Eternal Night

by Lunar Wrath

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe, Mystery, Adventure
Length: 7930

She called herself Nightmare Moon. She was a nightmare all right. She ruined our lives, turned us into creatures that drank blood. She started the Eternal Night.

Her name was Nightmare Moon, an alicorn seemingly made out of pure darkness itself. My name is Ruby Night, once a pegasus, and now a thestral.

Eternal Night is upon us, and I swear by Celestia's name that I will fix this. Somehow.

Set in the alternate timeline where Nightmare Moon won in the Season 5 finale.
Edited and pre-read by MastermindAI.
Cover art can be found here.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2016-06-08 19:51:37 UTC

Prologue

"Rejoice, my little ponies, for thy Night Princess has returned!!" A dark figure stood proudly on a balcony overlooking a crowd of terrified ponies. Her teal eyes were narrow, cat-like pupils pulsing gently in the middle of the iris.

Among the crowd, a cyan blue pegasus stood defiantly with a ragged rainbow mane that caused her to stand out. Trembling next to her was a white unicorn with a curled purple mane, her light blue eyes focused on the imposing dark alicorn. Beside the pair was a blonde-maned earth pony; her bright green eyes studied the dark alicorn with intrigue.

A pink maned pegasus trembled on the ground, teal eyes wide. A dull pink earth pony with a straight mane stood over her, staring up at the alicorn with an unusually blank stare. Her mouth was set into a hard line, and her hooves were cracked with use.

"Well? Does anypony know who I am, or has everypony forgotten me so quickly?!" Anger spread across the dark alicorn’s face as she stomped her hoof.

"You're the Nightmare from a long time ago," The dull pink mare spoke, her voice flat. "You used to be named Luna, but now you are just a jealous husk of your former self- Nightmare Moon."

The alicorn roared in anger and grabbed the mare with her smoky mane. "Do *EVER** speak that name in my presence!"*

With a snarl, Nightmare flung the mare to the ground and a snap could be heard.

The mare got up, her leg held at an awkward angle. For a moment, fear flashed in her eyes before returning to their blank, emotionless stare.

"Now, does anypony else dare defy me? No? Good!" The alicorn took a deep breath and smiled, casting her mane upwards in a spiraling fashion.

Ponies watched in horror as the fine blue mist covered the ground, sinking slowly through the tiles.

"That's it then." The pink mare whispered. "The night will last forever…”

A rainbow blur streaked out of the building, while two figures galloped after it.

The cyan pegasus raced to the edge of a forest, staring as wines erupted from the ground, and had formed a barrier high above the treetops within a matter of minutes.

“No, no, no!” She pushed herself against the wall of vines in a fury.

“Let, me, in!” She yelled through clenched teeth. She flapped her wings hard, propelling herself off of the wall, before speeding towards it.

There was a tug on her tail, stopping her a mere inch away from the wall.

She flapped her wings angrily and lowered herself to the ground. “AJ! What was that for?”

The farm-mare tilted her stetson hat up, and looked at Rainbow Dash with a fierce glint in her eyes. “Ain’t no pegasus magic gonna work on that there wall, Rainbow. Ya’ll need to learn that before you get yerself killed.”

She planted her front hooves in the ground and gritted her teeth.

Rainbow watched as a faint light traveled from Applejack’s hooves into the ground. “I didn’t know earth ponies had magic,” Rainbow remarked, watching the wall slowly lower into the ground. As the tendrils of light faded away from Applejack’s hooves, the farm pony wiped sweat away from her forehead.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about us.” A dull voice sounded behind them. Rainbow Dash whipped her head around and locked eyes with a dull pink earth pony. “I’m Pinkamena.” Pinkamena looked at Applejack, a faint trace of awe in her eyes. “How’d you do that without sunlight?”

Applejack shrugged. “I dunno.”

The white unicorn cleared her throat. “Ehem. Aren’t we supposed to, you know, stop Nightmare Moon? I’d prefer to get something done instead of standing around chatting about earth pony magic.”

Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement, “Rarity is right… For once.” Rarity exclaimed in protest but Rainbow Dash ignored her. “We gotta get going. Who knows how long it’ll take us to get through the forest.”

There were mutters of agreement.

Rainbow Dash squinted, her wings flared. “It’s… dark. Rarity, can you light up your horn or something?”

There was a faint sigh and a few sparks emitted from Rainbow Dash’s left.

“Oh, just peachy…”

“What?”

“The forest is completely empty of magic as of this moment. This area is a dry spot.”

“A dry whatsit?”

Another sigh. “A dry spot is an area completely empty of the natural magic that ponies require to use their special abilities. If this is a dry spot, you won’t be able to fly, I can’t cast spells, and Pinkamena and Applejack can’t do whatever it is that they do.”

“Egghead.”

There was a gasp. “Excuse me?”

“I said, Egghead.”

There was a scoff. “Egghead? Just because I payed attention to Miss Noteworthy in school doesn’t make me a nerd…” Rarity trailed off, and shrieked. “Ew! I just stepped in something!!”

Rainbow groaned, “Rarity, we don’t have time for this.”

There wasn’t an answer.

