“Clint, I got us some food.” A pregnant lime green pegasus said to Havok as the young man looked up. “I know you aren’t very hungry, but I got you a little bit of stuff.”
“Thanks, you cutie rump.” His shit eating grin resulted in Ruby puffing her cheeks with disapproval. “Aw, don’t be like that Lilly.”
Ruby flicked her tail as she put the food tray down. “Humans love to be such hard flanks.”
“You know it.” The couple were among many that gathered at the largest hub station that orbited over Equestria. Species from all over the galaxy came here to witness the fledgling world jump to intergalactic scene. It helped that universal consensus agreed that ponies were adorable. Havok and Ruby Heart were not an unusual sight on the space station since humans and ponies found each other to be great company.
“Hmm, tasty. So did the others go down to Equestria?” Ruby munched away on her bouquet of flowers.
Havok nodded as he stirred his drink. “Yup. Captain has a date with a special someone. You know who that is. The rest of the crew have made their plans and junk.”
Ruby gulped petals down with audible satisfaction. “I take it that you-know-who got his date with the ‘librarian’.”
“He sure did. She’s been leading that relationship by the carrot.” Havok chuckled as Ruby scrunched. “Get it? Cause he’s a horse.”
“Hilarious. Just as funny as the joke when you got me a drink on our first date.” Ruby huffed as she looked away. “I hope you won’t subjugate our foal to your jokes when she is born.”
“Are you kidding? It is a sworn duty of a father to give the child a hard time.” Havok’s quick hand patted Ruby’s tummy before being shooed away. “They have to stay on their hooves.”
Their laughter carried farther than they knew. A cloaked figure gulped as she watched the couple. She breathed slowly. An older filly peaked out beneath her mother. “T-that’s her?”
“Yes. Stay close.” The mare slowly walked over to the couple. They had one or two missteps between the mob of alien and pony travellers before the pony stumbled next to her quarry.
“First time off world huh?” Havok asked as the mare stabilized herself. “Ponies are pretty clumsy up here, especially the pegasi dealing with the artificial gravity.”
“Don’t tease. Ponies can adapt very quickly.” Ruby rolled her eyes at her husband’s snarky comments. “Though it can’t be easy trotting through a herd wearing a cloak. Is that a little filly hiding under you?”
The mother covered her child with a leg to pull her back under. “Yes. Hi.”
“Hi.” Havok tapped the table as he observed the pony fidgeting. His quick glance told him his wife wasn’t concerned by the presence of the visitor. He chalked that up to inherent pony nature of assuming the best from other ponies. Havok braced for what he assumed will be a pony shit storm.
“Are you Ruby Heart?” The mare asked before changing to a hushed tone. “The necromancer?”
Ruby Heart turned her head slightly with a confused look “I’m Lilly. I’m also not a unicorn.”
“Then fluff your wings, but I’m sure you can’t because they are not real.” The mare challenged Ruby.
“You know what. No. I don’t feel like being bothered by a stranger. Come on, Clint.” Ruby jumped off her seat and started to pull Havok away with her tail.
“Wait, sorry! I didn’t mean to be confrontational. I’m Soft Showers, I just want to talk to you.” Soft yelped as Havok pushed past her. “Please!”
The couple refused to give them the time of day. Ready to march off to parts unknown.
“I want to see my daddy!” The filly yelled. Ruby stopped in her tracks and looked back. The strong determination of a defiant filly tried to stare the older mare down.
“I can’t help you.” Ruby stated plainly, hoping to end this.
“Reconsider, please for him. You knew him.” Soft took out a picture. “Went to school together to be the first ponies to leave Equestria as ambassadors to the rest of the universe.”
“Charter.” Ruby stared at the picture. “What happened to him?”
“The Legion Race War. You travel out in the galaxy, so you should know about the machine race and fungi. He was on board one of the first stations that was attacked by the Race.” Showers pulled the picture back to look at it again. “It was his second tour. He said he loved meeting new races and introducing them to the magic of friendship.”
“Damn. At least it wasn’t the Legion. Freaky fungi zombies.” Havok muttered.
Ruby Heart sighed as she took a step back from the pegasus. “I am not bringing him back.”
“No. No. No. I’m not asking for that.” Soft Showers stuttered slightly. Havok wasn’t sure if it was fried nerves or fear. “We want to say goodbye. Please.”
