Bakushin!

by Harmania

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Other, Princess Luna, Original Character, Rainbow Dash, Comedy, Random
Length: 7333

Rainbow Dash balances her life as a Hero and as weather manager of Ponyville.

Sometimes heroes make themselves through courage and skill. Other times, heroes are people who were merely at the right place at the right time, or born from the correct womb. Some are heroes for they are destined to be so. Rainbow Dash is a hero for all of these reasons; lineage, destiny, timing, and deed. Unfortunately, being a hero is hard, and not nearly as glamorous as one might expect. It could even be called undignified, embarrassing, or a needlessly cruel curse. Nevertheless, justice shall be done, no matter how humiliating. Just as long as no one sees it happen.

Published 2015-03-02 17:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-09-14 22:20:11 UTC

Season 1, Episode 1: Manic Manequin.

Daring Do kicked and flailed at her but the chains kept the brave adventurer pinned against the cold steel table.

“Ah. I see you are awake, Miss Do.”

Daring Do glared at the darkness. “My name is Daring.”

“Mmm.” Click.

A blue laser lit up the room as it started to slice up the table between Daring Do’s legs.

“Archaeology is a dying science. It would be a shame if you gave me a reason to finish it off.” The kidnapper walked into the light of the slowly moving laser: a thin, gray mare in a business suit.

“Tch. I should have known it was was you… ~~Evil~~... ~~Badmare!~~... ~~Anntago~~... Anne Tagonist!” Daring Do said.

Anne Tagonist looked at Daring Do with an evil smirk, before nodding to the laser. “Do you like it? It’s powered by… diamonds. The greatest source of wealth, and as such, power, in Equestria.”

Daring Do looked down at the beam nervously, sweat dripping down her face as it inched its way towards her chained body.

Anne Tagonist held up a diamond with one hoof, inspecting it carefully. “All my life, I’ve been in love with its color, its brilliance, its… diamond-ness. I’m happy to do a bit of evil if it means getting more precious diamonds” Anne Tagonist continued, ignoring the struggling hero.

Daring Do sat up, staring at the laser as it burned closer and closer. “I think you made your point, Anne Tagonist. Now why don’t you turn the laser off and let me go?”

Anne Tagonist narrowed her eyes, putting the diamond in her pocket. “I’d be more careful with your words if I were you, Miss Do, for they may just end up being your last.”

“Heh.” Daring Do smirked, staring into the yellow eyes of her captor. “I could say the same for you.”

Anne Tagonist raised a hoof, adjusting her tie. “Indeed?” She sighed, offering Daring Do a polite smile before turning away. “Good night, Miss Do.” With a dramatic flick of her tail, she began to walk into the shadows.

Daring Do glanced at the laser as it inched its way to her bare flesh. Sweat dribbled down her face as she turned back to her kidnapper. “What, do you expect me to talk?”

Anne Tagonist paused mid-step, throwing a glance over her shoulder. She smirked slightly, eyes twinkling ~~malovently~~ malevolently . “Why no Miss Do! I expect you to...

…..

..

……

Rainbow Dash stared blankly at her work, quill tapping against the paper. With a reluctant sigh, she dropped the quill and leaned back in her chair. Rubbing her hooves against her bleary cerise eyes, she let out a slow groan. “Uggh, writer’s block is so… so... soooooo…” She rolled a forearm in the air, pausing as she considered the intricate differences between being uncool and lame.

Boring?

Rainbow Dash shook her head dismissively. “Nah. It’s more annoying than that.”

Hmmm. Trying to come up with something dramatic for your antagonist to say, I see.

Rainbow Dash nodded slightly, picking her quill back up. “Yeah, something cool but, like… not too cool.”

What about ‘die’? Like, ‘I expect you to die’? That sounds pretty evil.

Rainbow Dash’s ears perked up at that, her rainbow-colored tail swishing behind her. “Yeah! That sounds… wait” Her eyes narrowed as she she looked over the scene. “Ugh, this is turning into a ripoff of Goldhoof.” With a groan, Dash crushed the paper between her hooves, before sweeping it off her desk where it toppled a small pyramid of balled-up paper in her wastebin. “I give up,” she announced, folding her forearms over her chest as she sunk down on her chair.

Mmm, every aspiring author is entitled to their writer’s block, and it seems you’ve hit yours. So what do you say ya just call it a night? Your bed is right here, and it’s getting late.

Rainbow Dash gave a reluctant nod. “I guess,” she mumbled to herself, pushing herself away from her desk and slipping from her chair. Her hooves pressed into the hardened cloud floors of her home as she turned around, only to find herself inches away from a translucent face with glittering pink eyes.

“Ah!” Rainbow Dash stumbled over backwards, “What are you doing in my bedroom?!”

The creature blinked, hovering over the ground in a sitting position.

Hm?

It looked behind itself, short silvery mane flipping through the air.

There’s nothing here… Just you.

“Hey! Don’t lie to me!” The Pegasus flew into the air, shoving an accusing hoof at the invader. “You’re right there!”

