Chapter 4: Mystery of the Night

Arc I: Purge

Chapter 4: Mystery of the Night

Perspective: Starkiller

It seems all of us had the same idea as soon as I saw that blue mist. Something happened in that castle, and I intend to find out what.

We’re all sprinting toward the castle as fast as the weakest link can carry us, which I’m mollified to admit is me. As we go, we’re discussing what we saw. It’s mostly theory supplies with rumors, time jumping bullshit and thinly veiled conjecture, but it’s all we have to go on until we can figure out what’s going on.

“No, I don’t see how that would work.” Miles seems to be in an argument with Naruto.

“Well, it would make sense that this Nightmare Moon, or whatever she’s called, has the ability to shapeshift, or, failing that, possess, if she was able to nearly fool the Elements five times in a row. But now that she’s escaped, she could do just about anything, and we have no way of stopping her!”

“Oh, am I hearing a concession in that sentence?”

Apparently, Miles already figured Naruto’s personality out, because now he’s irritably snapping out a response. “I never said that! I never give up, and that’s my ninja way! Just because we can’t stop her doesn’t mean we shouldn’t at least try to slow her down!” Well, despite his attitude clouding his judgement, he has a point. We might not be able to beat her if what Miles had told us was true, but we can certainly distract her until Twilight and the others, the bearers of the Elements that Miles told us about, are able to harness their power to banish the darkness. Problem is, we’re so focused on getting to the castle, I don’t think any of us bothered to double-check the direction she went in. So now we have to go off a gut feeling to get us to her, unless she decides to rear her ugly head again and start destroying shit. That would only be too convenient.

I stop suddenly and grab the other two before they can run past me, almost falling into a chasm. That was close. “Are you guys done arguing now? We need to be focusing on the task at hand, not bickering like little children.” I’m starting to get tired of this, and I had patience beaten into my head during my Sith training. Training that I pointedly ignored when I came around, but the point still stands.

Naruto looks away indignantly, while Miles just smiles, knowing that he basically won the argument. “Now let’s go. I get the feeling we’re not alone out here.” I slowly push open the large, ornate stone door slowly, but it makes a lot of noise as I do so… and as soon as the three of us are in the decrepit building, the door’s hinges proceed to snap and break, promptly causing the door to fall toward us. I turn around and Grip it, slowly moving it out of the way before turning it and throwing it out of the new hole made by the lack of door. It goes hurtling off the cliff into the chasm.

We walk into the ancient, decrepit castle and look around. Many tapestries hang from the walls, though most are in tatters, except for two important-looking fixtures hanging over two royal thrones. The one on the left depicts the Sun rising in the sky, and a white alicorn pony is shown on it. On the other is a depiction of the night sky and stars, with the rising Moon and a dark blue alicorn pony depicted on it.

Naruto seems to be enraptured with the tapestries, until I tap him on the side of the head. He gives me a withering glare in response. “What?!”

“We still have a mission to complete. Come on,” I say bluntly as I walk toward the stone stairs leading to what seems to be the castle tower.

I pretty much have to do the same to Miles, who seems to like the art forms encountered in this castle even more so than Naruto. I basically have to drag him across the castle.

A flight of stairs later, I find myself standing in front of a large, ornate stone door that probably houses the castle tower interior. I gingerly push it open and take a look around.

Two pillars that support the structure have been partially or completely destroyed in places, leaving a severe lack of support that will probably cause a structure collapse. Various marks have been gouged out through the walls and ground of the structure, indicating the use of sharp weapons or laser beams to inflict lasting damage, another sign that the structure is soon to collapse.

Along the walls and ground are also scattered large burn marks, damaging the ornate stone walkways and walls and causing them to blacken slightly. There are also signs of brute force magic or archaic energy being used, such as the large crater on the inner wall to the left of me.

Only when I look at the wall next to me do I notice a young man standing there, looking shocked. He has brown hair tied back in a small ponytail, and his face is soft and curved. The baby fat is still present, which tells me he hasn’t worked a day in his life, really. Or at least he hasn’t done very much work.

