in two months?"
  121. >You talk just loud enough to let Shortbread hear,
  122. "Having magic helps, and not all of the city saw fighting."
  123. >You all turn the last corner and go down the east-most street towards the bakery
  124. >Curling smoke from the three chimneys indicates that they're busy
  125. >You continue onto the details
  126. "The Prophet wanted to deal a decapitation strike and try to kill the one demon that was here. He didn't want to glass the city and risk missing Jane, so he targeted
  127. just Canterlot Castle with plasma mortars and dropped a strike team around the ruins. Then it was a running gunfight between about twenty brutes and the Canterlot Guard as they looked for Jane."
  128. >"Twenty brutes did this much damage?"
  129. "All twenty of them had fuel rod cannons and they only brought ammo and grenades down with them."
  130. >"Damn."
  131. "Yeah."
  132.  
  133. >You glance down an east-west street and feel glad to see it once again flowing with ponies
  134. >"Why didn't the Prophet send any follow up attack here?"
  135. >An emotionally charged memory pops up in your head
  136. >Chieftain Juno with his arms crossed as he gloats on top of that Scarab
  137. >Discord's petrified form framed right between its four massive legs
  138. >Your rifle aimed and your depolarized visor showing a manic smile for the Chieftain to see
  139. >You put it aside
  140. "He did, but it was much later. Long enough for everypony to evacuate to Ponyville and the surrounding countryside. The Prophet got busy running from Shipmaster Vaalim and his fleet."
  141.  
  142. >The afternoon crowd is still flowing in and out of the Dough Bakery's doors
  143. >Shortbread leads you around to the rear of the multistory building
  144. >The community garden, sandwiched between the buildings and the mountainside, has been harvested for the last time this year
  145. >Among the cushioned furniture of the long back porch, underneath the second floor balcony, sit two mares and a woman
  146. >Nearby, in a large soft-fenced play pen, several pony newborns and a single human toddler play together, supervised by a seven-year-old filly
  147.  
  148. >With this image, you take a moment to realize that you're experiencing something soldiers have fought for since the first wars
  149. >Coming home to a safe family after a long time away
  150. >You never thought that one day you'd get to have this
  151.  
  152. >When Jane hears the three of you approaching and turns, she sees a genuine smile on your face
  153. >She quickly tells the mares, "They're here," and sets her steaming mug down on a nearby table
  154. >She and Shortbread's wife, Frostbite, get up and meet you at the edge of the porch
  155. >Your oldest sister-in-law, Rye, sits back and watches
  156. >Shortbread and Frost nuzzle each other
  157. >You and Jane hug, with her turning so that her pregnant belly barely presses against yours
  158. >"Welcome back," she whispers
  159. "It's good to be back," you tell her, "If only for a little while."
  160. >You step away to let her get to Aden, who's too busy processing what he's seeing
  161. >After eight years of separation, his first few words to her stumble out
  162. >"I always knew you were a motherly sort, Jane, but-"
  163. >He glances over her shoulder at the toddler playing with the foals
  164. >She surprises him by hugging him, minding his injured right side
  165. >She sheds no tears, but you barely hear her shaky whisper,
  166. >"I thought I would never see you again, Aden."
  167. >He hugs back and lets out a breath
  168. >"Am I dreaming?"
  169. >Jane immediately digs her fingers into his back, eliciting an involuntary gasp
  170. >She pulls away and gives him a Cheshire grin
  171. >"Evidently not."
  172. >She then takes him by the hand and starts pulling him towards the back door
  173. >"Now let's go relieve Honeydew and Rough so they can say hi to Sean."
  174. >She pulls her brother-in-all-but-blood inside the bakery
  175.  
  176. >You enjoy the moment of relative peace in the backyard
  177. >Shortbread and Frost walk over to the play pen
  178. >They listen to Rye's eldest daughter as she explains who's trying to do what and how everyone is getting along
  179. >The moment passes and you take off your backpack
  180. >You steal Jane's spot to sit next to your sister-in-law, carefully setting the pack aside
  181. "Ho, Rye."
  182. >"Ho, Sean."
  183. "Anything happen while I was away?"
  184. >She smiles,
  185. >"Nope. We're still busy in there, the kids are still growing up, us ladies are still taking it easy."
  186. >You look down at her swollen barrel
  187. "You're really gonna have to kick some people out, you know."
  188. >"Jane and Sour are meeting up in Ponyville tomorrow to go look for a place."
  189. >You furrow your brow,
  190. "I knew they were looking, but Jane didn't tell me that."
  191. >"They just arranged it today. Apparently, Sour's is being assigned to the corvette now. Since the ship's landing spot is next to the town, the two of them figured it was good enough of an excuse to get back together."
  192. "Really? Must've been a last minute thing 'cause we weren't informed of any transfers before getting coming over here."
  193. >Rye shrugs,
  194. >"Everything's been improvised since the invasion. I wouldn't be surprised if the idea popped into the right pony's head seconds before they made the decision."
  195. >You nod,
  196. "That's how it can go. It'll be nice to have Sour aboard. Now I just gotta keep him from putting up too many death flags."
  197.  
  198. >The backdoor opens and an orange-yellow earth mare wearing a hairnet and white apron trots out
  199. >While looking straight ahead, chin up, the matriarch of the Dough family takes off her work clothes and puts them on the hook just beside the door
  200. >She walks forward to let her husband do the same, albeit more relaxed
  201. >The moment the door shuts behind them, blocking any view from the front, Honeydew turns to you, leaps, and throws her forelegs around you
  202. >You hug her back as she lets out her familiar, mantra-esque set of statements that most relieved mothers give to their children when they come back from going missing
  203. >You stroke her back gently, smelling fresh honey in her hair beneath a layer of baked bread
  204. >Again, you marvel at how every pony's hair has its own distinct sent
  205. >Your father-in-law, Rough Dough, approaches
  206. >You smile and nod to each other, waiting patiently for Honeydew to make up for the month that you were gone
  207.  
  208. >At last Honeydew pulls away from you and lowers herself back onto the stone porch
  209. >"I know that you can't stay, dear."
  210. >You nod, detecting the 'but' that's incoming and cut it off,
  211. "And I don't know how long it will be until I can. Once the nobles finally get out of their fugue, we can get something official going and maybe enough people will volunteer. It'll be a while, though."
  212.  