Wait… you mean… you can see me?

The creature pointed to itself with an eagle-like talon, grinning widely and showing off razor sharp teeth.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes before making a more conscious effort to take in the appearance of the translucent creature floating over her bed. Her eyes traveled downwards from its stubby, deer like horns, to its pony-like face. Below that, a simple black and white maid outfit was worn, with hooved and taloned limbs poking out.

That’s great! Incredible even! I-, wait…

The creature coughed into its talon. “Here we go! Actual voice.” She giggled in a playful, feminine manner.

Rainbow Dash frowned, crossing her forearms as she flapped around the stranger. “Discord? Why are you smaller?... And dressed weird… And kinda invisible?”

“Hmmm?” She followed Rainbow Dash’s movements, her head slowly moving in circles as her body remained in place. “You know Uncle Discord? You really are a special pony.”

Rainbow landed on her bed. Tilting her head as she stared at the female Draconequus, silent for a few moments. The two stared at each other briefly before Rainbow Dash waved a hoof at her guest. “You’re saying that there’s more than one of you?” Rainbow inquired, voice tinged with equal parts fear and annoyance.

“Me?” She shook her head, doing a slow mid-air flip. “Nope. There’s only one Valentine! But we’re getting sidetracked from the point.” Valentine flashed a toothy grin, thrusting a griffon-like paw out towards the started Pegasus’ muzzle. “The point is: you’re awake during the Night, and not only that but as a Daymate, you can see me.” Valentine flicked Rainbow’s muzzle as she finished, nodding.

The Pegasus frowned, rubbing her muzzle as Valentine’s grin widened. “Which means,” she pointed a paw at Rainbow again, causing the mare to flinch back. “You’re a hero! The destined Maiden of Dark!”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “What?” Confusion and disbelief etched themselves onto her face as she leaned away from Valentine.

“You heard me! You’re our hero! Well, will be our hero.” She tapped a paw against her own muzzle. “We just need to get you united with your outfit first.”

“You’re not making any sense!” Rainbow flew over her bed, muzzle inches away from her intruder’s. “And more importantly, why are you in my house?”

“Our house, you mean! You’re my Daymate, and I’m your Nightmate,” Valentine interjected as she floated backwards. “Now just wait right here. I need to go to the Boutique and get your uniform.” With a small wave, she slipped through the cloud walls of the home, vanishing from sight.

“Hey! Get back here!” Rainbow Dash protested, barreling through the wall after her and breaking out into the chill night air. She hovered in place as small pieces of cloud dissipated around her body, the tranquil, sleeping town of Ponyville in front of her. Her eyes turned upwards, staring into the deep purple sky. Stars slowly moved across her vision like a river, forming streams of silvery-white light spinning in intricate patterns. Her jaw dropped slightly as she took it in. “Woah,” Rainbow mumbled as she fluttered forward. “This is… weird. But, kinda cool.”

Shaking her head, Rainbow turned her gaze downwards and dove into the town, allowing the wind to bite into her skin. As she drew closer, thick inky shadows revealed themselves, churning in place on the streets, pouring out from closed doorways, and forming dark spirals that crept towards the heavens like the grasp of a dying man. Undaunted, the Pegasus swerved around the obstacles, her eyes locked on the carousel Boutique in the distance. Unlike the rest of town, which lie bathed in darkness, a lone light burned in the second floor.

Drawing closer, Rainbow Dash noticed the front door, ajar and creaking on its hinges. Shifting her trajectory, she slipped into the Boutique and landed on all fours, kicking the door shut behind her. “Rarity!?” She paused, and silence greeted her in turn. She glanced around the Boutique, noticing a curious lack of shadows despite the darkness. The Boutique itself sat as it always did, almost completely untouched by the oddities outside. With a frown, Rainbow took to the stairs, each step giving off an unusually loud creak that carried through the building, bouncing through empty, lifeless rooms. Pulling herself onto the second floor, she slowly crept her way to the end of the hallway where the sole closed door stood, golden light shining out from the gaps. “Rarity?” Rainbow Dash frowned at the further silence. She raised a hoof and turned the knob, pushing the door to Rarity’s bedroom open.

Rarity lay asleep in bed, a contented expression on her face. Over her, a stuffed mannequin stood, resting its left ear over her heart, one hoof stroking her face while the other held a small scalpel.

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash shouted aggressively, her wings stretching. “Get away from her, you freak!”

The mannequin raised its faceless head, blank muzzle lazily turning from side to side. Slowly, it raised the scalpel to its own face, making two slits where its eyes would be. Bits of cotton slipped out of the holes as it stared directly at Rainbow Dash, the scalpel now carving a wide mouth along the muzzle. “Ssshhhh,” The creature whispered in a raspy voice, a thick brown liquid staining its ‘lips’. “Do not interrupt the lady’s rest… Such a beauty… I will not stand for her violation.” Its free hoof moved upwards, slowly stroking her mane as the creature dropped the scalpel on the floor to pull Rarity’s blankets back over her.