“Rarity? Rarity!” Rainbow Dash shouted, her eyes wide with panic. “Applejack? Pinkamena? A-A-Anyone?” She shuddered, feeling something wet drip on her back.

She ran forward, her hoof stepping in something cool and moist. Rainbow shrieked and backed up fast, her rear end bumping into something not quite solid.

A scream shook the forest before it was quickly silenced.

Nightmare reclined on her throne, her eyes half closed. Her mane swirled gently around her, providing a slight warmth and contrasting with the bitter cold that entered through the various holes in the ceiling and walls. “This place sure is a fixer-upper,” she muttered glancing around. “I don’t remember it getting so… so…” She trailed off. Her ears pricking up, hearing a scream. “It looks like the Smooze caught something,” She murmured as she sat up, watching the doors across the hall ease open, something green just on the other side.

Four ponies were encased in the gelatin-like substance that made up the Smooze. Their heads poked out in various places strands of the gelatin gluing their mouths shut. Their eyes were wide with panic showing in even the dull pink one’s eyes.

“Ah, hello. I remember you.” She pointed at the pink one with a slight smile. “You were the one that defied me back in the Town Hall.” Her mane cupped the pink one’s chin and raised her head so their eyes locked. “It won’t happen again.” Her teal eyes began to swirl, the pupils created  thick black lines in the teal iris. The pink mare struggled but couldn't tear her eyes away from Nightmare’s. “Tell me your name.”

“Pinkamena,” Pinkamena blurted the name out, unable to stop it.

“Ah yes, Pinkamena. Pinkamena, you are tired.”

Pinkamena’s eyelids began to droop as she fought to stay awake.

“Listen closely. You are no longer loyal to Celestia. You will respect me.”

“I... I am no longer… Loy- Loyal to Celestia, and I will respect you.” Pinkamena gazed up at Nightmare with a slight twinge of fear that faded away after she said the last words.

“Good,” Nightmare crooned. “You may sleep now, and you will wake up when I stomp my hoof three times.”

PInkamena’s eyes closed, and she began to snore gently. She slid out of the gelatin softly, and was caught in Nightmare’s mane. Nightmare placed the pony on the ground gently, and turned to the white unicorn who glanced away with her head low.

Nightmare stared into her eyes, Rarity unable to look away. Her light blue eyes were wide, fear flickering inside them.

“What is your name?”

Rarity tried to keep her mouth closed. “Rarity, Rarity Belle.”

“What is your special talent?”

“I am a gemfinder as well as a dressmaker and designer. May I ask a question?”

“Certainly, Rarity.”

“Why are you asking me but not Pinkamena?”

“See for yourself.” Nightmare gestured at the still form of Pinkamena. Rarity gasped, seeing no cutie mark.

“I have put her in a deep sleep, and I will not wake her up unless I have need for her… unnatural talents. No more questions.”

Rarity nodded slightly, as the effects of the hypnosis began to affect her.

“Now, Rarity, you are tired. Very tired, but I won’t let you sleep.”

Rarity’s head began to fall, but she jerked her head up, eyes half open.

“You will respect me. This castle is absolutely in need of repair. It is your job now.”

Rarity nodded, her eyes unfocused.

“Good, now, wake up!”

Rarity opened her eyes all the way, and stepped out of the Smooze. She glanced around, a faint grimace on her face, taking in the tattered banners. “Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear,” Rarity mumbled, taking in the crumbling castle. “This will not do!” Rarity exclaimed, taking down the banners depicting the sun.

Nightmare smiled and turned to the orange mare.

The mare revealed herself as Applejack, and also revealed that she had marvelous cooking skills. The mare was a bit more difficult to put under the spell, but the spell had worked nonetheless. Now Nightmare directed her attention to the rainbow maned mare who had struggled the whole entire time.

“Look at me.”

“No.”

‘No.’ That simple word held so much meaning, often inflicting anger, rage, and emotions that a lesser pony would succumb to. However, Nightmare kept her wits about her and stepped forward.

“Look at me.”

“No.”

“Now!”

“No.”

Nightmare growled in anger. She grabbed the mare with her magic and held her still, forcing her eyes to look at Nightmare.

Rainbow lay limp on the floor, sides heaving as she stared at Nightmare with defiance. It hurt so much yet Nightmare was barely doing anything.

“Say it!”

“N-no.” Rainbow spat, her wings flared with anger. She struggled to stand up, but failed miserably.

“Say it!!”

“No!” Rainbow screamed, launching into the air. “I will never say it! You may have control over my friends, but you won’t get to me! I am loyal to Celestia- I always have, and I always will!”

“We’ll see about that.” Nightmare stepped forward, her horn glowing.

All went dark.

Chapter 1

I stared up at the sky, my wings hanging limply at my sides. “It’s… gone.”

I heard a sniffle, and glanced to my left, seeing my friend Sweetie Belle. I curled my wings around her, and looked over at Scootaloo, who was comforting Apple Bloom.

Sweetie Belle cried into my shoulder and I nuzzled her in comfort. She and Apple Bloom were taking it harder since their sisters had been part of the team that had lost to Nightmare. Scootaloo was depressed herself since she had always seen Rainbow Dash as a sister as well.

