Nightmare Moon’s return was a bane on many ponies, but it was a blessing to many others as well. She continued to rule the night and protect all of her subjects, but there was the problem with her sister, Celestia. The Alicorn princess who wanted to banish her sister again. To her dismay, Twilight and her friends failed to stop Nightmare Moon.
Now Nightmare Moon and her sister constantly fight for their control of Equestria. It has been hard on the ponies. Some haven’t adjusted to a week of daylight or a week of darkness.
In a small town called Horseshoe Bend was a Castle called Castle Moonlight. That castle and that town is where Nightmare Moon and her followers dwell.
“Nightmare Moon…” Said a young unicorn as she approached the dark throne of the majestic and mighty pony princess of the night. The unicorn was a light grey with a green mane. Her cutie mark was a spindle and needle.
“Speak,” Said Nightmare Moon looking down at the young unicorn.
“I have that new bedspread ready for you.” The unicorns horned glowed a light green and she pulled out a dark blue bedspread with bright white moons on them.
“Ah yes, thank you Gold Pearl,” Nightmare Moon gave a toothy smile and nodded to one of her guards to take the bedspread. “You may go.”
The young unicorn bowed and left the area as quietly as she came in.
A pegasus approached Nightmare Moon. She had a sleek dark purple coat with strawberry pink and ultramarine blue mane.. On her flank was a sword with a pair of bat wings. Her eyes were as Scarlet and narrowed, much like the princess of night.
“Nightmare Moon.” Said the young pegasus.
“Scimitar, we are past that. Call me Luna.” Nightmare Moon said with a pleasant smile that made Scimitar feel a little more at ease.
“Yes Nightmare Mo— I mean Luna.” Said Scimitar standing beside Luna. Luna stroked Scimitar’s strawberry mane. Scimitar couldn’t help but blush.
“What news do you have?”
“Princess Celestia has gained enough power to lower the moon and raise the sun for awhile. The Moon will be lowered soon.”
“That is dire news, but we will let my sister have her way for now. I can not hold the moon up forever, I must rest once in awhile.” Said Nightmare Moon as she looked off into the distance. “How are the prisoners?”
“I have yet to check on them tonight, but I will as soon as possible, most likely as I am done here.” Scimitar said.
“How are the Shadow Bolts recruits?”
“Learning quite well Nightmare-” Nightmare Moon made the sound of clearing her throat. “I mean Luna.” Scimitar said correcting herself. “A few of them are quite sloppy, but that is to be expected. We are training them to the best of our ability.”
“Good. Now how about you go check on those prisoners?” Luna said whispering into Scimitar’s ear delicately.
“Yes, of course.” She said and left Nightmare Moon’s presence. A few guards glanced at her as she left, but didn’t do anything other than that.
Scimitar headed down to the lowest part of Castle Moonlight to the dungeons that lay below it. An earth pony, clearly older than Scimitar, but still held some — If not great — Respect for the young pegasus that was very close to Nightmare Moon.
The earth pony was a bronze color with a key on his flank. His mane was black. A natural earth pony.
“Hello Bronze Star,” Said Scimitar. “How are you this fine night?”
Bronze star smiled at her. “Fairly well. Though one of the prisoners is being… loud again.”
“I suspect that to be Pinkie Pie?”
“Righto,” Bronze Star said and looked back toward the long hallway of cells.
“Well, I’ll see what I can do about her.” Scimitar said and trotted past the stallion and to the closest prisoner.
It was a yellow pegasus with a pink mane and three pink butterflies on her flank. Fluttershy. Supposedly the bearer of the Element of Kindness.
Fluttershy was hiding in the back corner, silently crying. Scimitar knew, because that is what she mostly did. Plus there was just a pool of tears everywhere.
“Fluttershy.”
The crying stopped for a moment.
“Fluttershy, why don’t you come here and talk to me?”
There was silence.
“Fluttershy…” Scimitar said, sounding a little bit more irritated.
“Let us go.” She said very very quietly.
“Let you go? I’m afraid I can’t do that. You are Nightmare Moon’s prisoners and you will stay as so until she says otherwise.”
The crying started again. Of course. Scimitar just sighed, believing that she wasn’t going to get anywhere with Fluttershy and moved on to the next prisoner. Pinkie Pie.
This pink pony was usually happy and loud and loud and happy. Even being a prisoner didn’t seem to damper her mood in the slightest. Scimitar found it a bit… strange. A pony should never really be that happy. Ever.
“Well Hiya! Nice to see you again Scimitar! So what is it this time? Interrogation? Oh oh I know! You want to invite us to PARTY!” She said happily, bouncing up and down.
“Err… No. Not a party, but an interrogation if you want to put it that way.”
“Sounds fun, but I warn you! I won’t say a thing!”