Rainbow flew up to the creature’s face, staring at it suspiciously. “Nice try, weirdo, but I’m Rarity’s friend, and she never mentioned mentioning a talking, uh… whatever you are!”

The creature hissed quietly, leaning away from the pony’s presence. “I am her Nightmate, and future lover. I take care of her as she sleeps, protect her from the nightmares, demons and the beasts of the night. In return… she rewards me the honor of holding her most magnificent works of art to keep me company as I sleep during the day.”

“Uh.” Rainbow Dash hovered in place. “You’re kind of creepy.”

“And you’re an ungrateful pony for not recognizing beauty when you see it.” The creature paused, its mouth slowly extending into a wide grin. “But… you are a pony.” It turned from Rarity, stepping closer to Rainbow Dash. “And her friend, yes? So, you’ll do whatever it takes to tend to her needs?”

She rubbed the back of her head with a forearm. “I guess so, yeah. What does that have to do with anything?”

The creature’s grin widened even further, tearing at the fabric of its muzzle as the same brown liquid slowly stained down its neck. “I am a Nightmate. I earned my place as her guardian… but the sun is ever cruel and spells death for any waking Nightmate when it arises, and by contrast… the Daymates, the lovely ponies that share their homes with us. They’re defenseless during the true Night. As is the nature of our relationship. We never speak to each other.” The creature’s ears twitched in agitation as it continued to stare intensely at Rainbow Dash with cotton-filled slits. “However. The sun can be fooled, yes. If I wore the skin of a pony, it would buy me a few moments, all I need to see my lady’s eyes as she wakes... and to confess my love.”

“Hey, you’re not getting my skin!” Rainbow Dash flew up a few feet, raising her forearms defensively.

The mannequin gave a raspy laugh, coughing out more of the odd brown liquid onto the blankets. “Pony… did you not hear me? In the true Night, you’re defenseless. You have no means to resist me.”

“Pfft, I can take out a weird doll thing any day,” Rainbow Dash scoffed, before looping around in the air and charging into it. She extended a forearm, driving a hoof into the creature’s face with as much force as she could muster. A muffled squelching noise was the only response as Rainbow’s hoof made a slight indent into the fabric. “Huh?” She blinked in confusion.

“As I said before.” The mannequin grabbed Rainbow Dash’s forearm with a plushy hoof, swinging her off the bed and into a wall across the room. The Pegasus yelped in pain, the wall cracking as she slumped down to the ground. “I will not tolerate any violation of my lady’s rest, to her well being, to her pleasure.”

“Ugh,” Rainbow Dash groaned, struggling to stand up. “I won’t let you…”

“Won’t let me what?” The mannequin jumped off the bed with surprising dexterity, gracefully trotting towards the injured Pegasus. “Satisfy my fantasies? My simple desires to speak to my lady? How do you intend to stop me?” Without waiting for a response, the mannequin turned on the spot and bucked Rainbow’s face with both legs. Time seemed to slow momentarily as the cream-colored fabric hooves drew closer. Eyes fixating on the hooves, Rainbow Dash sighed.

I really shouldn’t have gotten out of bed today.

The hooves connected and the wall exploded outwards as Rainbow Dash was sent flying out of the Boutique tumbling through the air in a heap of flailing limbs, wooden planks and chunks of plaster. Slamming onto the streets below, she yelped with each bounce and roll as she skidded into a porch, cracking the railing open with the back of her head. With a groan, Rainbow Dash stared at her bloodstained muzzle, bent a few inches further to the left than normal.

“I told you to wait, silly,” Valentine stated, leaning into Rainbow’s blurry sight. “Can you move?”

The Pegasus lied still, a small pool of blood forming under her mane as she tried to concentrate on Valentine’s face. After a few moments, the blurry form shifted into the concerned, translucent face of Valentine.

“Heey. There you are.” Valentine grinned, holding up a black lace necklace. A small black storm cloud emblem hung from it, with three rainbow-colored thunder bolts striking downwards. “This is yours.”

Rainbow Dash raised a trembling hoof, feeling the cold metal of the emblem.

“There you go. Now, I need you to take your harness off,” Valentine instructed.

“Huh?” Rainbow blinked, staring blankly.

“Harness.” Valentine rolled a paw in the air. “Those magical collar things you ponies started to wear in place of clothing. Uses basic enchantment spells to hide your fur and reproductive organs?”

“Oh.” Rainbow Dash slowly moved her forearm, wincing at the pain. Her hoof pressed into her neck, twisting counterclockwise as the air around her body shimmered briefly, before revealing bloodstained, matted fur, and several pieces of wood sticking out of her chest. Rainbow groaned, vision blurring again as she collapsed, barely feeling Valentine’s paws as she slipped the collar around her neck.

“Good luck,” Valentine whispered softly, planting a kiss on Rainbow Dash’s cheek before disappearing from view.

Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, the cold metal medallion numbing the skin it touched. Bit by bit, the numbing sensation crept through her body, soothing away the pain and unpleasant buzzing sensation in her head. With a soft sigh, she opened her eyes and flipped over onto her hooves. The broken patio railing where she was before lie stained with blood, sharp broken poles of wood jutting upwards like the teeth of a predator. With a frown, Rainbow Dash looked down at her chest. Rather than gaping wounds, a simple black vest covered her, trimmed with a dark pink and below that, a frilled black skirt. On each forearm and hind leg, a black and pink striped sock covered the majority of their respective limb.

“Oh, you’re still alive. That’s unfortunate… I would have hoped the fall killed you,” The mannequin observed idly.

Rainbow Dash glared as she turned to face her attacker, once again flying into a defensive position a few feet above the ground.

The mannequin looked up at her, smirking. “Where’d you get the outfit?”

“None of your business!” Her skirt fluttered in the wind as she hovered. “All that matters is that I’m going to take you down.”

“Will you now? It didn’t go very well for you last time,” the mannequin chided.

“Ugh, would you just shut up!” Rainbow Dash flapped her wings, dive bombing her adversary with a hind leg aimed at its head. The mannequin’s grin fell from its face immediately as Rainbow Dash’s hoof connected, knocking the creature over and sending it skidding several feet along the ground.

With a grunt, the mannequin righted itself, a hoof mark embedded into its cloth face. “You know… I’m not a cruel creature. I didn’t want you to suffer. My heart merely aches for my love. A means to an end.” It paused. “But, now it is clear that I’m going to need to make you suffer before I harvest your skin.”

“In your dreams!” Rainbow Dash charged forward, wings out, hoof raised for a punch.

The mannequin spun in place, violently kicking backwards into Rainbow’s hoof, knocking both of them over and away from each other.

“Glad to see you two are getting to know each other.” Valentine giggled. “Maybe I should ship you two…”

The mannequin grumbled as it slowly stood up. “With all due respect, Duchess, I’d appreciate you not butting in.”

“On the contrary. It’s my Daymate you’re harassing, Phage,” Valentine countered, eyes narrowing.

“Daymate? Then why is she out during the Night?” Phage blinked, his slitted cloth eyes squirting out brown fluid.

“Because she’s the Maiden of Dark, Phage.” Valentine rolled her eyes, crossing her hind legs as she assumed a sitting position in the air. “Honestly, why do I bother telling you anything if you’re just going to forget?”

Phage hesitated before lowering his ears against his cloth head. “Sorry, Valentine.” He nodded to Rainbow Dash. “Hero.” His head turned slightly as he nodded to Valentine. “Duchess.” With that, he turned back to the Boutique. Stepping over the tendrils of darkness that crossed the street. Rainbow Dash watched the mannequin walk away before looking back to Valentine.

The Draquoness turned in mid-air, grinning at her Daymate with heart-shaped pupils. “You were amazing, Dashy!” she squealed, clasping her paws together, rear wiggling from side to side. “Only a couple seconds, and you are already learning how to use your new powers. You even managed to hold your own against Phage! Pretty impressive… He’s one of the strongest Nightmates in town, ya know!”

“Why did you get in the way? I would have won,” Rainbow huffed indignantly.

“Won?” Valentine blinked. “Won what, exactly? You’re our hero. The hero for us Nightmates, and by extension, your fellow Daymates. You’re supposed to save us, not punch us, silly.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her maid-like outfit, frowning. “I don’t look like a hero… and I don’t feel like one.” Raising a hoof, she started to tug at one of the socks.

“Don’t!” Valentine rushed forward, pulling Rainbow’s hoof away. “The wounds you took, and the blood you lost from Phage would have been lethal if you didn’t get your uniform on. If you take it off, you’ll not only lose your ability to defend yourself against the creatures of the Night, but your wounds will kill you.”

“I’m not going to just walk around dressed like this for the rest of my life,” Rainbow Dash interjected.

“You don’t have to! Here.” She dropped a light cerulean-colored collar in front of her friend and smiled. “You can wear your harness over the outfit. No one will see that you’re wearing it until you take your harness off.”

Silently, Rainbow Dash slipped on her harness, the air around her shimmering as the outfit disappeared from sight. With that she stood up, shook herself off, then turned back towards her home.

“Dashie?” Valentine tilted her head. “We still have stuff to do before the Night is over.”

Rainbow shook her head. “I’m not interested.”

“Aww, come on Dashie.” Valentine flew over, wrapping an arm around her Daymate. “You’re fast, you’re strong. By Tartarus, you’re even fresh from a fight. That’s the prime requirement to be a hero. Don’t sell yourself short, I know you can do it.”

She shook her head again. “It’s not that. This place is weird. You’re weird. That Phage guy is creepy, and I’m not going to do anything that has me dressing like a maid.”

“Say, Dashie, do you know what this stuff is?” Valentine pointed at a dark tendril that was slowly snaking its way up a wall.

“I know I’m going to find out,” Rainbow stated blandly.

“Nightmares. When Daymates have too many of them, they start to bleed out here, and corrupt the area. Once it gets out of hand, not even we Nightmates can stop it. It takes a real hero like you to handle them. If you don’t… well.” Valentine shrugged. “That’s when both sides start dying.”