And I? I didn’t feel anything. I never had. Ever since the accident, I taught myself to not feel. It made things harder.

My red mane fell into my eyes when I looked down at Sweetie Belle. I smiled gently at her, but it had no meaning. No happiness shone through my smile, not anymore. Not since-

“-Ruby?” Sweetie’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I glanced at her.

“Yeah?”

“Where… Where will we all sleep? My parents are in Manehatten, Apple Bloom’s brother and Grandmother are in Coltifornia visiting relatives, and you…” She trailed off, with a sigh.

I sat down. “We have the clubhouse, remember. Scootaloo and I have been living there for a year now. We have a heating system and some spare sleeping bags. It’s gonna be alright.” I assured her, glancing around. We didn’t really know anyone else besides our little group. And we… I mean, I can’t go back to the orphanage. Not ever.

We walked closely together. Shadows seemed to leap out at us and we screamed at every little rustle of the leaves. I suppose everything is scarier after dark and it was all I could do to not run away. I haven’t felt scared like this in forever.

The road was illuminated slightly by the oil lantern Sweetie carried with her. The trees seemed to twist and writhe in the shadows as the little fire attracted several moths. We traveled closely together, seeking out the comfort of each other. We could see the clubhouse in the distance, lit up by the light Scootaloo had accidentally left on.

Hearing a hiss, I flared my wings and glanced warily around me; Scootaloo did the same when she saw my alarmed expression.

There was a rustle, louder than the ones we had heard before. The bushes trembled before a figure tumbled out of it revealing a bright rainbow mane that was illuminated in the light.

“Rainbow Dash?” Scootaloo helped her up, eyes wide with concern.

“Hey Squirt,” Dash rasped, nuzzling her slightly. She stumbled; a red stream of blood dripping out of her neck from two puncture marks.

“We need to get her to the clubhouse.” I helped keep Dash upright, wincing at the slight trickle of blood that ran down my neck. Dash was slumped up against us passed out as we half galloped, half dragged Rainbow Dash to the clubhouse. “Hold on Rainbow!” I shouted as the wind picked up.

I spread my wings, feeling the feathers tremble in the wind. Seeing the gesture, Scootaloo mimicked me, helping the both of us speed up as we flapped in unison..

We burst into the clubhouse, gently laying Dash down on the floor gently. Sweetie Belle had the first aid kit hovering in her magic, and I took out the bandages. “Hold on, Rainbow…” I began wrapping the bandage around her neck; firm, but not too firm.

Dash stopped the bandage with a hoof. “I’m afraid that won’t be necessary…” Dash sneered, her eyes wide open now. She stood up, flaring her wings.

“Dash?” I whispered nervously, watching her feathers slowly  fall off of her wings.

She merely grinned and stretched her wings out even more, her feathers falling faster. By now, I could see that her wings weren’t normal- they resembled bat wings. I watched in horror as two of sharpened, extending further out of her mouth. Her eyes turned a darker red, the pupils narrowed into slits, and her ears became pointed and the tips a darker blue.

I stepped backwards, acting as a shield for the younger fillies. “You’re not Rainbow Dash.” I growled, my wings extended.

She laughed, “No, I am Rainbow Dash. Just twenty-percent cooler.” She bared her fangs at me, grinning crookedly. “And tonight, I’ve gotta recruit new guards for the mistress.” She stepped forward, and I stepped backwards, shielding the little fillies. “And you’re first on my list.”

I growled low, “We won’t work for you, or anypony else like you, you monster.” I spat at her, the spit landing squarely in her eye.

Rainbow Dash yelped, covering the eye. She snarled at me, eyes narrow. “You little…” She lunged at me and I threw my hooves out, catching her in the jaw. She glared coldly. “So, you want to play it that way, eh?”

“Come at me,” I sneered, my red eyes narrow. “I dare you.”

She charged with a scream of fury, moving faster than a usual pony. I barely had time to step to the side, (but after I managed to get out of the way,) she slammed into the wall leaving a giant hole. I looked through it to see her laying on the ground, eyes closed. I sighed and slumped to the floor, leaning my head against the wall. I curled my wings around Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo with a tired groan.

Scootaloo looked up at me with large eyes. “What… What happened?”

I moaned in response, feeling something wet slide down my neck. I looked up to see large red eyes staring at me.

I screamed, before slumping to the floor, barely aware of the pain on my neck.

I sat up, my sides heaving. Moonlight streamed through the window of the clubhouse, and I could see a puddle of red on the floor, right where the fillies had been. Oh, no… I stumbled backwards, my eyes darted around the clubhouse frantically. “Sweetie? Applebloom? Scootaloo?” I tried to call out, but my throat was dry. My hoof reached up to my throat, and I felt two small marks on the side of my neck. My eyes widened and I glanced at my wings, which were now a leathery grey instead of a feathery blue.

I walked over to a shard of glass and gasped.

Narrow pupils.

Pointed ears.

Dark red eyes.

I’m… I’m just like her! I turned around, disgusted.

I’m thirsty.

I could feel my teeth pierce my tongue as blood welled up inside of my mouth.