Havok looked down at his wife, he knew that look. While normally a good pony poker face, it was easy for Havoc to tell Ruby was actually considering their request. He looked around, herds of ponies, mobs of humans, collections of various other aliens mulled around. Security cameras, wondering eyes, open ears. This screamed a trap to him.
“I was banished from Equestria for performing that magic.” Ruby said with a tone of authority. “Are you sure this is what you want?” Soft Showers nodded, pulling the cloak farther down over her head. “We are going somewhere private then. I have a safe room in some apartments nearby.”
“They’re leaving.” A changeling in guard uniform reported. The screen watched the targets mosey through the crowded halls. “The tracking spell is in place.”
“Good work, enigma. Keeping watching them, Agent 8B.” Princess Luna stopped pacing as she breathed a sigh of relief. “Have the counter team on standby. Inform Princess Twilight that Operation Dark Crystal is underway.”
“Isn’t she on a date with her special somepony?” An earth pony, Datamine, said, holding several stacks of pdas in her hooves. “She might not appreciate being bothered.”
“This matter she requested that she be kept up-to-date on.” Princess Luna explained. “Just send it as a simple message.”
“Targets have moved to apartment complex section. They are heading to the Meadowbrook district 218.” Agent 8B started buzzing. “Oh, she has made them remove the cloak and put it into the trash.”
“She’s performing a spell.” Princess Luna watched as Ruby Heart’s hooves glowed as she said an incantation. “It’s a filter spell. Agent 8B tell me if our tracking spell is still active.”
“Yes princess.” Agent 8B nodded as the brought the spell’s activity onscreen. “It is still on the target. Guess she wasn’t that great at detection.”
“We have access to the cameras. Go now.” Luna watched as the onscreen display presented the ponies and human walking down the hall. They were the only ones present as the lights started to flicker. Finally they stopped at the elevator, Havok pushed the big hoof sized button. He made a remark that made the other ponies roll their eyes. Humans, regardless of their condition, seemed to love to poke buttons of all kinds for a response. Then they waited for the elevator. Waited. Waited. Waited.
“Agent B8. Where is the elevator?” Luna glared at the image.
The changeling punched a few icons. “Top floor. Still on the top floor. I think she has an illusion spell going. Hold on. The tracking spell is on the fourth floor, just off the elevator. Cameras don’t show anything on that floor.”
“She’s trying to lose us. Point team, the targets have entered 4-205. Proceed now.” Luna commanded. Her voice carried over to a team of invisible ponies. “Room has no outdoor windows. Avoid breaking into the neighbor’s homes extra commotion may tip off the target. Teleport responsibly, the camera feeds are hacked so only use line of sight.”
“Understood. Silence spells are active.” Lieutenant Brigade replied sharply. “We are moving in.”
The front door opened, the little bell dinged only once. Like shades under darkness, the herd of ponies soundlessly opened the stairwell door. A pegasus looked up intently before nodding to the unicorns. A quick blink and the group popped several floors up on the starwell.
“Check the door.”
Sergeant Badge put her ear to the door. Her thestral ears concentrated, ignoring the distractions from other floors. Paws, feet, and hooves inside their respective rooms. “Nothing in the hallway.”
Badge quickly opened the door and flew close to the ceiling, Following close by her companions at various altitudes. They stopped briefly in front of the elevator, the display refused to say where it was.
Badge placed her ear on the elevator door. “It's coming down.”
Brigade pushed the button. The elevator dinged and opened up.
A Scree looked around, confused, before pushing the elevator button again. “This isn't the ground floor. Why is pony technology so unreliable? Cute fuzz balls, but such airheads.”
The invisible team allowed the passenger to continue on, a shared irritation among them. Brigade motioned towards the room where their target was. Surrounding the door, Sergeant Steelwill waited for his cue. Badged stuck her ear close to the door, there was talking. She could hear Ruby Heart. The humming of magic weapon orbs speed up as the team readied their weapons. Paladin Captain Radiance readied her holy sanctuary spell to dispel any dark magic.
“Now.” Steelwill reared back and bucked the metal door. It shattered like sea worn wood, Paladin Radiance blasted her aura, and the rest of the team poured into the room. Weapons honed on on the corners of the room.
Princess Luna watched through their cameras, her glare of disapproval becoming more apparent. “There’s nothing in here. Agent B8 where is the tracking spell?” A clean living room with a simple table, cabinet, chairs, and other household objects.She heard her squad clear the rooms, also reporting nothing.