Rainbow tensed at that, biting her bottom lip as she glanced back at the Boutique, then to Twilight’s Library.

“I’m not telling you to saddle up on everything all at once, Dashie. We can take it one step at a time. Luna can explain most of it to you. So, whatcha say? Be our hero? The hero we need and deserve? Pleeeease?”

“How many people are going to see me in a skirt?”

“Only a few.” Valentine grinned.

With a sigh of resignation, Rainbow Dash nodded. “I’ll be your hero.”

Season 1, Episode 2: Foundation of a Hero.

Rainbow Dash tugged at her short skirt, trying to keep her panties out of view as she eyed the creeping tendrils warily. “So, these are nightmares?”

“Yup!” Valentine nodded, hovering upside down next to the wall of the Carousel Boutique.

“And as your ‘hero’, you want me to destroy them, right?” Rainbow raised a socked hoof, lightly prodding at the slowly expanding tentacle.

“Mmhm. Though there’s a bit more to it than that.” Valentine nodded, rubbing her chin. “Though we should get you to Luna.”

Rainbow Dash smirked, pulling back her forearm before lunging forward into a massive punch. The air rippled as her hoof slammed into the tentacle, the wall behind it cracking from the force. “Huh?” Rainbow frowned, pulling her hoof back as the tentacle continued to grow, undeterred. “What gives?”

“Oh, you’re not strong enough to fight the nightmare head on.” Valentine stated simply as she slipped down the wall on her back. “You’ll need to get your weapon from Luna first.”

“A weapon?” Rainbow grinned from ear to ear, flying up into the air as she shadowboxed at the air in front of her. “You mean like, I can get like, some cool gauntlets? Oh, or maybe a sword?” Her eyes widened further as a small gasp escaped from her open mouth. “Ohmigosh! Or what about a whip like Daring Do?”

“Tch.” Valentine flicked her tail against Rainbow’s muzzle.

“Ow, hey!” Rainbow glared as she rubbed her snout.

“Silly. Your weapon is better than all those things. It’ll help you clean up this town far better than any sword or whip.”

“Really?” Rainbow Dash cocked her head, slowly flying back down to the ground. “What is it, then? Is it… bigger?”

“Mmm.” Valentine looked thoughtful, wrapping an arm around the back of Rainbow Dash’s neck. “It’s probably longer than a sword. It’s definitely a lot cooler. It’ll sweep you off your hooves when you see it.”

Rainbow nodded, spreading her wings. “Alright. Go to Luna. Get my awesome weapon. Beat up a bunch of tentacle things. Go back to normal and forget this ever happened. Let’s do it!” With a powerful kick, Rainbow Dash blasted into the air.

Rainbow’s skirt fluttered in the wind as she rose up over Ponyville, her eyes locking on the distant city of Canterlot. With a flick of her tail and a thrust of her forearms, she took off, soaring at full speed towards Canterlot Castle.

Valentine waved enthusiastically as she hovered a few feet over the ground. “Have fun! I’ll uh, just wait here!”

Rainbow touched down in the middle of a dark street, her hooves clicking against the cobblestone road. Glancing from side to side, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Hey, wait a second! Where’s all the nightmare tentacles and stuff?”

She lifted off of the ground, eyes scanning the mundane, if clean, Canterlot streets and buildings. “Do these guys just not get nightmares or something?” Rainbow mused to herself as she calmly fluttered on towards the castle.

With each passed building, and crossed street, Rainbow Dash saw nothing but darkened, empty streets, devoid of any nightmares or Nightmates. Her wings slowed with each flap as she fixed the empty windows with a curious expression. “Well, I know I’m supposed to be a hero or something. Maybe it’s just not that bad over here, yet and all the nightmares are still in everypony’s bedrooms?”

Rainbow Dash drew to a halt in front of a modest hotel and nodded. “Well, there’s only one way to know for sure.” Flying forwards, Rainbow hovered herself in front of a window in the second floor, trying to peek into the pitch black room. “Ugh, come on, why is it so dark?” Huffing in annoyance, she grabbed the window and pulled it open.

“Hey!” Rainbow shouted into the room, peeking inside, attempting to force her eyes to adjust to the darkness. “Weird tentacle things? Any of you in here?”

In response, a low creaking echoed through the room causing Rainbow’s ears to perk up. “Huh? A Nightmate? Come on, stop playing and get out here!” She crossed her forearms, glaring intently into the dark room, only for her vision to be filled with a massive gaping maw that shot out towards her, a grey blur smashing forcefully into her chest and bringing them both into the streets below.

Rainbow collapsed with a muffled grunt, the gaping mouth still consuming her vision. Sharp canine like teeth glimmered with drool and chilled breath as an impossibly long, thick tongue snaked out from the creature’s mouth and plastered itself against Rainbow’s face.

“Oh, no, no, no! This is gross! Get off of me!” Rainbow kicked futilely, struggling against the heavy mass pressing down on her stomach as the cold tongue slowly slathered Rainbow’s entire muzzle with a thick layer of saliva. “How are you even drooling this much!?”

