Beta in Equestria: Return of the Night

24 Duty

By UB

        Nightmare moon made her way down from Celestia's tower, and out the secret entrance into the main hallway.

        'Secret' she snorted to herself. 'That trollop probably has had half the royal guard in her chambers. It's no more a secret than the day is bright, and water is wet.' Luna giggled a little. 'Yes my sister can have.. appetites sometimes, but that doesn't make her a ... complete trollop.' she commented to Nightmare Moon.

        A moment after she left the doorway a royal guardspony was at her side. "Nightmare Moon!" He exclaimed. She looked down upon him with amusement. "Guard pony, tell me your name and I might let you live."

        "Q-qu-quicktrip.. um.. ma'am?" Quicktrip answered. 'just my bad luck' he thought 'I'm not even on duty and I have to run into the most dangerous mare ever!'

        "Hmmmm, We approve of this name." Nightmare Moon said smiling wickedly "We approve of you." and Quicktrip got a very bad feeling all of a sudden. "We will make you one of OUR loyal guardspony. Welcome to the team..." and with that she stomped her hoof. The effect was immediate. power surged from Nightmare Moon, and ran up Quicktrip's legs, transforming him as it rose. His coat color changed, his armor, and finally , he grew a set of Bat wings. "You are now one of my personal guards, commander Quicktrip." His cutie mark stayed however.

        "Yes, m' Lady" Bat Quicktrip answered, bowing to her. In the back of his mind, he said a tearful apology to his new, and now lost lover.

        Continuing down the hall, She was greeted by more guardsponies."Halt" The lead said. "You are not permitted here!" Then he saw the transformed Quicktrip, but too late. Quicktrip wasn't just a Guardspony, he was a member of the Elite guard. He had the three ponies disarmed in a few second. In under a minute they were defeated.

        Looking over the defeated guardsponies, Nightmare Moon looked to her new commander. "Are they worthy my captain?" Looking at the ponies, he tried to resist. Truth was all guardsponies were worthy to protect a princess, evil or not.

        "My Queen, any Guardspony is more than worthy." Quicktrip said "These two Pegasus would make excellent coach ponies for your Chariot. This one, another like me to guard the castle." He almost hated himself for the words. They were true... but he felt like he was betraying his mother. He was a Son of Celestia after all.

        Smiling, Nightmare Moon stomped her forehoof again. All three of the guards ponies were now bat-ponies, as Quicktrip was. Nodding she then looks again to her commander. "Captain, what was Celestia supposed to be doing tonight?"

        "Ma'am, she was supposed to be attending the sun festival in ponyville, where she would raise the sun for them." He answered. He stopped fighting the urge to obey her. It was too compelling, at least while she was in front of him.. he hoped.

        Looking to her new coach ponies "You two, bring us a chariot so that we may arrive in this.. Ponyville in proper fanfare for our subjects." They nodded and ran off to fetch one of Celestia's Chariots. Then looking at Quicktrip she said "Captain, stay here. I will deal with the rest of the guard later tonight. For now, keep anyone from approaching OUR royal chambers upstairs in the tower. Understood?" Nightmare Moon asked... commanded. Knowing his place, Quicktrip nodded.

        A couple minutes later the unicorn returned. "My Queen, the Chariot is awaiting you at the usual landing. Just this way please." He said, and the three of them left for the landing. Seeing the White and gold chariot of her sister, Nightmare Moon tisked.

        "I suppose it would have been too much to hope that there was at least one chariot that would suit me. No matter" Nightmare Moon said and lowered her head, aiming her horn at the Chariot with it's two bat-ponies and sent out her magic at it. In an instant it was transformed into a thing of the night. swooping but jagged edges and darker color. Nightmare moon smiled. "Ah yes, that is much better for us to ride in." she said as she walked onto the Chariot of the night.

        As she directed with her fore leg Nightmare Moon commanded "To Ponyville!" With their Queen's command, the coach ponies began to gallop into the air, flapping their bat wings for lift.

        No sooner had Nightmare Moon's chariot become just a speck in the sky, so far away she was, that there was a tremendous BOOM! as Buzzer and his makeshift Chariot arrived in Canterlot.

        "There's the princess' tower and..." Buzzer halted mid sentence. "Oh my sweet Celestia..." As they got closer all three of them could see what was wrong... they was a large Nightmare Moon shaped hole in the side of Celestia's private tower. They could see a kind of darkness emanating from the hole.

        "Look like..." Sigma gulped "Lun... Nightmare Moon has already been here." he finished, his voice a little shaky. The impossible had happened. His Princess... his goddess... his mother had been defeated. He felt a comforting leg around his shoulder, as Apple Berry hugged him.

        "It'll be ok Siggy" she said softly. "We'll help her." she said consolingly, not sure if she believed it. She only hoped the seeds Zacora gave her could be paired. Seeing the darkness emanating from the hole as they approached, she realized what she had to do.

        "Buzzer" Sigma began but Buzzer already had the same idea.

        "I'll pull up to the hole. you two go in" Buzzer began, a fatigue starting to show in his voice "I'll go land and take a breather then fly recon. She's bound to have caused more damage in the castle." He said, pulling up to the large hole Nightmare moon made on her entrance. "I don't see an exit hole, so I can only assume she went into the castle..." his voice trailed off as both he and Sigma worried for their brothers in the castle. 'how many might be dead' they bother wondered.

        A moment later the chariot was next to the hole. Apple Berry hopped in first, Sigma giving his brother one last look, before hopping in after her "Hey, I'm the guard, I should go first into dang....oh my Celestia..." was the last thing Buzzer heard Sigma say before he continued on and down to the veranda for chariots to land and take off.

        They looked around the mess. Neither Sigma nor Apple Berry had words. They were both thinking the same thing however 'I hope she's ok...' then they saw the giant black orb. It had only a small opening where Celestia's head rested weakly on. It faced out the giant windows so that she could see all of her kingdom.

        "Th... that ball of darkness will kill her" Sigma said, pointing out the obvious. "If we don't get her of of that..." he said, suddenly a shiver running down his spine "Then she'll be dead in less than an hour!"