  213. >You grab your backpack and set it in your lap
  214. >You test the taut zipper and, with great care, ease the backpack open
  215. "But before I go, I got some gifts for you guys."
  216. >With one hand you hold the front so it doesn't spill over
  217. >Once fully open, you reach in and pick out a random album
  218. >Everypony studies it, fascinated
  219. >Out of the corner of your eye, you see that you had pulled out Fleetwood Mac
  220. "I'm pretty sure I got the correct record size."
  221. >You hand it over to Rough, who's the music connoisseur of the family
  222. "But we'll find time to look for other places that sell records in case you can't play them."
  223. >You fish out two more and hand them to Honeydew and Rye
  224. >Rush
  225. >Steely Dan
  226. >You pull out a stack of others, most of them local jazz instrumentals
  227. >There is one of Chopin's Nocturnes that you picked up on a whim
  228. "I tried to get a variety here."
  229. >Rough cautiously dismantles the stack next to you, looking at the art
  230. >"These covers alone are wonderful, Sean. Have you listened to them yet?"
  231. >Fond memories of sneaking around concerts and clubs flood your head, delaying your answer by a long moment
  232. "Most of them I've heard already. The records themselves should be good quality."
  233.  
  234. >A raised voice within the bakery makes you all set the albums down
  235. >You follow Rough and Honeydew inside
  236. >The bakery has seen renovations since you last saw it
  237. >New dark wood all around instead of aging wood and stone
  238. >New stools and tables
  239. >New front counter with pastries sorted differently from when you worked
  240. >You see Aden and Jane standing in the kitchen archway closest to the front door, with more of your in-law brothers and sisters poking their heads out
  241.  
  242. >The second-youngest of the Doughs, Honeymead, is manning the front counter
  243. >Even from this angle and distance, you can tell the nineteen-year-old is doing all that she can to keep a calm exterior
  244. >The unicorn mare on the other side, however
  245. >"She's the reason those brutes rampaged through this city in the first place!"
  246. >She's pointing at Jane, but then snaps to Aden,
  247. >"And now you've found more of them?! Are you all crazy?!"
  248. >It takes that amount of time for Honeydew to cross the room
  249. >The customers crowding the space sense her barely contained wrath and part for her
  250. >You cannot see her face, but you remember the few times where you made your mother-in-law mad
  251. >It's a worse sight than the bug-eyed, frothing-at-the-mouth explosions of profanity that your drill instructors used on all of you in the first months of Camp Currahee
  252. >You're glad it's not you she's mad at
  253.  
  254. >The loud mare pauses when Honeydew appears in front of her
  255. >"Leave."
  256. >The unicorn regains her footing, glancing up at you with a sneer
  257. >"Or what? You're gonna have your alien freak of a son throw me off the city edge?"
  258. >"I will declare you as trespassing and you will be detained by the Guard."
  259. >"They have nowhere to detain me! The castle's all rubble, remember?"
  260. >"Sean."
  261. >She's not angry at you, calm down
  262. "Yes?"
  263. >"Get the Guard on the corner."
  264. "Yes ma'am."
  265. >You ignore the insults from the unicorn as you pass her
  266. >She has enough sense to not touch you
  267.  
  268. >Outside, those immediately around the doors have stopped to watch
  269. >You look over the crowd and spot the blue plumage of two Canterlot Guard on the corner, where the street turns west
  270. >You lock eyes with them from across the street and recognize one of them
  271. >The crowd parts for you
  272. >The guards come forward and meet you halfway in the street
  273. >You nod to the familiar one
  274. "Hey Bof."
  275. >"Hey Sean."
  276. "How're things going?"
  277. >He shrugs, which moves his rifle rig up and down
  278. >"Artificers almost blew themselves up with the fuel rod cannons a few days ago. Threw everypony in the city into a panic for a solid hour."
  279. "Really? Well, that might explain the lady inside."
  280. >"So we're hearing. Need an arrest?"
  281. >You wave a hand away,
  282. "No, just escort her out. Gossip and shaming should keep her away."
  283. >"Alright-"
  284.  
  285. >A muffled "pop" blasts out from inside the bakery
  286. >Everypony in the street freezes
  287. >It wasn't an explosion, but if anyone thinks it is then a stampede would be inevitable
  288. >You and the two guard run across the street to the bakery's doors
  289. >You throw open the doors and spot the troublesome mare, Honeydew, and everyone else staring at a purple unicorn who has just teleported in here
  290. >She landed on a table wrong and spilled onto the wooden floor, knocking several other ponies over
  291. >They are just now helping her up, though she is obviously struggling to stay on her feet
  292. >To ensure that the crowd outside doesn’t panic, you employ some theatrics
  293. >You prop yourself in the doorway with both arms and exhale loudly
  294. "It's just Twilight Sparkle."
  295. >The crowd, to a pony, relaxes
  296. >They all move on or start wondering why Equestria's head-mage came here instead of thinking the Covenant's back
  297.  
  298. >You walk through the crowd, forgetting about the mare
  299. >Honeydew gets to Twilight first and welcomes her back, though also asks why she teleported here
  300. >You get close enough to hear her answer,
  301. >"The corvette landed and I met Captain Mizzen, but when she said Sean was in Canterlot I may have just, uh, acted."
  302. >You approach her, a scolding ready to go, but you see all of the patrons crowding around you and decide on another direction
  303. "Well, I appreciate you coming all this way to find me. What do you need?"
  304. >She too notices everyone around her and takes a moment to form up something,
  305. >"Can we talk somewhere else? It's about-well it involves-"
  306. >You save her,
  307. "It involves state security."
  308. >"Yes."
  309. >You take a deep breath,
  310. "Follow me."
  311.  
  312. >The two of you walk out the back porch
  313. >Twilight briefly says hello to everyone out there, including the children
  314. >You note her looking a second longer at the newborns before following you into the garden
  315. >Past the tree, past the stream, past the garden, and close to the edge, you stop
  316. >There is a moment's pause before an opaque purple bubble forms around you both
  317. >You turn to look down at her,
  318. "I was going to go to your university today, Twilight. You didn't have to teleport dozens of kilometers again."
  319. >She matches your gaze up at you,
  320. >"Well, Speaker isn't going to wait long before he starts more trouble."
  321. >You remember the changeling and wince at that meeting in the hive
  322. "Right, so he came to us now?"
  323. >"Yesterday, as I was meeting with Princess Cadence."
  324. >A changeling and Cadence
  325. >Oh shit
  326. "Is everything alright?"