The creature panted, a small cloud of cold air washed over Rainbow’s face as the mouth retracted and slowly closed, unobscuring the mare’s vision. Golden, slitted eyes stared down at her, attached to a pale, grey-skinned pony-like creature with leathery, bat-like wings, and clawed talons in place of hooves. Around its neck a thin metal chain sat, a pair of engraved, oval plates hanging from it. “Nn…” the creature pouted, squeaking in disappointment. “You’re not food,” it added glumly, plopping down on its rear, keeping the mare pinned between its thighs. “So, what are you?”

“This is so nasty,” Rainbow grumbled to herself as she desperately wiped at the saliva coating her face, only to give up when she simply succeeded in spreading it around further. “Well, duh. I’m not food, and obviously I’m a Pegasus.” Rainbow snorted dismissively. “Geez, are you blind or something?”

“Blind?” It tilted its head, mouth closing into a natural grin. “Nah, I can see just fine. It’s just that I see heat, rather than pretty colors.” The creature paused, rubbing its chin as it looked thoughtfully at its victim, the tip of its tongue wriggling outside of its mouth. “Mmm, so you’re not food… and you’re not a gargoyle like me, but you are tasty, so!” Its grin widened to such a point that Rainbow briefly worried the creature’s head would fall off; a long reptilian tail wagged behind it. “Wanna be my pet? I’ve got a collar in my place! Should fit you just fine!”

After a brief pause, Rainbow composed her thoughts to verbal form: “What.”

“Come on~,” the gargoyle growled playfully, voice carrying such a degree of giddy enthusiasm that Rainbow began to feel an urge to vomit. “It’ll be awesome! We could cuddle, have fun, I’d feed you, take you for walkies, share my perch, bang, teach you tricks and positions! We could even share meals together! When it comes to eating demons, do you mind which part you get? Because I rather like the legs, personally. When they have them, anyway. Nice and squishy… like you!” It paused, bat-like ears perking forward. “Hey, you don’t like, need your legs, do you? Because if you wouldn’t mind parting with them…”

Rainbow forcefully bapped the gargoyled muzzle, her cheeks red with indignation. “I’m not food, or a pet, you weirdo! I’m a Pegasus, not a dog! What sort of Nightmate are you? Aren’t you guys supposed to protect ponies or something?”

The gargoyle yelped in surprise, ears drooping against the sides of its head as it leaned back, rubbing its nose. A faint, dog-like whine echoed out from its mouth. “Ow! Geez, you could've just said no! I’m not a bad gargoyle! I wouldn’t have done anything you didn’t want.” It paused again, before mumbling, “Unless it was kinky, anyway.”

“Ugh. Fine, whatever,” Rainbow huffed, looking away. “Sorry for making you sad. Can you get off me now? I need to talk to Luna.”

“Nope!” was the cheerful reply. “I wanna talk to you a bit more. Like, why do ya think I’m a demon?”

“Why not? I have stuff to do, and you’re really heavy.” Rainbow squirmed, trying to free herself from under the strong, thick thighs of the gargoyle, only to feel the creature’s tail wrap around her hind legs. “Also, I never called you a demon.”

“Mm? Because we’re chatting! I can’t let you up when I’m talking to you, silly. That would be like being friends with someone without making them your pet, or dating someone without tying them up in your perch. Or banging without handcuffs, or eating food without licking it all over first! Of course when you talk to someone, you pin them down! You’re a silly Pegasus-thing!” The gargoyle giggled, waving a talon in amusement. “As for calling me a demon, you did! I know you did! Trust me, I’m unable to forget things once I know them! You called me a Nightmate. Those guys are all demons. Luna said we’re not allowed to eat them though. Not sure why; they’re really tasty.”

Rainbow blushed faintly at the gargoyle’s odd perversions, her legs wriggling in the grip of its tail. “What? You’re saying that they’re all demons? Who protect ponyville from other demons?”

The gargoyle shrugged, its tongue slipping out from between its lips to rub over its muzzle. “Dunno, you’d have to ask Luna. My job is to eat nightmares and demons that go into my territory. I don’t keep up on politics… I do play fetch with myself sometimes when I’m bored though.”

“Riiight, so can I go now?”

“One more thing, first!” The gargoyle held out a talon, sitting upright, making the tags hanging from its chain jingle. “My name’s Fault! What’s yours?”

“Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow awkwardly stuck out a hoof and bumped it against the open talon, only for the gargoyle to grip it tightly with supernatural strength.

Murring happily, Fault slowly licked up Rainbow Dash’s arm, leaving a trail of saliva, arm gripping firmly to keep the wriggling limb in place. “Mmm, well, I’ll remember your taste, Rainbow Dash. Promise!” With a nod, Fault stood up, uncoiling its tail from around Rainbow’s legs.

Rainbow Dash scrambled up to her hooves, stretching and flexing her wings in newfound enjoyment of not being trapped under gargoyle butt. “Before, I go, what are those things?”