“It’s there, Princess. It is in the room with them.” Agent B8 started to sweat, then his ears pointed forward. “Do you hear that?”
A music box was playing in the room. Brigade drew closer as he started to notice details. “That’s Princess Twilight in a ballerina dress dancing. Our tracking spell is on this thing.”
The serene Princess of Friendship spun on the tip of her hoof with a gentle warm smile. A simple lullaby played sweetly to all their pony ears. Radiance processed what happened. “Her filter spell. I didn’t remove the tacking spell, but put it on a new target. This is the him!”
“Oops, looks like you found me out.” Havok answered in the voice of Twilight Sparkle. “Looks like we were right though. This is a honey trap. My wife is going to be very upset.”
Princess Luna bit her lip. They knew Havok’s nanomachine body he possessed could change shape, but not to this extent.
Brigade stomped hard on the table with his right front hoof. “Ghost, where is Ruby Heart? Tell us or we will make your capture very painful.”
“Officer, am I under arrest?” Havok answered as he stopped dancing. “I’m pretty sure I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“First off, you will stop mocking the visage of Princess Twilight, spirit.” The paladin growled, her horn glowed brightly. “Where is the necromancer?”
Princess Twilight started to melt, like candle wax to flame. “No friendship to be found here. Tell her I am very disappointed.”
A bright flash exploded from Radiance’s horn, seemingly turning the music box to ash. Badge held down her ears tightly from the load whine off the overloaded lights. The lights in the room popped violently. Shards rained down on the team, their magical weapons glowed bright, ready to fire. Radiance readied another holy blast when she felt something strike her head. Senses scrambled as the ground left her, she found it again when her back impacted against it moments before her eyes saw the table coming back down on her head, then nothing.
Brigade blasted the table against the wall before the poltergeist could use it again. The buzzing of his weapon became a sharp whine for a moment before it ruptured next to his body. The blast knocked him straight into another one of his companions. A chain reaction cascaded through the weapons, sending the team reeling. The shrapnel from the door flew through the air, hitting several ponies.
The dust settled, revealing twitching bodies against the floor and walls. Steelwill stood tall, several shards of the door embedded in him. He stood in front of Badge, who was trembling behind him. “Horse apples, where are you!?”
Badge started to stutter. “Officers down. We need medical attention! Targets are not here. Repeat targets are not here.”
“Copy that! Agent 8B send in backup.” Luna barked out in the midst of the chaos in her mission office. Ponies, changelings, and the few humans there trying to figure out what happened. “Use the Magi-Level Location spell. We will get Soft Showers and her foal, we can’t afford to be subtle anymore.”
The elevator dinged on the eighth floor. Soft Showers gulped. Ruby Heart had been quiet the whole trip up. The human was acting strange, had a far away look. Her daughter, Star Bright, jumped when Ruby spoke. “We’re here. Come.”
The group marched until they reached room 8-240. Havok opened the door. “In you go, ladies.”
Soft Showers hesitated in front of the door until Havok smacked her rump. Wided eyed, Soft bounced into the room before turning to glare. “Don’t do that.”
“Then don’t waste our time.” Havok closed the door behind them and crossed his arms.
“Please refrain from smacking ponies.” Ruby sighed before straightening up with a serious face. “In fact, just don’t do that to any female. Those hands are mine. Now then let's get down to business. You were trying to get us caught for performing illegal spells.”
“What? No! I’m just a pegasus.” Soft Showers retorted as she mustered up the courage.
“Please, I’m a crystal pony and I can do magic just fine. You had a tracking spell on you. One I just relocated onto my husband.” Ruby answered and pointed towards Havok.
“Before you asked, I left a piece of me behind in a room so I can clean up.” Havok’s hand melted into a gooey grey puddle before slinking back into his body. “Speaking of, I can see who is following us. They have Luna’s crest on their armor.”
“Princess Luna? Out of the four princesses didn’t expect her to be picking a fight.” Ruby hummed softly to herself. “I thought Twilight would have pulled this stunt.”
“You mean…” Soft Showers’ ears pulled back ash she slowly started look for a window.
“That help is not coming? Oh don’t worry, I’m sure they have a backup plan.” Ruby smiled harshly. “Are you going to fly away now?”
“No!” Bright shouted, shocking the adults in the room. “You are a bad pony, and you are going to get caught. If we run away now so will you.”
