//------------------------------// // Arrival to Ponyville // Story: The Nightmare Reborn // by vintage brony //------------------------------// Evan returned his gaze from the window and looked at all his friends around him. They all seemed to revel in their respective cutie mark story all except Kebert... He seemed to be keeping to himself during this whole thing. So feeling up for a quick challenge Evan thought he could try and guess what his talent was based on his cutie mark. Hmm... that cutie mark is rather... strange. While I have seen some marks that have little more than a symbolic relation to the pony's actual talent... this one is well... I have no idea what this one could be. He shrugged mentally, Kebert sat reading a book he borrowed from Evan on great magical feats. But he felt Evan's eyes on him and looked up from the literature, and right at Evan. Evan not having time to react just looked back. An intensely awkward silence followed. They simply blinked, neither not knowing what to say. Kebert decided to try his hoof at breaking the silence. “Umm...” Was all the he could supply. “Uh yeah, sorry I was wondering about your mark...” Evan said rubbing the back of his head with a hoof embarrassed. “I know some ponies find it rude but, I can't really figure it out... sorry.” Kebert glanced at his mark and looked back at Evan. “Don't be, its quite alright. Its actually a little hard to figure out without a bit of foreknowledge.” He admitted. “Well can I ask what it is? If you don't mind that is.” “Of course you can, well its actually a moon stone. I almost hit me when I was little.” “Wait what!? A moon stone!” Evan sat up straighter. “Did you keep it!? Moon rocks are so rare!” Evan once again lost himself in thought and questions, not going unnoticed by the others. “What did you tell him to get him so excited? Did you tell him they were having a sale on test tubes.” Kidd ask stifling a chuckle. “So I like science, so what? It's what I do, what I'm I supposed to do be a crash test pony?” Evan said defensively, crossing his forelegs with a huff. “Besides he was telling me about his cutie mark.” He finished. “Oh really? I was wondering about that also actually.” Kidd said. “Me too.” Kristoph added. “Seconded.” Hocus said looking up from his PonyBoy. “Third...ed...” Lunar said confusing even himself. “Uh, what they said!” He said with a smile. “Really? It's not an exciting story...” Kebert said leaning towards the window beside him. “Come on, no cutie mark story is a boring story.” Evan said everyone giving a chorus of acknowledgments. “Yeah.” “Totally.” “Definitely.” “Don't be a casual.” Evan turned and scolded Hocus. “What?” He asked. “That's my thing.” “Well your 'thing' can be rude.” Evan turned back to Kebert. “Don't pay him any mind, please continue.” He said waving his hoof to get him to begin his story. “Well um, I was star gazing near Canterlot. This was back when I was a young colt.” His eyes glazed over as he got lost in the memory. “I was looking for a constellation that was supposed to be in full view that night but the moon was covering it up.” “Oh come on! I've waited for weeks for this night and its ruined by the moon!” Kebert yelled to the sky. He realigned the telescope he had brought with him to look at the moon. He looked at its surface through the small eye piece at the end of his telescope. Once he saw the deformation on it he paused. “The mare in the moon.” He recalled the story from when they taught it to them in school. “Imprisoned for almost a thousand years. It's a shame really, you could still be co-ruler of Equestria if you hadn't lost your temper.” He took his eye away from the eye piece and sat down. Was she really at fault though? All she wanted was some recognition for her hard work... I can see where she is coming from... Everyone thinks that me star gazing is pointless. Everyone keeps telling me I should be looking for my cutie mark instead of spending my time looking at the sky... He sighed. Well maybe if we had met then we could have made each other feel better... I love the night sky, princess Celestia brings it now but if she could make it look so beautiful then... I could only imagine what the true ruler of the night can make it look like. At the same time on the moon... Luna was bored as always. Well at least here I have enough power to regain control of my own thoughts and body. If I had been imprisoned elsewhere then this heathen of a pony Nightmare Moon would still have me in her grasp. She sighed. Yet It doesn't help to alleviate my inability to find something interesting to do. Despite the beauty of the moon it is barren and lifeless, well except for me. All there is here is rocks... She levitated one in front of her face as she turned it over with her magic. She cast her gaze to Equestria so far in the distance yet seeming so close that she could reach out and touch it. She saw her vision swim and she realized she had started to cry. How could I have let this monster take over? I hurt those I care about... I had tried to... hurt my own sister... She didn't fight the tears that were now floating away from her, the gravity not letting them fall easily. I cant believe something so vile and evil could come from me... From the anger and jealousy I felt... It's all my fault that Equestria was almost under her rule. That Celestia was almost... She stopped herself. I can't dwell on these thoughts, they are not good for the psyche and