Lunar Slenderby Jade RingChaptersMortalsGodsMonstersShadowsMortalsLuna woke up with a gasp. She took deep shuddering breaths as her eyes darted about the room she found herself in. She took in the dark decorations, the plush pillows, the assorted books, and the still-burning candles. If she didn’t know any better… …this looked just like her tower. A knock came on the door. Luna gasped as the door opened… and a ghost stepped inside. “Luna? Why are you still here? Aren’t you going to Ponyville for Nightmare Night?” Princess Celestia, very much alive and shining with the very light of the sun, stood in the doorway and smiled at her little sister. Luna crossed the length of the room in the blink of an eye, grasping her sister in a rib-crushing hug. “Tia! I missed you so much!” Celestia confusedly returned the embrace. “Missed me? You just saw me yesterday.” Luna pulled back. “You… you don’t remember?” “Remember what?” Luna offered an uneasy smile. “N-nothing.” She motioned to her saddle-bags lying on the bed. “I’ll be leaving for Ponyville shortly.” Celestia nodded and turned to leave. “Happy Nightmare Night, sister.” “Happy Nightmare Night.” Luna returned to her bed and stroked the blankets absentmindedly. Was it possible that she was the only one who remembered those dark days? Did nopony have any clue about the nightmare they had all suffered? Could it be that since she had been the last in all the land, that she alone knew? A thought popped into her head. Had it all been some horrible dream? She reached into her saddlebags and pulled out the heavy scrapbook of Leo Heartship and knew that it had been no dream. She opened the book to the first page and stared at the headline of the newspaper clipping. In her heart, she knew that she was not the only one who remembered. The Slender One had existed for longer than Equestria itself. Before it found the Everfree, surely it had taken scores of ponies. But somehow she knew that the creature had only returned to life every victim it had claimed since that dark day when it found a new home in the trees. Which meant that if she, the last, remembered what had happened… so too did the first. PONYVILLE IN PANIC: MAILMARE’S DAUGHTER LOST IN THE NIGHT /////////////////////////////////////////// On her way out of the castle, Luna stopped in the dark chamber that housed the mirror that acted as a gate to other worlds. She considered her reflection for a moment, then lit her horn and blasted the glass with a blaze of magic. The mirror’s surface warped, twisted, and then the entire mirror exploded in a hail of glass and stone. Not missing a beat, she lifted Heartship’s book from her bags and tossed it to the floor. A second blast, and it burst into flames. As she left the room, she could have sworn that the burning book sounded like the screaming of thousands of lost souls. ////////////////////////////////////////////////// “Dinky Hooves?” The small violet unicorn looked up from her pile of candy and smiled at Princess Luna. “Hiya princess. Do you like my costume this year?” Luna smiled at the filly wearing a shockingly well put together manticore costume. “Indeed. You clearly worked very hard on it.” Dinky beamed. “Yep. Mommy had to help out a lot though, since…” “Since?” The filly’s grin vanished. “I haven’t been sleeping well.” Luna nodded. “Nightmares?” When the filly nodded yes, Luna sighed. “A thin stallion?” Dinky closed her eyes. “It’s not a stallion anymore. It walks on two legs now, and it's muzzle is gone. It still doesn't have a face.” Dinky looked up at the Princess of the Night with tears in her eyes. “Why do I keep seeing it?” Luna sat beside her. “I believe it sees you as a way back to this world, should the need ever arise. You were the first it took after it took up residence in the forest. That was when it was strongest.” “I remember being in the dark, but I couldn’t see. Everypony was always screaming…” Dinky started to cry. “Mommy says it was just a nightmare, but it felt so real. Why doesn’t anypony else remember? Why is it just me?” Luna put a comforting hoof about the filly and looked over at Ponyville’s Nightmare Night celebrations. There were ponies everywhere, all in costume and having a wonderful time. She spied the Cutie Mark Crusaders bickering as they tried to maneuver in their chimera costume. Macintosh Apple appeared to be putting the moves on an icy blue pegasus hovering by his side as he pulled a hay-cart full of ponies of all sorts, from fillies and colts to full grown mares and stallions. An orange pegasus pulled a rabbit from her top hat to the cheers of the assembled ponies. A white unicorn clapped her hooves as she snuggled up to a very militant-looking stallion. A purple zebra toasted a lime green unicorn, two snoring foals tucked into the carriers hanging from her sides. Applejack busted a gut at Granny Smith’s attempt to mimic the poses of Bulk Biceps. Everypony seemed so happy. Everypony but this one little foal. “Dinky?” “Hmm?” Dinky looked up just in time for the tip of Luna’s glowing horn to tap the tip of her own. Magic surged through her for a moment and she rubbed her eyes. “What… what happened?” Luna rubbed her mane. “I was complimenting your costume. It looks like you worked very hard on it.” Dinky nodded. “Yep. Well, me and my mom.” “And why did you need her help?” Dinky shrugged her little shoulders. “Because she always helps me with my costumes. We do it every year.” “Dinky? Are you bothering the princess?” Derpy Hooves emerged from the crowd, a tie-wearing stallion at her side. “Why don’t you come try and beat Uncle Doc at the spider toss?” Dinky nodded excitedly and hugged Luna tightly. “Happy Nightmare Night, your majesty.” Luna returned the hug. “To you as well, little one.” Dinky gathered her candy into her bag and raced off with her mother. Luna watched her go and smiled sadly. “I know one day, you may find a way back into this world. But I will not make it easy for you.” Her horn lit once again. “For all our sakes, and even your own, I pray that you remain in whatever world I sent you.” The aura about her horn glowed brighter. “Let there be light…” she whispered. A blinding light filled her vision and faded just as quickly. “Princess Luna?” Luna looked up to find Applejack looking at her with concern. “Ya’ll alright?” Luna smiled and nodded. “Yes. I believe I am.” As she stood and followed the young farmer into the party proper, she racked her brain, trying to figure out why she couldn’t remember anything about the previous day. In the end, she simply shrugged and joined the party. If it had been anything of great importance, she would have remembered by now. Somehow, she knew that everything would be okay. GodsThe fire was not quite dead yet, but if it was not tended to soon it would soon be nothing but a mass of faintly glowing embers. Princess Luna considered adding another log, but ultimately decided it would be a waste of wood. Her companions had all already retired for the