The Nightmare Reborn

by vintage brony

Chapter Five - Unforeseen ally

“Ok, so let me get this straight.” Evan said trying to collect his thoughts and get a hold of the situation. “So there is somepony sneaking around here. We had evidence of them and then it gets stolen. Someone who knew how to disable the power to this room and get past my spell matrix.”

“Several times.” Kidd added.

“Thank you Kidd...” Evan said with and an exasperated sigh. “Well at least they don't mean us any harm, not yet at least.” He finished putting a hoof to his chin thinking of a plan.

“How do you figure? Who ever this is has already done this much. Why would you think they wont hurt any of us if given the chance?” Kidd asked.

“Yeah, and even if they don't mean us harm I don't like the idea of a strange pony creeping around my home.” Hocus insisted.

“Well I see it this way. This pony has been here for who knows how long. They have had every chance since then to now to do what they please to Hocus.” Hocus cringed to the thought of what those things could be. “And even today when the lights went out. They had the chance to at least take one of us out. That could mean any one of these options.” Evan said turning away from them.

He then turned his head to tell them, “One, they don't have the ability to hurt us. Either from being to weak or under someone else's orders. Two, they don't mean us harm and we have nothing to fear of. There just looking for a home. - “In my home!?” Hocus commented getting frustrated with the mysterious pony. - “Or three, who ever this is is toying with us. Trying to get us to play some kind of little game.” Evan continued.

“Hungry Hungry Parasprites?” Kidd tried.

“I don't think so Kidd...” Evan answered.

Kidd let his ears hang by his head and put on a pleading face. “Pony Kombat?” He asked in a more distressed tone.

Hocus facehoofed. “Come on don't be a filthy casual!” He said standing as tall as he could and put on a brave face. “Are we stallions or are we foals?! I say we go look for this pony and confront him!” Hocus finished emphasizing the last sentence by stomping his hoof down.

“Alright, whatever lets just do it then...” Kidd said still a little worried.

“Ok but we should be ready for anything. Hey Hocus do you still have that suit I left here? You know the one right?” Evan asked Hocus starting to get a plan together.

“The one for when you do maintenance? Yeah its over in the storage closet – Hocus gestured with his left foreleg to a door – why? I think the spell and system can wait until after don't you?” Hocus asked raising an eyebrow at the question.

“Because I think we catch this pony...” Evan replied trotting up to the closet and opening it with his magic. He saw what he was looking for and grinned. “This is gonna be awesome.”

a few minutes later...

“Alright then, everypony in position?” The now suited pony asked.

“Yeah Evan, and that hazmat suit looks really creepy.” Hocus said. Slightly shying away from the tinted faceplate that hide the wearer.

“Well we need it for this to work.” Evan said flatly. Then turned to Kidd who held a net made of spare wires from the surveillance system. They nodded at each other and Evan turned to Hocus before continuing. “Alright then I'm gonna go ahead then. Wish me luck.” He then started to walk cautiously towards the corner of the store from the video before.

“Hopefully you wont need it but, good luck.” Hocus told him then went by Kidd to get in position. They nodded at each other and Hocus grabbed one corner of the net in his hooves and flew up to Kidd. “Ready when you are.” He told Kidd.

“All set.”Kidd said firmly narrowing his eyes in preparation putting his worry aside. They then put all their attention to Evan as he started to edge closer to the corner.

“Alright then who ever you are, show yourself!” Evan demanded stomping his boot covered hoof to put in urgency. He then heard some faint whispers behind one of the arcades. “Hu? Come on speak up and get out there!” Evan said firmly getting into a defensive stance.

He was meet with silence, he decided to edge a bit closer. When somepony from within the shadows lunged out at him, tackling him to the ground. Just what Evan wanted...

When he landed on his back the attacker was on top of him holding him down with their hooves on his chest. “Wrong move!” Evan said putting his each of his hooves on the other pony's sides pointing at the net. Upon this each one was launched off of the suit by Evan's magic. Afterwords the suit deflated to reveal that the suit was empty! Kidd and Hocus quickly moved the net to catch the now airborne pony.

Once they felt his weight in the net they tied the ends together and placed it under a light on the floor. Evan came over from his hiding place behind another arcade game and trotted up with a grin at his plan. But what he saw surprised him more than somepony getting past his spell. The intruder was a zebra!

This was followed by an awkward silence shared by the three of them as their mouths were held agape and eyes wide. The zebra could only glare at the three with calculating eyes. Evan was the first to recover, sort . “Uh... what?” He asked to no one in particular with a raised eyebrow. Seeing his chance the zebra pulled out what appeared to be a clay bottle. He uncorked it with his teeth letting out a bright light which bathed everypony in its brilliance, that's the last thing Evan remembered...

some time later...