  327. >Twilight doesn't look concerned as she answers,
  328. >"None of the building was set on fire."
  329. "Oh, well that's good."
  330. >She smiles, embarrassed
  331. >"I had to get some new furniture for the lounge, though."
  332. >You hesitate, then shrug,
  333. "Okay, still not as bad as I thought it would be. So did they talk?"
  334. >Twilight heaves a heavy sigh
  335. >She always had bags under her eyes these days, but they look worse right now
  336. >"I had to be the arbiter, but after three hours we all came to an agreement."
  337. >That must have been an intense three hours
  338. "An agreement on what?"
  339. >"The battlecruiser, Sean."
  340.  
  341. >You stare at her for a moment
  342. >Dear God, the hive didn't fix it, did they?
  343. >Did they get their swiz-cheese hooves on a Huragok that somehow survived the crash and hid it during your visit there?
  344. >The questions pile up at the door
  345. "What,
  346. >You swallow to give yourself a moment,
  347. "What did they do with it?"
  348. >Twilight takes a breath,
  349. >"They excavated it out of their hive. They cannot fix it on their own, but they know that we've gone out and rescued lost ponies."
  350. >A changeling embedded in or adjacent to the corvette's crew, most likely
  351. >You wait for her to give you the proposal,
  352. >"If we fix the ship and help rescue Queen Chrysalis, then they'll give us the battlecruiser."
  353. >You see an immediate problem
  354. >Which means Twilight knows it too, but you voice it anyway
  355. "It would ultimately be up to the Queen whether or not we get the ship."
  356. >"I know, but we can't just pass up a chance like this."
  357. >You lean back on one foot, rubbing your chin with an index finger and thumb
  358. "You're right, we can't, but an offer like that is too generous. If I were in Speaker's position I would—at most—offer a joint operation of the thing. And if they indeed have a mole embedded with us, then they would know we don't have the expertise or even manpower to crew a see-see-ess class."
  359. >Twilight takes up her lecturing tone,
  360. >"This hive is too attached to their Queen. The fact that they still hold a connection between universes even after her, well, 'death' is evidence of her power over her hive. They are desperate to reunite with her."
  361. "Reunite."
  362. >That word stays with you
  363. "Not return."
  364. >Twilight thinks for just a moment,
  365. >"Do you think Queen Chrysalis will abscond with the battlecruiser after she gets rescued?"
  366. >You shrug
  367. "That kind of betrayal suits her. If the whole hive can stuff itself inside, then there: you have a mobile hive that can travel between firmaments-"
  368. >"Universes."
  369. "Whatever."
  370. >You cross your arms in thought
  371. "I can't imagine them giving an asset like that away, even for the Queen."
  372. >"Well, you're not a changeling."
  373. "Yeah? Well, at any rate, Nightmare and I can talk to him if he wants to."
  374.  
  375. >Twilight smiles,
  376. >"Along with Princess Cadence. She wants to speak with the two of you."
  377. "She's still here?"
  378. >Twilight nods, then frowns,
  379. >"Speaking of 'you two,' where is Nightmare Moon?"
  380. >You wave a hand dismissively,
  381. "She's banishing a Brute we found and brought back. She should be finished soon."
  382. >Twilight doesn't say anything
  383. >You decide to take her mind off that dark thought by telling her,
  384. "While we're waiting on her, I can give you the books I got from the Japan we went to-"
  385.  
  386. >The bubble pops with a clap of rushing air
  387. >A magical vice clamps around your neck and shoulders
  388. >Twilight pulls you down to her level, where she brings your nose to hers
  389. >Her already massive eyes are now wide open and boring into yours
  390. >"Where?"
  391. >You strain to answer with a calm voice,
  392. "Porch bench."
  393. >White flash and a punch of vertigo
  394. >The vice disappears and you shoot out an arm to keep from falling face-first onto the stone
  395. >You hear Rye's scolding tone next to you,
  396. >"Twilight!"
  397. >She's too busy shoving her head into your overturned backpack like a dog
  398. >Despite the disorientation of teleportation, you smile at the sight
  399. >You almost forget what Nightmare’s up to
  400.  
  401. ()()()
  402.  
  403. >You are Nightmare Moon
  404. >You are once again surrounded by the dense energies of Equestria
  405. >Orderly, yet on such a grand scale and complexity that it looks chaotic to any novice mage
  406. >It is as much a home to you as is a farmer's house built by his ancestors
  407. >By tapping into just a little vein of this invisible energy, this magic, you can carry your baggage in a black cloud effortlessly across the sky
  408. >Your destination is north, well past the Crystal Empire and the curtain mountain ranges
  409. >Close to the northern pole of the planet, it is a white wasteland plagued by supernatural storms
  410. >Here, where nopony would dare tread, is the most accessible entrance
  411.  
  412.  
  413. >You find it easily, with several dark ley lines shooting out from deep inside the planet to a single point on the surface
  414. >At the abrupt end of a deep icy crevice, shielded from the storms and snow
  415. >Between the cloud cover and the depth of the crevice, it is near complete darkness here
  416. >You condense back into your true form, dropping the Brute onto the unnaturally smooth ice in at a specific spot in front of the gate
  417. >Now in his original alien form, he barks in pain upon landing on his back
  418. >The injuries he sustained from Sean's handling haven't healed, so he does not attempt to get up
  419. >When you light up your horn and cast everything in a cyan glow, he glares at you upside-down
  420.  
  421. >"So this is banishment, bitch? Leaving me to freeze?"
  422. >Your look of contempt doesn't change as you answer,
  423. "Your sentence is much worse than execution by exposure."
  424. >You look past him, and he picks his head up to look down the length of his broken body at the gate
  425.  
  426. >It stands three stories tall as a double-hinged door
  427. >Dark red wood reinforced by black and bronze bands
  428. >A polished bronze cap studs the center of the gate
  429. >No sighs on it or anywhere near, for no written language existed when this entrance was sealed
  430.  
  431. "I understand that the former Chieftain of the Brutes was named Tartarus. Do you know that he shares that name with a place in our world?"
  432. >You reach out to the gate with your magic and, for show, materialize a great cyan fist
  433. >You knock three times
  434. >The booms echoes down and back up the crevice
  435. "To the pony you tortured and murdered, Tartarus is a place of eternal imprisonment and punishment. It was no Dante's Hell, certainly, but for the villains of this world it was enough."
