Surprises By Moonlight

A tall, shadowed mare stepped before Octavia. She had green, no tealish, eyes with thin black slits for eyes. They glimmered with malice and hate. Her purple mane flowed with the magic that only one species could have. The shimmer looked like stars fading in and out of sight. The blue armor reflected the backstage lights and a crescent moon shimmered. Her horn was elongated and sharpened at the tip. The teeth were monstrous fangs.

"Do you remember who I am, Octavia Melody?"

Octavia cringed at hearing her last name. No one ever used her last name, not even Vynil. But, she did recognize the frightful mare before her. She made a stolid expressison, and responded calmly.

"The Mare of Shadows. Yes, I remember you. You are just a foals' tale, my imagination."

"Oh, you lie, my dear. I am very real, and have come to seek my revenge on Equestria."

Then a thought hit Octavia like rain on a sunny day.

"Where is Princess Luna?! Did you force her into you?!?"

Octavia's calm expressison morphed into anger and fear. If she had forced Luna, then the Mare of Shadows was more powerful than she had been in the foals' tale. But if Luna had gone rouge again... this could spell disaster for Canterlot, and the rest of Equestria.

"No, my dear pony. Luna asked me back into her. She had been losing her power, or so she thought, and wanted a back-up reserve. So, here I am. She seemed to forget that the Nightmare Forces take your body for their own. And before you ask, no, I am not going to just bring eternal night. Oh no," Nightmare Moon cackled.

",I am going to do much worse."

Octavia braced herself for an attack, or just a villain's monologue like she had seen in the movies, but it never came. Nightmare Moon just vanished into thin air, taking the fog and evil air about her with her. Even though it had only been a mere few sentences with the dark mare, she felt as if the darkness had seeped into her every pore, then pulled itself out, clawing and protesting. This left her in shreds inside.

"Why? Why me?"

Octavia asked into the quiet air. She wondered if the Mare of Shadows thought that she could find a more permanent home in her body, or Vynil. But then she would be an earth pony. That made no sense, because she had no power. She, Octavia, had no power. Before anything else could happen, she pulled her cello out into the lobby to sign pictures and posters. It was truly boring.

"It is a fine night out tonight. Nice for a walk."

Octavia said to herself once she got out onto the side walk. She began the trek home, wheeling her cello behind her. She passed a cafe with a few ponies still inside, sipping coffee or just talking at the tables. She passed a shop owner flipping the 'Open' sign over to read, 'Closed'. She smiled, liking how normal it all was. No spontaneous cello explosions or nightmares. Just a beautiful night. As she rounded a bend, she heard a scream echo through an alley way.

Octavia dropped her cello and let it clatter to the ground. She looked behind her at it, to see if it was okay. It looked fine, so she ran towards the sound. Ducking beneath a metal pipe at the edge of the alley, she looked into the darkness. She saw nothing but fog.

"Hello? Is anyone back here?" She said quietly.

A gleaming black cello emerged into her vision. She gasped and forgot about the scream she had just heard. Dashing towards it, she rubbed her hooves on it. The varnish was so smooth and perfect. Plucking the A string, it was magically in tune. She almost cried in joy when she saw the Itstallion bow lying next to it. A stallion appeared from the darkness, his coat a shade of dark blue.

"You know, it's for you. The cello. Fine piece of craftsmanship."

"Yes, quite." She blushed. "And who might you be?"

"Octavio Harmony. A cellist like your self."

"How... I have never heard of you before. You..."

Octavia blushed. She was helplessly in love with the mysterious stallion. She strode up to her with a gleam in his eye. She couldn't tell if it was anger or love, but either way, she didn't care. She ran her hoof up his face and he pulled her closer.

"I what?" He asked in the bass smooth voice he had.

"You... are really handsome." She quietly said, brushing her mane away from her face.

"You, are much more beautiful." He said into her ear.

After these words, he began to walk into the fog that surrounded them. Then Octavia blinked twice. This was the same fog that surrounded The Mare of Shadows. Could this be an illusion, or a trick of hers? To lure her away from Vynil? This mare was truly evil if she was destroying friendships of regular ponies.

The stallion looked back at her. But she looked away, and said in a defiant tone.

"I don't love you, though."

His mouth dropped open. His eyes flickered green with rage.

"You do love me. And you know that you do!"

Before Octavia could react to his voice, she felt her mind become clouded. The fog that was surrounding her blocked her train of thought. She smiled and walked up to him.

"Yes, I do love you, my little nightmare."

He cackled and said softly,

"All is going according to plan."

They walked in the darkness, away from Octavia's house. The stallion told Octavia sweet nothings to keep her from straying. Then, as they reached the cities' limits, he morphed back into Nightmare Moon. Octavia still believed that she was the stallion of her dreams, Octavio Harmony. Nightmare had looked into her mind and figured that much out. This was such a lovely specimen though, Nightmare thought. Perfect for the experiments that she had planned.

"And, I won't just make the night last forever, I will do much worse," She repeated, musing the line. Octavia giggled and blushed. Nightmare forgot that she was still playing lovey-dovey with Octavia. They walked through the Everfree Forest and into the Old Castle of the Two Sisters. A pile of rubble had crushed Celestia's throne and the yellow banners of the Sun were torn down. A pile of gray ash was all that remained of them. Nightmare touched her horn to the ponies' head and let her magic seep into the mare. She absorbed a bit of the friendship that the mare had and used it to super charge her magic. She tried a rebuilding spell, and the main hall changed into sleek black marble, with all new blue Moon banners hanging. Instead of two thrones, there was only one, with two batpony guard statues on either side. She smiled maliciously and stroked the mare.

"I think that I will keep you for a while." Nightmare said as she locked the mare in a cage and set her next to the throne.

A illusion of Octavio Harmony entertained her and kept her feelings of friednship kindled and alive.

Octavia couldn't think straight. All that she knew was that she was with her one true love. She giggled when ever he said something, and when ever she felt his hoof touch her own, she blushed. Then, she felt an odd sensation, like some of her happiness had been drained away, and then she was very tired. After that, the decrepit scenery around her, once foggy, was now clear. She saw the black marble and blue banners. But, then Octavio came back, and nothing mattered, not even the lock click that she just heard.