When the Wind Calls

Chapters

It Begins
Chosen
Discoveries
Captured
Hello Again, Princess!

It Begins

"Wuna! Wuna!" Little Duskrider leapt into Princess Luna, hugging her tightly. Luna giggled.

"Hello, Duskrider!" Duskrider pulled himself back and grinned. "My, how you've grown!"

"He's a hoof full, that's for sure." Sunflare smiled. She took a sip of her tea. "Dusk, go wash up, then you can visit."

"Ok!" The little colt dashed away to the washroom as Skylark stepped in and bowed to Luna.

"Morning, Princess." A sheen of sweat glimmered on his forehead and dust covered his face, making him look like a racoon.

"Sky... you've got something on your face..." Skylark brushed at the dirt.

"I know. I was trying to show him how to fly, and I smacked into a sand-dune."
Luna hid her smile behind her drink. Grumbling to himself, Skylark disappeared deeper into the house. A moment later, Duskrider tore into the living room, sitting anxiously next to his mother on the couch, near Luna.

"I hear you're going into school next year." Luna said.

"Mmhm!" Duskrider flapped his little wings in excitement. "I can't wait! It's gonna be so fun!"

"I'll bet! When I went to school, I had a blast!" Luna finished off her tea. "That reminds me!" She floated a small, cloth bag towards Duskrider. "This is for you!"

"Dusk, what do you say?" Sunflare said.

"Thank you Pwincess!" Duskrider looked inside and pulled out a multicoloured orb.

"They're sweets from Yakistan. Very tasty." Luna said. Duskrider popped it into his mouth.

"Mmm!" He exclaimed, then he held out the bag to Luna, who took one. Sunflare likewise had one, and Duskrider raced off to give one to Skylark.

"I remember when I was a filly, I wasn't allowed candy. It made me hyperactive." Luna said, her voice slightly distorted by the candy.

"Well, Dusk will give them out more than he'll eat them." Sunflare laughed. "We'll get the heat for his friends bouncing off the walls."
Luna smiled, then yawned.

"My apologies. I'd better get going. It was a long night last night." Luna stood, giving Sunflare a hug, then giving one to Skylark and Duskrider.

"Bye, Pwincess!" Duskrider said sadly as Luna rose into the air. "You'll come back, wight?"

"Of course, Duskrider. Always." And with that, the Princess of the Night took to the air and headed back to her bed.

Princess Twilight Sparkle was reading one of her favourite books as she waited for Spike to wake up. He'd been working extremely hard lately, so she decided to just let him sleep. It was a lazy Sunday, anyway. Twilight felt her stomach grumble, and she hopped up, deciding to grab something from the kitchen. She kept her nose stuck in her book the whole time. When she walked back, a crisp apple crunching between her teeth, she almost didn't notice the dark figure standing behind her throne.

"Hello?" She asked cautiously. Despite the fact that Starlight had seemingly been reformed, Twilight had had stricter defences placed on the castle doors.

"Hello." A shiver ran down Twilight's spine. The voice was cold, devoid of any emotion. She placed her book down.

"May I ask why you are in my castle?" She asked politely. Twilight didn't like to call it her castle, but she felt that she needed the intimidation.

"Your castle?" The hooded figure laughed, an eerie cackle that reverberated off the ceiling. "My poor, dear Twilight. This isn't your castle. Like everything else in Equestria, it belongs to me." Before Twilight could react, the figure blasted out a beam of magic. It smashed through Twilight's quick defence, and her world went white.

Spike snorted awake. Wiping at his eyes, he looked over at Twilight's throne.

"Twi-Twilight?" He said sleepily. He noticed her book sitting on the cutie map, but Twilight was nowhere to be seen. Then Spike saw the gigantic scorch mark on the floor. His eyes widened, and he ran as fast as his stubby little legs could take him out of the door. He was in such a panic, he didn't notice the hooded figure leaning against the wall, casually munching on the apple Twilight had dropped.

"One down, three to go." It whispered, then turned into black smoke and seeped through the tiny cracks in the walls.

Princess Celestia was worried. Twilight Sparkle had just disappeared without a trace. She had put her guards on high alert. Her sister was due back any minute, and Celestia wished she would hurry. She'd dispatched a message to Princess Cadence and Shining Armour, to make sure that their baby would be protected in case anything happened.

Celestia heard a light tapping on her door, and relaxed. Luna had returned. She turned towards the door and watched in horror as two Royal Guards were thrown through the doors and into the wall behind Celestia. Immediately, she stood, a snarl on her face as she regarded the hooded figure that stood between the destroyed doors. Without warning, Celestia fired a repulsion spell, and gasped in shock as the spell flickered and faded away before her eyes. The figure laughed.

"Celestia, Celestia, Celestia. Do you truly believe that you can defeat me? By yourself?"
Celestia gasped again as she felt herself grow weaker. It was as if her magic was being ripped from her very being.

"N-no!" She cried weakly. Her vision flickered, and she collapsed onto the floor. Her flowing mane had begun to slow.

"You're weak, Celestia. I expected more of a challenge." The figure sat down next to Celestia and sipped on the cup of tea that Celestia had been drinking. "Two down, two to go. Now, we wait for your sister."

Princess Luna couldn't believe her eyes. The doors to the Royal Meeting Hall was destroyed. Royal Guards lay motionless around it. Luna carefully made her way to into the hall. She let out a small gasp of shock when she saw her sister laying on the floor, her mane drained of all magic. Her eyes snapped up to look at the dark figure that was seated behind Celestia.

"Ah, here she is now." The figure placed the teacup down. "Princess Luna, it is a pleasure to final-" It rolled deftly to avoid a spell from Luna.

"Don't make me laugh, Luna! Your sister couldn't defeat me!" It's cackle was infuriating.

"I'm not like my sister." Luna growled, launching other spell. The figure dodged it as well.

"Yes, you're not. You have a - how do you say? - alter ego. Nightmare Moon, isn't it?"
Luna felt her eyes open slightly in surprise, and the familiar hatred rose in herself as she remembered what she had become.

"She's gone. Forever." Luna spat.

"Are you sure, my dear? Because I know. No matter how far you lock it away, no matter how deep you bury it, it's... still... there!"
Luna felt her magic falter, and she fell to her knees. A shimmering black shroud began to surround her.

"No... No! NO!" Luna screamed as she once again heard the voice inside her head, the one that haunted her dreams. "GO AWAY! GO AWAY!"
The figure moved closer, slowly drawing his hoof over Luna's chin.

"It's time, my lady."
The shroud closed entirely over Luna. Finally, Luna gave up, and felt herself get locked away inside her mind as another being took control of her body.

Nighmare Moon's eyes opened slowly, and she drew in a breath.

"Yessss." She hissed. "I have returned."

"Nightmare Moon... Welcome back." The figure bowed. "I trust you are well."

"I am." Nightmare looked at the figure. "Who are you?"

"Me?" The figure laughed again. "I'm the one that defeated your sister." He stepped back, letting Nightmare Moon look upon Celestia, still on the floor, but now looking up in horror at Nightmare.

