An Old Equestrian Storm

003

"Equestria by its very nature is a strange place. The supernatural is common to its residents, and I had to either adapt or die."

"This is not good," I muttered to myself, still staring in the direction I'd felt that wave of emotion from. Snippets of my past encounters with the supernatural came to mind, but those were all child's play in comparison to something coming out of the moon. None of the ponies started panicking in the streets, so I could only assume that they hadn't felt what I had. My first instinct at that realization was that I should probably tell somebody.

No, they'd never believe me. Why would they accept the word of an outsider, especially on something that was so far out of the norm? I barely believed myself, and I'd just witnessed it. Going and investigating on my own wasn't a good idea either. The Everfree's nocturnal predators had a serious edge on my lack of night vision and I didn't want to become some random critter's snack. The only thing that could be done was to wait until day and investigate then, provided all hell hadn't broken loose.

Without anything better to do, I settled down on a convenient park bench and began sorting through my backpack for the maintenance kit I'd brought along. My katana needed some work after the heavy use against that Alpha Timber Wolf, and it wouldn't hurt to check over the Schiavona as well. It was during my search that I discovered another piece of equipment I'd completely forgotten about during my arrival to Equestria.

"I was wondering where this went," I muttered, clipping the ten inch survival knife to the back of my belt without a second thought. It had been hiding under an old green hoodie, which I quickly put on to help conceal the blade. I was loathe to risk breaking the law, but I couldn't deny that having some form of weaponry on-hand made me feel that much more safe. If the party was still going on later, I'd take advantage of its location and check on the local carry laws.

Using my sword case as a makeshift table, I set a small block down to hold the katana level and pulled out a metal file. The work was slow and honestly boring, but it was necessary if I wanted my weapons to last.

While I took long, even strokes to each side of the blade, I began to analyze my short stay in Equestria. One glaring issue that I noticed early on was that I had automatically assumed Equestria functioned exactly like Earth did. For the most part it was true, but there were simply some things that I couldn't compare to Earth's rules, such as the Timber Wolves. For the most part I'd also been treating Ponies as I would any human, excluding a few embarrassing moments while I wasn't entirely in my right mind. Once again, that worked most of the time, but it also put a small measure of distrust into every interaction.

Pony culture was different than most human cultures, built upon different values. If I wanted to stay among them, I'd have to adapt or risk alienating the few ponies who actually accepted my presence.

I heard the creak of wood and light breathing, but paid it no mind and continued my work. With the edge of my katana properly resharpened, I needed to polish it back to a uniform appearance. Thankfully I had no shortage of oil and my whetstone was right where I'd left it.

I needed to figure out what my plans for the future were. Sure she had told me to learn from the native population, but that was a very broad topic. It would likely take years to learn all that she wanted me to. My first goal was to get a home. Mayor Mare had already given me an opportunity to arrange a deal with her, but I needed some form of employment if I wanted to keep the home after that. Unfortunately, I didn't have too many applicable skills. When I left Earth I'd been between semesters for an Information Technology degree and from what I'd seen Equestria was all over the place with its tech level. Plus, even if they did have computers, I'd be stuck learning a whole new operating system designed to be used by beings with big clunky hooves instead of fingers.

A small sigh escaped me again as I stood with my sharpened and re-polished katana in hand. Everything was looking fine, so I sheathed the weapon and returned it to its place in my sword case, then began packing up the maintenance kit. When I cast a quick glance over my shoulder, Fluttershy let out a small 'eep!' of surprise from her position on the park bench.

"I figured it was you. Pinkie can't keep quiet for that long and nobody else would bother to come out here when there's a party going on," I chuckled lightly, zipping up my backpack and slinging it over my shoulder.

"Why... why do you have those weapons?" Fluttershy asked, seeming both fearful and determined. I paused to think about how I wanted to answer her. Fluttershy was already timid enough, so I had to choose my words carefully.

"Not every place is as safe as Equestria," I finally said, settling my sword case into its proper place on my back. "There are some places in this world where it's a good idea to have a blade handy. The Everfree Forest certainly fits in that list."

"But-" Fluttershy automatically opened her mouth to protest, but shut it again and cringed away from me.

"The only time I bring out these swords are for an emergency or if they need some regular maintenance," I reassured her. "I've only had to use them once since coming to Equestria and that was to help a pony fend off some Timber Wolves."

"And that was how you got hurt," Fluttershy whispered at nearly inaudible volume.