“Hm?” Fault cocked its head, one ear flopping over its short-cropped, stone-grey mane.

“Those.” Rainbow prodded the metal tags, squinting at them. “Why do you have dog tags?”

Fault immediately pulled Rainbow’s hoof away, as it stepped back, turning to the side to bring them out of view. “Because I’ve always had them, and they’re pretty. You’re not allowed to read them, though!”

“Why not?” Rainbow cocked her head, becoming curious as she tried to pace around the gargoyle.

“Because if I knew what they said, I’d never be able to forget it. I don’t want to risk figuring it out from your reaction.” Fault hummed happily, meeting Rainbow’s speed as she rotated away, keeping the jingling dog tags out of sight. “And I like not knowing. Anyway! Have fun with Luna. I’ll be around if you ever change your mind about being my pet-friend!” With a smile and tail flick, Fault kicked off of the ground, flying back through the open window into the hotel.

With a roll of her eyes, Rainbow flew off, idly shaking her saliva-coated face and forearms with each flap. “It’s like all the weird in Equestria comes here,” she grumbled to herself as she flew between the towers of Canterlot Castle. She fluttered about, peeking into windows, and inspecting doors for a few minutes before coming across a balcony with a pair of slightly ajar, heavy golden doors engraved with the shape of a crescent moon.

“Luna? You in here?” Rainbow landed on the balcony and trotted over, not bothering to knock before shoving her head into the room.

“Yes,” Luna replied simply, sitting at the foot of her bed with a hoof resting on a short, long, wooden box. “I’ve been waiting for you, Rainbow Dash, our new maiden of darkness. Hero of Ponyville.”

“Heheh… Yeeeeah, about that, I was wondering: How long this will take? I know I’m supposed to get rid of all the nightmare tentacle things with a cool weapon. But after that, I can go back to… not doing this, right?” Rainbow Dash spoke as she tugged at her skirt, trying to keep the fabric from touching her legs.

“Rainbow Dash,” Luna stated simply, face devoid of emotion. “Your duty as the maiden of darkness is more than that. After destroying the nightmares of Ponyville in their external form, you must individually save ponies from their personal nightmares within their minds. You must also assist the Nightmates where needed to keep Ponyville safe from demons. Those are your duties. They are relatively simple, and shall be done nightly. During the day, you may live life as normal. The extra eight hours you gain to each day for being awake during the True Night will prevent you from needing to sacrifice from your hobbies and duties.”

“Heey! Wait a second!” Rainbow squinted, wings flapping as she flew in front of the princess, staring intently into her eyes. “Handling dreams is your job! Why do I have to do that?”

“That is correct... Once upon a time, I did keep ponies safe from all their nightmares.” Luna’s ears drooped as her head tilted, her eyes averting from Rainbow Dash. “But, that is no longer possible for me, after my fall to Nightmare Moon. Only the maiden of darkness can truly enter a pony’s most subconscious thoughts and fears. The fears put in the back of the mind, the repressed memories and traumas, the suffering that ponies do not admit to themselves. The dreamscape, as a magical realm of existence, is still my domain, and I keep nightmares out of the conscious mind, and help ponies stand against the troubles that reach their awareness. But that is my limit.”

Rainbow Dash blinked, rubbing her head. “Wait, I don’t get it. If I’m the only one who can do it, how were you able to before you were Nightmare Moon?”

Luna stood up to her full height and stepped past Rainbow Dash, her horn glowing as she magically opened the doors of her balcony and stared out into the night sky. “Before you, I was the maiden of darkness, the second to hold that role. However… the maiden is required to be pure and true to Equestria. When I became obsessed with my lack of attention and appreciation, my mind and body corrupted, turning me into the demon known as Nightmare Moon.”

“Well, you were kind of mean, but you weren’t that bad. Besides, we used the Elements of Harmony on you and now you’re better!” Rainbow chimed in.

“No.” Luna shook her head. “You don’t understand. I mean it literally. To sin, to break the largest laws in society. That transforms one into a demon, and no amount of redemption, rehabilitation, or magical artifacts can change that. I may be myself again, but my body is that of a demon, and as such I cannot wear the outfit of the maiden of darkness, or use its powers. The Elements of Harmony saved me from being banished to Tartarus, but it doesn’t change what I am.”

With a growl, Rainbow zipped in front of Luna and prodded her chest with both hooves, her muzzle pressing against the alicorn’s. “That’s stupid! You’re cool, and you help ponies. That’s all that matters! No one cares about what you did in the past anymore! You’re not some stupid demon! You’re a princess!”

Luna gave a small smile despite herself as she leaned back. “Thank you, but, that’s not how the world works. How reality works. To sin is to be a demon. The Nightmates, if they haven’t told you yet, are all sinners. Demons who want to feel useful again. It’s important that you understand that, Rainbow Dash. They all have done something absolutely horrible, and nothing they do will change that. Nothing you will do can change that. They live, as we all do, in the consequences of our actions and circumstances. They just want their list of sins to simply cease to grow, and for that, we allow them to live in Ponyville, helping to keep it safe.”