evening, leaving her alone in her beloved night. She looked upwards, hoping to see the glittering stars… But there was nothing. The thick clouds of smoke created by the still burning Ponyville obscured everything. The ruins of the town were still several miles away, but the smoke had reached even here. She sighed sadly and looked past the fire, at the sleeping forms of Queen Chrysalis (her legs grasped securely about a thick tree branch) and Discord (snoring quite comfortably on a conjured bed of nails.) Between the always bickering pair was a tent, just big enough for two average sized ponies. It now housed one average sized pony. Soon, it would hold none. Luna and her band of monstrosities had gathered Leo Heartship and Swirling Line from Appleloosa barely a week ago. While nervous and unsure at first, the pair of ponies had ultimately agreed to join the group in their last ditch effort to eradicate the menace that was slowly devouring their world. That first day had been truly magical. The sun shone upon them all and something in the air had just put them into good spirits. But that night Leo had received the dream. Swirling had the same dream the very next night. Three days later, Leo was gone. They all knew that when the sun rose the next day, Swirling would be gone as well. “Your highness?” Luna started from her recollection to find the very purple zebra she had just been thinking about. “Is something wrong, Miss Line?” Swirling Line shook her head and sat heavily next to the goddess. “Just wondering what it’s going to be like. Y’know… when it comes for me.” Luna returned her gaze to the fire. “I wish I could protect you.” “Me too.” Swirling Line placed a hoof on the princess.’ “But you can do me a favor.” Luna looked at her. “Anything.” Swirling Line steeled herself. “Finish this. For me. For Leo. For your sister. For all of us.” Luna nodded. Satisfied, Swirling Line yawned. “Well, guess I can’t put it off any longer, can I?” she offered a final smile and began her way back to the tent. “Swirling Line.” “Yes?” “Why? Why are you so calm?” Swirling Line didn’t even look back. “It has my babies. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll be together with them again.” Luna watched her return to the tent and finally looked back at the fire. “It takes a very strong pony to accept her fate.” Luna scowled at the voice that hissed from the curved horn that hung from her necklace. “It takes a stronger pony to make things right.” From the shadows created by the flickering fire, a pair of wicked red eyes gleamed. “I will do all that I can, so long as I receive what I was promised.” Luna nodded. “When this is over, Sombra, I give my word; I will give you a new body.” Sombra’s reply was cut off by a piercing scream that echoed in the darkness and faded to nothing. It cut through Luna’s heart like a shard of glass when she located the scream’s source. Swirling Line’s tent. Chrysalis, now wide awake and on the ground, approached the cloth structure. “Is she…?” Discord yawned and stomped over to the tent. “Oh, let’s just get this over with. Some of us were sleeping.” Without another word, he grasped the top of the tent and yanked it towards him. Like a magician pulling a cloth from a table, the tent went limp in his grasp and fluttered to the ground when he released it. The few meager possessions the two ponies had brought with them, Heartship’s chronicle of every disappearance among them, sat next to a pair of empty sleeping bags. One of the sleeping bags had something resting on the pillow; a photograph of two laughing foals. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The day passed in silence, and soon Equestria’s last four sentient beings stood at the threshold of the Everfree Forest. Luna nudged the horn on her necklace. “Sombra and I will remain together. You two will set off in your own directions.” “Split up?” Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. “Why?” “Isn’t it obvious, Chryssy?” Discord snapped his fingers and a pith helmet plopped onto his head. “Divide and conquer.” “Correct.” Luna watched as her evening shadow stretched before her and grew a pair of glaring eyes. “According to what Leo told us before he was taken, the last party tried to attack together and were unsuccessful. The beast took advantage of their fear of losing each other and used that to destroy them.” “No danger there.” Sombra whispered from the shadow. “I can’t stand any of you.” “The feeling is mutual, abomination.” Chrysalis’ wings buzzed dangerously. “Abomination? Big words, coming from a half-breed such as yourself.” “Enough.” Luna’s command was quiet and powerful. The two monsters returned their attention to her. “We each have our ways of dealing with the beast. Have you kept your plans to yourselves?” Discord and Chrysalis nodded. Sombra continued to glare. “Good. Then maybe we can catch it by surprise.” She drew her cloak’s hood about her head and gave a nod. “No matter what happens, do not seek each other out. We will either win the day, or…” she trailed off. There was no reason for her to complete the sentence. “The best of luck. To both of you.” She bowed her head. “And thank you.” The God of Chaos and the Queen of the Changelings hesitated, then returned the bow. Sombra’s eyes continued to burn. Chrysalis spread her wings and zipped into the dark woods like a great locust. Discord offered a childish wink, raised his claw, snapped, and vanished in a flash of light. Luna took a deep breath and started walking into the woods. Sombra’s eyes stared until the shadow faded with the setting sun. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The Changelings fed on love, but they could sense other emotional spectrums if they needed to. That was why Chrysalis was so horrified at the emotional void that was rapidly heading in her direction. She closed her eyes and focused on the sketches she’d seen in Swirling Line’s collection. She imagined the black coat, the impossibly thin form, the pale and emotionless visage… She felt the familiar warmth of the emerald flames as they engulfed her form, shifting her chitinous body into something new. Her horn retracted into her head, her wings melded into her body… She smiled inwardly. She had to, since she had no mouth in this disguise. Her appearance would surprise the creature, hopefully long enough for her to encase it in a cocoon… She looked ahead with eyes that were not there… and found it standing before her. She froze. The Slender One cocked its head as though contemplating this new doppelganger before it. Chrysalis tilted her head in response. The Slender One raised a hoof. Chrysalis mirrored the action. A long black tendril extended from the Slender One’s back, reaching experimentally at the clone. Chrysalis, always up for a challenge, willed a tentacle of her own into existence and continued to mirror the creature. The Slender One’s tentacle paused for a moment in the air, like it had a mind of its own and it was trying to decide its next course of action. Before Chrysalis could react, it shot forward and touched its tip to the tip of Chrysalis’ appendage. She tried to scream as the tentacles melded together but found her lack of mouth made that very difficult. She felt herself being drawn closer to the Slender One, who pointed the still raised hoof at her. She tried to change back, to change into something else, but found she could not. She raised a hoof of her own to ward off the beast. The hooves melded just as the tentacles had. Chrysalis’ mind broke completely as the expressionless face got closer and closer to her own. Her vision became a field of white that faded into a starless and everlasting night. For a moment, there were two creatures. The next, there was only one. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Princess Luna almost screamed when the tree before her turned and looked at her with yellow eyes. “Discord!” Fear gave way to rage as she recognized the long and serpentine form of the God of Chaos. “I thought I told you…” “Run, Luna.” The flatness in his voice caught her off guard. “What?” “Run. Cast that parasite into the darkness and run. Leave this world. Save yourself.” The ghost of a smile crossed his lips. “Do what I should have done, before I was bitten by that pesky bug called ‘Caring.’” “Discord…?” “This creature is… is beyond anything I’ve ever encountered. I can do nothing against it.” “Nothing?” Luna scoffed. “You can change reality with the snap of your fingers. You are Chaos realized. Why can’t you…” “Exactly, Luna; I am Chaos.” He tilted his head towards the dark woods that lay before the Princess of the Night. “But this being, this… thing is something beyond me.” “What?” “Order. Perfect, unwavering Order. Not good, not evil, not emotional… nothing. A blank spot on all of reality, like a drop of black paint on the canvas that is this world. By its very existence, it should be more chaotic than I am. But somehow… somehow it is the opposite.” He chuckled. “Does that make sense?” Luna could only shake her head. Discord shrugged. “I am Chaos. How could I possibly find the words to describe my opposite number?” “Are you saying… are you saying that this creature is a god?” Discord considered. “It wasn’t always. Not before it found us.” Luna’s next question was cut off when she noticed Discord’s tail beginning to smoke. “What’s happening to you?” Discord looked back at his tail and smiled again. “Isn’t it obvious?” His tail dissolved like dust in the air. More of him began to flake away. “It finally figured out how to take me.” Luna started as more of Discord began to flake away. “Take you?” “Yes, I encountered it in the woods a few minutes ago. I sent part of me to try and tell you to run.” All that remained of the Draconequus was his smiling face. “Equestria is lost, my princess. Do not lose yourself as well.” With a final shuddering breath, the last of the God of Chaos flaked away into nothing. Luna stared at where his eyes used to be, unable to move. The horn dangling from her neck shook slightly. A voice whispered in her ear. “I think we’re alone now, don’t you?” King Sombra’s blazing eyes exploded from the darkness before her. She recoiled on instinct as the very darkness around her seemed to fall upon her like a heavy blanket. The blackness became tangible and squeezed her, trying to push the very life from her. She lit her horn and waved it around trying to free herself from something that wasn’t even there. The shade of what had once been a mere pony chuckled. “I never intended to help you save Equestria. I knew the beast would take the insect and the fool, leaving me the pleasure of ending your pathetic existence.” Luna’s eyes flashed to pure white. “I never intended to give you a new body.” She grunted as the darkness tightened and squeezed. “Funny the way things work out.” “Why fight, Luna? It’s over. Let me end your suffering.” Luna’s horn blazed with light, chasing away the darkness. “It is not over. So long as I draw breath!” She took the momentary reprieve to snatch the cord holding Sombra’s horn in her teeth and savagely rip it away from her. “Stop!” Sombra’s eyes widened in terror as she cast the horn into the dark woods. Luna’s wings spread, her cloak flying off from the force. “You think I would let you kill me, monster? You think I would leave you as the last trace of our kind?” Sombra could not answer, his power fading rapidly with his horn’s distance from Luna. His panicking eyes flashed back and forth from his glowing horn to Luna’s blazing eyes. “I am Princess Luna, Goddess of the Nighttime Sky! The everlasting stars burn in my mane and the wisdom of ages lays beneath them. I am all that remains… and I see you now.” Her last words were not directed at Sombra, but at the figure that had materialized at the edge of the trees. Luna watched as the Slender One lifted a single hoof and brought it down with lightning quickness on Sombra’s jagged horn. Instead of breaking, the horn was absorbed into the strangely intangible flesh of the creature. Sombra’s eyes widened in a silent scream as his essence vanished into the creature. Luna’s shining white eyes did not leave the specter before her. She kept her wings spread, let her shining horn illuminate the surrounding area. The Slender One did not shy from her light. It was too powerful for that now. Luna watched as a pair of membranous bat wings sprouted from the beast’s back, spreading in a similar manner to her own. A jet black horn slowly emerged from the blank head. The two alicorns observed each other. “Alright.” Luna lowered her guard, her magic faded, and her wings folded against her. “Let’s talk.” MonstersThe creature’s wings and horn slid seamlessly back into its body. It cocked its head at her. “Puzzled that I am not afraid?” Luna narrowed her eyes. “I have looked into the darkness before, beast. I even fostered the darkness in my very soul for a time. I was a monster.” She smirked. “Just like you.” The creature continued to watch her. “You know that I am all that remains. Otherwise, you would have taken me already. When I am gone, there will be nothing more for you to feed on.” Silence. “Perhaps… I can help you.” She sat lightly on the ground. “But first, I must understand you. A difficult prospect, isn’t it? How can one speak with no mouth?” Silence. “I have the ability to dream-walk, to enter the dreams of the ponies I once watched over. I believe that if you let me into your mind, then I could actually communicate with you.” The Slender One seemed to tense suddenly. A dozen black tentacles emerged from its body and pointed dangerously at the princess of the night. “Or you could just take me, just as you took all the others. Just as you took my sister.” She glared. “And then you would have no food. I wonder… could you starve?” The Slender One seemed to consider, then its tentacles retracted back into its body. Luna nodded. She closed her own eyes and began to breathe deeply. Slowly, steadily, she