"Oh?" Nightmare smiled, the grin stretched tight over her fangs. She knelt next to Celestia, who recoiled in terror. "Hello again, sister" Her voice dripped venom.

"N...n...no... please..." Celestia whimpered.

"Do you know what time it is?" Nightmare whispered. "It's time for you to go baaack!" Laughing, Nightmare Moon's horn began to glow as she prepared to banish her sister to the moon.
Suddenly, a green beam of magic struck Nightmare and sent her sprawling.

"What?" The figure turned to see none other than Queen Chrysalis and a swarm of changelings stream through the open doors and start attacking. Changeling minions covered Nightmare Moon and the figure as others dragged Celestia out of the room. With a burst of magic, changelings were thrown everywhere. Clear for a moment, the figure and Nightmare turned to Queen Chrysalis, but she had already taken to the air, Celestia beside her. being supported by multiple changelings. With a yell of frustration, the figure blasted the remaining changelings into dust. It took a moment to compose itself, then turned back to Nightmare Moon.

"I think it is time for the night, my dear."

"As do I." With a triumphant cry, the moon eclipsed the sun, and Equestria went dark.

"This is bad." Shining Armour said. He looked worriedly at his wife, Princess Cadence. "The sun's gone out."

"Oh no." Cadence gasped, and held their child close to her chest. The two stood on the balcony of their castle, looking out over the snowy tundra of the Crystal Empire. A chill ran down Shining's back. A black cloud had appeared at the edge of Shining's vision. He turned, and saw what he prayed he would never see again.

King Sombra rose from the cloud atop a black crystal spire. He threw back his head and laughed, the chilling sound echoing around city. Sombra looked directly at Shining and Cadence and licked his lips.

"Finally... my throne returned to me..."

"H...how?" Shining whispered. The last anypony'd saw of Sombra was him being blasted into thousands of pieces.

"Honey..." Cadence held out Flurry Heart, and Shining took her in his forelegs. "Go. Just in case."

"But..."

"No. No buts. Just in case I can't fend him off. He must not get to Flurry." Cadence's face was stoic. Shining gave her a quick kiss, then started running, baby Flurry strapped to his back.

Cadence took to the air, flying up high before blasting a powerful beam of magic at Sombra. Then she faltered. Her spell flickered and died, and she felt her wings grow heavy. With a yelp, she slammed into the ground and lay still. Sombra used his black crystals to pick up and move Cadence over to him. He poked her prone form. She didn't stir.

"We did it." Sombra's voice betrayed the suprise her felt.

"Yes we did." A hooded figure stood beside Sombra. "That's four."

"What are you talking about?" Sombra asked.

"Nothing, nothing." The figure smiled under it's hood. "Now, all we do is wait."

Five years later:

Duskrider blinked awake. He looked bleakly at the night sky. It was always night now.
He rolled out of bed and walked, yawning, to the kitchen. He pulled out a breakfast ration and sat. Munching on his tasteless apple in the dark, he jumped in surprise at the light tapping on his door. Suspiciously, he opened the door. A unicorn stared back at him, then shoved his way inside.

"Hay, what are yo-" Duskrider was cut off when the unicorn shoved the apple into his mouth.

"Don't talk. Just nod your head if you understand. Got it?" The unicorn hissed. Dusk nodded.

"Good. Are you the pegasus known as Duskrider?" Again, Dusk nodded. The unicorn visibly relaxed.

"Thank Celestia. Our intel was right. Listen, I've come to get you out of here."

Dusk made a questioning sound. The unicorn sighed.

"I'm part of the Resistance. We're trying to get rid of Nightmare Moon so we can bring Princess Luna back." The unicorn pulled the apple out of Duskrider's mouth. "If you've got any questions, say 'em quietly and quickly. We don't have much time."

"Why me?"

"Celestia herself gave the orders.All I was instructed to do was to get you out of here, but not why." The unicorn looked outside and cursed quietly. "Buck! We gotta move!" Before the unicorn could shove Duskrider towards the door, he grabbed a sword and sheath. The unicorn froze.

"For protection." Dusk grinned. "Just in case."
The unicorn said nothing, and he bolted outside. Duskrider followed, his sword clenched between his teeth. What in Equestria would Celestia want from him?
The pair galloped to the wall.

"Get over the wall. There'll be others waiting! Go!" The unicorn hissed. Dusk stretched out his wings, and zipped to the top. He hesitated slightly, looking back at the town of Harmony.

"What are you waiting for?" The unicorn finished climbing the side.
"Move it!"

"But... my parents..."

"They were taken, weren't they?" Dusk nodded sadly. "Even if you found them, they've been reconditioned. They wouldn't even recognize you. Nothing you can do about it. Now, move it!"
Several beams of light erupted out of the darkness and illuminated both Dusk and the unicorn.

"Buck!" The unicorn shoved Dusk over the side of the wall. Duskrider quickly regained his balance midair, and landed lightly on the sand. Another unicorn appeared next to him.

"Where is h-" Her whisper was cut off by a strangled cry up on top of the wall. Dusk saw the unicorn rear back and fall, landing hard. A crossbow bolt stuck out of his side.

"Buck!" She hissed, leaving Duskrider and running to her fallen comrade.

"Dusk, get moving! Before the-" A flurry of crossbow bolt slammed the ground around the two unicorns. The female slumped over. Numerous bolts stuck out of both. Dusk stopped and stared at the two.

Movement caught his eye at the top of the wall, and he looked up to see his father and mother, crossbows strapped to their bodies, looking down at the prone pair. Something in Dusk told him to go, go far and fast.
He ran. His wings tucked tightly to his sides, he zigzagged across the desert, his breathing hampered by his sword. Every second, he waited to feel the searing pain of a bolt in his back, but it never came. He just kept running through the desert night. Finally, he collapsed from sheer exhaustion and retched. The sight of the two unicorns was almost too horrible for him to comprehend.

'Why did the guards just... do that?' He thought, as the contents of his stomach were soaked into the sand. He couldn't - wouldn't! - believe that his mother and father would do something like that in cold blood. He knew how bad Nightmare Moon was, but his parents?
Completely worn out, Duskrider's world went black.

Author's Note

Sequels are fun, aren't they?

Chosen

A bright light was shining painfully on Duskrider's eyes. He slowly opened his left eye. The light dimmed, but it was still too bright for him to make out any details. He sensed motion beside him, and the light vanished entirely, leaving only a spot on his vision. Weakly, Dusk rolled his head and opened his other eye.

He was in a grey room. Covered lights cast a very weak glow to everything. Motion caught his eye again, and he looked at a unicorn who was busying herself with various medical instruments on a table.

"Unng." Dusk grunted. She straightened, then went to the bedside.

"Hello, Mr. Duskrider. How you are feeling?" She asked cheerfully. Dusk noticed that a cup of water floated beside her, suspended by her magical aura. He motioned with his head. She nodded, and made Dusk's bed sit him up before putting the cup to his lips. He drank greedily, the water soaking into his dry tongue and dripping out the sides of his mouth. When he'd finished, the unicorn sat on a stool beside the bed.

"Now, Mr. Duskrider, I'm going to ask you a couple questions. I'm sure you have some of your own, and I'll answer any the best I can, so please. Ask away."

