Pony Wars: Episode IV: Return of the Nightmares

Lady Starlight stared coldly at the burning remains of the once bustling hamlet. Her hide was dyed a dark crimson red and she wore criss-crossing strips of black leather across her barrel, forelegs and hindlegs. By her side hung a hilt of silver and dark gray. Her eyes, once a brilliant amethyst, glowed with golden hue. All around her, the corpses of several citizens lay, dismembered and eviscerated. Her glowing yellow eyes closed as a sneer crossed her muzzle.

“You Alicorns are so predictable!”

Whirling around, she shot forth her hoof, still grasping the hilt of her de-activated lightsaber, laughing wickedly as it slammed into the midriff of her attacker. Watching her assailant fall to the ground gasping for breath, the Nightmare Starlight spoke mockingly, as she ignited her lightsaber; those yellow eyes of hers glowing with malicious glee.

“Well look who it is, hello again Velvet. Such a long time since I’ve seen you, my old Princess. We really should catch up, so much to discuss-”

Leaping at the Alicorn Twilight Velvet’s prone body, Starlight slashed downward with her glowing red blade as she giggled.

“Too bad you’ll be dead before that ever happens!”

Just as the blade was about to slice through her lavender colored hide, Twilight Velvet reached out a hoof for her lightsaber wielding the Harmony to call it to her hoof and ignited it; deflecting the blow and using the Harmony to blast Starlight backwards.

Starlight flipped backwards to land nimbly on her hooves, chuckling.

“Still some fight in you, I see.”

Velvet yelled out to her, that Periwinkle and white striped mane of her dangling before her eyes.

“Starlight, why? Look at what you’ve become!”

Starlight’s eyes glowed a bright yellow as she narrowed them in fury.

“What I’ve become? What I’ve become?”

Leaping in rage and clashing her blade against Velvet’s, cackling, Starlight screamed at her.

“I’ve become more than you ever allowed me to be!”

The purple and blue saber blades crackled as they crashed against each other, Velvet barely parrying her former Noble. Starlight kept yelling at her, battering furiously against her in an onslaught of blows.

“The Empress saw my potential! She believes in me! Like you never did!”

Velvet was about to go down under the furiously erratic blows, when voices called out.

“Starlight don’t do this!”

Glancing up, Starlight watched as a group of six mares ran right towards her. Taking advantage of this distraction, Velvet channeled the harmony to blast Starlight off of her once more. Flying backwards, Starlight recovered from this blindsight and landed heavily on her hind hooves. She grinned coldly and without even a trace of humor.

“Well, well, the Council of Failures has gathered. What’s the matter? Oh, don’t tell me... you came to aid this poor excuse for an Alicorn?”

“Starlight this isn’t you!”

Starlight’s eyes darkened in rage as she glared at the stone gray-furred Earthpony. Cloudy Quartz was small and frail-looking, her mane gray and frayed with age. She stared pleadingly at Starlight with bright sapphire eyes. Starlight barked in anger.

“And what exactly would you know about me, Cloudy Quartz, you, who told the others I was a threat? A threat to the Order, I believe you called me. All because I made a decision neither you nor the others were willing to make!”

Cloudy shouted at her.

“You killed the pony you were supposed to protect!”

Starlight laughed.

“Right, I did. Didn’t I? And why was that, I wonder, you pompous mare? Oh, right. They tried to kill everyone in the Alicorn Palace! I saved your worthless lives and thousands of others, and you betrayed me! You threw me to the wolves, claiming I acted without sanction! But don’t worry- I’ll be rectifying that little misjudgment now.”

A blue Pegasus with a rainbow mane and tail pointed a cyan blade at Starlight.

“Stand down, Nightmare. You can’t win against all of us, Starlight.”

Starlight began cackling as she deactivated her lightsaber, tossed it away and held up her empty hooves.

“You’re making a good point, I can’t possibly defeat seven Alicorn Princesses. Alright, Windy. I surrender.”

A momentarily stun fell across all present, and Starlight smirked, before reaching out her hooves at one of the Alicorns. A bolt of blue lightning issued forth, shocking the pale yellow Pegasus with red flowing mane. Alicorn Princess Posey Shy fell to the ground crackling and smoking as Starlight leapt at Windy Whistles, calling forth her hilt through the Harmony and reigniting her crimson blade mid-leap.

“Like I would ever surrender to such a pathetic group of self-righteous ponies!”

Raising her blade expertly, Windy attempted to block the blow, only to find her blade colliding with empty air. Staring puzzled at the spot, she heard a sudden shout from Velvet.

“Windy! Behind you!”

But it was too late, Starlight’s crimson blade seemed to sprout from her middle as Starlight whispered in her ear.

“You always were an idiot, Windy.”