I didn’t spit it out. I didn’t cry out in disgust.

I swallowed it, wanting more.

I’m a monster… I thought numbly as I walked to the puddle of blood on the floor. I lowered my head to it, cringing, and I lapped some up, letting the salty liquid flow down my throat. It’s cold and stale. It must have been laying there for some time now…

I screamed in disgust, realizing what I had been doing. I scrambled away, breathing heavily. What if that had been the Crusader’s blood?

My stomach rumbled and I cringed. I cannot drink that stuff.

I realized that I was a predator now. I spread my wings, and the urge to hunt overpowered my disgust. I glided out of the clubhouse silently.

I smelled something warm. No matter what I did, my hunger drove me forward. I found myself hunting a small mouse. I bit my bottom lip nervously, and I crept closer. What would Fluttershy say? I couldn’t help but think of the kind and shy pegasus as I crept closer to the mouse. Please find me, Fluttershy, and stop me… I thought as I got nearer. I couldn’t bear it, but who knows how long I had been asleep. It could’ve been days! I might be able to keep myself under control after I have satisfied my hunger…

I crept closer. What’s wrong with me? This goes against everything ponies stand for!

Closer. I couldn’t stop this… Why? Why me?

I could smell the fear of the mouse as it stood frozen in front of me. I lunged forward, my teeth connecting with the mouse’s neck, and I drank.

A monster. I could feel the poor mouse’s life draining away as those two words echoed throughout my head.

A monster.

Monster.

Monster.

I scooped some earth away from the ground and placed the dead mouse gingerly there. I had satisfied my hunger for now and I was once again in control of my actions. I piled the dirt over the body and placed a stone, in which I carved a name- Layla. I had named her Layla, for the poor thing deserved a name.

I turned away, a tear falling on the ground. I had ended the life of an innocent soul. I picked a flower up off of the ground and turned around, ready to place the flower on the grave.

Instead, I dropped the flower in amazement. Layla stood next to her stone while a slim paw rested on it. Her fur was now white and her eyes were red and glowing. “Layla,” She commented, as her eyes scanned the stone. “That’s a nice name.”

I blinked. “You can speak?”

Layla glanced up. “I’m just as surprised as you are, Thestral.” She stretched, her mouth opened wide. I saw two mini fangs in her mouth as they glistened in the moonlight. “I didn’t know Thestrals could turn other species into vampiric animals.”

Chapter 2

I stared at the mouse dumfounded. “You can talk?”

The mouse let out an exasperated sigh while she pinched the bridge of her nose. “I just rose from the grave, gave you crucial information about your kind and what you are, and you are surprised that I can talk?”

“Erm… sorry?” I offered, smiling sheepishly.

Layla waved her paw. “S’all right. Just pay attention next time, kay?” She sat down, wiping excess dirt off of her whiskers.

I watched her for a moment before I realized something. “Hey, why aren’t you all thirsty and crazy for blood or whatever?” I sat next to Layla and it sent up a little cloud of dirt.

Layla shrugged. “Dunno. I’ve only seen ponies turn Thestral, which isn’t a pretty sight by the way.” She layed down on the ground, arms behind her head. “The one time I saw one wake up though, it was scary.” Her eyes grew distant. “I had been gathering nuts and berries for my family by myself for the first time. I heard a scream and instead of running like I had been taught, I ran towards the noise.” She paused, and closed her eyes. “It was a newly turned Thestral who was in great pain. I couldn’t get close enough to help though, since it was thrashing wildly, unable to feed.” Layla bit her lip, and opened her eyes. “It was just a little foal with a pale grey coat and a dark purple mane.

She died within the hour.”

She cleared her throat. “But that isn’t important now. We ought to get some rest.”

I noded in agreement and closed my eyes with a sigh.

I woke to the sounds of screams.

I cracked my eyes open to a dim orange glow. The air around me was hazy with smoke. My throat felt scratchy while I coughed hard, the scent of smoke filled my nose and entered my lungs. I saw the still body of Layla lying limp on the ground, her white coat tainted with the grey smoke.

I picked her up and lifted up my wings, preparing to fly before I realized I couldn’t fly yet. I grittted my teeth with an non-pony snarl, looking around wildly.

I couldn’t see a way out of the smoke. In fact, it was getting thicker with every minute.

I coughed, dropping Layla on the ground. I fell, the smoke stinging my eyes and blurring my vision with tears.

“He-help…” I moaned weakly, clutching Layla close. I could feel her breathing slow down ever so slightly.

“We’ve got somepony over here!” A deep voice called out followed by many hoofsteps.

I saw a large red stallion and a small yellow pegasus before I close my eyes.

I cracked open an eye with some difficulty, and I felt the remains of the smoke coating my eyes. I coughed hard, and curled up.

“Ruby?” I heard the soft voice. My gaze shifted over to a butter yellow pegasus with a light pink mane. She smiled kindly with her teal eyes, though her mouth stayed in a straight line. I tried to smile back, but I yelped in pain as my fangs slid out, and pierced my lips. I attempted to slide my fangs back in, but I felt a strong thirst which kept my fangs out.