  436. >The doors crack open and are noiselessly pushed outward
  437. >A wave of air just as cold as out here blasts past you
  438. >Inside is a shifting mist of toxic black and purple smoke
  439. >A small tendril of the stuff slinks out of the center and snakes towards the Brute
  440. "With assistance, I made improvements that I am sure you will appreciate."
  441. >You fight to contain a smile as he rolls over and tries to crawl towards you
  442. >He wails in pain as he works his dislocated limbs, the crudely clipped claws on his broken fingers hardly digging into the ice as he drags himself
  443. >You remain in place, still wearing a mask of contempt
  444. >Over a dozen other Brutes had tried to take you with them into Tartarus
  445. >This one fails too as the tendril wraps around his ankle
  446. >His outreached hand almost brushes your hoof, but it is then yanked away
  447. >His screams rise in pitch as he is dragged all the way back to the gate
  448. >He tries everything he can think of: attacking the smoke, getting onto his free foot and both hands to tug, digging his teeth into the ice
  449. >He only brings himself more agony before he is pulled into the wall of smoke and disappears
  450. >Without ceremony the massive doors swing close and cut off his screams with an earth-shaking clang
  451.  
  452. >You douse your horn and stand there in the cold darkness for a long time
  453. >You listen to the wailing wind far above you
  454. >Windegos might find you down here eventually, but you don't worry
  455.  
  456. >Instead you stay and experience the first time in your "life" that you are truly alone
  457. >No pony, human, or other soul for klicks around
  458. >You are not sure how to think about it
  459. >Was there another time you, Nightmare Moon, were alone like this?
  460. >You and Luna were somewhat one mare during your millennia exile on your moon, but you don’t believe it counts
  461. >You weren't exactly conscious after Twilight Sparkle and her then-newfound friends used the Elements of Harmony
  462. >You were technically alone for an instant when Luna remade you and shunted you through the space between firmaments to where Sean was being dissected by that death god mad scientist
  463. >It has been a year since then as he shared his body and mind with you
  464. >It's been two months since you tried and failed to merge back with Luna
  465. >Since then you have stayed by Sean or his companions
  466. >And now?
  467. >Now it is just you and your own thoughts for as long as you can stand
  468. >A rather novel thing for you
  469.  
  470. >You could spend much more time here, but you have further obligations
  471. >And you miss your little Spartan
  472. >Especially now that you know exactly why his mind was impossible to dominate, even in his own nightmares
  473. >That damned computer
  474. >You look back up at the inert gate to Tartarus
  475. >At least that place has a necessary purpose
  476. >Nocturne City, from what Sean was able to drag out from buried memories, had no purpose or direction
  477. >It fell into madness, accelerated by technology that was corrupted by design
  478.  
  479. >You suddenly feel an acute need to be close to him
  480. >If only to be sure that he hasn’t been stolen away again
  481. >Luna made you once more just for that purpose
  482. >You intend to fulfill that purpose and much more
  483. >With a beat of your wings, you dissolve into a dark cloud and race back south to Equestria
  484.  
  485. ()()()
  486.  
  487. >You pass from the land claimed by the Crystal Empire into that of Equestria when you sense the cloaked phantom
  488. >More accurately, you sense the disturbance in magic from the phantom's passing
  489. >It certainly sees you, a black cloud at full throttle against the wind, as it banks into an intercept course
  490. >It has to be Shal piloting, for only he is brazen enough to change course just to say hello to you
  491. >The donated alien dropship does not attempt to bank back to fly parallel with you
  492. >You don't avoid it either, but allow it to merge into your cloud
  493. >Only then does it resume a southerly course with you surrounding it
  494. >You accept the implicit invitation and seep through the metal of the ship
  495.  
  496. >Though this form acts like smog, a void-rated hull cannot keep you out, and you'd rather not compromise Shal's active camouflage
  497. >You coalesce inside the cockpit and open your eyes
  498. >The Sangheili ranger, in his white composite void suit, strains his long neck to look back at you from his pilot seat
  499. >From the single source of light that is the large external view panel covering the whole front of the cockpit, you catch a rare glimpse of Shal's head under his reflective blue helmet
  500. >You can barely see an upper jaw pull back in the Elite equivalent of a grin
  501. >"A pleasant surprise, Nightmare Moon."
  502. >You mirror his grin
  503. "Likewise, Ranger."
  504. >You look over at his copilot,
  505. >A bat pony, she keeps her eyes on the screen and her hooves hovering over the invisible control panel
  506. "I see you have allowed her to practice."
  507. >Shal waves a four-fingered hand in dismissal,
  508. >"She has been flying for all of today."
  509. >Your eyebrows rise in surprise,
  510. "I admit, I thought Shal was flying."
  511. >She does not look back when she replies,
  512. >"Thank you, ma'am."
  513.  
  514. >On the screen, you see the landmarks of northern Equestria slip by
  515. >At this speed, you will be at Ponyville in only a few minutes
  516. "I must ask, why were you in the north?"
  517. >Shal does not hesitate,
  518. >"Ah! After we dropped off Miss Cap in Manehatten, we returned to our ship's landing field in Ponyville, and none other than Princess Cadence was waiting there. She had a request for us, and we are not a crew to turn down a princess."
  519. >He points to the portal to the main hold behind you
  520. >"She asked us to go to her palace—covertly—and pick up a parcel prepared by her husband."
  521. >A covert delivery
  522. >Interesting
  523. "Did she tell you what it is for?"
  524. >Shal shrugs,
  525. >"Only that it may be useful to us."
  526. >You hum
  527. >A wisp of your hair rubs the underside of your chin
  528. >What does Princess Cadence have that could be of use to us?
  529. >The Crystal Heart?
  530. >Too important to take away from the empire
  531. >Some other important artifact?
  532. >You cannot think of any
  533.  
  534. >The copilot takes you out of your thoughts,
  535. >"Ponyville in five."
  536. >And the boys are waiting for you in Canterlot
  537. >You smile and give a small bow
  538. "I will leave you to it, pilots."
  539. >Shal gives you devil horns, which looks odd despite his hand's symmetry
  540. >You disappear into your black cloud and slip back out of the phantom, separating and flying southwest towards the mountainside city
  541.  