The first sensation Evan could notice was gravity. It feels like he was standing on his hind legs, but he cant feel the ground under his hooves. In fact he can barely move his hooves at all. Sounds were muffled as if they were in another room. His head swam, Geez this feels like when my house exploded... he thought to himself. He tried to open his eyes but he still couldn't see, Oh... this sucks... Was his next thought. He knew he should be freaking out at this but he just couldn't manage it.

He heard a door open in the room, it still sounded very distant but it was quickly returning to normal. Hoofsteps sounded in the room and seemed to echo from every direction. When they stopped they sounded to be right in front of him, and everywhere all at once. Then his blindfold he had been wearing was torn from his face, letting the blinding light in front of him to flood his vision. He cringed from the bright light as it sent daggers in his head.

“So what do you want of me?” A voice said presumably from his capture, then it hit him. Evan was a prisoner! This realization brought everything into focus around him, his head cleared and his eyes adjusted. I have to know how far in the dung I am. Evan decided. “I'm talking to you! What do you want of me!? Who sent you here!?” The voice asked firmly and loudly.

Evan glanced at him while his head hung low and limp on his chest. It was the zebra! Well I have to get a feeling for my surroundings. He brought his head up enough to were he could look at the ceiling. He saw his forelegs were secured by shackles attached to each other via a metal pole, the pole being attached to the ceiling. A glance down revealed the same for his hind legs.

The zebra only glared coldly at the suspended unicorn before him and wonder how they came so close to catching him. No matter, I have them now and I will find out who is after me. He thought to himself. “Not going to talk? Well we will see how much you want to talk once you've been in here for awhile.” He told the unicorn before turning to leave the containment cell.

“Wait.” Evan sputtered out weakly. The zebra turned around hopefully but didn't show it to the captive. “I'll answer whatever just let the other two go. We mean you no harm, we just want to know why your sneaking around my friends home!” Evan said finally get the right amount of light to get a good look at the zebra glaring at him.

He was black with red stripes, or possibly red with black stripes. Evan thought curiously, almost asking. Stop! Focus! This isn't the time to lose control to curiosity. He was just an earth pony, Which brings up the question if zebras can be unicorns or pegasi? He glared at himself, Come on! Get a hold of yourself! His mane and tail were striped with the same colors of his coat and spiked to random points. His eyes were a dull gray color going against the bright red of his body. He also had a mark of what appeared to be goggles of some sort...

“Hmm, if I like your answer then I may let them go. So answer my question. What do you want with me?” He said with as much authority as he could muster. To put more pressure on the unicorn he pulled the light to his face, blinding him yet again.

“I already said that we just want to know why your sneaking around my friends home.” Evan stressed hoping to be let go as well.

“Alright then Evan, for now I believe you.” He said raising a hoof and pressing the release button on the wall. Causing Evan to fall on the ground harshly as he was unprepared. But as the shackles were still attached getting to his hooves was a challenge. He tried using magic but was surprised to find out he couldn't. So he tried to force the magic from his horn but to no avail.

Seeing the unicorn scrunch up his face and begin to sweat, the zebra thought to point out. “Your magic wont work right now. Those shackles prevent the magic from flowing. Almost like the magic is frozen in your body.” He stated walking over to lend him a hoof.

“Wow, I wonder what kind of magic could do that? I haven't seen many spells on this in any scrolls or books. And those I have are incredibly complex, usually requiring weeks of preparation.” Evan said putting a freed hoof to his chin as he thought.

“That's because its not the same as your unicorn magic. This is made by zebras.” He stated proudly standing as tall as he could still unlocking the shackles.

Seeing as this whole situation was rather off Evan had to ask. “So not to look a gift quadruped in the mouth but... Why did you let me go so easily? I thought that I would be here for Celestia knows how long, if you ever let me out.” Evan asked hoping this pony didn't come to his senses and put him back up in the air.

“Well the shackles also double as lie detectors. They flash red if the pony wearing them tells anything less then truthful.” The zebra added now putting his chin up, filling with pride.

“Impressive. Did you make these yourself?” Evan asked his curious side coming back with vengeance.

“No I got them from comman- He stopped talking and froze in place- nothing. Forget I said anything. Just collect your things and get out.” He said flatly talking in a hurry.

“Um ok? Wheres Hocus and Kidd?” Evan asked disappointment apparent from his questions going unanswered.

“In the cells next to this one.” The zebra had a stoic expression as he mentally attacked himself. What kind of agent are you! You talk to much! You not only almost blew your cover but the agency! I need to be rid of them till I can be sure they are not a threat. So for the next few days I'll have to monitor them.