relaxed herself. She slipped comfortably into her familiar meditative state like a warm blanket. Suitably prepared, she sent her dream-self outwards, towards the beast. She felt herself approach it, felt herself pass through a barrier that felt almost like some kind of oily liquid… NiGhTmArE LoOk UpOn YoUr YoUnG lOoK uPoN mY pReY Luna found herself drowning in a sea of screaming souls. They rocked and churned like waves on the ocean, their every movement seeming to cause them agony. It rained the same black liquid she had felt as she passed into the Slender One’s being. The taken soul’s eyes were all gone. Only black sockets looked at her with desperation. Every pony in Equestria sang a chorus of misery and despair that never ended. “WHAT ARE YOU?!” She screamed into the void of sadness. eTeRnAl EvErLaStInG hUnGrY “NO!” She gazed in horror as the shade of what might have been the one called Applejack floated past her, still calling out for her sister. “WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?” “It’s old.” The voice of an old mare drawled from amongst the souls as the waves began to churn harder. A bitter wind began to blow, pulling the tortured souls into a whirling vortex. “Older than the goddesses. Older than Equestria.” iN tHe BeGiNnInG hE cReAtEd ThE hEaVeNs AnD tHe EaRtH. Luna felt herself being drawn into the vortex. She flapped her wings against the pull, straining to understand what was being said. tHe EaRtH wAs FoRmLeSs AnD eMpTy DaRkNeSs WaS oVeR tHe SuRfAcE oF tHe DeEp Luna felt her wings beginning to strain. She lit her horn and filled the void with the glorious light of her magic, the light of the stars themselves. LeT tHeRe Be LiGhT The light seemed to comfort the tormented souls in the depths of the Slender One’s very being. hE sEpArAtEd ThE lIgHt FrOm ThE dArKnEsS hE cAlLeD tHe LiGhT dAy ThE dArKnEsS hE cAlLeD nIgHt Luna felt herself being forcefully purged from the Slender One’s being. The captured souls cried out as her light began to fade away, leaving them to drown in darkness once again. DaRkNeSs He CaLlEd NiGhT hE cAlLeD nIgHt CaLlEd NiGhT nIgHt Luna’s astral form slammed back into her body and she fell to the dirt gasping, the last thought echoing in her mind as her eyes focused on the beast. ThE dArKnEsS tHeY cAlL sLeNdEr Breathing heavily, Luna stood on unsteady hooves. “You were the darkness that existed before the universe.” She took a step towards the creature. “You were driven away when this world was born.” Another step. “You were formless, mindless…” A third step. “But you fed on our fears and our nightmares as we grew. You made a shape for yourself so we could perceive you. Our dreams were the gateway for you to come here.” A fourth step. “You came amongst us and began to feed, taking ponies one by one.” The Slender One watched silently as the alicorn pushed her nose against the spot where another nose should have been. “But when you found the Everfree Forest, a place full of fear and shadows… you got greedy, didn’t you?” It lashed out a tentacle, wrapping it about the princess’ throat. It squeezed dangerously. “I… can… I can send you someplace else. A whole new world in which to feed. A chance for you to start over.” She choked out. “But you have to do something for me.” The Slender One squeezed her throat again. “You… have… to… bring… them…back…” A breathless moment passed… and the tentacle went slack. Luna inhaled deeply, greedily, and spread her wings. “Then we have an arrangement?” Nothing. “Follow me.” ///////////////////////////////////// Luna wiped the film of dust from the large mirror’s surface and caught the Slender One’s reflection behind her own. “My sister and I had plans to send this someplace else very soon. But then… other matters took precedence.” She turned and looked at it. “This mirror acts as a portal to other worlds. According to different phases of the moon, different gateways are opened.” She pressed a hoof against the mirror’s face and pushed. The glass rippled inwardly like water. “If I am correct, the world currently beyond this doorway is teeming with new life.” She turned and faced the beast. “I will allow you to pass through only if you do as I commanded.” The Slender One took a step. “Be careful.” She raised a back hoof dangerously. “I know just the spot to shatter this mirror.” The Slender One paused and focused its impossible gaze on the mirror. Luna lowered her own hoof. “I know what you’re thinking; why am I doing this? Why am I infecting an innocent world with your evil?” She closed her eyes. “I would do anything to have my ponies back. I will weep for whatever world is saddled with you, but I will take solace in every smiling face I see in my own.” She blinked and the Slender One was at her side. “Leave my world, monster.” She glared at it. “But repair your damage first.” The Slender One looked down at her… and something on its face twitched. Luna stared, not sure of what she had seen. The twitch came again, somewhere close to where the mouth should be. Luna peered closer. A jagged line began to tear across the Slender One’s white head. It formed a kind of smile, or a horizontal lightning bolt. Something pushed from the inside of the rudimentary smile. Luna’s eyes widened. “What is…?” The mouth split wide open, viscous black fluid dripping from the new orifice. The head of Princess Celestia emerged from the Slender One’s blank face. Her fur was matted with the black ichor of the Slender One’s innards. She stared at Luna with empty black sockets. She screamed. Luna screamed with her. ShadowsIt watched the pink one bounce as the four farmers watched her silently. The pink one tackled the young farmer it had taken some time ago and the pair went sprawling into the dirt. Before any of the creatures could see it, it ducked behind a tree and stalked away. It had taken years for it to find a new way into this world, its previous pathways either closed off or destroyed. The world the Nightmare had sent it to was teeming with new life, all plump with fear. It had learned its lessons from this world of four-legged creatures and kept its appetite in check, never taking more than was necessary. It looked down at its new bi-pedal form, the same basic shape as the creatures it now fed on. They told stories about it, built whole mythologies that kept it alive and strong. Some even worshipped it, hoping to be taken into its never-ending darkness. In the end, one of them had accidently opened a gateway for it to return to this world. For a moment, it considered remaining here. It thought about assuming its original form and feeding on the four-legged creatures once again. But its new home called to it, full of creatures that loved it, hated it, but, most importantly, were deathly afraid of it. It stepped into the shadows and left the old world behind, returning to the world of the prey that called themselves ‘man.’ The sun broke through the trees, pushing away the now empty darkness. One less nightmare roamed the shadows of Equestria. THE END