“Oh dear.” The pegasus peered at my fangs. She nodded with approval and picked up a red liquid inside of a glass milk bottle. I parted open my mouth eagerly as she poured the blood into my mouth. It tasted stale, probably a few days old, but it was still delicious.

“Is that better?” The pegasus put the bottle down and took the bandages off of my chest revealing large burns that had burnt some of my fur away. I winced as she applied a stinging balm upon the burns. I watched in silence as the fur grew back, which stung worse than the balm.

“I’m Fluttershy.” The pegasus helped me up, leading me away from the bed. “And you’re Ruby, right?”

I nodded, leaning on her when I started to cough hard once more. She offered a tight smile and lead me to a small sofa to catch my breath. “Wh, where is Layla?” I whispered hoarsely, my throat screaming with pain.

“Ah,” Fluttershy helped me up again and we started to move downstairs. “She’s with Big Mac. I’m afraid she’s in worse shape than you, considering her small size.”

I leaned against the railing, coughing. “How, *cough* how is she?”

Fluttershy set me down on a lime green couch and pointed with her muzzle at a small lump in a basket. “If it wasn’t for the fact that you are both Thestrals, you’d be dead.” Fluttershy closed her eyes briefly. “Many ponies didn’t make it out of Ponyville in time.”

“What happened?” I exclaimed, my lungs screaming in protest. I sat up, only to be pushed down again by a yellow hoof.

Fluttershy was silent for a few more minutes before speaking, “Princess Nightmare Moon burned our village down in order to give an example of what will happen if one disobeys her. Only a few survived, including your mother.”

I let go of the breath I had been holding. “Has Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, or Sweetie Belle turned up yet?”

“I’m afraid not. Why?”

“Well… They’ve disappeared. You see, after Rainbow Dash attacked us-”

“Rainbow Dash attacked you? Why?”

“I don’t know. It definitely looked like Rainbow Dash, but I’m unsure as to whether or not it was her.”

“I see. Go on.”

“Well, after she attacked us, I blacked out. And when I awoke, they were gone and I was alone… and like this.”

I fell silent, fully realizing the situation. I wasn’t a normal filly anymore, thanks to Rainbow Dash…

Rainbow Dash…

Rainbow had disappeared for several 'days', within the Everfree forest, only to have reappeared in Sweet Apple Acres while we were on our way to the clubhouse. She was 'weaker' than one'd think, but she wasn’t complaining of hunger or thirst and she looked perfectly fine. When we got to the clubhouse, she revealed herself as the monster.

However, she acted exactly like Rainbow Dash did. No creature could’ve learned the exact mannerisms of Rainbow Miriam Dash within a few days.

I gasped and sat up. "It was Dash!"

Fluttershy looked at me confused.

It had to be. I got up and began pacing, explaining my thoughts to Fluttershy. With every word, her eyes grew darker and she began to pace as well.

I closed my eyes and let go of the breath I had been holding. It hurt to know that Dash would willingly do something like this, especially to me and the girls. She was loyal to everypony, for pete's sake! Why?

Why?

Chapter 3

”Let’s see what’s in your mind, shall we?”

”Huh?” I called out while I looked around a pitch black room. I could see myself perfectly fine, which was a bit odd, but everything else was just… well, black. “Who said that?”

“Why, I did.” A dark blue alicorn stepped into my vision. Her mane swirled violently, instead of the calm wave Celestia’s had. Her eyes were similar to mine, but instead of being red, they were a bright green.

Nightmare Moon.

“What do you mean?” I stepped forward, my feathers bristling.

Nightmare studied me with narrow eyes. “You’ll see.”

I stepped forward again, when suddenly the floor vanished beneath me and I tumbled through the darkness.

"Ruby? Ruby, are you okay?” A familiar voice echoed through my head. I sat up, looking around wildly. Something happened. I had to get back.

Back to where?

I relaxed seeing the familiar face of my friend, Shooting Star. We were sitting on the edge of a lake, letting its water wash over our hooves. Fireflies danced all around us, lighting up the young colt’s pale orange face.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” I leaned back into the soft sand and gazed up at the stars. A small cloud of dust floated over us as Star crashed into the sand next to me. I giggled and poked him with my hoof.

Star studied the sky with his pale green eyes, eyebrows furrowed. “It’s so…”

“Nice?”

Star glanced at me. “Pretty. Kinda like you, but you’re prettier!”

I bit my lip with a blush as he leaned over and placed a tiny kiss on my cheek. Was it me or was the air getting warmer?

“Happy birthday, Ruby.” He whispered pointing at his watch. I couldn’t see the tiny numbers from here, but I know what he meant. It was twelve o’ clock.

My tenth birthday.

I stood up. It wasn’t me that was getting warmer. I could smell the smoke and I noticed an orange glow over in the direction where I lived. Star stood up too, seeing exactly what I did.

“Fire,” I whispered. “Fire!” I took off, rushing across the beach.

“Ruby!” I could hear Star galloping after me. “Ruby, don’t!”