“Maybe you should listen to your mother, kiddo.” Havok sauntered over to the window and opened it. “Ain’t nobody have time for this nonsense.”
Soft Showers’ wings opened up ready to take the opportunity to escape, her hoof went down to grab her foal, but found it pushed away. “Star Bright we can’t stay here.”
“Mom! She killed daddy!” Ruby Heart felt a chill sink inside her chest. “See! She knows.”
“What do you mean I killed your dad?” Ruby felt the twinge of guilt plague her mind.
“Princess Luna told me in a dream. You created the monsters that killed daddy. Because you did bad magic to create them.” Star Bright had an aggressive stance as she bared her teeth. “You evil pony! The princess said the fungi found him and hurt him.”
“She said that. Princess Luna likes to talk.” Ruby’s guilt burned into anger. Star Bright realized her bravado failed and started to back up into her mother. “I changed my mind. I thought you were lying to me, but it seems I was mistaken. Let’s go see your Charter.”
Soft Showers picked up her foal and jumped for the window. It slammed shut with a magical hum. Havok took a step back from them. “You sure about this?”
“Absolutely.” Ruby Heart closed her eyes briefly before opening them up with a blaze of smokey purple. Cracks formed around her eyes and spread to the rest of her body in a sickly matter. “Let’s get some privacy first.”
A dark ancient magic throbbed deeply in the room. Normal light escaped the room until a pale purple glow from the window was the only source. Soft looked outside. She could see the world below, but it was wrong. Titans of ill shape, miles wide maws, and dim light eyes towered on the world where Equestria was. Oddly misshapen obelisks rose where Canterlot should be. “W-where?”
Ruby’s voice echoed deeply. “Welcome to the Umbra world. Please don’t look out the window. If the Watchers know you are here, well, you die.”
“What are Watchers?” Bright quietly asked as she pulled away.
“Blah, blah, ancient creatures of umbra, blah blah it’s not important.” Ruby Heart went to the middle of the room and sat down. “Forget about them. We are here for your husband. I am only giving you this one chance. Only when you depart to the great pasture will you ever see him again. One chance. Havok, if you would please.”
“Right. Where am I going to find him?” Havok raised an eyebrow. “Unless you got his number.”
“Cutie mark is a half globe with constellation over it, unicorn, burnt orange coat. You should know where ponies mull about. I have a beacon on you so you can attract him.” Ruby looked at her cracked legs with amusement. They had changed from translucent to opaque.
Havok leaned up against the wall and went silent.
“It should be real quick. Let me take this.” She took out a small device then with it ripped Havok’s body in half. “Ew, he took the realistic insides approach. Never mind, let’s mold a pony.”
Showers covered Bright’s eyes as Ruby Heart went to work “What are you doing?”
“Needs an anchor to put the spirit in, and thought I would use the nanomachines that make my husband’s body to create a body in his likeness. Figured it would be easier for you to talk to him if he looked like him.” Ruby Heart stuck out her fractured tongue as she sculpted. “Easy as 1, 2, 3... let me try that again.”
“Why?” Bright spoke up behind her mother’s wing. “Why are you helping us?”
“Well, you weren’t entirely wrong. I am in a roundabout way responsible for Charter’s death.” Ruby formed the muzzle with the boxy stallion shape. “It was against my will, and I had thought I had destroyed the Legion when I escaped the lab. Alas, they were resourceful. That’s fungi for you. There we go, one stallion coming right up.”
“Where’s the rest of me?” Havok popped back up, aware that he was half the man he use to be. “You should have told me you were going to use my body. Whatever, I found him. Took long enough.”
“Excellent, just need to use that little magic heart of yours dear. One family reunion coming right up!” Ruby Heart pulled Havok’s body down for a quick kiss. His body started to glow like a pure light that countered the depressing room. The stallion twitched, a small heart beat resonated in his body.
Charter took his first breath. “Whoa. That is weird.” His sudden jerk to life caused him to stumble slightly. He righted himself then looked up. “Honey?”
“Charter?” Soft gasped as tears formed from the corners of her eyes.
Star Bright wasted no time and galloped to her father before tackling him. “Dad!”
“My little Star.” Charter held Star close.
Soft Showers took a slow walk towards them, the tears rolling freely down her face.
“Well. Come over here Soft. This hug needs another pony.” he said to his wife.
Outstretched wings wrapped up the two in a snuggle hug. Her words barely breaking through her bawling. “I’ve missed you so much. I’m so sorry.”