  542. >In the fragmented memories shared between you and Luna, you remember there being dozens of airships flying in Canterlot's airspace at any moment
  543. >You can only see one on your approach
  544. >A personnel transport that survived the Prophet's attack due only to being across the ocean
  545. >It seems to have completed another trip, for you see a retinue of griffons disembark
  546. >You observe that they didn't fly here and are letting orderlies offload their luggage
  547. >Celestia is going to be busy all day
  548. >You and Sean ambushing her in the evening and telling her his theory won't help her mental state
  549. >But she still needs to know
  550. >You will have to discuss this with Sean, whenever you have the time
  551.  
  552. >Speaking of Sean, you spot him with Aden on the northern-most platform, along with-
  553. >Twilight Sparkle?
  554. >As you flow down to them, the ponies walking up and down the adjacent street stop and stare at you
  555.  
  556. >You coalesce back into your true form, walking right up to your little Spartan
  557. >Now that he is outside of his armor, you pick up his scent immediately underneath the soap he used this morning
  558. >Pines and wet earth
  559.  
  560. >You glance over at the head mage of Equestria, who's wearing Sean's backpack
  561. >She's doing a good job at staying calm while staring up at you
  562. "We were going to come to you, Miss Sparkle."
  563. >Now some red escapes through her cheeks,
  564. >"I may have gotten impatient,"
  565. >She shakes her head,
  566. >"But both Princess Cadence and Speaker want to talk to you two and they’re all on tight schedules."
  567. >Ah
  568. "Very well. Let us be off."
  569. >You turn and walk to the edge of the landing pad
  570. >Sean follows you, closely followed by Aden
  571. >Miss Sparkle lags behind, thinking out loud,
  572. >"I-I could teleport all four of us, but it might be a little tricky."
  573. >You smile and turn back to her
  574. "There is no need to risk teleportation. I will carry you all to the university."
  575. >Now Aden steps away, towards Miss Sparkle, his expression forcefully neutral
  576. >"All three of us?"
  577. "Not on my back, of course."
  578. >You dissipate into a black cloud, spreading out along the stone ground
  579. >You check over the edge and it's clear underneath
  580. >Sean turns to the others and extends an arm down at you
  581. >"Okay, hop on."
  582. >Aden gives Sean a look, but steps up onto your cloud, ignoring the sudden onset of goose flesh on his skin
  583. >You keep each of his steps stable so he doesn't stumble
  584. >Twilight is not as trusting and hesitates for a long while before climbing onto you
  585.  
  586. >You start drifting over the edge, and both of them turn rigid
  587. >Twilight looks back,
  588. >"Hey, wait! We're leaving Sean!"
  589. >Sean merely smiles as he stands with his toes over the edge watching you descend down a story, two stories
  590. >Then he turns around on a heel and leans back
  591. >Far back
  592. >You see his upside-down grin as he free-falls down to you
  593. >Twilight gasps and her horn lights up
  594. >A purple membrane encases Sean and stops him at an arm's length above you
  595. >Flipping onto his back, he smiles wanly at her,
  596. >"Thanks, Twilight, but Nightmare had me."
  597. >Twilight ignores that comment, indignant
  598. >"What was that for?"
  599. >He shrugs,
  600. >"Something I wanted to try when I first got here. Never had a chance to do it until now."
  601. >Her anger turns into incredulity and she drops him onto you
  602. >"Falling off the side of Canterlot?"
  603. >He works his jaw for a moment, then looks over at Aden
  604. >He's been passively observing this whole time as you accelerate and turn towards Ponyville
  605. >"You remember Jack?"
  606. >He only has to remember for a second,
  607. >"From team Hotel?"
  608. >"Yeah. I was thinking of him, all of a sudden."
  609. >Sean turns back to Twilight, raising his voice over the wind
  610. >"When we were training for aerial insertions, most of us took some time to work up our nerves before jumping out of the back of a Pelican for the first few times. There were a few who didn't hesitate."
  611. >He smiles
  612. >"But Jack? He cut to the front of the line and had to be held back by the instructors."
  613. >Twilight sat down beside him, her hair now a black comet
  614. >"He wanted to jump that badly?"
  615. >Sean nods,
  616. >"That badly. I swear, that kid existed just to be in the air. If he was born here, he'd be a pegasus without question."
  617. >There is a long moment before you sense him talk below the noise of the wind,
  618. >"I hope he's doing okay."
  619.  
  620. >The rest of the flight to Ponyville is silent
  621. >In the flat fields south of the town the corvette sits with a flurry of activity flowing around it, both in the air and on the ground
  622. >There are a few neat lines of ponies walking between the town and the ship
  623. >On the opposite side of the town sits Twilight Sparkle's university
  624. >Simply called the University of Friendship and Magic
  625.  
  626. >Twilight directs you to land at the back of a tight collection of buildings labeled the “Research and Development Complex”
  627. >She steps off of you and runs over to what looks like a concrete shed with a single steel slab of a door
  628. >She inputs a certain sequence into a keypad next to it and opens it up to reveal a staircase lit by hard white lights
  629. >You all follow Twilight down several flights
  630. >A nexus of color-coded navigation lines come and go between each floor
  631. >You stop at the seventh sublevel labeled by a pink line that says: Artifacts
  632. >Twilight opens up the door and leads you down a single long hallway flanked by dozens of rooms
  633. >Each of the rooms' single door is flanked by a keypad and a locked file holder
  634. >One of Sean's dream-memories flash through your mind
  635. >The same memory shows on his face as he asks,
  636. >"These aren't holding cells, are they?"
  637. >Twilight looks over her shoulder at him
  638. >"What? No. These are climate-controlled chambers. Some of these pieces are very delicate.”
  639. >At the very end of the hallway is a double-door with its own key card, but no file holder
  640. >Twilight sets Sean’s backpack aside before strolling into a very large laboratory
  641. >There is very little floor space, for there is humming machinery of all kinds scattered about
  642. >In the middle of the room, you spot Princess Cadence and an earth pony examining a large square mirror
  643. >It is framed in machinery, with a network of wires connecting from all around the frame into a small console off to the side
  644.  
  645. >Princess Cadence is focused on something in the console, while the earth pony is the first to greet the party
  646. >When he speaks, his voice is the same as the last time you met him
  647. >It is deep, smooth, and with a relaxed cadence that a stereotypical diplomat would murder for
  648. >”Welcome back, Miss Sparkle.”
  649. >He looks to the rest of you,
  650. >”And congratulations on a successful mission, Nightmare Moon, Sean, and-”
  651. >He looks Aden up and down very quickly, looking extremely interested
  652. >You catch him snatching a look at the space in between Sean and Aden
  653. >"And another Spartan. Good. We will need more in the coming days."