MortalsLuna woke up with a gasp. She took deep shuddering breaths as her eyes darted about the room she found herself in. She took in the dark decorations, the plush pillows, the assorted books, and the still-burning candles. If she didn’t know any better… …this looked just like her tower. A knock came on the door. Luna gasped as the door opened… and a ghost stepped inside. “Luna? Why are you still here? Aren’t you going to Ponyville for Nightmare Night?” Princess Celestia, very much alive and shining with the very light of the sun, stood in the doorway and smiled at her little sister. Luna crossed the length of the room in the blink of an eye, grasping her sister in a rib-crushing hug. “Tia! I missed you so much!” Celestia confusedly returned the embrace. “Missed me? You just saw me yesterday.” Luna pulled back. “You… you don’t remember?” “Remember what?” Luna offered an uneasy smile. “N-nothing.” She motioned to her saddle-bags lying on the bed. “I’ll be leaving for Ponyville shortly.” Celestia nodded and turned to leave. “Happy Nightmare Night, sister.” “Happy Nightmare Night.” Luna returned to her bed and stroked the blankets absentmindedly. Was it possible that she was the only one who remembered those dark days? Did nopony have any clue about the nightmare they had all suffered? Could it be that since she had been the last in all the land, that she alone knew? A thought popped into her head. Had it all been some horrible dream? She reached into her saddlebags and pulled out the heavy scrapbook of Leo Heartship and knew that it had been no dream. She opened the book to the first page and stared at the headline of the newspaper clipping. In her heart, she knew that she was not the only one who remembered. The Slender One had existed for longer than Equestria itself. Before it found the Everfree, surely it had taken scores of ponies. But somehow she knew that the creature had only returned to life every victim it had claimed since that dark day when it found a new home in the trees. Which meant that if she, the last, remembered what had happened… so too did the first. PONYVILLE IN PANIC: MAILMARE’S DAUGHTER LOST IN THE NIGHT /////////////////////////////////////////// On her way out of the castle, Luna stopped in the dark chamber that housed the mirror that acted as a gate to other worlds. She considered her reflection for a moment, then lit her horn and blasted the glass with a blaze of magic. The mirror’s surface warped, twisted, and then the entire mirror exploded in a hail of glass and stone. Not missing a beat, she lifted Heartship’s book from her bags and tossed it to the floor. A second blast, and it burst into flames. As she left the room, she could have sworn that the burning book sounded like the screaming of thousands of lost souls. ////////////////////////////////////////////////// “Dinky Hooves?” The small violet unicorn looked up from her pile of candy and smiled at Princess Luna. “Hiya princess. Do you like my costume this year?” Luna smiled at the filly wearing a shockingly well put together manticore costume. “Indeed. You clearly worked very hard on it.” Dinky beamed. “Yep. Mommy had to help out a lot though, since…” “Since?” The filly’s grin vanished. “I haven’t been sleeping well.” Luna nodded. “Nightmares?” When the filly nodded yes, Luna sighed. “A thin stallion?” Dinky closed her eyes. “It’s not a stallion anymore. It walks on two legs now, and it's muzzle is gone. It still doesn't have a face.” Dinky looked up at the Princess of the Night with tears in her eyes. “Why do I keep seeing it?” Luna sat beside her. “I believe it sees you as a way back to this world, should the need ever arise. You were the first it took after it took up residence in the forest. That was when it was strongest.” “I remember being in the dark, but I couldn’t see. Everypony was always screaming…” Dinky started to cry. “Mommy says it was just a nightmare, but it felt so real. Why doesn’t anypony else remember? Why is it just me?” Luna put a comforting hoof about the filly and looked over at Ponyville’s Nightmare Night celebrations. There were ponies everywhere, all in costume and having a wonderful time. She spied the Cutie Mark Crusaders bickering as they tried to maneuver in their chimera costume. Macintosh Apple appeared to be putting the moves on an icy blue pegasus hovering by his side as he pulled a hay-cart full of ponies of all sorts, from fillies and colts to full grown mares and stallions. An orange pegasus pulled a rabbit from her top hat to the cheers of the assembled ponies. A white unicorn clapped her hooves as she snuggled up to a very militant-looking stallion. A purple zebra toasted a lime green unicorn, two snoring foals tucked into the carriers hanging from her sides. Applejack busted a gut at Granny Smith’s attempt to mimic the poses of Bulk Biceps. Everypony seemed so happy. Everypony but this one little foal. “Dinky?” “Hmm?” Dinky looked up just in time for the tip of Luna’s glowing horn to tap the tip of her own. Magic surged through her for a moment and she rubbed her eyes. “What… what happened?” Luna rubbed her mane. “I was complimenting your costume. It looks like you worked very hard on it.” Dinky nodded. “Yep. Well, me and my mom.” “And why did you need her help?” Dinky shrugged her little shoulders. “Because she always helps me with my costumes. We do it every year.” “Dinky? Are you bothering the princess?” Derpy Hooves emerged from the crowd, a tie-wearing stallion at her side. “Why don’t you come try and beat Uncle Doc at the spider toss?” Dinky nodded excitedly and hugged Luna tightly. “Happy Nightmare Night, your majesty.” Luna returned the hug. “To you as well, little one.” Dinky gathered her candy into her bag and raced off with her mother. Luna watched her go and smiled sadly. “I know one day, you may find a way back into this world. But I will not make it easy for you.” Her horn lit once again. “For all our sakes, and even your own, I pray that you remain in whatever world I sent you.” The aura about her horn glowed brighter. “Let there be light…” she whispered. A blinding light filled her vision and faded just as quickly. “Princess Luna?” Luna looked up to find Applejack looking at her with concern. “Ya’ll alright?” Luna smiled and nodded. “Yes. I believe I am.” As she stood and followed the young farmer into the party proper, she racked her brain, trying to figure out why she couldn’t remember anything about the previous day. In the end, she simply shrugged and joined the party. If it had been anything of great importance, she would have remembered by now. Somehow, she knew that everything would be okay.
