To the moon and back

She used her magic to restrain him as she took the blade out and plunged it into his abdomen, "You made me do this!! You did this Shadow!!" She left the blade in him and saw what she did, Shadow coughed up blood and groaned in agony on his bed.

He looked at her, "W-why? ...Wh-what did I do *cough* to deserve this?" He tried to not move as much less he let more blood seep from his wounds, he felt confused, in pain, and helpless.

"You chose her over me, you chose a harlot over our family! I just wanted all of us to be happy...now...now I get to watch as she suffers your death...goodbye Shadow...maybe you can love me in the after life." She grabbed his bedsheets and bound his arms and legs to the bed and she left.

Shadow felt the warm blood spread across his body and bed, his vision began to blur, the pain began to impead him from speaking, much less yelling for help. He saw the bucket Autta left him and he began to cry, "This...this is how I die...a failure as a father or lover...damn it...damn it all..." He started to feel cold and tired, the world began to grow dark and he slipped out of consciousness.

NMM stood in her bedroom in front of a mirror as she looked upon the dress she had, it was a bit risqué for her taste but she really wanted to tease Shadow with it. She smiled, "This will do just fine, not something a goddess should wear around mere mortals but...he is no mere mortal to me. I can't believe it...I really did fall for him. Tonight will be the night I ask him to be mine...I just hope I can actually say it." She felt nervous, never had NMM thought she'd ask a stallion out, she always imagined it would be the other way around but circumstances made it so she had to do it, mainly Luna made her do it. She went to her bed and sat on it, she looked at the clock and saw that there was half an hour till the ceremony was to start. "Where is he? He's not one for being late...maybe he and Autta are doing some early candy gathering? Yes! That's probably it. I hope they bring me some too, I could use a chocolate bar right about now."

The clock ticked away and it was fifteen minutes after the time for the ceremony to begin but Shadow never appeared, NMM held off the ceremony for thirty more minutes yet he still didn't show up. She began to feel worried and called in Silent Step, "Silent, I need you to look for Shadow, he hasn't appeared for work yet. Please look quickly and bring him here, I need to begin the ceremony." Silent nodded and ran out as NMM teleported unto the ceremony grounds, ponies of all ages were there and were delighted to see their princess of the night. She cleared her throat as to use her canterlot voice, "THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TONIGHT! THIS NIGHT IS THE NIGHT OF THE NIGHTMARES AND GHOULS! AND FUN! ENJOY YOURSELVES ON THE NIGHT THAT I, NIGHTMARE MOON, RETURNED!"

Everypony cheered and she smiled, she was happy that ponies were okay with this version of her and that she didn't strike too much fear into them, once the ceremony started, fireworks were shot into the air and booths opened. She looked around and was happy with how it all worked out but in the back of her mind she was still worrying about Shadow. She began to walk around and mingle with the guests, even chased some fillies and colts around when she spotted Autta with Mrs. Lollipop.

She walked up to them as Autta was eating her candy happily, "Hello Autta and Mrs. Lollipop, enjoying the festivities?"

Autta had her mouth full but she nodded, "Hehe, we are your highness, are you enjoying your festivities with your coltfriend?" said Mrs. Lollipop with a wink and NMM blushed.

"Well, I would be if he were here..."

"He isn't here? I was sure he said he worked tonight...hmm...where could that colt have run off to?"

NMM began to look around, hoping he'd just pop out of somewhere as a mean joke but he didn't and Silent Step didn't appear either. She grew worried and a figure bumped into her that took her out of her train of thought, "Oh, I'm sorry" she said to the cloaked figure.

"You should and will be..." the mare said as she ran into the crowd. NMM was confused by her words till Silent Step ran to her.

He was no longer wearing his face mask and his uniform had blood on it, "Princess! Shadow has been attacked! Come to the hospital quickly!"