I turn to him and approach him, clearing my throat while doing so. He turns to me. “Are you the only one here? We saw the white light and came to figure out what it was.”

“Well… yes and no.” The young man speaks in a rather low voice. “I was watching a fight between some man who wielded magic… and this mare from legend called Nightmare Moon…”

I turn to Miles when I hear him chuckle to himself. I raise an eyebrow in a questioning gesture.

“Nightmare Moon, huh? Well, shit; that means I did come back in time.” I cross my arms, waiting for further explanation. “Well, if that’s the case, guys, it looks like we’re going to have to stop her.”

Naruto suddenly turns to us. ‘Really? You told us that the Elements banished the darkness inside her heart. How could she be here?”

Miles turns to Naruto. “For you two, this will be your first time seeing her. For me, though, the Elements told me about when they fought her. If we’re currently in the timeframe where Nightmare Moon escaped, then that means I’ve gone back in time. I don’t know how, so don’t ask.”

I turn to Miles and the other man. “Alright, so we’ve got a situation on our hands here, only you,” I look at Miles pointedly, “have any depth as to what you’ve been told, and said mare is gone. Which means we have to find her quickly, before she can cause any unforeseen damage.” I realize the man we walked in on had said he watched the battle. That might be pertinent information. I turn to him, crossing my arms in a show of faux impatience. “You said you saw the battle?” The man nods nervously, as if prepared to be struck. “Then that means you have more experience with her firsthand than any of us here. Even his anecdote ca only be construed as speculation. Can you come with us?”

The man looks up in surprise, shock evident on his face. “How long?” He asks somewhat timidly.

“Not long. At least however long it takes to find and subdue this Nightmare Moon, anyways.” The man slowly nods. “What’s your name?”

The man stands there, perplexed for a scant moment, before he raises his head up with a little more confidence than before. “Me? I’m… I’m James.”

I move to make a handshake with him, one which he readily accepts. “Starkiller.”

The man, James, then proceeds to show more perception than I had believed he was capable of. “Umm, pardon… but that sounds more like a title than a name.”

“That’s because it is. My actual name is Galen. Come on, let’s get going.” I turn about and walk out the stone ornate door. Naruto and Miles immediately take up flanking on my sides, while James slowly moves to follow us from the back.

As we descend the stairs, James moves to walk beside me. “So… who are the other two?”

We finish descending the stairs before I respond. “Why don’t you ask them yourself? Especially the young one, he seems to have been ready to introduce himself practically since he saw you. He’s like that.”

I move to exit the building as James proceeds to exchange polite greetings with Miles and Naruto, at which point I notice he moves to walk on the side of Naruto opposite Miles. I just chalk it up to him not liking Miles for whatever reason and keep moving along the path that leads seemingly to nowhere.

Three Hours Later

The four of us continue to move along the path, wearily looking for any signs of trouble. Over the last three hours since we left the castle, we’ve been ambushed by a manticore (or at least that’s what James and Miles called it) that was under Nightmare Moon’s influence by way of a blue-grayish large thorn stuck in its paw, nearly fell off a cliff to the point where I had to Jump all the way up and Grip and pull the others back up, and James was nearly scared to death by trees manipulated by her magic to have faces, which I found very disturbing.

Miles is speaking with Naruto about something relating to his civilization. It seems he is not happy about something. It’s as if a part of him is missing. I can’t explain it.

As I’m walking, I notice the path slowly get a little more worn, as if people have been through this area before. I pull out my left lightsaber, but don’t activate it. I need to be ready for anything.

As we’re walking, I suddenly feel a gust of wind, and look back toward Naruto and Miles… except there is no Miles. Was that him that just caused that gust of wind? “Where did Miles go?”

Naruto starts fidgeting around, as if trying to hide something. “He… left. That’s it. No explanation, he just left. He was in the middle of telling me about his civilization, then he stopped, looked up, and just vanished.”