"Is that what this is really about?" I asked, crossing my arms. Fluttershy shrank a little, then fixed me with a more steady gaze and nodded firmly. With a small smile, I sat on the bench next to Fluttershy, noting that the yellow pegasus almost subconsciously scooted closer to my side. Once again, the cultural differences between most of Humanity and Equestria were smacking me in the face. I could only speculate on why the value of a life was so much higher to the Ponies, but if they were anything like Earth's horses, I could guess that it had something to do with herd instincts.

"So, why are you out here anyways?" I questioned, stifling a small yawn.

"Oh, um... Pinkie sent me to find you," Fluttershy admitted, then gave me an absolutely adorable smile. "I don't do too well with big parties either."

"Geez... I'll have to apologize to her for bailing later."

"A lot of ponies left to get some rest before the celebration. If you want to go back... um... I mean..." Fluttershy trailed off with a small squeak, but I understood what she was asking.

"That depends, are you staying up or heading back to your cottage?"

"Oh! Um... I have to be up early to make sure the bird choir is ready," Fluttershy shuffled awkwardly and gave me a weak smile, "But... if you want... we can go back to the party..."

I just shook my head and grinned at the sheer levels of adorable that the pegasus radiated with every action.

"Don't worry about me, alright? Just go get some sleep, Fluttershy. I'll be sure to catch up to you some time tomorrow."

Fluttershy gave me a quick nod, wrapped me in a surprise hug didn't last nearly long enough, then began trotting down the road. Once she was out of sight my lingering good mood faded and I set out to find somewhere to rest my head for the precious few hours before the Summer Sun Celebration.

The full moon cast its light down on a tall hill and the single sakura tree planted at its crest. I wasn't sure how I got there, since I couldn't remember going through the endless maple forest surrounding the hill on all sides. In an action that felt almost painfully familiar, I walked forward and took a seat against the sakura tree's trunk, content to watch a near-infinite stream of blossoms float away on a gentle breeze.

The wind began to pick up, followed quickly by the soft clink of metal landing on the grass behind me.

"Over here," I replied, not bothering to move from my rather comfortable position. A dusky blue pony soon walked into view, larger and slimmer than those I'd seen so far in Ponyville and possessed of both horn and wings. The cobalt crown and slippers she wore marked the newcomer as some sort of royalty, but I didn't peg her as a 'Celestia', especially not with the crescent moon adorning her dappled flanks.

"A human? Verily, we have not seen one of thy kind in ages," She seemed a bit baffled by my presence, but took a seat at my side without hesitation. I chuckled and returned my gaze to the stream of petals. My new companion fell into silence, seeming content to just watch the pink blossoms float by as well. After a moment, she spoke up once more.

"There's something odd about you. A feeling we cannot place..."

"Not sure what to tell you, Princess," I replied with a shrug, taking a guess at her title. Still, now that she mentioned it, I could feel the same odd tug in my heart that I felt when looking at a full moon.

The pony at my side suddenly tensed, her eyes widening in fear. My mouth opened to ask her what was wrong, but I didn't get the chance to speak.

A single musical tone sounded, setting off my sense of dread. I scrambled to my feet as the world began to shake around us. A pulse of darkness clouded my vision and when it cleared, the peaceful landscape had been replaced with a dead wasteland, the moon above turning a bloody red.

"It's her," The pony whimpered, clutching at my leg like I was her only lifeline. "She's found me again..."

"Really, Luna. Did you think you could hide from me? You should know by now that I'll find you wherever you try to hide," The voice that spoke was like a dark symphony, both beautiful and terrifying, only serving to reinforce the feelings of dread and danger running through my mind.

Another winged unicorn descended from the heavens like a dark angel, her coat as black as night and her hair a nebulous purple mist. The cobalt armor covering her form looked made for war and her meter-long horn was as sharp as any lance.

"Just stay behind me. I'll keep you safe," I said, glancing down at the quivering pony. I looked back up and flinched when I saw the dark horse only an inch away. Her draconic blue eyes seemed to pierce into my soul, and her sharp teeth were bared in an evil grin.

"Such a noble sentiment, but you're less than a bug to me."

Her horn was engulfed in dark energy, but that was quickly dispelled as I slammed my fist into her muzzle with all the force I could muster. A satisfied smirk came to my lips when the black pony reeled back in pain and I pressed the attack with a chain of vicious kicks. I couldn't let her recover or I'd most likely be utterly boned.