“Right. Well, let’s start with how much you know about Princess Celestia.”
“Princess Celestia! Everyone knows about her! She’s beautiful and powerful, but that is all I will say!” She said with a bubbly smile.
“What about the Elements of Harmony? You are suppose to be Laughter, why did it choose you?”
“Cause I like to laugh! See!” She started laughing loudly.
Yes…. Scimitar could see that.
“What about your friend Twilight Sparkle? She seems to be close to Princess Celestia.”
“I won’t say a word! Pinkie Promise!” She said zipping her mouth up and disappeared into the darkness.
“Well, there goes another one. Next one is Twilight Sparkle. She is the closest one we have toward Princess Celestia.” Scimitar said and walked over to the young unicorn’s cell.
There was a magic barrier around Twilight Sparkle’s cell so she couldn’t use magic to escape. So far it has worked.
“Well hello there Twilight Sparkle, dear student of Princess of the Sun, Celestia. How are you?”
Twilight looked up at Scimitar, her gaze unmoving. “You came here other than to ask how I am doing Scimitar. So ask it. If it is anything about the Elements of Harmony or Princess Celestia I will not say anything.”
Scimitar knew this to be true, but she couldn’t help but try.
“I will ask anyway, tell me about Princess Celestia.”
“No.” Twilight said and looked away.
Scimitar snorted and bared her sharp teeth.
“Now Twilight. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to your friends now would you?”
“You won’t do anything to them, at least not you. You need them and you need me for now.” She said and Scimitar hated to admit it, but she was right.
“Fine. Have it your way Twilight Sparkle.” Said Scimitar and she left the prisoners, passing by the bouncing Pinkie Pie and the sobbing Fluttershy.
“I take it they didn’t say anything?” Bronze star said.
“Well they said stuff, but nothing we needed or wanted to know. Keep an eye on them Bronze Star.”
Scimitar left the prison cells and headed up to the Shadow Bolt Academy, right at the back of Castle Moonlight. Pegasi where flying around, some crashing to the ground and being scolded, while others flew effortlessly.
“Hey! Scimitar!” Said a young pony, much younger than Scimitar as she flew towards her. Though she had trouble slowing to a stop and flew directly into Scimitar knocking her to the ground.
“Oof, Wing Beats… You need to be careful.” Scimitar said as she picked herself up. Wing Beats was blushing fervishly and scratching the back of her head with her hoof.
“I’m sorry Scimitar. I just got so excited when I saw you I just had to say ‘hi’!
“It’s fine Wing Beats, but you should get back up there or else Silverlight will have your hide.”
“Oh gosh! You’re right! See ya Scimitar!” Said the young pegasus as he flew up to the sky with the others.
Young Beats was a cute little colt, for some reason he seemed to admire Scimitar, a lot of young ponies did. Maybe it was because she was close to their Princess, or was it for another reason. Scimitar wasn’t sure. Maybe they liked her because she was….cool. Scimitar gave a small chuckle. Whatever it was she was happy that they liked her.
Scimitar walked up to a pony wearing the Shadow Bolts uniform. Her mane was gold, her fur was a chestnut brown. A pretty little thing.
“Hello Chestnut.” Scimitar said cheerfully.
Chestnut stopped yelling at the recruits and turned to look at Scimitar. She bit her lip a little and gave a weak smile.
“Well look who it is. Nightmare Moon’s precious little pet.”
“Now now Chestnut, what did I ever do to make you hate me so much?”
“Being Nightmare Moon’s favorite is reason enough. I think the leader of the Shadow Bolts, which is me, should have the privilege of being her favorite. Not you.”
“Ouch, that’s kind of hurtful.” Scimitar said with a false smile. She really didn’t mind Chestnut, but it did bother her that Chestnut didn’t like her. Can’t be liked by everyone though can you.
Scimitar walked next to Chestnut, who took a few steps away. They both stood in silence as they watched the pegasus flying above them doing great acrobatic moves and being as fast as they can be.
“So it looks like they are getting better. What about Wing Beats? How is he doing?”
“He’s sloppy,” Chestnut said simply. “He runs into everything in the crash course, he can’t land without flying head first into another unfortunate pony, but… He has spirit. More than some here so I keep him. With proper training I believe he can be good.”
“I was thinking the same thing. That young colt wants to be a Shadow Bolt, and his older sister is joining the Nightmare Corps.”
“I heard about that. Top of her class. Wouldn’t be surprised if she makes captain one day.”
There was another silence between the two.
“Well thanks for stopping by Scimitar, but you should get back to Princess Nightmare Moon’s side. I know you are so lost without her.” Chestnut mocked and turned her back to are flaring Scimitar. She wanted to yell back, but she decided against it, instead she just went to Luna’s castle to talk to Luna once more.