Dammit. Well, there goes our help. I suddenly feel a crushing presence coming from outside the woods. I think Naruto feels it as well, because he sends chakra to his feet, coating them in a yellow and black striped aura, and sprints off toward the end. I turn around. “Come on, James! That might be Nightmare Moon!” I turn around before he has a chance to respond, grab him and pick him up before Dashing off in the direction of the disturbance.

Three minutes of running at full speed later, I suddenly shoot out of the woods into a large area with rolling green hills. I gently set onto the ground a slightly disoriented James and continue toward the source of the disturbance. It seems to be located inside a small town built for Ewoks, though the colors don’t match their building style.

I continue until I’m inside the town, then look up to find Miles flying toward the disturbance. I look in the direction his head and body are turned, and my eyes widen in shock when I find the same tacky blue mist from before. That’s Nightmare Moon.

I power up and Jump onto a roof, preparing for a large-scale attack. I pull out my lightsabers and activate them, then Jump off with all my might and launch myself at Nightmare Moon. I don’t think she notices me.

I quickly find out the error of my ways as glowing white eyes suddenly form in the mist, staring right at me, and shine brightly. I feel an immense pressure that forces me to drop and slam hard onto the ground forty feet below, and am barely able to feel blood trickle down my face before I succumb to the darkness.

Perspective: Naruto

I sprint out of the forest and channel chakra to my eyes, looking for the source of the disturbance, and quickly identify it as Nightmare Moon, whose tacky blue mist seems to be terrorizing a small town about two miles away. I feel a discharge of power and look up to find Miles flying toward the mist. “Miles!” It’s evident he doesn’t hear me, because continues along his allotted path.

I jump forward and increase my speed toward the town, knowing instinctively that something bad will happen if we do not stop Nightmare Moon.

I delve into my mindscape. ‘Kurama, be ready for anything. I don’t know how powerful this Nightmare Moon is, but I may need your strength.’

“You do not need to worry, Naruto. The other bijuu and I stand beside you, ready to fight.” I breathe a sigh of relief.

‘Alright, thanks, Kurama.’ I cut the connection as I run through what looks like the town square, and jump up toward the blue mist that now resides directly above me.

I form a Rasengan in my right hand and feed it with chakra from the Mark of the Sun on my left hand, turning the sphere a glowing gold. “Hey bad dream! Take this!”

I see eyes suddenly form in the mist and shine brightly before I feel the gravity around me increase drastically. I almost instinctively push much of my chakra to my legs and prepare for a hard landing.

I land on the ground hard due to the increased gravity and reinforce my entire body with my chakra to help stave off the effects of the increased gravity. I look to my left upon hearing ground cracking and see Galen inside a small crater, unconscious. Damn. There goes half our firepower.

I reestablish the link to my mindscape. ‘Son, I’m going to need you to lend me your chakra! This gravity is draining my chakra, and I need to coserve my chakra so I can fight!’

I wait for a second before I hear a response. “It is done. If you leave now, you will find my hard shell protecting your body and lessening the effects of the increased gravity. Fight hard and triumph.”

‘Oh, I intend to, believe it!’ I cut the connection with a small laugh as I hear Son’s chuckle. I turn back up to suddenly find the mist much closer to me. I dash off into an alleyway as I notice the lessened effects of the gravity field due to Son’s shell protecting me.

I jump onto a building roof, but have to jump onto another as I see the blue mist shoot toward me, barely making it out of the way, and feeling glad I did so, because the second I see the blue mist hit the roof of the building I was on a scant moment ago, it cuts through it like a knife through scrib jelly.

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” I create ten clones, each of which form a Rasenshuriken in their right hand. I use one of the clones to propel myself toward the blue mist as the clones throw their Rasenshuriken I create another clone wordlessly under the mist, and one next to me to propel me toward the mist. It grabs my right arm as I activate Sage Mode, causing the orange rings to appear around my now golden toad-like eyes, and coat my left arm in Sage chakra.

The clone flings me toward the mist just as the Rasenshuriken come into range. As expected, Nightmare Moon focuses on them, engulfing them in her tacky blue mist. I see the clone under her form a handseal and turn into four, just as I myself get ready.