I ignored him, which was the stupidest thing I did. I pressed forward, getting closer to the large mass of smoke just a quarter of a mile away. Closer, closer…

A few minutes later, I stood in front of my home, blazing with dark orange flames. ‘No…’ I thought numbly. I leaped through the door, determined to find my parents. Second stupidest thing I did.

“Mom?” I coughed, leaning against a piece of wood that had been blackened by the smoke. “D-dad?” I stood up and ran towards their room, panic speeding up my heart. I burst through the door and choked back a sob. They were there on the bed, the flames flickering on their coats and whatever was left of their manes. My mother’s eyes were still open, they were once a beautiful shade of green, but now they were a dull shadow of their original color.

I didn’t see the ceiling begin to crumble or the large chunk of flaming plaster hurtling towards me.

And then Star came.

He shoved me out of the way just in time, and before I could register what was going on, I saw him covered in the flaming plaster, and I heard a sickening crunch. The rest seemed to go by slowly, as I tore at the plaster, ignoring the pain in my hooves while I attempted to dig him out.

I must’ve blacked out because the next thing I knew, I was laying in a soft bed, staring up at a white ceiling, and feeling a searing pain in my head.

“That was quite the ordeal.” My ears flicked up in surprise as Nightmare approached my bed. “No wonder you cling to every last pony that can bear to be around you. No wonder you’re so cautious, no wonder you hide your fears from everypony else.”

She leaned forward, sharp teeth glinting. “Now, Ruby Night, I know your deepest secret. That, after all, is crucial. I will break you down slowly, Ruby. I will make you replay that over and over again until you beg me to stop. Until you finally snap.” She planted a hoof firmly on my chest, and I fought to not cry out. “You are a threat to me, Ruby. You and all of your little friends.

I will find you Ruby. I will hunt you down. You cannot be allowed to live.”

I sat up, still feeling her hoof on my chest. I buried my face in the sheets and sobbed.

Chapter 4

“I need to show you something.” Her voice came from the doorway where I saw a light purple mare. I sat up, eyes wide. Her mane was indigo with streaks of magenta and purple twisted into a tight bun. Wire rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, glinting in the candlelight.

“A-all right,” I choked out, getting out of the bed. As I got closer, I could see her cutie mark: a magenta star in front of a book.

As we walked quietly down the stairs, I could see Fluttershy curled up on the lime green couch with Layla on her shoulder. I flinched as my hoof stepped onto a creaky plank, causing Layla to stir.

The unicorn's horn glowed briefly and the little white mouse settled down, her tail tucked tightly to her small body. “Alright, this way.” She whispered harshly, turning sharply into a room I’ve never been in. She shut the door and the lights flickered on. The room itself was painted white with steel tables lining the walls which had stacks of papers and books. A shelf held several vials containing dark red liquid and another table had a chemistry set with more liquid bubbling and hissing inside its glass tubes.

The unicorn adjusted her glasses, pulled out two chairs, and sat down. She motioned for me to sit on the other one.

“Ruby Night, former daughter of Jewel Cut, the jeweler, and Black Sky, the night guard?” The mare peered over her glasses.

“Uh… Yes?” I looked at the polished wood floor and tapped my hooves nervously on the chair.

The strange mare jotted something down in a notebook hovering nearby and extended a hoof. “Twilight Sparkle, former head of Research and Development in the Canterlot Archives.” She set the notepad down.

I shook her hoof. “Former?” I questioned, looking away from her intense purple gaze.

She wrinkled her muzzle. “I quit a couple of years ago in pursuit of the Nightmare Project, as I like to call it.” She rolled her eyes. “Moondancer, my superior, believed it was all just a foal’s tale. However, she didn’t see what I saw.”

Was it just me, or was her mane beginning to get frazzled?

She leaned closer, taking on a conspiratorial tone of voice. “Celestia was the Elder Sister! It took a little research, but she used to have a younger sister by the name of Luna, who disappeared a thousand years ago!”

I blinked. “A younger sister?”

Twilight got up, and pulled on her lab coat. “Yeah. Anyways, the thing I needed to show you.” Her horn glowed and she twisted a few knobs on the chemistry set allowing the liquid to pour out into a small container the size of a pill bottle. She grabbed a dropper, took out a small amount, and set it onto a slide. I felt a prick in my front left leg and I saw a needle float away from me.

She set the two slides into different microscopes and beckoned me closer. “Take a look at your blood sample, my blood sample, and the little experiment I’ve been working on.”

I peered into each of the microscopes and drew my head back, surprised. “Two of them look exactly alike, but one of them is kinda blackish.”

She nodded in satisfaction. “Now, drink this.” She had a small vial hovering in her magic. I took a small sip, identifying it as pony blood.

I cringed a little, setting it down. “Okay?”

She wrote something down. “Now, drink this!” I saw the small vial from the chemistry set and sipped that. It tasted like pony blood, but there was something… off. I drained the container and licked my fangs with satisfaction.

“It was like the first stuff, but… sweeter.” I said slowly, inspecting the vial.

Twilight nodded. “The first ‘stuff’ was a small sample of my blood. The second was a mixture of some herbs, chemicals, and iron. Essentially, I’m attempting a blood substitute, now that my original project is complete. Fluttershy’s been helping me out!”