“Well, the world is stupid then! If they want to help, and they want to fight against bad guys, then they are good ponies… uh… whatever they are!” Rainbow Dash snorted. “There’s no way that ‘reality’ works like that!”

Luna cocked her head slightly. “Think what you like, Rainbow Dash. Your attitude is partially why you’re so well-suited to the role. A different pony may seek to debate ethics when you would leap into action to save those in danger instead of asking whether they deserve it. Regardless,” Luna’s horn glowed again as she stared deeply into Rainbow Dash’s eyes. “I have but one warning: Do not sin. To fall in love with a demon. To fornicate with a demon, consensually or otherwise. To threaten the harmony of Equestria. Such things, if done, will make you a demon, at which point, you will lose the protection your uniform grants you.”

Thump

Rainbow Dash held a hoof to her chest, her face paling slightly. “Oh.”

“Do not let me keep you here any longer… I shall bestow upon you the weapon of your station, the tool of a hero, the device of which shall allow you to keep Ponyville safe, and allow you to fight against the nightmares that grip it.” With a solemn nod, Luna levitated the wooden box in front of herself. “Take its contents, Rainbow Dash, and become a true hero, for one such as I cannot touch such a pure weapon.”

Rainbow Dash’s unease disappeared as quickly as it formed, a grin appearing on her muzzle as she reached over with both hooves and pulled open the lid, staring at its contents.

A modest, albeit well-crafted, broom sat inside, with a gem set, pink ribbon tied around the base of the handle. The dark brown, wooden shaft ended on soft, silver bristles that glowed like moonlight.

“Is… is it under the broom?” Rainbow inquired, voice teetering between hope and desperation.

“Broom?” Luna tilted her head. “This is no broom! It is an ancient and powerful tool! A weapon of immense power capable of sweeping away nightmares, and beating back demons with unequal force. This is the most powerful magical artifact I know of. It is not a ‘broom’.”

Hesitantly reaching over, Rainbow Dash slowly pulled the broom from its case and stared glumly at it. “This is so lame… I’m never going to live this down.”

Luna reached over, gently patting the mare’s head. “Don’t judge by appearances. this weapon will serve you well once you’ve mastered it… And demons will come in all forms, all shapes and sizes. Appearance does not determine power. Now go.” She nodded out the door. “Go home. Get some sleep. You shall start on the nightmares tomorrow. With any luck, you’ll have the streets cleared before any demons come through from Tartarus.”

Rainbow Dash sighed, gripping the broom in both arms as she quietly nodded, slowly flying back home. “Yeah, with any luck I’ll wake up and this will all be a dream…”

Sunlight filtered through the windows of Carousel Boutique, flooding it with soft light and gentle warmth. On a heavily-blanketed bed, Rarity sat up, mane slightly scuffed as she stretched and yawned, basking in the morning sun. “Mmm, morning Opal.”

Silence greeted her in return.

“Hm?” Rarity slipped out from under her blankets. “Opal, darling? It’s time for breakfast!” With a small smile, Rarity glanced over the edge of her bed, only to find Opal’s empty. “Oh.” She shook her head. “I must have slept in, poor Opal must be starving!”

Mroooooowr!

“Opal?” Worry crept into Rarity’s voice as she turned to her bedroom door, slightly ajar. “Is something wrong, dear?” Rarity quickly trotted over, pushing the door open and peeking into the room.

Opal sat, crosseyed and hissing, with a pair of blood red satin panties sitting on her head, perfectly pristine and uncreased despite being batted at by the cat’s paws.

Rarity chuckled, exhaling as she chided herself under her breath. “Of course… I was just being paranoid.” Rarity began walking to her cat. “Opal, what did I tell you about playing with my clothes?” Reaching over, Rarity plucked the panties from her cat’s head before blinking. “Actually, speaking of clothes… I don’t recall making these.” Her eyes turned to her hoof, only to find it empty.

“Huh?” Rarity blinked in confusion.

Creeeeak

Her eyes immediately turned upwards to the wooden rafters, only to have her vision filled with the sight of a pair of falling panties. Rarity opened her mouth to scream, only for the satin to cover her mouth.

“Mmmphmm!” Rarity strained to call out, backing up into a cabinet, causing it to smack against the wall, then dropping its load of fabric rolls onto the ground around her. Rarity’s horn glowed briefly before sparking and dimming. Rarity stood on her hind legs, stumbling across the boutique, knocking over mannequins and clothing racks as her hooves strained to pull the panties from her face, to no avail.

Her eyes crossed as a sharp pain sprang through her muzzle, drawing out a muffled squeal. Rarity paused briefly, her eyes drooping slightly as her entire body began to numb. She stumbled backwards a few steps as she struggled to maintain her footing, before falling over onto the boutique floor, her flailing arms knocking her sewing machine off its desk.

Rarity squirmed for a few moments as the panties writhed against her flesh, her vision darkening. With a small sigh, Rarity’s eyes drooped shut as she passed out.