"Are you an angel?" Dusk rasped. A smile brightened her face, and she giggled.

"No, I'm afraid not. I'm Nurse Redheart."

"Where am I?"

"You are currently near Canterlot. We found you dangerously close to the Crystal Empire's territory." Her brow furrowed slightly. "That's what I wanted to ask you about. What happened to the two Resistance members that were sent to get you out?"

An image flashed in front of Duskrider's eyes. Two unicorns, arrows protruding at every angle, bathed in the eerie, unnatural light, and his parents standing on the wall, crossbows at the ready to shoot at him.

"They... they were shot. Both. Riddled with arrows, not moving." Dusk's head bowed.

What was left of Redheart's brittle smile shattered. A tear rolled down her face.

"Are... are you sure? Are you sure that they were... gone?"

"I couldn't check on them, I... I had to run. They were looking for me. But... there was no way." Dusk looked at the nurse. "I'm sorry." Movement caught his eye by the doorway, and Dusk saw an armoured soldier standing in the doorway. A spear was held aloft by his aura. The soldier cleared his throat.

"Nurse? A word?"
Nurse Redheart wiped at her eyes and stood. She flashed a small, sad smile at Dusk as she left the room. Dusk sat on the bed. His wings felt cramped, and he slowly stretched them out until they made light cracking sounds. He looked back at the door. The soldier was still there, a suspicious look in his eyes. Dusk gave a small smile, and leaned back. He didn't know how long he'd been laying there when a second soldier appeared.

"You. Get up." He grunted. Duskrider complied. "Follow me."
Dusk stayed behind the first soldier, while the second stayed behind him. After a few minutes of walking in the very dark facility, lit only by the auras of the soldiers, Dusk's eye adjusted and he realized that they were inside a cave. Stalactites hung from the gigantic ceiling, but the cave didn't seem like the caves Dusk had explored back in Harmony. Those had been very wet, the air at points heavy with humidity. This cave had none of that. As Duskrider pondered this, he nearly slammed into the soldier in front of him.

They'd stopped before a pair of heavy doors. A peephole slid open, and somepony looked looked out, framed by an extremely bright light. The soldier nodded, and the peephole slammed shut. A second later, the massive doors swung open. Dusk shielded his eyes against the glare, and was shoved forwards.
As his eyes adjusted, Dusk saw that the room was gigantic, and laid out like his room had been. A large bed sat on the far wall, surrounded by nurses and, Dusk noticed with a start, Changelings. They were swarming around the bed, offering food and drink to the individual in the bed, and generally helping out the nurses and doctors monitoring the equipment around the pony in the bed. Dusk noticed who it was with a start. Her mane wasn't flowing like it normally did, but there was no mistaking Princess Celestia. Dusk knelt as fast as possible, and he winced at the pain as his knee cracked against the floor. The soldiers followed suit, and they stayed down until Celestia cleared her throat.

"You may rise." Dusk stood painfully. "Mr. Duskrider? Please come closer." Dusk walked through the large room, feeling self-conscious as everypony in the room stared at him. He stopped next to the bed and stifled a gasp.

Princess Celestia, who'd always looked so confident and powerful, now looked fragile, as if a gust of wind could knock her over.

"Come now. I'm not going to bite." Her smile was thin. "Although she might." Dusk turned around. Behind him stood Queen Chrysalis. Startled, Dusk dropped to his knee again, wincing once more. Chrysalis laughed.

"My dear boy, there's no need! I'm not your queen after all." Dusk rose again, mentally kicking himself.

"Now, Mr. Duskrider, you must be wondering why you were... rescued from your town, and why two unicorns had to lose their lives." Celestia looked at Chrysalis. "Maybe you should explain, Chrys." Chrysalis nodded.

"As you know, Equestria is divided into three sections, our section being the smallest. We are constantly under threat of invasion by either Nightmare Moon or King Sombra... or both, Celestia forbid." Chrys smiled at the bedridden ruler. "Our force has slowly dwindled from what it once was. Not counting my Changelings, we had approximately three thousand effectives, ponies who were ready to fight on a moment's notice. Now, we're down to less than 900. In order for us to win, to SURVIVE, this fight, we need everypony we can get."

"But... why me? There are dozens of more capable ponies in Harmony. Why take me?" Dusk was confused.

"Because of your connection with Princess Luna." Celestia said. "We've tried everything we could think of to get her back, to get rid of Nightmare Moon. I attempted to command the Elements of Harmony, but I could not. After the Princess of Friendship vanished, the other Element bearers fled. Then we tried a takeover, but we were repelled. We're grasping at hay right now." Celestia's voice trailed off. She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm just... tired all the time, it seems." Chrysalis looked at her worriedly.

"Rest. I'll explain what he needs to do." She placed her hoof gently on Celestia's shoulder before leading Dusk into another room. The new room was dark, but by the way Dusk's hoovefalls echoed, it was gigantic. He also heard strange clicking and fluttering noises.

"Okay." Chrysalis stopped walking. "We want you to bring Princess Luna back. Celestia mentioned the connection between the two of you, and your parents."

"That didn't stop her from taking them." Dusk said bitterly.

"That, or she took them because of it. Nightmare Moon isn't stupid, you know. She might know that you're a threat to her."

"But... how would I be a threat?"
Chrysalis sighed.

"The last time Luna saw you, you were a mere colt. If you could do something to remind of that time, where she was happy, that might just be enough for her to snap out of it."

"So... you want me to sneak into Nightmare Moon's territory alone, get close to her, and act like a baby again?" Chrysalis shook her head.

"You're not going alone."
Lights flashed on inside the room, and Duskrider found himself face to face with a hundred Changelings.

"These are my loyal subjects. They've been gifted with supreme intelligence, and will follow every order you give them. For this task, you will need two."
Dusk looked down the line and noticed one Changeling nudging the one next to him. The other turned and shoved back.

"What about those two?" He asked, his words echoing in the vast room. The pair looked guiltily at Chrysalis. She shook her head and sighed again.

"Those two are... special. They aren't disobedient, but they can be... rambunctious. Reckless. Perhaps another pair will suffice?"

"If I'm going to do this, I'm going to need somepony who can go off book and be able to do their own thing." Dusk's voice was filled with confidence he didn't really feel. Being selected by Princess Celestia gave him a head-rush, but he was still very confused and there was a nagging feeling of self-doubt. Things were moving far too quickly for his liking.
The two Changelings stepped forwards.

"What are their names?" Dusk asked Chrysalis. To his surprise, one of the Changelings answered him in a perfect imitation of his voice.

"Our names are of no importance. Equestrians cannot hope to copy our speech patterns." Dave shrugged.

"I might be able to." The Changeling hung it's head.

"Alright. I am-" His mimic was replaced by a series of hisses and clicks, within which Dusk immediately got lost. "And my companion's name is-"

"Okay, okay. I still have no idea what to call you. Uh..." Dusk pointed at the Changeling that spoke. "How about you be 'Dave'." The Changeling nodded, apparently pleased with the name. Duskrider turned his attention to the other. "And you be 'Tom'." The second Changeling nodded vigorously, then they both transformed into Duskrider. He was taken aback.