Withdrawing her blade as the light left Windy’s magenta eyes, Starlight whirled around to block both strikes of Velvet and Pear Butter, simultaneously. The Earthpony was well known for her physical might, but found herself being pushed back. Sweat dripped down her peach-fur colored neck as she grunted in exertion. Pear Butter’s brow furrowed as she strained against Starlight pushing against her blade. Meanwhile, Starlight spoke mockingly to her while holding back Velvet with the Harmony.

“Well, Miss Honesty, why don’t you tell me how this feels? Go ahead, tell the truth. Isn’t that what you told me? Tell them what you did, Starlight, you said. Tell them this was your fault. The council had nothing to do with it, you said. Isn’t-”

A swift push upwards threw Pear Butter off balance, as Starlight quickly sliced her in two, before bringing her blade back to slash at the halves.

“That’s what you said-”

Her next blow cut the dead Alicorn Princess in quarters as the pieces fell to ground, smoking.

“-Right?”

Starlight whirled around and bashed her saber hilt into the advancing Velvet, stunning her, before launching herself at Cloudy Quartz, fangs bared.

“You, who always told me, protect the weak! You who I fought beside in the war! You who had me incarcerated in Tartarus. Fifteen years later and now you care what’s become of me? You say you want to protect Velvet? Alright then, protect her from me!”

Starlight’s fury died down momentarily as Cloudy Quartz’s head rolled next to her hooves. Starlight looked down and chuckled coldly.

“Oh wait-”

With a sickening squelching sound, Starlight brought her hoof down with full force on the skull of the dead Alicorn Princess, crushing it, before slowly looking up at Velvet and laughing.

“I guess she can’t.”

The laughter faded from Starlight’s face as Velvet stared at her in mortification.

“What have you done, Star?”

Starlight frowned, and gave a heavy sigh as she held out a hoof, grabbing Velvet in the Harmony and immobilizing her. Walking up to her, Starlight deactivated her lightsaber and ran a hoof slowly through Velvet’s periwinkle and white mane. She spoke softly.

“You have no idea how much every fiber of my being is dying to tear you to shreds. But my orders are clear. The Empress wants you alive.”

Slapping a pair of electro binders on Velvet’s hooves she lamented.

“The Empress’s orders are absolute. Regretful as it is, you’ll live as long as you are useful. Let’s go.”

Before Velvet could process anything that was being said, Starlight slammed her hoof into the gray furred barrel, causing her to slump over unconscious. Starlight stared at the limp form for a moment as memories of the past flooded back.

In Cell Block E-5, the Exile Starlight lay, with force binders on her forelegs and hindlegs, connected to the wall, lamenting her fate. For several weeks she had been imprisoned in Tartarus; the Galactic Senate’s prison for those they wished to make disappear.

In this position, she had hung since her arrival, unable to move, unable to do anything except let her anger fester. The guards stopped by every few hours to moisten her lips with a sponge and force feed her a crust of bread. The few times she had been unbound, she was given no privacy. And all because of those wretched Alicorns.

And so she hung there, doing nothing but dreaming of a chance, a chance of revenge. A silent prayer, a wish, she didn’t care what it would take. One day, she would have her revenge. Suddenly, she sensed a presence; cold and filled with anger. Glancing up, she noticed the presence had stopped outside her cell, just on the other side of the blast doors.

“Open it. Now.”

The words were silkily and gentle upon Starlight’s ears, but the sensation of imminent doom hadn’t diminished. The bulkhead slid back and revealed a large Equine-like figure, encased entirely in Midnight Blue armor. Starlight felt sheer terror grip her, just laying eyes on that armor. The figure spoke, in a deadpan tone.

“The Empress has her eyes on you, little one.”

Starlight wanted to scream, but no sound left her lips. There was no doubt in her mind, this was a Nightcaller; one of a legendarily horrifying group of Nightmares that reported directly to the self-proclaimed Empress of the Night, Luna.

No, not just any Nightcaller. The way the armor curved and hugged that form, the very insectoid features emblazoned in the helmet, the wings along the back, and the unmistakable sheen, like chitin. It was her. The one alone responsible for nearly half a dozen planets surrendering to the Empress. Starlight blurted out.

“Chrysalis.”

“So you know of me.”

Chrysalis turned nimbly to look at two guards that were standing by the door to the cell. Her words dripped with honey.

“I’m in an unusually good mood and we don’t need any guards, you may go and I suggest you do. Now.”

The guards looked at each other before turning to her and starting to speak.

“Ma’am we-”

The stallion’s next words were cut off, when Chrysalis whispered in a sinisterly eerie voice just one word.

“Fear~”

Suddenly and inexplicably, one stallion’s eyes grew wide in terror and his legs began to quiver. Swiftly drawing the blaster at his side he began muttering as he swung it wildly towards his partner.

“Get away! No…Back up! Back up you demon!”

His partner stared in disbelief and slowly reached out to him.

