Children of the Night

Chapter 12

Nightmare Moon....

The morning after the attack on Canterlot

Rainbow Dash was dizzy, and her whole body ached as she came to. Her eyelids felt so damn heavy. What had happend? Where was she? Why did she have the feeling like there was ice piercing her wings? Slowly she realized, why she had woken up in the fist place. It hadn't been because of the hurt she was experiencing, no she had slept through worse. What had woken her up were the sniffling sounds, and the sobbing of a voice she knew. Dash fought against the waves of dizziness that tried to wash over her, slowly opening her eyes. On the other side of the room, she saw a yellow and pink blurr with red splotches on it. Her eyes swam a little and it took her a moment to get them focused. After that brief moment, she saw that it was Fluttershys voice she had been hearing. The Pegasus was chained to the opposite wall, with some gadget on her head, preventing her from closing her eyes, and at the same time keeping her head pointing in one direction. As Dash, still not fully awake herself, followed her friends gaze, a shock ran through her spine, jolting her awake in an instant.

There, on the wall oposite the steel door to their cell, hang several small critters. Some of them were still alive, while others were dead. Each and every one of the birds, squirrels and even Angel Bunny, had a collar around it's neck. Dash was not as smart as Twilight, but seeing the dead critters heads lying on the floor, made it painfully obvious what these collars were for. An almost inaudible click sounded through the room, and a blue Canary lost it's head. Fluttershy tried desperatly to get somewhere, even so she was in tears and her legs and midrift were bound with chains. Again Dash followed her gaze. On the wall, only a few inches below the animals, and only about a meter out of her friends reach, was a lever.

"Fluttershy! Fluttershy, calm down! What is happening?"

Rainbow Dashs voice was clearly not enough to make Fluttershy snap out of it. She didn't know how long they were imprisoned and she did not care either. All she knew was that her friend was unresponsive to her, and that her eyes had an insane gleam in them. Fluttershy loved animals, it was her special talent to communicate with them, afterall after all. Dash, who was not chained at her hooves, nor her midrift, tried to reach the lever her friend tried to get to. Maybe it would put a stop to whatever was happening to Fluttershys little animal friends. As she walked towards it however, she felt that her wings got pulled back. A quick glance revealed the reason for this. Rainbow almost screamed out, as she saw the thick Iron bolts somepony had driven through her wings. On the other end, they were connected to the wall. With her hooves, she tried to plug them out unplug them, even if she may never be up to snuff again, she would atleast be able to fly, and maybe even get both of them out of here. But it was no use, they didn't budge, and Rainbow Dash didn't want to pull too hard, so asnot to damage her wings, her pride, her ability to fly any more then neccesary.

What stroke struck her as odd though, was the fact that no matter how hard she pulled, it didn't hurt at all. She only felt the coldness eminating from the bolts shift slightly, but there was no pain. Had she been drugged? The thought relifed relieved and frigthend frightened her at the same time. On one hoof, she was glad not to feel any pain, but on the other one Fluttershy could  have been suffering for days since their capture! She could tell, that her foalhood friend was close to going insane, from having to watch her animal friends being harmed, without being able to look away or help them. The sobbing she heard, and the tears she saw on her pink maned friend, tore at Dashs heart. But there was nothing she could do. Again, there was a click, and a snake, lost it's headthis head thistime, the small fountain of blood splattering all over Fluttershy, tinting her coat a dirty shade of red.

Another cry from Fluttershy and the yellow Pegasus threw herself even harder against her restrains. Dash could see that one of her hindlegs was already bend bend in bent at an odd angle, and even so though she was covered in blood, she could see several bruises all over her friends body. Dash looked away, averting her gaze to her wings. She had always been proud of them, but right now they were preventing her from something ,that was more important to her, then anything on this world. Even more important then joining the Wonderbolts. The Wonderbolts paled in comparison of helping a friend in need... She was still drugged, and she hoped her body would provide the strength she needed for what she was about to do. One last time, she took a look at her, mutulated, but still intact wings. She kissed them both softly, as her eyes began to fill with tears.

"Mommy loves you...."

Even while she was whispering it, Dash threw herself forward. She felt how the joints in her shoulders protested against the strain of her efford. Her wings were now fully extended, but held back by the chained bolts in them, while Rainbow Dash used all the strength she could muster to free herself. It woul hurt once the drugs wore off, that she knew.... She would never be able to fly again, that she also knew... But her firend friend needed her RIGHT NOW, and that was more important then anything in the world. It was even more important than the fact that she had finally remembered how she ended up here. The Changelings had taken over Equestria, but even that was unimportant compared to her friends suffering. Suddenly, as if a spell had been taken off of her, the pain of ripping flesh and breaking bones ran through Rainbow Dashs body. She did not stop regardless. Her friend needed her... She clenched her theeth teeth, and continued to set one hoof in front of another, slipping slightly on the blood that now seeped from her back.