"Enough!" The black pony slammed her forehooves into the ground, unleashing a dark shockwave that sent me tumbling away. I wasn't sure where Luna had vanished to, but I was glad that she was out of harm's way. All I could do was to keep the invader occupied for as long as I could. With new determination, I rose once more and quickly leapt out of the way of a black laser shot by the pony's glowing horn. At last the mystery of what that meant had been solved. Too bad the results were less than friendly.

"Of course the magical pony can shoot lasers," I grumbled, narrowly avoiding three more blasts and closing the distance between us. The black pony reared to try and kick me, which was exactly what I was hoping she'd do. I sidestepped her kick and quickly positioned myself behind the horse, then wrapped my arms around her barrel. It was then that I noticed that she was incredibly soft and snuggly... but unfortunately the evil aspect kind of ruined it for me. With a herculean effort I lifted the pony, bent my spine backwards and slammed her head-first into the ground.

Unfortunately, that position left me vulnerable and the black pony took advantage of it. She rolled onto all four hooves and thrust her head forward, piercing through my heart with minimal effort.

"Silly little foal," She scoffed, "Did you truly believe you could defeat the Princess of the Night so easily?"

The most I could do in response was stare blankly as the color slowly faded from my sight. The black pony ripped out her horn and I collapsed onto the dirt, unable to move.

"Such a pity. You put up more of a fight than I expected." She bent her head down and whispered in my ear, "I am Nightmare Moon, soon to be the sole princess of Equestria. If you hope to survive the coming days, then you'd best not defy me again."

I snapped awake and sat up in my sleeping bag, then immediately felt a surge of pain dead center in my chest. Memories of the dream I'd just experienced came flooding back and I knew without a doubt that it wasn't just a trick of my subconscious. Things began to click together in my head, between the unicorn's head vanishing from Equestria's moon, the mist disappearing into the Everfree Forest and the dream I'd just had. On further mental examination, I realized that the mist I'd seen matched up with the color and consistency of Nightmare Moon's mane and tail.

If Nightmare Moon had the magical abilities she'd shown in the dream realm, then Equestria was well and truly boned. Despite that... I couldn't sit still and just let her take over. For once in my life I had a clear-cut villain in my path and was in a position to do something about it. So long as I didn't try anything stupid like suplexing her, I'd probably be able to hold my own at least long enough for someone more qualified to show up and deal with Nightmare. So long as I was smart about it, I would have access to my swords for this second round as well. Thanks to an oversight in my sword case's lock design, they could be left open with only the keyhole turned as an external indicator. In other words, I could leave my case unlocked but latched shut and nobody would be the wiser.

If Nightmare Moon decided to make a move at the Summer Sun Celebration, I was going to be ready with everything at my disposal.

"Rainy!" Pinkie called out without warning, flying at me like a pink missile. It was probably a good thing my injuries had healed up, or I'd be in a lot worse pain than her tackle to hug combo caused. I opened my mouth to protest her rough treatment, only to have a donut promptly shoved in it. With my mouth full of the sugary treat, all I could do was deadpan at the pink pony.

"Pinkie Pie, darling, I know you want to play with your... friend, but we're going to be late to the celebration," A voice I could only describe as 'snobbish' spoke up. Its owner was a snow white unicorn with a carefully curled indigo mane. Between her appearance and obvious distaste for me, I knew I wasn't going to like being around her any more than she'd like being close to me.

"Good morning, Rain," Fluttershy smiled at me, ignoring the white unicorn's comment, "Did you sleep well?"

"You can ask him pointless questions later. Right now we're going to be... late," The purple unicorn from yesterday provided that comment, shuddering at the final word. She seemed generally displeased with the entire situation, making me wonder if she was with the group of her own will. Rolling my eyes, I got back to my feet, barely noticing that Pinkie was still hanging off of my like a pony-shaped leech. It certainly got a few snickers from a cyan pegasus with a rainbow-striped mane that I hadn't had the chance to meet yet. As we walked towards the town hall, I gave her a friendly nod and received one in turn.

"So, you're the guy Fluttershy's been talking about," She said, hovering up to me and examining me from all angles before finally raising her hoof. "Names Rainbow Dash, fastest flyer in Equestria. Maybe you've heard of me?"

"Call me Rain," I replied in turn, bumping a fist against her hoof and carefully avoiding her attempt at an ego boost. This just prompted a small snort from the white unicorn and a barely suppressed groan from the purple one.