“Special order of sucker punch, coming right up!” That gets her attention as I get ready to land the hit, reeling back my arm. As expected, though, she uses gravity manipulation to send me flying back as the clones coat themselves in transparent fire chakra and hurl themselves at her.

I form a handseal and smirk confidently at her staring at me. “You’re on fire! Clone Explosion!” I safely land on the ground just as Nightmare Moon looks under her. Just in time to receive four explosive blasts straight to the face. I see Miles drop from the sky, deactivating his energy and letting gravity do the rest, as while Nightmare Moon is trying to recover from my technique, he delivers what looks to be a very painful drop kick from high in the sky, turning the eyes to the right.

She manages to shake it off and her eyes shine again, but this time I feel an immense pressure in the air that forces me to the ground. I hit the ground so hard I almost pass out, but I barely manage to remain conscious. I slowly sit up, finding my wounds already healing thanks to Kurama and the other bijuu. I open my eyes to find the blue mist right in front of me. I get up and backpedal, ready for anything.

“You are an interesting one. Maybe I might take you as a consort when my conquest is finished.” What the hell? This chick is seriously fucked up.

“Hah, please. I wouldn’t even consider it if you don’t show your ugly face to me and stop hiding behind that mist you call a form!” I watch as the mist gets… darker? Denser? The eyes turn coal black and I hear a growl of rage, at which time I proceed to turn around and run off as fast as I can. OK, maybe that was the wrong thing to say.

This is bad. The mist is right on my heels, intent on bisecting me. I jump up and watch as the mist shoots ahead, stops, turns around and shoots at me, all within the span of a second. I raise my arms to block, but I know it won’t work. I saw what it could cut.

I close my eyes and wait, but open them back up when I don’t feel any pain. I see a man encased in yellow and blue energy wildly whipping all around him tangled up with the dark mist, throwing punches and putting his arms up to block her attacks, ignoring everything she throws at him.

“I'm never going to allow you to take over, Nightmare Moon!” The man all but screams at the mist as a rope of it flings him back. It doesn’t really do much, though, because the man uses his energy to correct himself in the air and start flying back toward her, a longsword with the sun as a cross guard now gripped in his left hand. The mist darts toward him, but he moves the weapon in front of him and slashes forward, and my jaw nearly falls slack as a massive beam of yellow and blue energy is slung out of the blade almost faster than I can follow, slamming into Nightmare Moon with a resonating boom and sending her hurtling back.

I watch as the mist once again shoots away, the man trying to chase after it, both shooting out of view. OK, so it seems whoever that man is, Nightmare Moon is afraid of his power. I guess that’s a good thing. It just depends on what happens, though. All I know is we need that man on our side.

I touch back down into the town and move over to the crater from earlier, where I find Galen slowly sitting up and looking around. I move to him and help him up. “Thanks, Naruto.” He brushes himself off before looking at me. ‘Man, I completely underestimated her. That was brutal.”

“Man, are you kidding? You got slammed into the ground like a javelin. Just boom.” He grumbles at that, but doesn’t deny it. I laugh at his expense… well, that is, until I get slapped really hard.

“Shut up…” He mumbles, just as I see James unsteadily walk into view. His face looks pale, as if he just got done throwing up.

“You alright, James?” I move toward him and ask him. He just gives me a half-hearted thumbs up. Yeah, I don’t believe you.

I remember the slap when I feel my cheek retort painfully to its movement, and a tick mark forms above my head. “Ow, why the hell did you hit me, asshole?” Now Galen’s the one laughing. “It’s not funny…” We take our time to find a tree to sit by and just pass the remaining time until we all fall asleep, myself being the last one, watching the stars.

Author's Note

There's Chapter 4, everypony! It had been ready weeks in advance, but I got too caught up in my college classes and almost forgot to post it. But better late than never, so tell me what you think.

I'm new to the whole "action" part of writing, so tell me how the action part of the story feels. I'm hoping I did pretty good. Anyway, I have to get to work finishing up Chapter 7, so I'll see you next week with Chapter 5!