“I’ve missed you both too.” Charter spoke quietly in her ear, “And there is nothing to be sorry about.”
They sat together whispering sweet nothings to each other. Tears wiped away, manes mushed, and many kisses shared.
“I wish you had never left.”
“Showers, what happened was unexpected, but I helped so many beings out there. They all are in desperate need of friendship.” Charter frowned as he blew aside a stray downy feather from her mane. “I’m sorry I died.”
“No. It’s not your fault. You loved your mission. We all did.” Soft Showers giggled from his tickling breath. “It was a big going away party. Everypony, you and your whole class. Princess Twilight was there! She was nice. Made a big old speech about you changing the universe.”
“I made a class presentation on what you were doing. Well not just me, Green Shoots and I did cause her mom is also an am-bass-ador.” Star Bright smiled proudly, a smile that slowly cracked. “Her mom is coming home soon.”
“Well Horizon is a good pony. Tell her hi for me when she gets home.” Charter brushed Bright’s chin to keep her eye contact. “You are also a good pony. I’m very proud of you. You’ll get an amazing cutie mark and be incredible at everything you do.”
“Oh don’t worry. I’ll make sure she doesn’t slack off in school.” Soft Showers took the back of her wing and playfully nudged Star’s withers. “She’s a smart cupcake. When she isn’t running off in the neighborhood with her friends.”
“Hey, it’s just like what Princess Twilight Sparkle says, ‘Friendship is magic’. If I spend a whole lot of time with my friends I’ll be extra magical.” Star countered with a smug filly grin.
“Princess Star Bright has a pretty good ring to it.” Charter mused with fatherly mischief.
“A princess in training?” Ruby Heart coughed, it sounded scratchy and sore. “Rather lofty goals.”
“Ruby Heart.” Charter stood back up with his family by his side. “You’ve, um, seen better days.”
“We both have. Turns out space is a cruel and harsh place.” Ruby Heart tapped her hoof bringing up a display. “We are out of time. It was good seeing you again, Charter.”
“I love you both.” Charter kissed his filly on her head then kissed Soft Showers. “Please take care of yourselves.”
“Alright, time to go. Don’t worry about getting lost. I’ve made this trip many times.” Havok staggered back up before holding his hand out. Charter grabbed it with his mouth, much to Havok’s chagrin. “Really? Ponies.”
“Please hurry. You Know Who is about to show up. I want you to greet her.” The color left Charter. Both he and Havok became still. Ruby Heart took out her nanomachine controller and re-fused the two bodies together. “Now that that is over. Time to discuss how you are going to pay me for my services.”
“You want bits?” Soft Showers gulped. She realized that both her and her foal were alone again with the infamous necromancer.
Ruby laughed. It was cruel and full of malice. “Bits? Bits! Money is easy to come by. No, what I want is more nuanced. I will tell you want I want from you. You tried to backstab me. Trick me. Appeal to my goodwill. My goodwill. If I was to leave you alone, you will use your word to convict me. So you will never speak of this ever again to anyone.”
“So if we promise to never tell anyone that’s it?” Star Bright asked hopefully. “Thank you for letting us see daddy.”
“You are mistaken. I did not do this for you. I did this for Charter. He was my friend. You two, however, are a liability. From now on, this moment will be a mere hallucination on a midsummer’s daydream. When you remember a memory, you will feel sting of regret. No dream will bring it out. No honey sweet words from him will cling to your heart. His touch of kindness will remain fleeting forever more until death brings you back together.”
“You called me an evil pony. I can live with that. For services rendered, this moment, this memory, is mine. I will take this payment of time and put it in a bottle. We will never see each other ever again.”
A cloud of opaque smoke enveloped them. Soft Showers clung to her daughter, refusing to let go. Star Bright screamed.
Then nothing. Both ponies peeked open their eyes and found themselves in an apartment room. Nothing was out of place and natural light shown through the window. “Mommy, what are we doing here?”
“I don’t remember.” Soft Showers put her foal down, wondering where her day went.
Moments earlier in a secret location.
“Princess Luna, the location spell is not working right. This makes no sense.”
Princess Luna watched as backup reached the down team and start their recovery. “There isn’t an anti-magic field. The illusion spell has been dispelled. The entire building is under lockdown. Where did they go?”
“I don’t understand, princess. It’s like they just dropped off Equestria.” Agent 8B whined as negative readings kept being feed back to him.