"You three are all set, then." Chrysalis said.

"Not just yet." Dusk looked at the two closely. "I can't tell who's who."
Chrysalis clicked and hissed at the pair. One turned into an almost negative image of Dusk, his mane and coat colours swapped. The other merely changed his coat.

"I'm Dave." The now blue Changeling said.

"And I'm Tom." The other said, for some reason adopting an English accent.

"Okay. There's a difference now." Dusk looked at Chrysalis. "I'll need some other supplies."

"Whatever you need will be gathered." Chrysalis said. "What is it you require?"

"Well... three sets of armour, two swords, as long as my sword hasn't been lost." Chrys shook her head no. "Good, and... food and water, uh..."

"Books? Comics?" Chrysalis asked. Dusk saw Tom nod vigorously.

"Sure." He closed his eyes for a second. "I think that's it."

"It will take a day to gather the supplies. You can stay in the hotel we have here." Chrysalis said, then turned to the two Changelings. "I want you two to stay with him. Get to know him. He'll be relying on you, and you'll be relying on him. Understand?" Both Dave and Tom nodded.

"Okay." Dusk grinned. "Less than a week from now, we get Princess Luna back!"

Author's Note

Holy crap this was overdue! Sorry about the huge gap in chapters, everyone. I posted the first chapter just as I came up to exams in school.

Hopefully the next chapter is coming soon.

Discoveries

Duskrider slumped onto the bed that occupied most of the small room that had been provided to him and the Changelings. They'd have to share, but the bed was definitely big enough.

"So, what do you guys like to do?" He asked, looking in the mirror mounted on the wall. A pegasus with a purple coat peered back at him. He put a hoof through his black mane, tracing the grey stripe that ran front to back.

"Uh..." Tom said. "We haven't really done anything." Dusk looked at him. "Well, since training of course."

"Training?"

"Yeah." Dave jumped in. "We got basic sword training and flying lessons. We're trained as frontline soldiers, so we're as good as you, if not better."
Duskrider smirked.

"Fat chance! I spar with my father every chance I get!" Dusk's smile faded. "At least, I did. Before all this." Unbidden emotions and images rushed back, and Dusk slid backwards, starting to retreat into the funk he'd been in since Nightmare Moon's return. Tom looked worriedly at Dave. Dave merely drew his sword and placed at on the ground in front of Dusk. He nodded at Tom.

"C'mon then." Tom said, realizing Dave's plan. "Let's have a go." Dusk blinked.

"What?"

"You heard me. One on one. Pony-a-Changeling. You say you're better," Tom stepped closer and tapped Dusk on the nose, "so prove it."

"Or are you scared that you'll be beaten by a Changeling?" Dave taunted. "Are you just a big chicken? Bwak-buk-buk!" Dave imitated a chicken. Dusk stood, angry.

"You wanna go? Fine. Let's go."

Beside the 'hotel' was an old sports facility, not used since Celestia and Luna first came to power. Inside were
various tracks and arenas. Dusk recognized a few, but not all, but he was too angry to care. The nerve of the two Changelings! Calling him a chicken for not wanting to fight! Couldn't they see that he wasn't in the mood? Whatever their reasoning, Dusk's blood was up.

"We'll fight here." Dusk said, walking towards an old boxing ring. He climbed through the musty ropes and into the ring. The cloth covering the ring was mouldy, but Dusk didn't care. A ring was a ring. He stepped to the opposite corner and drew the sword. It wasn't like his sword at all. The balance of the blade felt... off to him. The hilt was small, and felt as if it was about to fall right out of his teeth. He shook it off, determined to beat his 'partners' at their own game. Tom entered the ring, looking worried.

'Ha!' Dusk cheered internally. 'So now you recognize the threat!'

Tom looked over at Dave, then dropped his sheath.

"What are you doing?" Dusk asked around the sword.

"I'm not using real swords." Tom said, then motioned at Dave, who threw two wooden practice swords into the ring. Though not sharp, the blades would sting if they hit you. Dusk didn't plan on getting hit.

"Fine." The two squared off. Duskrider's eyes narrowed, then he lunged. The swords clacked together, and Tom pushed Dusk back, then threw a swing towards his side. Dusk blocked, and was forced to move back as Tom's strikes became regular. By the time Dusk's rump hit the ropes, Tom's sword was a blur. Tom stopped for a second, then swung at Dusk's head. He dodged, and realized too late that it was a feint. The sword changed direction, brushed past Dusk's sword, and smacked against his side. Duskrider dropped his sword in pain. Tom turned back towards his corner.

"Again." He said.

"What?" Dusk panted.

"Again." Tom repeated, then lunged at him. Dusk barely had time to pick up his sword and roll away. This time, before Tom could get any momentum, Dusk battered
his sword aside and hit Tom's neck with the flat of the blade. Dusk winced internally. He'd slowed the blade, but not enough to avoid some serious pain. If Tom felt any of that pain, he didn't show it.

"Again."

The pattern repeated. Sometimes Dusk would get a strike in, but most of the time he was on the defensive, and soon was covered in sores. Finally, both of them were panting.

"Thats... enough for... today." Tom gasped. As Dusk had realized, Changelings have a sort of natural armour, and Tom had taken harder hits than expected and remained standing. Tom realized that Dusk had been trained, but it wasn't much. But the potential was there, and even Tom could see that with more training, Dusk could be a force to be reckoned with.
Limping back to the hotel, Dusk apologized for his outburst.

"That was our fault." Dave said. "I saw you were slipping into a funk, so I put my sword down, and Tom challenged you."

"You've got potential." Tom said. "You probably know more than we do about sword fighting, but when you got mad you lost all of that. In fact, the more tired you were, the better you got. When you forgot how angry you were, your form returned."

Dusk nodded. "We'll do this tomorrow, then? We have all week."

"Sure, only next time it's my turn." Dave grinned.

The week passed quickly, and soon the three were called to the makeshift throne room once more.

"You wanted to see us, Princess?" Dusk asked, bowing. Tom and Dave also bowed. He'd been surprised at how Celestia seemed to have been improved. She no longer needed to be swarmed by nurses, and was sitting up eating some soup. Chrysalis sat on a stool next to her.

"Yes." Celestia brought the bowl to her mouth and sipped. Her magic still hadn't returned, so she had to do everything by hoof. "Your gear has been gathered. Three sets of armour, two swords, 3 saddlebags of food, and," she raised an eyebrow, "one small cloth bag of Yakistani sweets."

"We have also packed you three pairs of snow goggles. They will allow you to see through driving snow, and will reflect any light to give you better sight in the darkness." Chrysalis smiled. "Would you care to join us for dinner? Then you can get on your way after some sleep."

"We'd be honoured." Dusk replied, bowing once more.