GodsThe fire was not quite dead yet, but if it was not tended to soon it would soon be nothing but a mass of faintly glowing embers. Princess Luna considered adding another log, but ultimately decided it would be a waste of wood. Her companions had all already retired for the evening, leaving her alone in her beloved night. She looked upwards, hoping to see the glittering stars… But there was nothing. The thick clouds of smoke created by the still burning Ponyville obscured everything. The ruins of the town were still several miles away, but the smoke had reached even here. She sighed sadly and looked past the fire, at the sleeping forms of Queen Chrysalis (her legs grasped securely about a thick tree branch) and Discord (snoring quite comfortably on a conjured bed of nails.) Between the always bickering pair was a tent, just big enough for two average sized ponies. It now housed one average sized pony. Soon, it would hold none. Luna and her band of monstrosities had gathered Leo Heartship and Swirling Line from Appleloosa barely a week ago. While nervous and unsure at first, the pair of ponies had ultimately agreed to join the group in their last ditch effort to eradicate the menace that was slowly devouring their world. That first day had been truly magical. The sun shone upon them all and something in the air had just put them into good spirits. But that night Leo had received the dream. Swirling had the same dream the very next night. Three days later, Leo was gone. They all knew that when the sun rose the next day, Swirling would be gone as well. “Your highness?” Luna started from her recollection to find the very purple zebra she had just been thinking about. “Is something wrong, Miss Line?” Swirling Line shook her head and sat heavily next to the goddess. “Just wondering what it’s going to be like. Y’know… when it comes for me.” Luna returned her gaze to the fire. “I wish I could protect you.” “Me too.” Swirling Line placed a hoof on the princess.’ “But you can do me a favor.” Luna looked at her. “Anything.” Swirling Line steeled herself. “Finish this. For me. For Leo. For your sister. For all of us.” Luna nodded. Satisfied, Swirling Line yawned. “Well, guess I can’t put it off any longer, can I?” she offered a final smile and began her way back to the tent. “Swirling Line.” “Yes?” “Why? Why are you so calm?” Swirling Line didn’t even look back. “It has my babies. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll be together with them again.” Luna watched her return to the tent and finally looked back at the fire. “It takes a very strong pony to accept her fate.” Luna scowled at the voice that hissed from the curved horn that hung from her necklace. “It takes a stronger pony to make things right.” From the shadows created by the flickering fire, a pair of wicked red eyes gleamed. “I will do all that I can, so long as I receive what I was promised.” Luna nodded. “When this is over, Sombra, I give my word; I will give you a new body.” Sombra’s reply was cut off by a piercing scream that echoed in the darkness and faded to nothing. It cut through Luna’s heart like a shard of glass when she located the scream’s source. Swirling Line’s tent. Chrysalis, now wide awake and on the ground, approached the cloth structure. “Is she…?” Discord yawned and stomped over to the tent. “Oh, let’s just get this over with. Some of us were sleeping.” Without another word, he grasped the top of the tent and yanked it towards him. Like a magician pulling a cloth from a table, the tent went limp in his grasp and fluttered to the ground when he released it. The few meager possessions the two ponies had brought with them, Heartship’s chronicle of every disappearance among them, sat next to a pair of empty sleeping bags. One of the sleeping bags had something resting on the pillow; a photograph of two laughing foals. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The day passed in silence, and soon Equestria’s last four sentient beings stood at the threshold of the Everfree Forest. Luna nudged the horn on her necklace. “Sombra and I will remain together. You two will set off in your own directions.” “Split up?” Chrysalis raised an eyebrow. “Why?” “Isn’t it obvious, Chryssy?” Discord snapped his fingers and a pith helmet plopped onto his head. “Divide and conquer.” “Correct.” Luna watched as her evening shadow stretched before her and grew a pair of glaring eyes. “According to what Leo told us before he was taken, the last party tried to attack together and were unsuccessful. The beast took advantage of their fear of losing each other and used that to destroy them.” “No danger there.” Sombra whispered from the shadow. “I can’t stand any of you.” “The feeling is mutual, abomination.” Chrysalis’ wings buzzed dangerously. “Abomination? Big words, coming from a half-breed such as yourself.” “Enough.” Luna’s command was quiet and powerful. The two monsters returned their attention to her. “We each have our ways of dealing with the beast. Have you kept your plans to yourselves?” Discord and Chrysalis nodded. Sombra continued to glare. “Good. Then maybe we can catch it by surprise.” She drew her cloak’s hood about her head and gave a nod. “No matter what happens, do not seek each other out. We will either win the day, or…” she trailed off. There was no reason for her to complete the sentence. “The best of luck. To both of you.” She bowed her head. “And thank you.” The God of Chaos and the Queen of the Changelings hesitated, then returned the bow. Sombra’s eyes continued to burn. Chrysalis spread her wings and zipped into the dark woods like a great locust. Discord offered a childish wink, raised his claw, snapped, and vanished in a flash of light. Luna took a deep breath and started walking into the woods. Sombra’s eyes stared until the shadow faded with the setting sun. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The Changelings fed on love, but they could sense other emotional spectrums if they needed to. That was why Chrysalis was so horrified at the emotional void that was rapidly heading in her direction. She closed her eyes and focused on the sketches she’d seen in Swirling Line’s collection. She imagined the black coat, the impossibly thin form, the pale and emotionless visage… She felt the familiar warmth of the emerald flames as they engulfed her form, shifting her chitinous body into something new. Her horn retracted into her head, her wings melded into her body… She smiled inwardly. She had to, since she had no mouth in this disguise. Her appearance would surprise the creature, hopefully long enough for her to encase it in a cocoon… She looked ahead with eyes that were not there… and found it standing before her. She froze. The Slender One cocked its head as though contemplating this new doppelganger before it. Chrysalis tilted her head in response. The Slender One raised a hoof. Chrysalis mirrored the action. A long black tendril extended from the Slender One’s back, reaching experimentally at the clone. Chrysalis, always up for a challenge, willed a tentacle of her own into existence and continued to mirror the creature. The Slender One’s tentacle paused for a moment in the air, like it had a mind of its own and it was trying to decide its next course of action. Before Chrysalis could react, it shot forward and touched its tip to the tip of Chrysalis’ appendage. She tried to scream as the tentacles melded together but found her lack of mouth made that very difficult. She felt herself being drawn closer to the Slender One, who pointed the still raised hoof at her. She tried to change back, to change into something else, but found she could not. She raised a hoof of her own to ward off the beast. The hooves melded just as the tentacles had. Chrysalis’ mind broke completely as the expressionless face got closer and closer to her own. Her vision became a field of white that faded into a starless and everlasting night. For a moment, there were two creatures. The next, there was only one. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Princess Luna almost screamed when the tree before her turned and looked at her with yellow eyes. “Discord!” Fear gave way to rage as she recognized the long and serpentine form of the God of Chaos. “I thought I told you…” “Run, Luna.” The flatness in his voice caught her off guard. “What?” “Run. Cast that parasite into the darkness and run. Leave this world. Save yourself.” The ghost of a smile crossed his lips. “Do what I should have done, before I was bitten by that pesky bug called ‘Caring.’” “Discord…?” “This creature is… is beyond anything I’ve ever encountered. I can do nothing against it.” “Nothing?” Luna scoffed. “You can change reality with the snap of your fingers. You are Chaos realized. Why can’t you…” “Exactly, Luna; I am Chaos.” He tilted his head towards the dark woods that lay before the Princess of the Night. “But this being, this… thing is something beyond me.” “What?” “Order. Perfect, unwavering Order. Not good, not evil, not emotional… nothing. A blank spot on all of reality, like a drop of black paint on the canvas that is this world. By its very existence, it should be more chaotic than I am. But somehow… somehow it is the opposite.” He chuckled. “Does that make sense?” Luna could only shake her head. Discord shrugged. “I am Chaos. How could I possibly find the words to describe my opposite number?” “Are you saying… are you saying that this creature is a god?” Discord considered. “It wasn’t always. Not before it found us.” Luna’s next question was cut off when she noticed Discord’s tail beginning to smoke. “What’s happening to you?” Discord looked back at his tail and smiled again. “Isn’t it obvious?” His tail dissolved like dust in the air. More of him began to flake away. “It finally figured out how to take me.” Luna started as more of Discord began to flake away. “Take you?” “Yes, I encountered it in the woods a few minutes ago. I sent part of me to try and tell you to run.” All that remained of the Draconequus was his smiling face. “Equestria is lost, my princess. Do not lose yourself as well.” With a final shuddering breath, the last of the God of Chaos flaked away into nothing. Luna stared at where his eyes used to be, unable to move. The horn dangling from her neck shook slightly. A voice whispered in her ear. “I think we’re alone now, don’t you?” King Sombra’s blazing eyes exploded from the darkness before her. She recoiled on instinct as the very darkness around her seemed to fall upon her like a heavy blanket. The blackness became tangible and squeezed her, trying to push the very life from her. She lit her horn and waved it around trying to free herself from something that wasn’t even there. The shade of what had once been a mere pony chuckled. “I never intended to help you save Equestria. I knew the beast would take the insect and the fool, leaving me the pleasure of ending your pathetic existence.” Luna’s eyes flashed to pure white. “I never intended to give you a new body.” She grunted as the darkness tightened and squeezed. “Funny the way things work out.” “Why fight, Luna? It’s over. Let me end your suffering.” Luna’s horn blazed with light, chasing away the darkness. “It is not over. So long as I draw breath!” She took the momentary reprieve to snatch the cord holding Sombra’s horn in her teeth and savagely rip it away from her. “Stop!” Sombra’s eyes widened in terror as she cast the horn into the dark woods. Luna’s wings spread, her cloak flying off from the force. “You think I would let you kill me, monster? You think I would leave you as the last trace of our kind?” Sombra could not answer, his power fading rapidly with his horn’s distance from Luna. His panicking eyes flashed back and forth from his glowing horn to Luna’s blazing eyes. “I am Princess Luna, Goddess of the Nighttime Sky! The everlasting stars burn in my mane and the wisdom of ages lays beneath them. I am all that remains… and I see you now.” Her last words were not directed at Sombra, but at the figure that had materialized at the edge of the trees. Luna watched as the Slender One lifted a single hoof and brought it down with lightning quickness on Sombra’s jagged horn. Instead of breaking, the horn was absorbed into the strangely intangible flesh of the creature. Sombra’s eyes widened in a silent scream as his essence vanished into the creature. Luna’s shining white eyes did not leave the specter before her. She kept her wings spread, let her shining horn illuminate the surrounding area. The Slender One did not shy from her light. It was too powerful for that now. Luna watched as a pair of membranous bat wings sprouted from the beast’s back, spreading in a similar manner to her own. A jet black horn slowly emerged from the blank head. The two alicorns observed each other. “Alright.” Luna lowered her guard, her magic faded, and her wings folded against her. “Let’s talk.”
MonstersThe creature’s wings and horn slid seamlessly back into its body. It cocked its head at her. “Puzzled that I am not afraid?” Luna narrowed her eyes. “I have looked into the darkness before, beast. I even fostered the darkness in my very soul for a time. I was a monster.” She smirked. “Just like you.” The creature continued to watch her. “You know that I am all that remains. Otherwise, you would have taken me already. When I am gone, there will be nothing more for you to feed on.” Silence. “Perhaps… I can help you.” She sat lightly on the ground. “But first, I must understand you. A difficult prospect, isn’t it? How can one speak with no mouth?” Silence. “I have the ability to dream-walk, to enter the dreams of the ponies I once watched over. I believe that if you let me into your mind, then I could actually communicate with you.” The Slender One seemed to tense suddenly. A dozen black tentacles emerged from its body and pointed dangerously at the princess of the night. “Or you could just take me, just as you took all the others. Just as you took my sister.” She glared. “And then you would have no food. I wonder… could you starve?” The Slender One seemed to consider, then its tentacles retracted back into its body. Luna nodded. She closed her own eyes and began to breathe deeply. Slowly, steadily, she relaxed herself. She slipped