“Then they did.” Princess Luna straightened up. “I know where they went to hide from us.”
“Your majesty?” Datamine tilted her head.
“I am going into the umbral dimension. Keep all teams at the building for my return.” Princess Luna’s horn glowed before her world melted around her. Light died and was replaced by the haze of dead magic radiation. Luna found herself in the pale imitation of the space station.
A quick teleport spell brought her to the same floor her swat team was on. Luna closed her eyes. She could feel life above her. “I know where you are.”
Formless like a fog, Luna moved through the floors until she reached her destination. She looked down the hall to the specific door where her quarry was. It throbbed with pale light. “Ruby Heart. Come out! You can not hide from Us.”
The door opened slowly as Luna approached, a light mist flowed from the bottom into the hallway. “We’ve come to speak with thee.”
“Excellent. We have much to say to you as well.”
Luna stopped cold.
The voice that answered her was a long dead skeleton she left in her closet. “Don’t be so sad to see us.”
“Nightmare Moon.” Luna whispered. Out of a fever dream strode the dark alicorn with a wicked smile. Her hoof steps were unnaturally light and an evil glint was in her eyes. “That’s not possible.”
“Little Luna, what is or isn’t doesn’t matter. What you did does.” Nightmare Moon walked slowly towards Luna until they were close enough to stab each other with their horns.
“I’ve laid you to rest thousands of years ago. You are no demon of my past, but a specter mocking me, Havok.” Luna gritted her teeth as her horn glowed dangerously.
Nightmare Moon laughed. “Guilty as charged. Much as you are. I didn’t take this form to distract you. There is much unfinished business you have left to rot in the grave.”
“I have little time to waste on foal’s tales. Where is Ruby Heart?” Luna stomped the ground, cracking its foundation.
“What do you want with my wife? We were perfectly happy minding our own business, and you come set a deceitful trap.” Nightmare Moon ticked with disappointment.
“Though I am the Princess of the Moon and the ponies, I have many titles I bear. Ruby Heart is in need of redemption. I am going to take her to a safe place away from the madness of universe and bring her salvation.” Princess Luna pronounced boldey. Her wings outstretched and mane flowed freely. “Havok, I am going to save her.”
“Redemption? Redemption! From you?” Nightmare Moon snarled as her fangs scraped together. “You are the greatest sham that has ever walked. The blood you have spilled in vanity, the oaths you have sundered, the lives you have ruined. I would sooner find the cure for the plague from a rabid dog.”
“Yes, redemption from me, because I have walked that line. I took that plunge, but I came back from it.” Princess Luna and Nightmare Moon started to circle each other like rival wolves. “With the help of some very special ponies and my sister. Who are you to doubt me, wayward spirit?”
Nightmare Moon tilted her head down and twisted into a position that would have been uncomfortable for a living pony. “The dead talk. The dead talk! Raging, gnashing, spitting curses at you for what you did. Guards that laid down their lives, both for and against you. An entire race of ponies shunned for generations beyond generations. Your sister.”
“My sister loves me. It is undeniable and for you to say otherwise is ill gotten words wasted on the wind.”
“Does she whisper that to you? Pronounce that from the rooftops?”
“All day, every night.” Luna answered assuredly.
“Then when in her darkest moment when nothing is covered under a blanket of iron will facade and a maid listens in to her weeping princess. It all pours out. Bitterness. Contempt. Loneliness” Nightmare Moon’s mouth became a formless crease. “Suicidal.”
“You liar!” Luna rushed forward and hissed to Nightmare Moon.
Nightmare rose to her full height over Luna. “The dead do not lie. I have learned many interesting things that the dead keep to themselves from the living.”
“Celestia accepted me back, forgave me, supports me. We now stand as equal, pivotal supports to all of Equestria. Now I bring redemption and mercy to those who need it.” Luna also rose to full height, while not as tall as Nightmare Moon the point stood.
“Redemption that you never accepted.” Nightmare Moon retorted with a smile. “The moment you came back you tried to do it all over again. Until the Elements of Harmony removed all of your power, removed Nightmare, and left you with no choice. You never accepted redemption. The choice was taken from you.”
Nightmare Moon only had a split second until a hoof made contact with her muzzle. She was sent barreling through the wall. Luna stepped through the rubble she made “Do not belittle me or make light of my sister.”