"Excellent." Chrysalis clicked twice loudly, and a multitude of Changelings swarmed around the five, changing the room from a bedroom to a dining room. Steaming plates of food were placed on the makeshift table. Celestia stuck to her soup, but nibbled on some cake that had been brought it. Duskrider stuck to the soup too. After years of bland, nutritious rations, everything was far too rich for him. Chrysalis, Tom and Dave didn't eat much either, but the feast wasn't just for the five. The doctors, nurses, and the guards all grabbed some food and joined the conversation periodically. A pair of fillies bounced in and hugged Tom and Dave, then Chrysalis, to give them some nourishment. After that, the Changelings swarmed back in and cleaned up. Dusk, Dave and Tom excused themselves. Back in their room, Tom quickly fell asleep, but Dave and Dusk were both sitting up.

"Hey." Dave whispered. "You worried about tomorrow?"

"Not a chance." Dusk's eyes twinkled in the darkness. "You?"

"Kinda, yeah. This'll be the first time we'll have been outside of Canterlot. I guess I'm just worried something will happen here if we're not."

"Don't worry." Dusk grinned. "You've got me!" But Dusk's cocky exterior hid a troubled mind. It was Duskrider's first time out of Harmony, and he hadn't been asked to leave. Now he'd been tasked with stopping Nightmare Moon and bringing back Princess Luna, not to mention making sure his partners, his friends make it out alive. Dusk's mind was racing with different plans. Something was nagging at him. Why had Celestia emphasized the Yakistani candies? He'd requested them because they'd keep moisture in their mouths and provide energy and salt. Then an idea popped.

"I got it!" Duskrider shouted. Tom jerked awake.

"Got what?" Dave asked, a little confused.

"I got the plan that we'll use to get Luna back!" With excitement rising, Dusk told the two of his plan.

Dusk sighed through his scarf and peered through his goggles at the snow. The goggles had been created for the sole purpose of seeing through the snow, but the blizzard was getting worse. He could barely see anything, and the fear of being separated from his companions had driven him to tie them all together. He felt a tug on the rope looped through his saddlebags and stopped. The wind shrieked past. Duskrider cursed the weather ponies who promised that the blizzard wouldn't be too bad. The only good news was that this storm couldn't get any worse.

"There's something up ahead!" Dave shouted over the wind. Tom said nothing, but just shivered where he stood. Dusk felt bad for the pair. Changelings are more susceptible to the cold.

"What does it look like?" Duskrider fiddled with his scarf.

"I don't know! It's boxy at points, but smooth at others!"

"Okay! Keep your head on a swivel, that might be the Wall!" Dusk shouted back. Visibility in the day would be bad, but at night... coupled with the cold and their exhaustion, they needed shelter soon.

After another half-hour of walking, Dave slammed into the side of something with a clang.

"Found it!"
The trio swept around before finding a gaping hole in the side of the thing and climbing in.

"Oh no." Dusk muttered.

"What is it? What is this?" Tom ground out through chattering teeth.

"This is a train car." Dusk knelt down next to the upturned seats. Must've derailed in the storm. Why would they be out here, though?"

"Bootleggers. Smugglers." Dave said. "Look at the boxes."

"Sweet Apple Acres Cider?" Dusk read the the label aloud. "Why'd they be running cider of all things?"

"I don't know." Dave looked at the sideways door that led to the next car. "C'mon. Maybe the next car doesn't have a hole in it."
As they picked their way through the mess of glass, seats and boxes, Tom's hoof broke through a crate.

"What the..."

"What is it?"

"These aren't crates of cider at all." Tom withdrew a large metal tube out of the box, then a triangularly shaped piece of wood with a lever, piece of flint, and a metal disc attached to it. "Wait a sec. There's a note here."

"Whats it say?"

"Uh... it says 'Urgent. NM building army equipped with musket/cannon. Advise next actions." Tom squinted at the note. "There's a drawing here. I guess this thing is a 'musket'."

"What does it do?" Dave asked, looking at the disassembled musket warily. Dusk broke into another crate and withdrew another note, but this one was attached to the musket, along with a bag filled with black powder and metal balls.

"According to this, you have to attach that wood thing to the musket, called here the 'stock'. Then you load it by pouring this stuff in," Dusk shook the powder bag, "and tap it down with the 'rod'." The rod was clipped onto the barrel, and was made of brass. "Then, you pull down on the lever, called the 'trigger', and it causes the flint to strike the 'pan' and send sparks onto the powder, causing an explosion to send one of these balls down the tube..." Dusk stopped. "Dear Celestia, these are weapons! And if Nightmare Moon is prepping an army with these..."

"We'd better get back and warn Celestia and Chrysalis!" Tom exclaimed.

"Or hurry up our mission." Dave said. "We'll have until the storm breaks to figure it out. No army will be able to march properly in this weather."

Dusk nodded his agreement. "Yeah. Let's keep going through the cars. Maybe one isn't so banged up." The trio went through the next two cars, both of which were mangled. One was completely obliterated. Fragments of wood and glass were spewed all over, and looked like something had smashed through it. Dusk felt a sick sense churning through his gut. Looking at the damage, it was clear this train hadn't derailed. Something had destroyed it!
Finally, they made it to the coal car. The coal had spilled out onto the snow, but the hatch to the engine remained unblocked. Dusk looked at the Changelings, then opened the hatch. Immediately, Dusk retched.

"What is i... Oh Celestia." Dave sucked in a breath.
Inside of the crew compartment were five small cots. One was occupied. The stallion or mare in it, Dusk and Dave couldn't tell, was quite dead. Their head had been smushed by a large metal ball, which was frozen to the floor. Of the occupants of the other cots, there was no sign.

"That settles it, then. This was no derailment." Dusk said shakily, wiping strings of drool off his mouth.

"Who could have done this?" Dave whispered.

"Them." Dusk nodded towards the East, in the general direction of Nightmare Moon's territory. "To stop Princess Celestia and Queen Chrysalis from getting this stuff."

"But... what are we going to do?" Tom asked from below. "Shouldn't getting these things back be priority?"
Dusk was torn. On one hoof, getting the information and material back was priority. The earlier they got back with the information and tech, the quicker Celestia could raise a similarly equipped army to combat Nightmare Moon. However, if they continued on their (now admittedly more dangerous) mission, they could stop any conflict that might occur. Dusk recognized that he'd have to choose one or the other. One Changeling wouldn't last long enough to make it back to civilization even if the storm broke, and even if he sent both, it wasn't a guarantee that he'd make it, let alone accomplish what he needed to do.

"Let's get some rest, in the car that was pretty much intact. We'll make a fire. The smoke won't be noticed in the storm."

The three made it back to the car and patched the few holes that were in it. While Tom made a fire, Dave and Dusk inspected the black powder for the muskets.

"How much did those ponies take?" Dave muttered. They'd found a huge stockpile of the stuff in the car, and Dusk saw even more bags in the other cars.

"As much as they could, I guess." Dusk said. "The more they got, the more we could reverse-engineer it."

"Gah!" Tom shouted from across the room as the small pile of kindling smouldered for a second, then went out. "I give up!" He abandoned the two sticks he was using and grabbed a musket 'stock'. He rapidly depressed the lever, sending sparks showering all over.

"Tom! Wait! Don't!" Dusk shouted, but it was too late.