comfortably into her familiar meditative state like a warm blanket. Suitably prepared, she sent her dream-self outwards, towards the beast. She felt herself approach it, felt herself pass through a barrier that felt almost like some kind of oily liquid… NiGhTmArE LoOk UpOn YoUr YoUnG lOoK uPoN mY pReY Luna found herself drowning in a sea of screaming souls. They rocked and churned like waves on the ocean, their every movement seeming to cause them agony. It rained the same black liquid she had felt as she passed into the Slender One’s being. The taken soul’s eyes were all gone. Only black sockets looked at her with desperation. Every pony in Equestria sang a chorus of misery and despair that never ended. “WHAT ARE YOU?!” She screamed into the void of sadness. eTeRnAl EvErLaStInG hUnGrY “NO!” She gazed in horror as the shade of what might have been the one called Applejack floated past her, still calling out for her sister. “WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?” “It’s old.” The voice of an old mare drawled from amongst the souls as the waves began to churn harder. A bitter wind began to blow, pulling the tortured souls into a whirling vortex. “Older than the goddesses. Older than Equestria.” iN tHe BeGiNnInG hE cReAtEd ThE hEaVeNs AnD tHe EaRtH. Luna felt herself being drawn into the vortex. She flapped her wings against the pull, straining to understand what was being said. tHe EaRtH wAs FoRmLeSs AnD eMpTy DaRkNeSs WaS oVeR tHe SuRfAcE oF tHe DeEp Luna felt her wings beginning to strain. She lit her horn and filled the void with the glorious light of her magic, the light of the stars themselves. LeT tHeRe Be LiGhT The light seemed to comfort the tormented souls in the depths of the Slender One’s very being. hE sEpArAtEd ThE lIgHt FrOm ThE dArKnEsS hE cAlLeD tHe LiGhT dAy ThE dArKnEsS hE cAlLeD nIgHt Luna felt herself being forcefully purged from the Slender One’s being. The captured souls cried out as her light began to fade away, leaving them to drown in darkness once again. DaRkNeSs He CaLlEd NiGhT hE cAlLeD nIgHt CaLlEd NiGhT nIgHt Luna’s astral form slammed back into her body and she fell to the dirt gasping, the last thought echoing in her mind as her eyes focused on the beast. ThE dArKnEsS tHeY cAlL sLeNdEr Breathing heavily, Luna stood on unsteady hooves. “You were the darkness that existed before the universe.” She took a step towards the creature. “You were driven away when this world was born.” Another step. “You were formless, mindless…” A third step. “But you fed on our fears and our nightmares as we grew. You made a shape for yourself so we could perceive you. Our dreams were the gateway for you to come here.” A fourth step. “You came amongst us and began to feed, taking ponies one by one.” The Slender One watched silently as the alicorn pushed her nose against the spot where another nose should have been. “But when you found the Everfree Forest, a place full of fear and shadows… you got greedy, didn’t you?” It lashed out a tentacle, wrapping it about the princess’ throat. It squeezed dangerously. “I… can… I can send you someplace else. A whole new world in which to feed. A chance for you to start over.” She choked out. “But you have to do something for me.” The Slender One squeezed her throat again. “You… have… to… bring… them…back…” A breathless moment passed… and the tentacle went slack. Luna inhaled deeply, greedily, and spread her wings. “Then we have an arrangement?” Nothing. “Follow me.” ///////////////////////////////////// Luna wiped the film of dust from the large mirror’s surface and caught the Slender One’s reflection behind her own. “My sister and I had plans to send this someplace else very soon. But then… other matters took precedence.” She turned and looked at it. “This mirror acts as a portal to other worlds. According to different phases of the moon, different gateways are opened.” She pressed a hoof against the mirror’s face and pushed. The glass rippled inwardly like water. “If I am correct, the world currently beyond this doorway is teeming with new life.” She turned and faced the beast. “I will allow you to pass through only if you do as I commanded.” The Slender One took a step. “Be careful.” She raised a back hoof dangerously. “I know just the spot to shatter this mirror.” The Slender One paused and focused its impossible gaze on the mirror. Luna lowered her own hoof. “I know what you’re thinking; why am I doing this? Why am I infecting an innocent world with your evil?” She closed her eyes. “I would do anything to have my ponies back. I will weep for whatever world is saddled with you, but I will take solace in every smiling face I see in my own.” She blinked and the Slender One was at her side. “Leave my world, monster.” She glared at it. “But repair your damage first.” The Slender One looked down at her… and something on its face twitched. Luna stared, not sure of what she had seen. The twitch came again, somewhere close to where the mouth should be. Luna peered closer. A jagged line began to tear across the Slender One’s white head. It formed a kind of smile, or a horizontal lightning bolt. Something pushed from the inside of the rudimentary smile. Luna’s eyes widened. “What is…?” The mouth split wide open, viscous black fluid dripping from the new orifice. The head of Princess Celestia emerged from the Slender One’s blank face. Her fur was matted with the black ichor of the Slender One’s innards. She stared at Luna with empty black sockets. She screamed. Luna screamed with her.
ShadowsIt watched the pink one bounce as the four farmers watched her silently. The pink one tackled the young farmer it had taken some time ago and the pair went sprawling into the dirt. Before any of the creatures could see it, it ducked behind a tree and stalked away. It had taken years for it to find a new way into this world, its previous pathways either closed off or destroyed. The world the Nightmare had sent it to was teeming with new life, all plump with fear. It had learned its lessons from this world of four-legged creatures and kept its appetite in check, never taking more than was necessary. It looked down at its new bi-pedal form, the same basic shape as the creatures it now fed on. They told stories about it, built whole mythologies that kept it alive and strong. Some even worshipped it, hoping to be taken into its never-ending darkness. In the end, one of them had accidently opened a gateway for it to return to this world. For a moment, it considered remaining here. It thought about assuming its original form and feeding on the four-legged creatures once again. But its new home called to it, full of creatures that loved it, hated it, but, most importantly, were deathly afraid of it. It stepped into the shadows and left the old world behind, returning to the world of the prey that called themselves ‘man.’ The sun broke through the trees, pushing away the now empty darkness. One less nightmare roamed the shadows of Equestria. THE END