would surely lead to me losing my sanity if I let them continue. She wiped away the tears from her eyes and turned her attention back to the moon rock before her. “Alas, even you have those around you... - She glanced around at the rocks scattered across the ground - I have no one anymore... - She let her gaze fall to her hooves - and its all my fault...” She then picked up her head and gently tapped the rocks surface with a hoof. Watching as flecks of its surface fell away. She glanced back out at the country distantly out of her reach. Maybe there is somepony out there that will appreciate this... She continued to scrape and pick at the rock with her hooves with no real plan in mind. She scrunched up her face as she concentrated on the final details. Once she felt it was completed she turned the finished carving in her magic. It was in the shape of a spear head, it was as silvery-white and in the light it would glow with the same radiance of the moon. It had the appearance of having eyes and the main point wasn't too sharp. The other end was wider and came up to three points. As a last minute thought Luna put an enchantment on it to make sure it could survive its travel. Maybe Tia will get it and see I'm alright... She thought as she watched it get sent on its course by her magic. Near Canterlot... “Well it looks like the moon is gonna block it out until I cant see it anymore.” Kebert said to no one in particular. He took his eye away from the eye piece and went to go put up his things to go back home. But as he turned he caught a brief flash in the sky. “What the?” He said again to himself and moved back to the telescope. He repositioned it to get a better look and peered at the glinting light. Hmm that light is getting bigger... it can't mean... can it? He took is eye away once again and looked at it. “Yeah I think so...” He said before galloping away as fast as his hooves would take him. Once he was behind the cover of a tree a respectably distance away he looked back just as the object sank deep into the ground by the telescope. Gathering the courage, he tentatively made his way back over. Closer examination showed that the object had cut a clean line through the telescope along its side. It wouldn't have hit him if he had stayed, but he would prefer not to be so close to something that can do that regardless. He turned his eyes to the small hole in the ground, it was maybe only eighteen inches across but looked to be a foot deep. The contents of the hole were obscured from sight by a cloud of dirt that hovered in the air, but the said contents were faintly glowing from heat. Deciding to be cautious Kebert made his way back to the tree and broke off a decent sized branch. Once again by the hole he reached in with the branch and heard it sizzle from contact from it. Never the less he got the branch tip under it and lifted it out gently. He flipped it out of the hole into the light of the moon and gasped. “And that was the moon stone right!?” Evan asked excitedly losing all self control with the story's progression. “Well I'm sure he would have answered that if you would have let him.” Kidd said slightly annoyed at the interruption of the story. Flinching a little Evan realized what he did and lost most of his eager energy. “Uh right, sorry Kebert. Please continue.” He said with a sheepish smile while rubbing the back of his neck with a hoof. “Well yes, it was a rock that had been hoof... well really horn carved. - He corrected himself – Luna had sent it to Equestria hoping her sister or somepony else who would appreciate it would receive it. But it landing near me had sealed the deal for me. I had to know where it had come from what it was made from... everything. So I got a job at the Canterlot observatory and dedicated my life to learn everything that there was to learn about the night sky that had gifted my life with something so... precious.” He said with a look of happiness gleaming in his brown eyes. “Then once she came back... My life changed even more. And once I learned that she had sent it, it made it all the more special to me. But yes after a week or two at the observatory I was studying the stone and one of the senior ponies that worked there brought this to my attention.” He said looking at his flank and the mark that adorned it. “Oh I guess its time for my story hu?!” Lunar asked excitedly as he chewed another hoofful of popcorn. “Well it all happened back when I was a colt.” he began. “As it always does...” Hocus said to himself. “Im originally from Cloudsdale! It was always fun cause the ground was always so soft and squishy! Even the walls were always bouncy that you could run into them and wait what was I talking about?” He looked to the ceiling in thought for a moment then his face lit up when he remembered. Oh yeah! Well as I was saying I was always interested in music! But I couldn't find an instrument that suited me. I tried the violin and the tuba but those didn't turn out so well...” He began his story. Hocus looked to Kidd and mouthed the words “The tuba?” To which he responded with a shrug. “Next I tried my hoof at the guitar but I didn't really have a teacher or knew anypony that could teach me so I didn't focus on that for too long. I tried opera and the keyboard but that didn't last long either. But one day I was walking down the streets of Cloudsdale....” “Hmmm... what could I try next? Oh maybe a slide whistle! Or a sousaphone!” Before he could