I tilted my head. “Huh?”

Twilight set the vials down. “Fluttershy’s a Thestral, just like you.”

Heh, not surprising actually. “So…”

Twilight chuckled. “That demonic bunny of hers, Angel, is the one that provided her with blood the first time around. Ever since then, she drains a little blood from her animals using one of these needles,” She held one up. “So she doesn’t have to bite them. They do it willingly, too!” She looked at me closely. “You seem like you need to talk to someone.”

“Uh, yeah, I guess…” I admitted.

“I’m listening.” She stated and sat down.

“Well… My friends…” I swallowed the guilt down.

Twilight looked concerned. “Rainbow Dash took them, didn’t she?”

“Well ye- Wait, how did you know?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Fluttershy. Now, I think we should go rescue your friends, shall we? They’re rather important for defeating Nightmare.”

The spell made me feel cold, inside and out. I watched with interest as the color of my coat lightened into a greyish white, my wings turned into real ones, and my mane turned into a light blue. A glance in the bedside mirror showed my eyes were now a light green. The thin magical vapor around Twilight’s horn faded away, her expression deadly serious.

“If you get caught…” She cautioned.

I smiled faintly. “We’ve been over this a dozen times. If my disguise wears off, I’ll take out as many guards as I can and I’ll rescue the Crusader’s as fast as I can. Don’t doubt me.”

Twilight nodded before she blurted out,“Wait- how old are you? Because, I’m twenty-three...”

I bit my lip. That certainly came out of nowhere... “Well, my twenty-second birthday is just in a couple of weeks.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “And you hang out with fillies?”

My ears flattened. “Twilight, I never got along with the fillies and colts my age. I met them when I was sixteen, and they liked me well enough, ‘cause of the flank and all. Now, I gotta go do my mission thingy, okay?” That last remark must’ve been a little harsher than I wanted, since Twilight backed up a little.

“Okay. Be safe.”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Why’re you so worried?”

Her eyes were focused on the ground. “N-no reason. Just go already!”

That was a bit odd. I shrugged it off and opened the window before flying out silently. I skimmed around the edge of the Everfree forest, soaking in the feeling of having feathers again before plunging into it’s depths…

… And coming into a wide clearing, surrounding a majestic castle.

I hovered in place for a moment, my eyes wide with shock. I had been told that it was all ruins, not the castle like you’d find in Canterlot! I dropped to the ground and walked forward, my ears pricked all the way up. Seeing a guard about to pass, I stepped out, legs stiff.

The guard looked at me with a quizzical expression and bought a pair of hoofcuffs out of his saddlebags. “What’s a pretty mare like you doing out in the Everfree?” He seemed casual enough. I laughed nervously and ducked my head, hopefully looking bashful. “I just went for a walk and got a bit lost…”

The guard finished attaching the cuffs to my hooves and poked me with a sword. “Move it!” He barked and I looked back at him, confused. He blushed slightly and whispered, “I’ve just always wanted to do that.” I shrugged in response.

I tried to look like I was about to cry. “Wh-why are you taking me in? I-I didn’t mean to come here!” I forced myself to cry and looked up at him with a hopefully heartbroken gaze.

The guard shifted nervously, glancing away. “It’s protocol. Nightmare doesn’t trust anyone, so unless they’re coming to request for a job,” At this, he rolled his eyes. “‘Off to the dungeon!’”

I peered into his yellow eyes, feeling like there was something familiar about them… I widened my eyes and glanced away in a hurry, biting my lower lip.

“Hey now,” His voice was soft. I felt a hoof underneath my chin. I looked up at him, though not without noting that his wings were flat and leathery. “It’s alright.” I felt a little confused as he pulled me into a hug. My mouth dropped open in shock as he pulled away with a little grin. He walked in front of me and whispered, “I’ll make sure you’re not treated too badly. I’ll put you in that cell with those three fillies we got a few days back.” I followed him warily, unsure of what was going on.

He stopped. “Wait, I think you’re supposed to be in front of me?” He glanced back, making sure I was still there. “I guess you didn’t run off.” He stepped behind me and we started walking again. He ‘shoved’ me into a door on the side of the building and we walked along a dark hallway. We stepped out into a large throne room, guards flanking the walls and throne.

He whispered, “Don’t be a damsel-in-distress, act like somepony trying to murder the queen, ‘kay?”

I wrinkled my muzzle, glaring at him. “Why?” I whispered harshly and his eyes widened.

“Well, you’re trying to sneak into the castle, aren’t you?”

“How did you-”

“-I’ll explain later, now move!”

I grumbled and placed my face into a mask of rage, thrashing my hooves. I tried biting the first guard we passed before he whispered that I should ‘tone it down, don’t be a mad mare.’

I growled lowly in my throat, looking up at the throne with defiance. From the shadows, a shape shifted and Nightmare came into focus.

“Well, well, well…” She muttered, looking at me with disdain. “Tsk, tsk, another one. Put her in with the others!”

Just like that? Huh.