"Mornin' all," Applejack added, trotting up to join our group with a yellow Earth Pony filly on her back and a gigantic red stallion at her side. The filly just stared at me wide-eyed, while the stallion just looked on stoically. From their similar color schemes and cutie marks, I could only assume that they were either related or married, but I wasn't going to speak either option for the risk of offending them.

"Applejack, did you even try to clean up this morning?" The white unicorn let out a noise of disgust and turned her head away.

"Hey! I washed up just as well as anypony else here!" Applejack protested, "Not all of us have to spend two hours in the mornin' getting gussied up, Rarity."

Growling like a rabid beast, the purple unicorn stomped ahead of us, putting a stall on all conversation.

"Yeesh, she is not a morning pony," Rainbow Dash muttered.

"Add a late night on top of that and you've got a dangerous combination," I added as we entered the Town Hall. A number of sun and moon themed banners had been hung, but other than that it wasn't much different from the visit during Pinkie's tour. A few members of the group split off once we were inside, namely Fluttershy and Rarity. The red stallion scooped the filly off of Applejack's back and wandered off without a word.

Suddenly, Fluttershy's bird choir let loose their song and Mayor Mare stepped out from behind the violet curtain to address the crowd.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts! As mayor of Ponyville, it is my great pleasure to announce the beginning of the Summer Sun Celebration!" The ponies cheered at this declaration, but I couldn't relax. Some part of me knew that Nightmare Moon was going to make an appearance, and I needed to be ready to spring into action at any second. To this end, I set down both my sword case and backpack, praying that nobody would notice my odd behavior.

"In just a few moments, our town will witness the magic of the sunrise and celebrate this, the longest day of the year. Now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land, the very same pony who gives us the sun and the moon each and every day. The good, the wise, the bringer of Harmony to all of Equestria... Princess Celestia!"

The choir picked up again and Rarity pulled open the curtains, a spotlight falling on the balcony where she stood. Only... there was nobody there. While the mayor tried to calm the crowd, I flipped the latches on my sword case and quickly buckled the Schiavona around my waist, knowing without a doubt that Nightmare Moon would appear at any second. Right on cue a stream of purple mist flooded the upper balcony and Rarity made a mad dash to the main floor. I passed her on the way up, drawing my sword as I climbed the staircase.

"Oh my beloved subjects, it's been so long since I've seen your precious little sun-loving faces," The black pony's familiar voice filled my ears.

"What did you do with our princess?" A pony demanded. Nightmare Moon chuckled, sending shivers down my spine as I took the final few steps.

"Why? Am I not royal enough for you? Don't you know who I am?"

Without risking the element of surprise on announcing my presence, I put as much force as I could into a single slash aimed at Nightmare Moon's neck. Much to my displeasure, she turned entirely into mist and arced away from me, reforming on the balcony where Fluttershy's bird choir had been. Without the buffer of the dream world, her grin was all that much more terrifying and the danger of fighting her was that much more real.

"Ah, I was wondering if you'd show up for round two," Nightmare Moon laughed, her horn igniting with dark energy once more.

"Funny,I was wondering the same thing." I growled. leaping off of the balcony seconds before a blast from her horn broke the supports and sent it crashing to the ground. I landed in a roll, thankful that most of the ponies had already panicked and fled the building. The impact had been a little painful, but nothing was broken or injured. "I hope you've brought your A-game this time, Nightmare, because I've brought mine."

"That hubris will be your undoing, foal!" Nightmare Moon cackled, taking to the air and shooting a hail of energy blasts at me.  My body and sword moved almost of their own accord, dodging some of the blasts and batting away others in a fluid dance. I didn't know how the simple steel was holding up against her magic and I didn't care so long as it continued to hold. Finally a single shot hit me with enough force to throw me out of the Town Hall and onto Ponyville's streets, but I rolled back to my feet before Nightmare could press her advantage.

"Apparently being imprisoned for a thousand years really reduced your power. I barely even felt that hit," I taunted, hoping to goad Nightmare Moon into doing something stupid or risky. "Or maybe you just weren't all that strong to begin with. Dreams have a way of blowing things out of proportion, after all."

"Insolent brat! I've had enough of your meddling!" Nightmare Moon declared, the aura around her horn increasing in intensity. Time slowed to a crawl as a massive beam of energy issued forth from her horn, easily as tall as I was and twice as wide. At that range there was no way to dodge it in time, and my Schiavona wouldn't last against a force of that magnitude.

All I could do was stare what would likely be my death in the face and smile.