  654. >He bows,
  655. >"I am Speaker."
  656. >"Aden."
  657. >"Aden, Beta…?"
  658. >"One zero three."
  659. >Speaker softly repeats the numbers, as if they answer every question for him
  660. >"One zero three."
  661.  
  662. >You note Aden’s questioning stare at Speaker, so you decide to ask him,
  663. “Speaker, why do you still wear that disguise?”
  664. >He looks down at himself,
  665. >“Oh, I forgot I was wearing it. My apologies.”
  666. >In a quick flash, he reverts back to his changeling form
  667. >It is similar to all of the other changelings, such as his dark carapace, paper-thin wings, and horn, but with many enhancements
  668. >The biggest difference is his eyes
  669. >Instead of homogeneously compound eyes, he has sclera, irises, and pupils
  670. >The irises are green, like his Queen’s, but they still have a compound texture
  671. >When they catch the light just right, they glow
  672. >His face is handsome and his body is larger than the average stallion
  673. >His carapace lacks any cracks and dry spots
  674. >No holes
  675. >The only flaw in the Queen's born-and-bred envoy is his expressions
  676. >The smile he is beaming at you is that of a well-practiced sociopath
  677.  
  678.  
  679. >You join Twilight and Cadence at the console
  680. >They are deep in shop talk, but you understand that their biggest concern is the behavior of the link between the crystal and the mirror when activated
  681. >In the center of the brass housing and analog dials sits a sliver of crystal slotted into a cut dome
  682. >You reach out with your own magic and immediately recognize where that sliver is from
  683. >Astonished, you look at Cadence
  684. "The Crystal Heart?"
  685. >She nods, smiling
  686. >"Twilight came up with the idea."
  687. >You take a closer look at the sliver
  688. >The magic contained within and its connections to the mirror certainly do not appear to be degraded
  689. >Still, you have to ask
  690. "What about Sombra?"
  691. >Cadence's smile doesn't waver,
  692. >"A carefully-extracted shard won't disrupt the Crystal Heart's magic enough to weaken it."
  693. >She concedes a shrug,
  694. >"Now, extracting over a dozen shards of the Heart would be too much, so we cannot duplicate this setup even if we had more mirrors."
  695.  
  696. >Sean, having completed his slow walk around the mirror, asks,
  697. >"I remember this mirror being down in Canterlot’s catacombs among other things. What properties does it have?"
  698. >Twilight answers instantly,
  699. >"It acts as a portal to another universe that's similar to this one, or that's at least what Princess Celestia told me."
  700. >Her horn lights up as she preforms another scan on the machinery framing the mirror
  701. >"For it to function normally it would need a number of magical ley lines to intersect with the mirror at the center, which only occurs naturally on certain dates in a specific spot underneath Canterlot."
  702. >She checks the strands of cables leading from the mirror to the crystal's console and other machinery throughout the room
  703. >"Even then, it takes a large expenditure of magic to actually open the portal. Hopefully with a part of the Crystal Heart to focus it and these capacitors to give it magic,"
  704. >She gestures to a bank of large bronze cylinders that dominate an entire wall of the lab
  705. >"We may be be able to activate the mirror now and chose a destination of our own. Maybe."
  706. >Each of the capacitors are laced with crystals laid out in series that spiral up each silo
  707. >You don't even need to sense with your magic that they're at maximum capacity, for every crystal is glowing steadily with an oily rainbow of colors
  708.  
  709. >Sean looks to the console, then back to Twilight,
  710. >"How do we choose the destination?"
  711. >"We theorized that if one interacts with the crystal shard, the philotic connections between them and anypony who is lost will be relayed through the mirror."
  712. >Aden mouths the word 'philotic,' but Sean stares up at the ceiling and chuckles
  713. >"Scott-Card really has you hooked on that concept, doesn't he?"
  714. >"It's the closest analogy I have to what we're looking for: a connection between aiúa that can exist beyond our universe."
  715. >Sean puts his hands up in defense,
  716. >"I'm not arguing against it, Twilight, it's all we've got. This is at least a better setup than Nightmare Moon jury-rigging herself to the corvette's already modified slip space drive."
  717.  
  718. >He looks back at the capacitors
  719. >"But if this is the first time you're firing this up, shouldn't we activate this remotely?"
  720. >Twilight preforms another check of the wiring and shakes her head,
  721. >"No need. Everything's as secure as can be, and I have several hard disconnects installed here, here, and here."
  722. >She uses her magic to highlight three junction boxes with large red switches placed at certain spots along the cables
  723. >"The mirror is simply a portal. It cannot function without constant feeding from an external source. If anything goes wrong, we can cut the feed and the mirror would cease functioning immediately."
  724. >Sean still looks concerned,
  725. >"I’m talking about what we might encounter at the other end. Two out of the three ponies we rescued so far were held against their will. What contingency do you have for a hostile entity who’s holding our targets captive?"
  726. >Twilight stares ahead for a long moment, then shrugs,
  727. >”We’ve got two alicorns and two Spartans here. That should be enough.”
  728. >Sean sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose before waving his hand away,
  729. >”Alright. How are we going to test this, then?”
  730.  
  731. >Twilight looks to all of you,
  732. >"Does anypony volunteer?"
  733. >You see Sean stop himself from taking a step back, then take a tentative step forward
  734. >Speaker muses out loud,
  735. >"Perhaps a device as carefully devised as this can work even with a changeling’s magic?"
  736. >Twilight gestures to the console
  737. >"You're welcome to try. Sean, Aden, can you stand by those two switches? I'll get the last one. Princess Cadence, Nightmare Moon, can you observe the connections and warn us if anything starts to fail?"
  738. >Her lab, her rules indeed
  739. >But if this means more ponies can be saved, then so be it
  740. >You take a seat on the opposite side of the mirror from the console with Cadence
  741.  
  742. >As everyone else takes up their stations and Twilight does a last minute check, Cadence whispers to you,
  743. >"Are you okay, Moon?"
  744. >You glance at her,
  745. "What do you mean?"
  746. >"You look like you haven't slept well."