"Just.... a little... further... Just... a .... few... more... steps..."

She thought through the [paininduced/color] pain induced haze that was her mind, as she moved onward. Finally, a ripping sound and an unimaginable pain, where her right wing had been just moments ago, made her stop in her tracks, and scream in agony. Her vision blurred again, and she screamed from the top of her lungs, tears running down her face. Her friend, still tried to get to the lever that was only a little out of reach, and didn't hear her. Dash collapsed for a moment, the pain from her back paralyzing her. Her whole body protested now. It wanted her to stop, but she would not let Fluttershy down, she just couldn't! They had gone such a long way together, and she needed her NOW!

It took all her willpower to get upright again, but she managed to get back on her trembling hooves. Her steps became shorter and less energetic, as she anticipated a second rush of pain. Just as she had almost reached the lever, and thought that she might be lucky enough to keep one wing, a second ripping sound cut through the darkness, leaving the skyblue Pegasus screaming and clutching the places where her wings had been. They now hung on the chains, that were still fastend to the wall.... For a moment the sheer reality of what she had done crashed down on her. She had ripped her own wings off. She wanted to crawl back and get them.... Try to reattach them, no matter how... She wanted her wings back.... She wanted the pain to stop!

Again, a cry from Fluttershy cut through the haze of her own thoughts. Painfully slow, it felt like an eternity, Dash raised her head from the floor. She saw Fluttershy just a meter away from herself. The lever the Pink maned Pegasus had tried to reach, was now within reach for Dash..... Mustering the last of her strength, she crawled towards it, every inch a fight against her own protesting body. Finally, she flipped it over, and the collars around the animals necks opend, releasing three birds, and Angel Bunny.

Rainbow Dash collapsed on the spot, not even having enough strength left in her to turn her head. She felt weak, and even more dizzy then before. The ripping of her wings must have caused a terrible bloodloss, she thought to herself. She saw that Fluttershy was still crying, and throwing herself against her restrains. Had she acted to late? Had her friend already lost it completly? But then she felt herself being dragged and pushed across the floor. She saw who was doing it.... Her left foreleg was pulled by Angel, while she assumed the birds must have been pushing her rump. The blood on the floor certainly made things easier for them....

Fluttershy had just snapped out of it. She had been so fixated on reaching the lever to free her animal friends, that she had completly forgotted about Rainbow Dash, who was brought to the same cell as her. Just when she had heard that terrible click again, and assumed another one of her animal friends would have died, she saw that Rainbow had crawled to the lever herself, flipping it over. As she calmed down, glad that her remaining animal friends were free, even so she was still verry sad about those who had been killed, relief washed over her when she saw that Rainbow was free... This feeling however, went as fast, as it had come. There was something wrong with Rainbow Dash. She was covered in fresh blood, and something was amiss.... At first Fluttershy couldn't place a hoof on it, until she looked at the place on the wall opposite her, where her friend had been chained to the wall by her wings.... There, still dripping blood.... hang Rainbow Dashs wings. Their former skyblue feathers, now looking as if somepony had spilled cherryjuice over them... She just wanted to curl up into a tiny ball again, trying to blend blot out all those scary things, when she felt a paw strike her across the face. As she looked down, Angel was standing in front of her, pointing at the first aid kit their captors had provided her with. At the time he had assumed it had been for her animal friends, but now she knew what had happend. They had WANTED Dash to hurt herself, to help her.... Dash had been hurt because of her. SHE had hurt Dash.... Angel and the others were already doing their best to get the injured Pegasus to Fluttershy. Her own hindleg was broken, but she endured the pain as best she could.

As soon as Angel and the others had brought Rainbow Dash within her reach, Fluttershy grabbed her friends foreleg and pulled her towards herself. She just couldn't help herself but cry.... Before Angel hit her again, reminding her that she had to get to work on treating Dash, she had hugged the lifeless figure of her friend, that lay limply in her forelegs.....

G'zuol watched the scene in the Pegasus cell from the observation room. He was pleased that the intelligence he had gathered for his queen, from the Canterlot royal library, had proven right. The little Pain supressor spell he had picked up during his research had also come in verry handy... He had used it on the mare, just before chaining her to the wall by her wings... It was so much fun when he released the spell. Her bawling and screaming had been heard through the entire dungeon! The blue one with the strange mane, had actually ripped her wings off, just cause it ment helping her friend. He snorted.... If it had been him, he would have watched the other one suffer. afterall after all, there were millions of other Changelings in the hive, bred by the thousands.... Why should they sacrifice anything for one another? The only thing that counted was their queens will. Everything else was unimportant irrelevant and foolish.

