Look Inside Your Heart Part One.

Chapter 5: Dreams Become Nightmares.

What had happened to the moon? Was Armour right about that evil spirit? I caught up to Twilight but she didn't notice me even after I stepped right in front of her. Pinkie was right she is distant, she must know something I don't, but what? "Twilight what's wrong?" I shouted in her ear, still nothing. Leone shuffled inside my pocket and poked her head out. "Have a nice nap?" Leone meowed and began to pur loudly, Twilight's ears perked up and she stopped. "Hey Twilight what's going on" She turned and when she saw me her face lit up and she hugged me. "What's with the love Twilight?"

"All these ponies are crazy talking about friendship and crap like that." She let go, stepped back, and parted her hair.

"What's wrong with friendship and crap like that?" I argued as we started to walk again. "And the moon?"

"You saw it too?" She replied suprised.

"I don't know what I saw, I was hopin' you'd tell me." My voice gained a southern accent, suprised I covered my mouth.

"Well the legend of the Mare In The Moon, states that the royal pony sisters each took responsibility for raising the sun and the moon each day, the youngest grew jealous of her sister because the ponies relished and played in her sister's day, And slept through the beautiful night she brought forth. One day she refused to lower the moon and the eldest was forced to seal her sister inside the moon, and on the longest day of the thousandth year the stars will aid in her escape..."

"And bring nighttime eternal." I interrupted, and quickly covered my mouth again.

"How did you know that, you barely knew about our culture yesterday?"

"I don't know," I look down at my amulet. "My amulet looks different." I grab my amulet and look closely. The sun with the mare in the moon on top. "How strange, I might have to ask the Princess about this." I look around and find ponies gathering inside a large building. "The longest day of the thousandth year falls on today I must be prepared for the worst." Why do I suddenly know what to do?

After a short introduction from who I assumed was the mayor, Celestia was nowhere to be found. Where is the Princess, what's going on? Smoke wafted in from the balcony giving a dramatic entrance to Nightmare Moon. "Twilight get back to the library now, find a way to stop her.."

"But what about?"

"Just go I'll keep her occupied." Twilight Ran toward the library while the rest of the townsponies scrambled. Fluttershy was chasing her bird choir trying to calm them down. Applejack was herding ponies outside with Skies and Rainbow, Rarity was trying to save the decor from being trampled, and Pinkie was inhaling hors'deurves. "Fluttershy, Applejack, Rainbow, Rarity, Pinkie go help Twilight!"

"But what about you?" Skies yelled.

"Skies, keep the townsponies safe, girls go now."

"Fine, but you'll need this." Skies reached for his gun holster but slid his hand behind it. "Catch!" Out of the corner of my eye I spot a hunting knife flying toward me, but a blue spark shot it off course and it slid across the floor stopping at Fluttershy's hooves.

"Go, now I don't want you to get hurt!"

"We'd never leave you hangin', we're your friends." Rainbow darted in front of me arms spread.

"Rainbow trust me, I can handle this, you need to help Twilight she needs friends, and if you stay we'll all die. Go she's waiting for you." I yelled tears flowing. "I don't want anyone to die, get outta here."

"C'mon Dashie we need to go." Pinkie yelled as she tugged on Rainbow's arm.

"You'd better not be lyin' to us, Cress." Applejack shouted grabbing Rarity and Fluttershy. "C'mon Rainbow let's go!" Rainbow stood adamant.

"Rainbow we are friends, but your loyalties lie elsewhere, go I'll be fine." the tears stopped leaving my face drenched.

"Fine, but you still owe me." She jumped up throwing Pinkie into the air and flying off with the others.

"Thank you for waiting, I still see you've retained some of your personality."

"Thou art brave, young one, Dost thou knowest who with they are dealing?" Nightmare cackled.

"Yeah I do, Luna." I replied without thinking.

"You foal we do not go by that name anymore."

"Actions speak louder than words, let's dance."

"Agreed." She vaulted over the railing with grace reminescent to luna's, landing a few feet in front of me her bat-like wings spread.

"That's how we're gonna play it, fine by me." I took a deep breath and my four wings shot from my back.

"Thou art a strange one, we shall have quite a challenge," Nightmare reached for her sheathed blade.

"Woah, woah, woah, let's fight fair shall we." I shift my gaze to Skies' knife twenty feet away. A sinister smile came across her face as the knife began to tremble and glow a faint blue. "Thank you for seeing it my way." The knife started to float about four feet off the ground and shot toward me. I reached out to catch it between my fingers, the tip a hair from my eye. I threw the knife straight up and grabbed the handle barely blocking a downslash from Nightmare. "You're fast I'll give ya that, but can you keep up with me?" I pushed her away and shut my eyes.

"Dost thine eyes decieve us, thou choosest to fight blind?"

"Our eyes see what we choose, our ears as well, but when we close them and open our minds, the truth is revealed."

"Starswirl The Bearded, when one fights blindly, he will most certainly lose."

"If they believe they cannot lose, they will, but if they believe they can lose winning will come easier, Commander Hurricane." My top right wing felt a breeze. I quickly raise my knife to clash with hers, sending sparks flying. "I know that I can lose, but I won't let that happen. I will not die by your hand." I swing my left knee upward, and push her away. I sprang forward clipping her shoulder. "Try harder you can do it, c'mon."

"Thou shall regret clashing blades with the night."

"The most darkest of nights are still lit with stars, there is still hope for you to shine through Luna." I open my eyes and find Nightmare kneeling at my hooves.

"Thou art victorious this round, we must be elsewhere." Dark blue fog wafted in and surrounded her, once the fog lifted Nightmare had vanished leaving behind fifteen Shadow Pegasi.

"The shackles may be weak, but they are not broken. One thousand years surrounded by nothing but shadow." They said in unison.

"Will leave one powerless against it." I was surrounded, each Shadowbolt drawing closer. These Shadowbolts seemed more powerful than she was, yet they still served her blindly. "You fight blindly for something that you can easily exterminate. Choose to serve someone more capable. I know the Mare in the Moon gave you life, but I can give you something more." Their faces were ones of confusion. I knew my silver toungue could save my life, but my thoughts wrapped around the hope they would take the bait. "The Mare in the Moon will cease to exist when the sun rises, and with her death there will be no way for you to survive, without help. Your choice is this sacrifice your families and kill me, or let me live and I will make sure your families will prosper."

The Shadowbolts stopped and exchanged glances. "How did you know about us?" One walked forward and held out her hand. "Can you really deliver on that promise, you're the first one to treat us like ponies,"

"You are ponies aren't you. I know what it feels like, to be different." I took her hand and a sharp pain shot through my head and I began to feel heavy.

"I am Clara Shadowfire, leader of the Shadowbolts and captain of our pegasus corps." She walked me over to one of the tables and set me down. "What is your name?"

"Cressendo Allegro." I raised my hand to cover my forehead.

"Latin for Cheerful Increase, If you spell it right." She sat next to me and looked into my eyes. "Can you really save their families?"

"Yes, but we haven't much time the sun will rise any minute. Return to the moon, and get all of your citizens together and I will gather what I need to bring you all here. Is there any way to keep in contact?"

"Yes," She handed me a napkin with her name on it, and a small crystal. "This crystal will give you a direct line to me, call me any time." Clara motioned to her companions and they flew off toward the moon.

"Goodbye Clara." My heart lifted, and I felt happy. I stood up and slowly walked outside. As I looked toward the eastern horizon a faint light shone over it. My heart felt warm, but I knew that this wasn't the Flame of Hephaestus, it was pride, pride in my friends, I was proud of them and myself.