The guard prodded me in the back, forcing me forward. We walked down some stairs in a spiral fashion and into a dark hallway. The torches flared to life and I could see several ponies in individual cells, looking out with dark and hopeless eyes. The guard unlocked a cell at the very end and pushed me in gently. “I’ll be here tomorrow morning,” He glanced around the cell, locating the fillies. “Then we’ll get out of here!”

The cell door clanged shut and the Crusaders looked up at me, eyes gleaming yellow and red.

Chapter 5

I shrank back nervously, and smiled half-heartedly at the trio.

“Not another one!” Scootaloo protested, turning towards the others. Her wings were no longer so stunted, I noted. They were like mine: instead of having feathers, they had a leathery membrane that stretched throughout her wing. Her fur was darker and her feathery mane was longer, which fell slightly into her eyes. Her eyes were the darkest red of all three of them, though it was more like a scarlet then a full on red.

Apple Bloom looked at me with a curious expression, her once orange eyes now a bright cherry red. Her hooves were the same color of her eyes, fading into her bright yellow coat. Her mane was also longer with jagged ends. Her bow was nowhere to be found.

Sweetie Belle cleared her throat and smiled nervously. “Eheh, um, who are you?” She hid her face behind her mane in a very fluttershy-like gesture, her once small curls were now longer and ragged. Her horn was twisted and her eyes were a pale yellow.

I realized with a small jolt that my disguise hadn’t worn off yet. I fluttered my wings, and gave a half-hearted smile. “It’s me, Ruby.”

Sweetie squealed and tackle hugged me before the others could intervene. I felt a cold trickle down my back, and one quick glance revealed that my disguise was fading. Scootaloo stared at me with an arched eyebrow and crossed her hooves.

“Why have you come now?” She asked with a bitter tone of voice. Apple Bloom shook her head slightly at Scootaloo, but it went unnoticed. “I mean, we’ve been down here for weeks!!”

I drew my head back. “Weeks? I only woke up a couple days ago. There was still a fresh-ish puddle of blood left from before.”

Sweetie looked confused. “No one was injured, besides our bite marks. But, yeah, weeks. Even though there aren’t ‘days’ anymore, there’s a clock just over there.” At that, she pointed a hoof at the clock in front of a desk with several papers on it.

Scootaloo flicked her tail in annoyance and advanced on me. She had grown a bit taller in the last few weeks and the top of her head came up to my eyes. “Why did you leave us here? Why didn’t you come sooner?!” She thrust her face into mine and I saw tears brimming her eyes.

I swallowed and knelt down so that I was looking her in the eye. “I woke up only a couple days ago, and I’m sorry I hadn’t gotten here sooner.” I stood up slowly, the rest of my disguise having worn off.

“Quick, hide!” Sweetie Belle hissed, and I darted into the corner, squeezing my eyes shut.

I heard her voice and shivered.

“Well, little fillies.” Nightmare’s voice was full of contempt and anger. “Are you ready to join now?”

Apple Bloom shook her head wildly, which I saw through cracked eyelids. Scootaloo snorted and turned away.

“No.” Sweetie took me by surprise by the amount of defiance in her voice. “We will never join you. We saw what you did to Ponyville. All of those flames were hard to miss.”

NIghtmare cackled. “Soon,” She whispered. “Even though your Thestralism keeps you protected, you still can’t resist sucking the very life-blood out of a poor, innocent creature.” I squeezed my eyes tight as she looked over towards Scootaloo, who stood in front of me. “Let’s see how you do after another day without another meal.” Her steps faded away, and I cracked my eyes open.

“This is what she does to you?” I stood up, walking away from the corner and near the door. “She starves you?”

Sweetie shook her head. “Right about now, this really nice guard sneaks us some bottles. See, he’s right there at the end, checking on the prisoners.”

I poked my head out and when my eyes were met with yellow ones, he picked a crate up and walked over.

“How’re my favorite little fillies today?” He greeted the trio as they pressed up against the bars. He set the crate down. “Alright, Bloom, let’s see if the swelling around your throat has gone down.”

The others backed off and I watched with horror as Bloom tore what looked like skin away from her throat, revealing matted fur and a small, swelled up bump where her voicebox would have been. The guard sighed and dug into the crate, bringing out a small bottle. The color inside was a dark green, resembling the leaves on the trees in the Everfree.

Bloom held her head high while he plastered some of the substance on her throat and wrapped it in textured cloth, making it look like there was nothing wrong. She greedily swallowed a small white pill and brought two large bottles full of red liquid over to us. She nudged them over and smiled.

Sweetie and Scootaloo tore into one, while Bloom opened the other carefully, took a few swallows, and offered the bottle to me. I sniffed it, and gulped half of it down, the smooth, fresh liquid trickling down my throat.

“Alright. Ready to leave?” The guard asked suddenly, and the door slid open silently. He held several odd looking instruments, giving each of us one.

I gripped it tightly in my mouth, staring at the guard. He really looks familiar, but what is it?

“Ah, Miss?” The guard raised an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”

I frowned. “No… Just a little… Confused…”

He shrugged. “Anyways, everyone touch the ends together.”

I walked over to the others, and we placed the ends of the instruments together. The crescent moons began to glow, each one a slightly different shade of blue. Suddenly, there was a bright flash, temporarily blinding me.