continue this train of thought he tripped and face planted on the cloud he was on top of. “wha happn?” He mumbled through a mouth full of cloud as he sat upright. “Careful kid, you could have dropped the radio.” An aged stallion said as he sat on a cloud in the shape of a rocking chair. He then turned up the volume on the radio that floated on its own cloud next to him as he enjoyed the music flowing from it. Lunar made his way over as he too became lost in the trance this radio let stream out of its speakers. It was a rather uplifting piece and the voice was enthralling. Lunar scrunched up his nose as he tried to place a name and face to the voice he was hearing. He then remembered it with a flash. “Sapphire Shores!” he yelled getting a hush from the stallion as a reward. She was a rather new voice in the musical community as it were and she was quickly becoming a major hit all across Equestria. Apparently even from the older group of ponies... Lunar realized as the old stallion swayed his head a little to the music. He shrugged, to each their own... But as he listened further he marveled at the notes and pitches she could reach with her voice. He sat and listened to the lyrics and started to wonder in his head. Hmmm maybe I could write my own song? I still don't know what instruments I could use but I'm sure I'll figure It out once I start writing. Maybe the accordion? He shrugged and got to his hooves just as the song ended and the old pony started to clap his hooves together in applause. “We need more ponies that are as talented as she is!” He said excitedly. “But she doesn’t play an instrument. Shes just singing...” Lunar said confused as to how everypony could like it so much (including him). “You don't need to play an instrument to be great in music kid. Just got to put your heart into it.” the old pony said giving Lunar a playful nudge on the shoulder. “That's my shoulder.” Lunar pointed out. “ Yeah...” The old pony said not getting his point. “You said I gotta put my heart into it, but that's my shoulder.” He explained. “Look kid don't take everything seriously either...” He said slowly facehoofing. Kids these days... “Lavender Tea!” An angry mare called from somewhere in the home the old pony (Apparently named Lavender Tea by the wincing reaction he gave from being called) and Lunar sat in front of listening to the radio. He slowly turned his head around and called back in a meek voice. “Y-yes mother?” Then an even older pony came out of the home and started to berate Lavender as he sat in his cloud chair. “What did I tell you about that radio!?” She asked in an irritated voice. “That I couldn't listen to it till after I cleaned my room...” Lavender said sinking into his chair till the cloud started to deform. “That's right now go and pick up in there or I'm not taking you to bingo night again!” She finished by pointing her hoof to the door for emphasis. “Yes mother... see ya kid.” He said as he got up from his chair and slowly walked back inside with his head and ears hanging low. “So after that I ran to my-” A loud banging sound came followed by a pain filled howl in the train cart behind them cutting Lunar off mid sentence. Everyone in the train cart looked grimly at the door leading into the train cart turned holding cell, no one saying a word. Finally Nuudo entered into the train car containing the rest of them. After a moment of intense awkward silence he finally spoke up. “Ugh... What?” Not exactly knowing what everyone was expecting. “What do you mean what!? The hay is all that noise!?” Hocus asked in an agitated manner. How can he be so nonchalant about this!? Then he remembered how they met. Oh yeah... that's how. “Well it seems that Nightmare Moon knows what that we're planning to take away her slaves so shes getting pretty bent out of shape about it.” He decided to leave out the rather harsh vocabulary that she made the brothers say to get her point across. “But if shes getting this mad at us taking away just two ponies from her control then that's a good sign.” He finished. “And how exactly is that good?” Kristoph asked with noticeably less calm in his voice then usual. “Because that means she's scared. Either she doesn't have enough strength for many followers or she thinks that we're a threat.” He explained. “I'm seeing the good part here... Anypony else following?” Kidd said oozing with sarcasm. “Well you said there is a group who's soul purpose to bring back Nightmare Moon to power right? Then what happens if they find her?” Evan asked, fearing the answer that would come. “Well they would do everything in their power to help her overthrow the princesses. Even if it meant losing the lives of the those involved, innocent or not.” Nuudo said gravely letting his gaze fall to the floor. “In fact they might even get rewarded for it...” He turned around not letting his gaze rise, but Evan caught it. For a second or so he saw the pained face that Nuudo made before he turned around... “Get ready to leave... We're arriving in Ponyville in a few minutes...” He said before he reentered the make shift prison cell. The last few minutes felt like an eternity of silence to the group who just moments prior were laughing and joking with each other. What could that face have meant? And that comment about being rewarded? He said he was a part of that group... what had gone on while he was a member? Evan thought as the train ground to a halt at the Ponyville train station.