The sparks bounced off of the wooden floor and landed amongst their saddlebags, igniting them. Dusk grabbed their swords and a couple cans of food, including the bag of candies, before everything was burning. It wasn't long before the flames began licking at the top of the upturned car.

"Well, nuts." Tom said.

"You moron!" Dave yelled. "You just burned up all our stuff, and soon our car! What in Equestria were you thinking!?"

Before Tom could say anything, Duskrider slammed into both and launched them out of the car, along with the food and the swords. Then he raced back inside and grabbed a stock and tube of a musket.

"Get out of here!" Dusk yelled as he galloped away from the train.

"Why?" Dave said, even as he and Tom were beside Dusk, matching his pace. They had the food and weapons.

"That powder! Once the fire gets to it-"

A loud BOOM drowned out his next words, and rumbled through the snowy drifts. The ground heaved, as if some giant had yanked it up and down to clear dirt off of it. The trio slammed the ground and bounced. Unable to hear anything past the ringing in their ears, they turned and saw the massive plume of dirty black smoke rising from where the wreckage was, silhouetted by the moon. As wood and metal rained down around them, Dusk realized that the storm had stopped. Then he noticed beams of light shining towards the train from the Wall. Seconds later, massive strobes of orange light began to flash along the wall. Then Dusk noticed the carcass of the train twitching, and more wood flew into the sky. Massive balls tore through it and slammed into snowdrifts.

"Oh, buck!" Dusk screamed. "Cannons!"

That's when a big chunk of something slammed into the side of Duskrider's head, and everything went black.

Author's Note

Well, crap. This is taking longer than I thought it would. Thank God spring break came when it did, or else this wouldn't have been finished.

Next chapter coming whenever it's finished!

Captured

When Dusk awoke, he couldn't see. Wherever he was, it was pitch-black. He panicked, and tried to run, only to end up smacking into the side wall. Then he noticed some features in the room, and realized that there was some light. The light coming in the room was from a tiny crack in the wall that Dusk had unknowingly been blocking with his body.

The room was barren. A skeleton of a metal bed lay against the wall, and a moth-eaten blanket and pillow were the only sheets on it. There was no way out, as far as Dusk could see, except for the crack. A clatter across the room startled him. Before he could do anything, a black bag was thrown over his head, and something hard hit the side of his head. Dusk spiralled into unconsciousness.

"What are we gonna do?" Tom hissed. The two Changelings were inside of the Wall, thanks to their shape-shifting abilities. They'd followed the party of Night Soldiers, disguised as one of them, as they brought Duskrider back through the Wall. The two had found a supply closet, and put on armour and a standard Night Soldier sword. Their abilities allowed them to have a fake helmet and armour, but it wouldn't ward away any sword or hold up under intense scrutiny. The swords they had, genuine Equestrian steel, stood out as well. Now fully kitted up, they had free range of the Night sector.

"We're going to get Dusk, that's what we're gonna do." Dave answered.

"How are we going to do that?" Tom wheedled. "We've got no idea wh-"

"Excuse me, sir." Dave said to an approaching Night Soldier. "We've been assigned guard duty to prisoners, but we're not sure where to go."

"Town centre, then down the steps of the guard house." The soldier answered in a flat voice before continuing on his march.

"Thank you, sir." Dave waited until the guard was out of sight before flashing a grin at Tom. "See? Town centre. Let's move."

The pair hustled quickly to the town centre. Before Tom could enter the guard house, Dave slammed a foreleg into his chest and pushed him around the corner.

"Shut up." He hissed. "Look."

A group of soldiers that were walking through the door were dragging a limp pony towards a large wagon. Even though there was a hood over the pony's head, Dave knew it was Dusk from the cutie mark.

"C'mon." Dave stepped out from behind the wall and approached the group, who had tossed Dusk into the back of the wagon. He saluted.

"You stand relieved, soldiers." Dave said, copying the earlier guard's voice.

"Our relief isn't until 0300." One soldier said, and Dave noticed the bright stripe on his shoulders. This stallion was in charge.

"New orders. From the top. Fresh eyes at all times." Dave's explanation didn't seem to sway the guard captain, but he waved at his troops anyway.

"Breaktime's early, boys."

The guards dispersed, eerily quiet, back to the guardhouse. The captain stopped at the door as Dave and Tom scrambled into the wagon's back. As it began to rumble away, Dave saw him turn and look at the departing wagon. Almost as if he was staring right at Dave.

Dusk woke up to the pitching, rolling motion of the wagon. He blinked. He couldn't see anything, but that wasn't his main concern. His head felt like it was swollen, and somepony was inside ringing a massive school-bell. He groaned.

"Hey." He heard a voice, and the darkness lifted. He saw the concerned face of a Night Soldier.

"Wher... Who?"

"Relax." The rough British accent of Tom was music to Dusk's ears. "We snuck in to bust you out."

"Yeah." Now Dusk recognized Dave's voice. "Not sure how we're going to do that at this point."

"What happened to all the gear?" Dusk mumbled.

"We left most of it in what's left of the train. We kept the sweets, though." Tom grinned. "Very uncomfortable in this armour though."

"Well, I'm real-"

"Shh!" Dave's ears perked up. "We're stopping."

The wagon eventually clattered to a stop. Dave put the bag back over Dusk's head. The trio heard muffled conversation outside, and then six Night Soldiers climbed into the back of the wagon. One nodded to Dave and Tom. He had two shiny silver bars on his shoulders. Dave and Tom saluted.

"At ease." The stallion grunted as he sat. "Acon, who's our guest here?"

"A stallion, sir. He was caught near Sector Seven. Commander Nightmare," the soldier looked down and paused, "has requested a personal audience with him, for unknown reasons, Ironhoof, sir."

"Ah." They rode in silence for a few moments before Ironhoof cleared his throat.

"Acon, isn't it time for some PT?"

"Yessir. Troops, disemBARK!" The wagon stopped moving, and the soldiers inside jumped out and began to gallop alongside as it began to move again. While the soldiers marched, Acon yelled cadence.

"He's good, isn't he?" Ironhoof smiled. "Wanted to be a singer. Then Nightmare Moon got to him. Shame, really."

"Y-yeah." Dave said. Ironhoof looked at the black bag over Dusk's head.

"Take that thing off."

"Sir?" Dave stiffened. "We've been ordered to leave that ba-"

"Son, I outrank whomever gave you that asinine order. Take it off."

Dave relented, and took the bag off Duskrider's head. Ironhoof took a look at his head.

"Well, you've got a gash the size of Manehatten on the side of your head, but you'll be fine." He grinned, then turned to Dave.

"Changelings, right?" Tom stiffened, and slowly moved towards his sword. Ironhoof chuckled.

"Relax! That was just a guess. I was told that two changelings would be accompanying Duskrider here."

"You were... told?" Dusk asked.

"Yep." Ironhoof leaned back slightly. "Way back when, before the Night, I was a Royal Guard. Trained my whole life to serve for Princess Celestia and Princess Luna." He snorted, then spat out the back of the wagon. "Then the Night fell, and I was stuck on this side of the tracks when Chrysalis' children drove Nightmare Moon out of Canterlot, and the Wall was built. Nightmare captured me, but instead of brainwashing me like she did to these poor kids, she let me keep my brain, for the things I knew about Celestia."