NMM eyes dialated and she began to shake, he beloved was attacked and in the hospital, she tried to think who would do such a thing but then she remembered the mare who bumped into her. "Look for a cloaked mare! She may have been involved! Look for her quickly!"

"Princess, there are too many cloaked characters here, can you be more specific?" asked Silent.

"N-no...she just bumped into me and...wait...her voice...her voice was familiar...No, I need to go see my Shadow!" She teleported away and appeared in the emergency room. She approached the front desk, "I need to see Shadow March, he was just brought in!"

The nurse was surprised to see NMM there and began to quickly look at her records, "There is a Shadow March in but he's under going blood transfusions and surgery, I'm sorry but you aren't allowed in yet princess."

NMM was scared, she just gained the love of a stallion and already she was about to lose it. Silent Step, Mrs. Lollipop, and Autta walked into the emergency room soon after, "Daddy!? Where is my daddy!?" Autta cried frantically, she looked around and shivered. She saw NMM and ran to her, hugging her "Please save my daddy! You gotta save him! please!"

NMM fought back tears as she picked up Autta and held her tightly, "I'm sorry sweetie...magic doesn't cure these kinds of injuries...the doctors are doing everything they can for him, he'll be fine soon..." she looked at the amount of blood on Silent Step's uniform, "...I really hope he pulls thru..."

Hours passed and Autta fell asleep in NMM arms, Silent Step approached her "I guess now is a good time to tell you what I found princess. As I entered Shadow's home, I heard low groans from his room. I quickly got there and found him bound to the bed posts with two stab wounds, on in his chest and the other in his abdomen with the blade still inside."

NMM cried silently, she felt useless and afraid, "The blade wasn't just an ordinary blade princess, it was a royal guard blade..."

NMM eyes widened and she gritted her teeth to keep her from cursing while Autta was in her arms, "That...that wretched mare...was a guard?!? Only one mare comes to mind...I want her found...I want her dead..."

Silent nodded, "We will find her but princess...for her sake...don't kill her. A filly shouldn't experience such things."

The doctor's came out and called for NMM, she got up and walked to them, "Is he alright?! Please tell me he is alright!"

The doctor frowned, "I'm sorry but he isn't, we managed to stop the bleeding and repair some of the damage but...he lost too much blood. He's a strong stallion but he is just barely hanging on, we are giving him transfusions but we are almost out of them, if his body refuses to cooperate, I'm afraid we will lose him. He's currently in a comma with weak vital signs."

Silent Step held Mrs. Lollipop as she wept to the news and NMM had a determined face, she handed the sleeping filly to Mrs. Lollipop, "I'm going to enter his mind, I will get him responding again..." She kissed Autta's head, "I will get your father back...I promise little one." NMM began to chant an olden spell and disappeared, she began to move into the unconscious mind of Shadow. Unlike before, it was dark and cold. Memories were nowhere to be seen and she grew worried, "Shadow! Shadow! Where are you!?"

It was quiet and she kept looking around till she saw a small light far away, she flew to it as fast as she could and found Shadow, sitting and looking at an empty picture,  "I'm a terrible father and husband...what is there to go back to? ...nothing...there is nothing to go back to..."

His words stung her, she approached him, "Shadow? It's me, NMM. Please look at me..." He turned to her with a depressed look, he looked back at his empty picture.  She sat besides him and looked at the picture and began to see memories but they weren't his but hers. The memories were of all the time they spent together and she smiled but he didn't, "Shadow, please wake up. Autta, Silent Step and Mrs. Lollipop are outside and are waiting for you. They are worried sick...please, just wake up."

"And go back to what? Disappointing my daughter? Disappointing you? No...I'd rather stay here..."

She frowned and hugged him, " You have disappointed no one. Autta is lucky to have such a sweet and caring father and I'm..." she blushed and looked away, her shyness was trying to get the best of her but she tried to fight it, she looked at him and calmed herself. "Shadow March, I...I love you...with all my heart. We both do, so please wake up for us."