“Hey…hey now, Soarin’ it’s me it’s-”

“I said back up!”

And without warning, the Pegasus opened fire, while Chrysalis turned away and back towards Starlight. Behind Chrysalis, the guard lay dead, with blaster holes burned in his armor, while his partner continued to whisper in terror before turning the barrel on himself and pulling the trigger.

As his corpse hit the metal floor, Chrysalis addressed Starlight yet again, completely unbothered by what had just happened.

“I see no reason for those bindings.”

With a wave of her armored hoof, Chrysalis caused all the binders on Starlight to short-circuit and fall to the ground, causing Starlight to fall forward onto the floor. Starlight struggled to stand on her hooves, while Chrysalis nodded thoughtfully, murmuring to herself.

“Alright, so let’s see…Introduction, check. Display of power, check…What else did Cozy Glow say to do? Oh forget it- she knows I can’t stand formalities.”

Starlight watched as Chrysalis reached her armored hooves up to undo the magnetic clasps on her helmet and remove it, revealing a flowing gossamer mane of teal, as well as the beetle-like features native to her species. Let her mane fall down , the Changeling’s uncharacteristically glowing yellow eyes stared down at the lilac-furred Unicorn before her. Chrysalis sighed in contentment.

“That’s so much nicer. Consider yourself, lucky, Exile. Aside from my brethren, you are the only being to see my face and live to tell the tale.”

Starlight stared at her in disbelief. In the Alicorn Library there were many tales detailing the horrific encounters with the Nightcallers. And there were never any survivors. What exactly could such a terrifying creature want from her? Chrysalis smirked before laughing quietly.

“Your thoughts betray you. To answer your question, no, I did not come here to kill you. Though whether or not you’ll die from our little encounter will be up to your efforts.”

Starlight looked confused.

“My…efforts?”

Starlight stared at the hilt in Velvet’s grasp, before wrenching it from her unconscious form and taking a closer look at it. It was hoof-crafted, with intricate patterns engraved on what appeared to be coral native to the Pegasus homeworld, Iego. Starlight could see the love and care that went into it, and her eyes blazed in anger at the mere thought, before tossing it to the side.

“You won’t be needing that anymore, not where you are going.”

Starlight paused and sensed her surroundings. Internally she breathed a sigh of relief as she felt that small presence clumsily trying to hide itself, but bristling with rage. Alright, she heard me. Now to set the lure. Loudly, Starlight stated.

“You should have listened, my old Princess. Soon, you’ll see the beauty of the night, as I have. Let’s go, it’s a long way to Alpha Terra IV and I’m already sick of you being alive in my presence.”

Effortlessly dragging Velvet along the path to her shuttle, Starlight felt her memories wash over her once more.

Chrysalis gently tapped Starlight’s nose with her hoof. She spoke in an almost singsong voice.

“Yes, your efforts.”

Turning away from a very stunned Starlight, Chrysalis put her nose inside her saddlebag and began rummaging through it, muttering in increments of increasing annoyance.

“Now where is it? It should be here…Hm…what is this, lipstick? Why in the name of Luna’s black- would I need this?...Make-up? I’m going to kill Sombra. Last time I ever let him pack my stuff, that annoying…Where is it? WHERE IS IT?...Oh, here it is.”

Lifting her head from her bag, Chrysalis held a chrome hilt in her mouth. Taking it in her hoof, she held it out expectantly to Starlight. Noticing the hesitance of the former Alicorn Noble, Chrysalis chuckled, good humoredly once more.

“Go on, take it. I won’t bite.”

Cautiously, Starlight took the hilt from Chrysalis, and stared at it in surprise. Chrysalis laughed and grinned as she added.

“Well, maybe later I will, you are awfully cute for a mare, but that can wait. Back to the matter at hoof, I suppose you know what this is?”

Starlight stared up at her, blinking in stunned silence for a moment, before re-analyzing the hilt. Starlight took notice of the strange groove in the top on either side of a titanium blade and the odd manual switch on the side.

“A…Vibro-what is this-Sword?”

Chrysalis clapped her hooves excitedly.

“Yes, yes. Very good! Now, while I am not privy to know what Alicorns use for training, Acolytes of Nightmares start with these. Go ahead, switch it on.”

Activating it, Starlight mused out loud as she stared at the blood red glow of the modified blade.

“You know, you gave me a weapon.”

Chrysalis chuckled and nodded.

“I did.”

Starlight swung it deftly, swiftly with somewhat polished precision as she continued her thoughts.

“And you are unarmed…”

Chrysalis gave a knowing roll of her eyes as once again, she nodded in agreement.

“I have no weapon, you are very observant.”

Pointing it at her, Starlight said.

“What is stopping me from running you through right now?”