"But... I thought that Luna was Nightmare Moon?" Dusk said.

"She is. Or, she was. The first time, she might have willingly given herself to Nightmare Moon, but this time, she was forced. Perhaps she hasn't given up her memories. Remember, Nightmare Moon had a small glance at our world when she returned from the moon the first time. A lot of things have changed."

"So, she uses you as an insider?" Dave asked, passing a cup of water to Dusk.

"Yeah, yet I'm used as a spy by the 'Resistance', as they call themselves. Should just be the Equestrians." Ironhoof sighed. "I just want to be a Royal Guard again. All this spy mumbo jumbo is too confusing." He coughed, then looked at Dusk. "So you're the one she asked to get her sister back... What makes you special?"

"Uh... my parents were friends with Princess Luna. She visited about once a month as I was growing up. Celestia said that they were just grasping at hay at this point."

"They're betting a lot on this hay." Ironhoof mused. "And there might be better options. Me, for instance. As a sleeper to take out Nightmare Moon."

"Take out? As in..." Dave's voice trailed off.

"Take out. End. Remove the threat." Ironhoof's voice was hard.

"But... that would mean Luna would be gone too." Dusk said.

"That's why she doesn't want to do it." Ironhoof sighed. "After all these years, she's still hoping non-violence will save the day?" He was about to continue when the soldiers outside stopped singing, and the wagon slowly ground to a halt. "Aw, shoot." With surprising swiftness, Ironhoof jammed the hood back on Duskrider, took the cup of water and drank it, then leaned back, as if nothing happened.

They continued the trip in relative silence.

Author's Note

Yay, new chapter! I seriously need to stop procrastinating.

Hello Again, Princess!

As it turned out, Ironhoof and his squad were being rotated to the castle. They jumped out at the guard shack that blocked the road leading to the Castle of Two Sisters. Ironhoof, being the last one out, quietly wished Dave, Tom and Duskrider luck in their endeavour.

The wagon clattered to a halt beside of the main doors of the castle. Dave was mildly surprised. The castle, which had been decrepit and crumbling, had been repaired, and then some. The Everfree forest had been razed around the castle, and it was at least three times as big as it once was. The wagon driver hopped out and helped drag Dusk out of the back. Four soldiers came over to them.

"Where are the soldiers that were supposed to be guarding the prisoner?" One asked, again in the slight monotone of all Night soldiers.

"We were told to relieve them." Dave responded.

"On whose orders?"

"We were told by the messenger that the orders were from Commander Nightmare." At that, all ponies glanced at the ground for a moment.

"We were not aware of such a change. We are on high alert for spies, especially after finding him." The soldier jabbed Dusk in the side. "Whatever the case for the discrepancy, we'll figure it out." The soldier studied at Dave for a moment, then turned to the others. "Clasps."
A heavy iron clasp was placed around Dusk's middle, trapping his wings to his side. A chain was wrapped around the clasp, and was connected to four other clasps that had been placed on Dusk's legs. The chains were short enough to restrict Dusk's movement to a extremely slow shuffle. It didn't stop the soldiers from jabbing him in the back to get him to hurry up. As Dusk was led through the doors, the wagon driver drove away, leaving Dave and Tom standing alone, save for a pair of guards near the doors. The changeling pair moved out of their earshot.

"What do we do now?" Tom asked.

"We get in there." Dave replied. "And we bring the Princess out."

As Dusk was pushed through the castle, he was distinctly aware of the silence. The only noise was his chains rattling. His guard's and his own hoofsteps were silent. Dusk pondered the ramifications of this until he was led down a flight of steep stairs. Unable to proceed due to his chains, the guards dumped him down the stairs. Dusk did his best to tuck his limbs in as he tumbled. He slammed hard into the concrete floor with a yelp, and lay still for a moment, letting the pain fade. He stood, shakily, and looked around. The room was quite large, but empty except for large doors on the opposite end. Duskrider decided to start shuffling over. He made it about halfway when he heard a *pop* behind him. He turned to see the two guards that threw him down the stairs standing just behind him. Without a word, the two shoved him towards the doors.

Meanwhile, the two Changelings had finalized their plans.

"Hey, can you give us a hoof down here?" Dave yelled from around the corner mimicking Ironhoof's voice. The two guards at the door looked at each other, puzzled, before going down the steps and towards Dave's voice. They were almost at the corner when Tom and Dave pounced. The first guard was knocked unconscious by Tom's hoof. The other found himself being smacked with the flat of Dave's sword. The Changelings dumped the pair into the bushes, then donned their image and armour. The two then slipped through the doors, determined to find Duskrider.

Dusk stumbled, and the guard shoved him again. The slight incline of the hallway, and his chains, was causing him great difficulties. He'd been given a sip of water and a piece of black bread, and that was the only food he'd been given since the wagon. Sweat dripped off his muzzle.

"How much fu-"

"Shut up." The guard in front smacked him across the face. "No talking." Dusk fell silent again. He wanted to take a sword and go after the guards with it, but he knew it was a futile thought. He could barely walk, let along fight three guards. He shuffled on for a few more minutes. The guard in front suddenly stopped, then turned and started hitting Dusk in the face. One of the other guards managed to restrain him.

"Cool it! Do you want the Commander to hear about this?" The second guard hissed.

"Equestrian scum! You will burn! You don't deserve to live!" The first guard yelled.

"What the buck's gotten into him?" The second guard asked. The third guard stayed silent.

"Something must be wrong with his obedience spell." The third finally said. "Take him to the infirmary. Find another pair of guards and get them down here. Quickly! The Commander hates waiting!"
The second guard practically dragged the first back down the winding hall. Dusk spat out one of his teeth.

'Obedience spell?' He thought. 'Why would soldiers and guards need an obedience spell?'
The remaining guard saw Dusk's thoughtful gaze.

"Commander or no, if you try to run, I will dispose of you." Dusk remained silent, only nodding in what he hoped was abject fear.

Dave and Tom marched through the halls of the castle. They'd found the armoury, the washrooms, the mess hall, everything except a detention area or a dungeon.

"Hey! You two!" A voice called from the end of the hall. The pair stiffened. Had they been found out already?
"Hey! You guys gotta go to the Commander's Star Chamber, right away. Muck's guarding the spy." The soldier yelled, dragged another soldier who was doing his darnedest to break free.

"Star chamber?" Dave asked.

"Buck. You on rotation? Look for a door that looks like a closet near the mess. There should be a load of steps." The soldier paused to smack the other in the face. "For bucks sake, be calm! Go down those steps and there'll be a set of double doors. Go through those, and keep going up." The soldier gave a half-salute and began to drag the other away. Dave looked at Tom.

"Do you believe in magic?" Tom grinned.

Duskrider had managed to count to 500 when he saw two soldiers appear around the curve of the hallway. They hauled him to his hooves without a word, but Dusk noticed that one winked at him. The hallway became steeper, it's curves sharper. Dusk found himself almost unable to continue due to the chains, and one of the guards noticed. They conversed for a moment while Dusk caught his breath, then pulled the clasps off his hooves. The one around his midsection remained. Finally, the hallway plateaued with a heavy iron door. Suddenly, two of the guards attacked the other. They quickly beat the guard unconscious.