  747. >You stare at her for a moment, then lean over and look at yourself in the mirror
  748. >Immediately, you spot bags under each eye
  749. >Your irises have red around them
  750. >And somehow your nebulous mane has several frazzled strands poking out
  751. >The mere sight of yourself makes your head lull forward
  752. >A hanging weight pulls at your chest
  753. >Your eyelids suddenly become heavy
  754. >You snap back up, back straight, eyes wide open
  755. >How?
  756. >You shape shift, why do you look like this?
  757. >In front of everyone
  758. >Your cheeks turn hot immediately
  759. "How long have I looked like this?"
  760. >Cadence, her smile sympathetic, tells you,
  761. >"My guess is as long as Sean has been looking like that."
  762. >What?
  763. >You look in the mirror at Sean behind you, standing by Aden
  764. >Both of them, in fact, have the same look of fatigue as you do
  765. >Why haven't you noticed these things?
  766. >You're losing your edge, idiot, start paying attention
  767. >Or perhaps you noticed, but did not act-
  768. >No, that's not an excuse
  769. >You restrain yourself from sighing and instead ask Cadence,
  770. "You don't happen to have a free slot for a day spa, do you?"
  771.  
  772. >Before Cadence can answer, Twilight announces,
  773. >"Okay, we're set. Sean, Aden, throw those switches."
  774. >The two Spartans do so, keeping hold of the handles, and you sense the magic flowing through the tough cabling stretched across the floor
  775. >Twilight turns on the last junction box
  776. >The mirror's frame and the console hum at a low frequency as the stores of magic connect with the artifacts
  777. >"Alright, Speaker. Now place your hoof on the crystal and concentrate on your Queen."
  778. >After a moment of uncharacteristic hesitation, the changeling covers the shard of the Crystal Heart with his hoof and closes his eyes
  779.  
  780. >It takes several moments before you spot changes in the mirror's image
  781. >The room and all of you in it distort, as if the mirror is being warped and bent
  782. >The pitch of the humming changes with the distortion, yet the connections and the magic source remain stable
  783. >You hear Cadence, her eyes closed, utter a surprised, "Oh,"
  784. >Then something behind the mirror pulls on the center of the image, stretching it back into infinity
  785. >You lose the image in a wave of colors, then a reversed wave
  786.  
  787. >The image reverts to a normal perspective, but it is not the lab
  788. >It is a dark corridor of bare metal
  789. >There are no rivets or signs, but there is a line of low-tech metal cages attached to it
  790. >Laying on her side inside one too small for her to stand is a changeling bigger than Speaker
  791. >Her ragged green mane and tail are spread around the floor of the cage
  792. >Her long thin legs are folded up to her stomach, unable to stretch out
  793. >Her whole body, covered with holes and iridescent green scale armor, is shivering
  794. >Sean, Luna, and yourself have never met her, but this is without a doubt Queen Chrysalis
  795. >But she is in a bad state
  796. >And the perspective is too narrow for you to determine where this corridor is
  797. >Or who has her in a cage
  798.  
  799. >Speaker opens his eyes and you watch him fall into a trance instantly
  800. >"My Queen."
  801. >The humming becomes louder and much more magic surges into the frame
  802. >A white light encroaches on the edges of the mirror's image
  803. >The corridor itself shines with the light
  804. >It becomes bright enough that you can see figures stirring in the other cages
  805. >Humans of all ages and races
  806. >Most are in rags, but some are wearing dirty form-fitting clothing
  807. >One man has a patch on his shoulder denoting a planet between two pillars
  808. >One of the prisoners is most definitely not human with blue skin
  809. >All of their rags and hair flap in a sudden air exchange
  810. >Stale dry air blows out of the mirror in a chilling breeze
  811. >Sean walks past you and Cadence to peer into the mirror
  812. >He stares at the alien
  813. >Twilight joins him
  814. >"Do you know where this is, Sean?"
  815. >His fist hovers over the mirror's glowing surface, preparing to reach into it
  816.  
  817. >He starts to utter an affirmation when something humanoid with four black eyes walks around its side of the mirror and steps into view a half-meter from Sean's face
  818. >You see the silhouette of a bulky handgun in one hand aimed from the hip and react with your magic
  819. >Both you and Sean punch through the mirror
  820. >You hear two meaty hits an instant before a supersonic crack
  821. >The portal disappears with a percussive whoosh of displaced air that you feel more than hear
  822. >You see Twilight step back and raise a foreleg
  823. >In the reflection you can see her wide eyes looking at her hoof
  824. >Her bloody hoof
  825. >She sits back, then falls onto her side
  826.  
  827. >Aden and Cadence rushing past you snaps you out of your observations
  828. >Sean, his fist covered in dark blood, breaks out of his own trance and looks down at Twilight cradling her hoof
  829. >Cadence, Aden, and Sean crowd around her while you look to the medkit mounted next to the doorway
  830. >You grab it with your magic and zip it across the room
  831. >Sean is reaching for it already when you turn around and you notice that his mouth is moving
  832. >Only now do you realize that all you hear is ringing
  833. >When Sean grabs the white plastic box out of your magic, you cast a small healing spell on your eardrums
  834. >You’re greeted with Twilight hyperventilating and Sean telling her as he produces a small canister of Equestrian-made biofoam,
  835. >”This is gonna sting.”
  836. >He holds Twilight’s foreleg firmly and sprays the foam into the missing chunk of flesh just above her hoof
  837. >Twilight seizes up and clenches her teeth as she half exhales, half screams
  838. >Sean keeps applying until the wound is sealed, then wraps up the whole area in gauze
  839. >”Nightmare-”
  840. “I’ll take her.”
  841. >You dissolve into twinkling smoke and lift Twilight as gently as you can
  842. >Cadence, Speaker, and Aden clear the path before you as you take the injured unicorn to the medical wing of the university
  843.  
  844. ()()()
  845.  
  846.  
  847. >You are Spartan B094
  848. >You stand in the doorway and watch everyone disappear up the stairs
  849. >Soon you stop hearing Twilight’s frantic breathing and Cadence’s assurances
  850. >You take a shaky breath as the post-adrenaline chill hits you
  851. >Turning around, you walk back to the medkit and take out the small bottle of alcohol and gauze
  852. >You clean off your bloodied hand, wincing when you rub clean the cuts in your knuckles
  853. >That punch connected with hard cartilage
  854. >You spray a little dip of biofoam and rub it into your cuts
  855.  