“Your sister changed for the sake of harmony, purposefully altering her mind and heart to be more open to you before you came back. You wondered why your sister wasn’t exactly the way you remembered her, but you chalked it up to time.” Nightmare Moon steadied herself as she rose. “Your sister had to neutered herself for you.”
Havok changed forms; a guard with a splintered spear stood before her. “Traitor.”
“You stole my mind and body.” An albino thestral.
“Monster.”
“Murderer.”
“Bringer of curses.”
Celestia, in tears and hiding her face in shame. “Burden.”
“Enough!” Luna roared in her royal Canterlot voice, vibrating the entire building. Her horn glowed as she fired off a bolt of magic, hitting Havok in the shoulder and knocking his arm off. She grabbed him and threw him around the room. “I am not those things. Spitting old curses in my face means nothing. I am not the pony who I once was. Deceitful spirit, you speak in half truths out the side of your muzzle.”
The floors shattered, walls torn down, the ceiling almost caved in. Luna heaved heavily as she let go. Havok reformed himself until he was once again a man, painted behind him was the apocalyptic umbra world. “Alright then, Luna. Let’s forget the past. We’ll talk about the present and the future. Leave us alone. You’ve caused enough problems. Already speaking ‘half-truths’ about what created that zombie plague. Ruby might blame herself, but you put her in that position.”
Luna readied a reply, but felt something cold and dreadful washed over her body. Deadlights shined on her. Large eyes from the oblivion stared at her. Luna smelled copper in her nose. Ringing filled her ears. The stars in her mane blinked out of existence.
The Watcher glanced her way. Luna felt the tingling itch in her brain and her being peeled back. She couldn’t stay here. Her horn didn’t respond. It felt like lead. She would have to force it. Everything felt raw. Her mouth was dust.
It stared
It stared
It stared
It stared
It stared
It stared
It stared
It stared
IT STARED
Luna gasped like a newborn taking in air, coughing and gasping. She couldn’t feel her extremities, everything felt like needles. Her sister’s sun shined through, bringing peace with it. “Princess Luna?”
Soft Showers and Star Bright came into Luna’s view with very concerned looks. “Oh no! You’re hurt. Come on Star, help her up.”
The two ponies that she had put in harm's way lifted her up despite her foalish legs. “Thank you.”
They slowly moved down the hall. Luna could hear her guards rushing up the stairs to find her. If she had her ear piece she would probably hear the chaos from HQ asking about her condition. Several teams of ponies and various aliens coming into support her.
“A spiteful spirit and nothing more.”
“What was that, princess?” Star Bright struggled to hold up her side.
“Nothing. I’m feeling better now. I can walk.” Luna pulled herself together, cleaner fuller breaths of air rejuvenated her.
“Princess Luna, I remember that you sent us on a mission, but I can’t remember what happened or how we got here.” Soft Showers apologized with downtrodden ears.
Princess Luna sighed but smiled “That is ok. We made it out fine.”
“Freaking hell. That was close. Ugly umbra monster.” Havok walked the room in the safety of the spaceship. “Why did you even bother to tease them like that. You could have been caught.”
“I needed to know how they really felt about me.” Ruby sat at her desk writing down notes, wearing little reading glasses. “Can you believe them? Princess Luna was trying to make me feel guilty. Oh Ruby you bad pony, creating monsters and being at ground zero of the genocidal war. They expect me to come bawling back to them like a foal and pretend everything is ok, or worse, become their brand new boogie mare.”
“She didn’t really have a high opinion of me. Though to be fair I was antagonizing her.” Havok scratched the back of his head. “There were a lot of choice words I shared with her from ponies she had wronged.”
“Princess Luna had to have gotten the information from Twilight. Who got it from our lovely co-worker and her colt-friend, Phase Array.” Ruby took a sip of water and continued to write down her notes. “He can’t keep his mouth shut.”
“What are you writing down?” Havok refilled her glass.
“Hohohoho, I wasn’t just walking into a trap, I set up a field experiment. Charter was the first pony I have ever brought back to talk with the living. The memories and heart connections in this moment is such good data. All I’ve had was theoretical lab data. My necromancy is really coming together. As it stands things are really looking up.”
Author's Note
Thank you my friends for helping me with this story and the fun game it spawned from.
DiscordsAdvocate
Techogre
Tosety
Istas
Marvelous Cheshire
The creation of Ruby Heart was fine-tuned by wille179. Thanks dude.