"What the..!" Dusk shrank back, as if these guards were also about to attack him. Then one was engulfed in green flame, changing into a familiar pony.

"Miss us?"

"Dave!"

"Shh!" The other, who sounded a lot like Tom, hissed. "That door may be iron, but it probably isn't soundproof."

"Right. Sorry." Dusk whispered back.

"S'alright." Tom grinned. "It's good to see you in... mostly one piece." Dusk became aware of the blood that had covered his upper lip.

"In my defence, he surprised me, and I couldn't exactly fight in those."

Tom smirked. "Likely story." Dusk grinned. Dave coughed.

"We've still got to get Princess Luna back." He said.

"Do you still have the bag?" Dusk asked anxiously. If the bag was lost, so was the plan.

"Right here." In Tom's pocket, the brown fabric of the candy's bag was visible.

"Alright. Let's bring back the sun." Dusk said. Dave used the knocker on the door. It echoed down the hall, a deep, ominous BOOM BOOM BOOM. The door slid open without a sound. It was pitch black on the other side.

"Bring him to me." A voice commanded. Tom and Dave, transformed again into the guards, shoved Dusk roughly forwards. A strange, eerie light began to shine, and Dusk realized that it was the moon, hanging overhead like a fallen star, the roof of the room removed. It's light bathed everything in an odd white colour. That's when Dusk saw Nightmare Moon.

She lay upon her throne, gazing at Dusk as he was brought in.

"You may leave." She said to Tom and Dave. They bowed and walked towards the exit.

"So... you are the Duskrider..." She muttered to herself. "You've cause us a lot of trouble, you know. Since you... left our territory, I've had to... punish, shall we say, your parents." Nightmare Moon licked her lips. "But now! Now you have returned, and you shall be punished in their place!"
Dusk said nothing. He just stood, staring at Nightmare Moon.

"Well? Aren't you going to cower in fear and plead for your life?" Nightmare Moon laughed. Somewhere, an unseen storm launched a lightning bolt, lighting up the sky. Dusk stood his ground, and finally spoke.

"I would like to speak to Princess Luna."

"Luna? Luna!?" Nightmare Moon cackled. More lightning. "I got rid of that weakling a long time ago! Now it's only I, NIGHTMARE MOON!"
But Dusk didn't flinch.

"I will only speak to Princess Luna."

"What part of 'Luna no longer exists' do you understand, insolent wretch! I should have gotten rid of you a long time ago!" Nightmare Moon's horn began to glow. At that moment, Dusk ripped off the body clamp, which had been loosened by Dave and Tom, and rocketed towards the open sky. He was immediately stopped by Nightmare Moon. Enveloped in her magical aura, he was dragged back down to face her. Dusk began to struggle.

"Luna! Luna, help!"

"Shut up! Luna is GONE!" Nightmare Moon roared. Her horn shone with power.

"You're really that stupid?" A voice called from Dusk's left. "That's not even the real Duskrider!" Both Nightmare Moon and Dusk turned to see... another Duskrider! With a growl, Nightmare launched Dusk to the side, and blasted magic at the other Dusk. He nimbly avoided the attack.

"Psst!" The real Dusk turned and saw yet another Duskrider grinning at him. "Plan's working like a charm, mate." Tom slipped Dusk the bag of candy. Just as Tom was about to say something else, a scream drew their attention across the room. Dave had finally been hit, and he slumped to the floor in his Changeling form.

"Buck!" Dusk yelled involuntarily. Nightmare's head snapped around. She used her magic to pick Dusk up again, and he floated in front of her.

"I was going to disintegrate you quickly," she hissed, "but now I want to watch you squirm." Dusk felt a tightness in his throat, and tried to take a breath. He found that he couldn't! He gaped, trying to get some air in. Dusk's head began to pound, and his vision started growing blurry.

"Hey, ugly! Yeah, you with the horrible mane!" Dusk's voice echoed around the chamber. "You've got the wrong pony! AGAIN! You really are that stupid, ain't ya?" Tom's shouting distracted Nightmare Moon enough that she loosened her grip in Dusk's throat. If he could just turn and grab the bag..!

"Pppphh!" Tom brew a raspberry at Nightmare. She fired a beam at Tom, and it glanced off of him. His image flicked for a moment between Dusk's and his regular Changeling form. Nightmare scoffed, and turned her attention back to Dusk. She gasped.

"Do you want a candy Pwincess Wuna?" Dusk's eyes were wide and innocent. The bag of Yakistani sweets was clutched in his mouth. Nightmare Moon shook her head, and tried to choke Dusk again, but her magic faltered. She shook her head again.

"What? No... You can't still be here! You're gone! I erased you!" Nightmare Moon began yelling, wrenching her head from side to side. Dusk was released from her grip and fell to the floor. He looked up in time to see Nightmare Moon explode into light, and in her place lay a triumphant Princess Luna.

"Lu-!" Dusk's yell of victory was interrupted when he noticed an ominous blue cloud of smoke floating above them. It moved back and forth frantically, as if searching for something. It dove towards the still-unconscious Dave, then twisted towards Tom, then finally slammed into Dusk. His vision faded out.

Dusk was floating in a featureless void. A grey fog surrounded him. He felt a presence behind him. When he turned, he saw himself.

"Hello." The other him said, with a twisted grin on it's face. "Do you know what I am?"

"No." Dusk answered.

"I am Nightmare force. I am a being of extraordinary power. I can give you my power." The other Dusk transformed. It's mane flowed like Nightmare Moon's, black and white with glittering white spots imbedded inside. It's eyes glowed blue. It's teeth were pointed, and it wore black armour. "I can make you the most powerful pony in all of Equestria, but only if you join me."

"No thanks." Dusk replied. The other him said nothing, only snarling and launching itself at Dusk.

Dusk's vision suddenly switched back to the real world, and he saw the blue cloud yet again, this time trying to flee out the open roof. Luna laughed.

"For years, I punished myself. I hated Nightmare Moon, and by extension myself. Now, I learned I was never in control!" To Dusk's amazement, the moon overhead began to fall back down over the horizon. The sun, for the first time in many years peeking out. The glare was incredible, but Dusk managed to see the cloud burst apart. A piece of the shattered Nightmare hit him in the chest, but he didn't care. The warmth of the sun ran over his body like a river of fire. He felt powered, emboldened. Luna, in the glare of the returning sun, embraced Dusk.

"Thank you, Duskrider. You allowed me the chance to escape the Nightmare's grasp!"

As the sun reappeared, Sombra looked at the sky in the Crystal Empire. A sadistic grin spread across his face.

"So, the Day has returned."

"Yes." The figure behind him said. "You know what this means."

"Yes. Oh, yes." Sombra's eyes glittered. He turned, and faced the western edge of the platform. His soldiers, his SUBJECTS, no longer slaves, stood before him. He raised his foreleg, his hoof facing towards the heavens.

"My Imperial Crystal Army! TO WAR!"
His cry was echoed by thousands.