Chrysalis giggled, before her eyes narrowed with a serious expression. Before Starlight could so much as blink, Chrysalis slammed her hoof into the hoof that held the vibrosword, forcing Starlight to drop it. The sword barely left her hoof still vibrating, before Chrysalis grabbed it in her left, while her right hoof lifted Starlight up and pinned her to the metal bulkhead. In the time it took Starlight to even breathe, she had been pinned, disarmed and now the vibrosword was microns from her throat. Chrysalis whispered softly.

“I wonder, indeed.”

Releasing her hold of Starlight, Chrysalis spoke in a gentle yet serious tone.

“Lesson one, little Acolyte. Never assume what you can see is the whole story. We, The Nightmares, aren’t terrifying for what we show, but for what we keep hidden until we strike.”

Watching Starlight pant in abject terror, Chrysalis held out her hoof, offering the hilt to her. Shaking in fear, Starlight muttered.

“I didn’t even agree to this.”

Chrysalis nodded, and spoke in her somewhat playful tone once more.

“So true. And I am not giving you the option, either Starlight. You will be joining the Nightmare Academy as an Acolyte. That decision has been made. Now, take the hilt, like a good mare, and let’s continue.”

Starlight opened her mouth to respond only to find it swiftly shut by Chrysalis’s hoof as she whispered coldly.

“You will find the only limits to your choices is the power needed to make them. You are pathetically weak, betrayed by those you defended and disgraced by the Senate. They threw you to the wolves. Why should anypony listen to your thoughts on anything? I certainly won’t and until you are strong enough to make me, your choices will be made for you. It’s as simple as that. Now, last time I’ll say this: take the hilt and let’s continue.”

Starlight stared up into those cold, soulless eyes, her will completely shattered by the simple statement. It was true, she had been too weak to stand up for herself, maybe if she had Chrysalis’s kind of power she wouldn’t be here. Closing her eyes in surrender, Starlight reached a hoof out and took the hilt.

“I will do as you ask.”

Chrysalis nodded and clapped her hooves together in joy.

“Wonderful, now what should be your first assignment? Hm. Ah, I know-”

Chrysalis’s eyes narrowed in a sinisterly serious glare.

“-I can see you want revenge, and well you should, but I wonder how far you’ll go to get it. Your first assignment is a simple one. Show me your resolve to escape Tartarus.”

A look of confusion crossed Starlight’s eyes, as she nervously asked.

“W-what do I need to do?”

Chrysalis chuckled.

It’s simple. You are going to kill everypony in this prison. Prove to me that your life is worth more than the other muck-raking scum within these walls. Am I understood?”

Starlight’s initial look of horror changed to self-loathing as she thought in silence under Chrysalis’s watchful eyes. Finally, she nodded whispering softly, as she activated the vibrosword, watching the blade slide out and glow a crimson red.

“It will be done.”

“Target is in sight. Rainbow, get me eyes in the sky.”

On the rocky outcropping overlooking Starlight’s ship a thousand meters away, a figure in full-body plate armor lay. The armor was a dark green and gray, crafted from Beskar; tarnished with traces of scorch marks burned across its surface. The forelegs had special gauntlets, rigged to fire ion rays or flamethrowers also forger from the same Beskar.

The figure's helmet covered their entire face, and nopony knew what lay behind that visor. In front of their, a Sorroco 419, Regulation Sniper Rifle, sat on a stand; standard fare for those in the Lunar Empire. On a belt hung seven or so lightsaber hilts from Alicorn and Nightmare alike; the trophies of their greatest hunts.

The commlink inside the helm crackled to life as they listened to a somewhat raspy female’s voice responding.

“Roger, Captain. Looks like a rocky outcropping to the West at about 50 meters, and another South at 200. No visible opposition to report. Hey Pinkie, you got a status update?”

Another female voice, this one bubbly and saturated with giggles, chimed in.

“Ship disabled, that Nightmare ain’t going anywhere. That engine could not hold its sugar, I’m telling ya! Still the Cupcake-eating champion.”

The figure let the flicker of a smile cross its lips beneath the helm, just before a rather elegant voice chimed in, almost like that of royalty.

“Darling, you’re off by two degrees, move over right one click and down two, otherwise you’ll be shooting the ship.”

In a grizzled voice, the figure responded, the rasp and gravel of many fights and injuries evident with every word spoken.

“Roger that Rarity. Flutters! What’cha got for me, girl?”

A rather timid and demure female’s voice came across the commlink.

“I’m currently shielding you from any Harmony detection she may use, but it won’t last long before she notices the absence of living presences.”

“Alright then. Taking the shot.”

With that, the figure adjusted the angle and pulled the trigger causing a blaster bolt to lance towards the unaware target.

Tsu!

The bolt shot forward, covering the 1000 meters within an instant about to pierce the back of Starlight’s skull when-

Shuuun

“Get down!”

Shing!