Bliss in Darkness

NightMare

"No! Please don't do this Charlie!"

"I'm sorry Claire. It is necessary."

With that last word, Charlie brought forth his horrible energy and drained the life from her as she screamed in pain. He had a smile on his face, and licked his lips.

***

"Why doest thou you resist?" The creature said in my voice. Unable to speak conventionally, I answered in thought.

'Why do you think? You took over my body and make me weak. I don't want to die in here.'

"Ah yes, of course. You want to go back to your precious daylight and frolic, hmm?"

'Actually no, I prefer the beautiful dark night to the heat and confusion of the day.'

The second I said that, the presence released me. I had no idea what happened but at least I had full control of my body. My first instinct was to run like hell, but something forced me to stay. I was drawn to this mysterious presence and I had a deep hunger for knowledge of this being.

"Why did you release me?" I said to the strange entity.

'Because you are interesting. Never has anypony called our night "beautiful". In fact, We always thought everypony hated it.'

"Well not me. I love the night. Wait... Did you just say everypony?"

'Why yes, We did. Would thou have said something different?'

Suddenly, my mind fed me more information. 'You aren't on earth anymore.'

"Well where I come from, we say people and person. Everybody, and everyone. But here... you said... Pony?"

'That is correct. Where are you from exactly? We have never seen one of your kind in Equestria before.'

"Well. Technically I am a human being from the planet earth. But most humans are not like me.. I am... Unique"

'Very interesting. We would love to see you with our own eyes. Does thou wish to see our true form?'

"Only if you don't try to kill me."

A gust of wind seemed to come from all directions, flowing in through the window and door. It all converged in the center of the room, and light seemed to bend around this singularity. It began to take the form of a large horse, or pony. She was a brilliant black with light blue markings on her head and hooves. Her mane and tail seemed to flow like water. It looked like a portal to another dimension full of stars. She had large, glorious wings and a black horn atop her head. On her flanks there was a marking. A moon with a purple aura around it. It was truly a sight to behold, and I was not afraid in the least. In fact, I found her dark image rather appealing. I was certainly drawn to her.

"You stand in awe as if you have never seen Equestrian royalty before." She said with an indeterminable expression.

"I've never seen any royalty before, and I don't think I've ever seen a talking horse either."

Obviously she took offence at being called a horse, for she reared up on her hind legs and spread her wings wide. The creature glared at me with large and beautiful teal eyes.

"WE ARE NOT A HORSE!" She bellowed in the loudest voice I have ever heard. It was as if the whole castle had a P.A. system installed and she were screaming into a microphone.

"Ok! Ok! I'm sorry! I did not know you would take offence to that, I've never seen anything like you before!"

"Why art thou here? You come first complimenting our beautiful night and then degrading our species!"

"I woke up here one night ago. I had no clothes..."

Suddenly I backed away in fear, and curled up trying to hide my private areas. She did not have anything on, but she was a pony. Her privacy was hidden. There I was standing in front of the royalty of this land, dangling my pieces out for all the world to see.

"Why do you hide in such shame, strange one?" She said with a more sympathetic tone.

"Well... Normally where I come from people wear clothes so our private areas are not in plain sight." I said shamefully.

"Oh come now, surely you are not embarrassed?"

Is she... coming on to me? What. The. Fuck.

"Well I'm just used to being covered. Imagine if you had your coat shaven off!"

"Ah. In that case, let us find something for you to wear." She said. I can't verify this, but I think she smiled a bit and winked before we departed the deathly room. We walked the desolate halls winding and curving for what seemed like days. It was as if time had no meaning here. I felt cold, and alone, but at the same time I felt amazing. Like I belonged here. Only time would tell if I could stay.

"So... what is this place?" I asked my unusual hostess.

"This is... was... our home. Our sister, Celestia, banished us here after we became..." she trailed off as if she was in shame.

"After what?"

"After we became jealous. You see, everypony in this land loves the day. They frolic and bounce and laugh in the sun. Then at night, they ignore us. They take our night for granted and sleep right through it." She said with evident hurt and frustration.

"You know, you aren't the only one who is ashamed of your actions..."

"Please elaborate?"

"Well... I lost my mind. I was... On the ground outside my home and... I woke up here out in the forest. I remember nothing, yet I feel like I know what I did. I know that I purposefully erased my own memory, but why? I must have done something horrible. I had a note in my hand. When I read it, certain parts of my past were revealed to me, while the rest was blurry. All I know, is that my name is..."

Charles Petersen.

"Charles Petersen." I finished, after my mind filled in the blanks for me.

"Very interesting. We think we could be friends with one such as you." She said with a seemingly warm tone.

"Even though I am a monster?"

"What makes thou say that?"

"When I got here... I killed things. I don't know how, they just died. I hot hurt and then.... They all died." I said without emotion.

"We felt your presence."

"You what?"

"We felt your mind enter ours when you first came here. You started... draining us."

"Only because you were doing the same to me..." I retorted.

"You are the only being We have ever met that can resist our abilities. We are thoroughly impressed."

"Well thank you. I still feel odd about this though."

"Odd about what?"

"Nothing." I lied.

"Oh, come now."

"I feel at peace with death. When I killed those... wolf things... I loved it. Every second of it. I would like to say I feel bad about it, but I honestly do not."

"You did what you must to survive. Do not hold necessary choices against yourself. There are those who find us to be a monster as well. I tried to take over their world... and banish our sisters solar reign. I have realized that it is not our nature to be happy, and we have come to terms with it."

"Oh, come now. You can't be all that bad."

"Thank you Charles. Perhaps We do have some hope after all." She said with a genuine smile.

After our chat, we entered the main hall of the castle. Her horn glowed with a beautiful black light and I felt my heart warm. The fireplace ignited into a brilliant flame. The room warmed quickly and I found a tapestry to tie around my waist, which made the whole situation infinitely less awkward for me. We sat on pillows by the fire and I began to question her. She asked me things about myself, but I could not remember most things. I remember my world, and some of my life before the incident, but nothing more.

"I never got your name, miss..."

"Moon. Nightmare Moon."

"A lovely name." I said with a smile.

I found myself drifting off to sleep. This time, I was comfortable. I had a bed of pillows, and a fire to warm me. I even made an interesting friend. Things were looking up for me, no doubt. I did not last for long, but I was happy. I had hope. I slipped into a peaceful slumber that night. Thinking not of my past, but of my future.

***

"There's no time like the present, Connor."

"Yes, but I still can't believe they're gone."

"Neither can I dear brother... Neither can I."

"Do you think everything will be ok?"

"Perhaps. Redemptio per adversitatem invenitur."

"Through adversity, there is redemption?"

"Precisely."