Present day, Magical prison in the Canterlot mines

Lunas eyes were glowing white, her wings extended. She hadn't slept more then a few hours in two weeks. Her mental defenses against the rage she was infused with, were weakening. She had realized what was going on, just few days before, when she had caught a glimpse of Chrysalis watching her. The window in the ceiling being the only way in and out of this prison, but there was no way to the prisonor to reach it without the captor allowing it... Or atleast at leastanother spellcaster willing to help was needed for an escape. That however, was the least of her worries... The elements of harmony had stolen all her jealousy and rage, and replaced it with compassion and kindness, leaving her dark side, that had gained a conciousness on it's on when she had transformed into an Alicorn, nothing to feed on .... Now however that dark side came back with vengance, stronger then ever before. Luna just stood in the middle of her prison, a magical whirlwind of dark purple, pale white and black magic raging around her.

"Let me out... I can help you... You will be free, once again... That insect deserves punishment..."

"NO! I will... NEVER again... surrender to you...."

"You suffer without reason... you can be free... you can free the kingdom with my power..."

"I said NO! You want only destruction and war! You want to reign supreme by your own!"

"True... but would that really be that bad?  atleast at leastyour children would be safe once again...."

"My... children....."

Lunas thoughts went back to the scene in Ponyville, when she had flown through it's streets, seeing many of her children injured or dead. She shook her head. No... They wouldn't want this.... Her children may have their flaws, and some of them shared Moonsingers petty hatrets hatredagainst her sisters subjects, but they would never want themanihalated annihilated, as was surely Nightmare Moons plan... No not Nightmare Moon...

"Bloody Shadow! You will never WIN AGAIN! I AM PRINCESS LUNA OF EQUESTRIA, MOTHER TO THE CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT, AND YOU WILL NOT WIN THIS DAY!"

Laughter crept into her counter parts mental voice.

"Pfftt... Have it your way then you impudend little foal, but you know you can't resist me forever. Soon... verry soon, your defenses will fall, and what will be left of YOU then? You will be consumed by me.... I am offering you a way out here... Let me come forth and we can both control this body."

Luna had to admit that the offer was tempting. She needed the power to turn into mist again, if she wanted to get out of here by herself, but could she trust Bloody Shadow? Back in the days, when she had still been a soldier, she had been the side of her, that killed other Ponies without hesitation, leaving HER with the painfull memories and remorse of the act.

No... She couldn't trust her, or could she....?

"What... will... you do... if I set you free?"

"Oh! That is going into the right direction, my dear Moonlilly, or do you really prefer your new name... Luna? Well... you honestly want to know what I intend to do, once I can move freely?"

"Yes!"

"Verry well, let me tell you.... I-WILL-KILL-THEM-ALL! How DARE they imprison ME, the great Bloody Shadow, Nightmare Moon, the Queen of the night, in a small cell like this? How DARE they try to take control over what should RIGHTFULLY be MINE?"

"What about the Ponies? Wha....t will you... do to... them?"

It became harder every time Luna tried to form a coherent sentence in her mind, while Chrysalis infused her with more rage and Nightmare Moon tried to take over her body once again.

"Oh don't you fear... I will leave your children alone. THEY like my night, and scorn the day instead. They shall become my new subjects."

"What ... about... the daylight Ponies?"

"They are not worth my time. I will whipe them all out, like the vermin they are. They are no Allicorns, they don't have any other purpose in life, then to serve and amuse us."

"My children...."

"Are no Allicorns either, I know, but I will let them live as part of our bargain.... IF you set me free..."

Luna feared for her children. She feared for her sister, and all the Ponies of Equestria. Would Celestia be able to defeat a Nightmare Moon slash Bloody Shadow, that was infused with that much hatred without the elements of harmony? Would her children fight her, when it became appearent that she had been corrupted? Would her evil side spare them even then?

The temptaion, to atleast at leastsave her children, by accepting the shadows offer, was great and hard to resist, but Luna did it anyhoof anyway. She mustered more and more willpower to keep her mental defenses, from crumbling any further. She could not "rebuild" them at the moment, but she could atleast at least do her best to stop them from fallin fallingapart even further. Her counterpart tried to speak to her again, as she noticed Lunas effords to keep her at bay, but the Princess of the night was too far gone to react to anything anymore.

Her whole being was concentrating on keeping Nightmare Moon inside. Sure, Chrysalis and her Changelings would deserve their fate, but her twins nickname had a good reason... Bloody Shadow... She would not differ between friend or foe, but insteadslaughter everypony that dared to oppose her, or was unlucky enough to be in her sight....