  856. >As you take the magical substitute for a sterile field generator and begin cleaning up the bloody mess, your mind begins to work at all of the information you just gained in the past few minutes
  857. >Not good
  858. >You glance up at the magical silos
  859. >Only the bottom-most crystals have any light to them
  860. >You noted that most of that energy was pulled into the mirror during the last few seconds, when air was being exchanged
  861. >So it takes not as much energy to simply look as it does to make a two-way portal
  862. >And it can become one when the one touching the crystal gets, what?
  863. >Emotional?
  864. >You’ll need more tests, but not now
  865. >Not until Twilight heals up
  866. >Then she’ll redo this setup
  867. >If she listens to your suggestions then she’ll move it to a location more secure than under her university next to Ponyville
  868. >Such a precaution will take precious time, but it will be worth it
  869. >Had Nightmare not thrown her own magic punch, Twilight could have taken a metal slug the size of a grain of sand in a fatal spot
  870. >And that would be one more element bearer to find
  871. >You pause in your cleaning as you automatically game out the reactions
  872. >Applejack and her family would keep working, only to grieve briefly in privacy
  873. >Rainbow would ditch marine training and force you to take her with you on your next rescue mission
  874. >Fluttershy would isolate herself even more than she already is, only helping out the animals who could get to her cottage
  875. >Celestia
  876. >Even though you can bring Twilight back, would that crack the old girl open?
  877. >You finish cleaning and stand up
  878. >No
  879. >It would bring her ever-so-closer, but not that
  880.  
  881. >You look to the mirror, then the silo, then the console
  882. >You stand there, thinking, weighing the risk
  883. >For the risk is there
  884. >But if you’re right, then she needs to know even if it brings her closer to cracking
  885. >And you would need more than an unshielded corvette and a damaged battlecruiser to rescue Luna
  886.  
  887. >You move to the junction boxes and switch them on
  888. >The humming returns and you walk to the console, but don’t touch the crystal
  889. >You first think about Luna, well before she sent Nightmare to you
  890. >All of those dreams you shared for all of those years
  891. >Then before that when you and Jane were first dumped into Canterlot
  892. >So many memories with her
  893.  
  894. >You place your hand on the crystal and look into the mirror
  895. >As your image disappears into an oily rainbow you keep thinking about Luna
  896. >Your heart starts to ache, but you clamp down on your feelings
  897. >You need to know if she’s okay
  898. >If she’s not, then only you need to see
  899.  
  900. >The mirror’s image unstretches to reveal the middle of a dark war-torn street boxed in by overhanging buildings
  901. >No lights and thick sheets of rain
  902. >Dark enough that it’s tough to see details even with your augmented eyes
  903. >Lightning strikes light up the scene and bad memories begin to surface
  904. >But then you notice extreme battle damage to all of the surrounding skyscrapers
  905. >Entire floors are blasted out
  906. >No power
  907. >As the thunderstorm continues on you scan the street and note that all of the vehicles are blackened husks
  908. >Some aren’t wheeled, but crashed vtol hover cars
  909. >The models look dreadfully familiar
  910. >More bad memories
  911. >Hot flashes pulse over your body
  912. >Your breathing gets heavier
  913. >Movement to the side of the mirror makes you tense up
  914. >A human figure, hooded in dark clothing and holding a bulky rifle, dashes to a hover car husk
  915. >More humans follow him
  916. >Some are holding rifles, but others have large packs on their backs and are carrying equipment you can’t make out
  917. >You observe their crossing of the street for a few seconds and label them as scavengers
  918. >Armed scavengers with several veterans, but escorting people who’s body language states that they're out of their depths
  919.  
  920. >As the first few exit your view you spot something not human in the middle of the next group
  921. >Hooded and obscured by equipment strapped to her body, but you see four hooves and a horn
  922. >A small child is riding on her back, holding onto a makeshift saddle
  923. >After another dash, the alicorn turns to check if they’re still holding on
  924. >Even in the dark, you can see her blue-green eyes
  925. >Your relief mixes with the dread of your worst fear being realized
  926. >That fear is cemented when a pink beam snaps into existence, lighting up the entire street
  927. >It connects the end of the street to someone out of your view, but you know it was aimed at the leading veterans
  928. >Luna immediately turns and, before the beam dies away, launches a bolt of her own bright blue magic at its origin
  929. >Just fast enough to hit its target, even if you don’t see it
  930. >You know what it is
  931. >One of Luna’s bolts would damage, but not stop it
  932. >Everyone runs while the veterans open fire
  933. >Luna keeps to the middle of her group, still looking down the street
  934. >Both you and her see it charging fast at her
  935. >There is a pinprick of pink
  936. >She lets off another bolt, and in a flash of lightning you see an arm and an energy rifle spinning away into the air
  937. >Luna backs away and charges another bolt as the thing leaps over a car hood and lunges at her
  938. >Another flash of lightning
  939.  
  940. >The humming cuts out
  941. >The mirror snaps back to normal
  942. >You’re left staring at your own wide eyes
  943. >The last image is burned into your head
  944. >Luna, rearing back, child hanging onto her neck
  945. >Her bolt of magic piercing directly into the cyborg’s chest, where the corrupted heart controls the subject
  946. >That shot would end the man’s suffering
  947. >For it was a man, naked and networked with wiring
  948. >Overdeveloped muscles in some places, metal skeleton in others
  949.  
  950. >You back away from the console and try to calm yourself
  951. >You lower yourself onto the floor and sit, taking in as deep and long breaths as you can
  952. >You cover your face with your shaking hands, pressing the meat of your palms into your eyes
  953. >You still see the hint of an inverted pentagram
  954.  
  955. >She killed that one certainly
  956. >Those units are almost always lone wolves
  957. >And if the city is without power and there are scavengers about, then that means the war against machines wasn’t a one-way slaughter like what that damned computer told you in his taunting
  958. >She’ll be fine
  959. >She’ll be fine
  960.  
  961. >You stand back up and shut off the junction boxes
  962. >More deep breaths, and you don’t dare look at yourself in the mirror
  963. >In a whisper you say out loud,
  964. “Please hold on, Luna. Please hold on. When we get there, I’ll end that war for good. Then we’ll bring you home.”
  965. >You leave the lab and make your way out towards the hospital

Demons & Nightmares, M1

by Durr0694

Demons & Nightmares, M2

by Durr0694

Demons & Nightmares, M2.5

by Durr0694

Demons & Nightmares, M3

by Durr0694

Demons & Nightmares, M3.5

by Durr0694