“Uh can you unlock the door? I kinda cant.” Evan asked the zebra bringing him from the depths of his mind.

“Right, just step to the side.” He said firmly as he trotted up to the controls. He lifted up his left foreleg and brought it down to a circular section of crystal, which then glowed momentarily. Afterwords the metal door loudly banged open allowing the two to leave, Evan very eager to leave the place of his former containment.

Once the other two were quickly questioned and released they met Evan and followed their capture towards the exit.

“And hes just letting us go? Just like that? Something isn't right with this pony...” Kidd whispered to Evan and Hocus behind the zebra's back.

“That's the part that bothers you? Not the part were he pony-napped us?!” Hocus quietly screamed to Kidd as he tried to keep his cool. It was a losing battle.

“Guys calm down, at least hes letting us go. And he didn't hurt us, even when he had the chance to. That means hes not a threat.”Evan tried to reason with them.

“You cannot be serious! Your trying to tell me he isn't a threat!?” Kidd getting the same problem as Hocus.

“Well we're here. Just don't tell anypony whats down here and I wont be a bother. Also you might want new security. Its really easy to get past it.” The zebra said to them as he stopped by the doors controls.

Evan only lowered his head and ears in shame. Just banish me to the moon now please... Evan thought as he looked at the floor. Hocus only sighed just wanting for this weird dream to be over so he could wake up from hitting the joystick. This has to be a dream, no frickin way a zebra came and caught me in his secret lab under my home. Nope, no way. Just a concussion, maybe I'm in a coma... Hocus thought trying anything to make the situation seem even a little sane. He couldn't.

“Well as long as you wont bother Hocus were fine. Say do you have a name?” Evan asked realizing he didn't know what to call the zebra.

“Why do you wanna know?” He replied raising an eyebrow.

“Well I wanna know my friends names.” Evan said smiling in a goofy way and closing his eyes.

There was an awkward pause as he didn't know how to respond. He had a name but they were told to forget them. Names could be traced, families could be put in danger. And friends only meant bad news, in his line of work they either turned on you or were a distraction. But the only other pony he ever interacted with nowadays was the Holo-Pony for his missions. But these ponies seemed harmless enough. And he was planning on monitoring them anyways, that way he could be sure.

“I-I'm your friend? But I just pony-napped you?” He asked being a little curious himself.

“Yeah but no harm done. So what do you say?” Evan said still smiling as he held out a hoof.

Hesitantly the zebra accepted the hoofshake and replied. “S-sure my name is... Nuudo...” The zebra said slightly losing his composure. Kidd could only think Another one! More psycho ponies! I'm a magnet for them! He started to feel his eye twitch uncontrollably as he thought about it.

“Alright Nuudo, Maybe you wanna hang out later?” Evan asked letting his hoof fall back to the ground.

“Uh... sure.” Nuudo replied shyly.

“Alright then well see you guys later. I'm gonna head home.”

“Right see you, I'm gonna go and try to wake up from this crazy coma dream.” Hocus said matter-of-factually. Everypony stopped and watched him go with a shared look of confusion on their faces.

“I'll head home too I guess. I need to look for some kind of magical repellant.” Kidd said joining Evan on his way home.

As everyone parted ways for the night to rest somepony in Canterlot was awoken from theirs. “Ah!” Princess Celestia yelled, waking with a cold sweat in her bed. She cast her glance around the room frantically as she panted heavily. Satisfied that nopony was in there with her she relaxed and brought a hoof to her face. She rubbed her cheek as she spoke to herself.

“I could have sworn that she was in here. But it must have been a dream. I have been working to hard perhaps?” As she finished her sentence her sister Luna burst through her doors looking frantically around.

“Tia! Where are you!?” She yelled then she saw her sister in her bed and flew to her almost tackling her out of her bed. “Oh thank the heavens your ok!” Luna said as her voice shook and her eyes became wet with tears threatening to spill.

“Why yes, why wouldn't I be ok sister?” Celestia asked as she rubbed Luna's back in an attempt to comfort her.

“Because I felt her, from the throne room! I felt her magic!” Luna replied as she tried to regain her lost composure. This made Celestia fearful as her pupils shrunk. If Luna had felt it too then it wasn't a dream, they never sleep at the same time. If they felt her magic then that means that she might come back. There were other possibilities but they couldn't leave it to chance.

“Sister stay with me, we need to inform the royal guard. I'll send for Shining Armor, we need to prepare for the worst.”

Luna looked up with still wet eyes and dried them. “Ok as you wish sister. You don't think its possible do you? The elements destroyed Nightmare Moon. Didn't they?”

“The elements aren't a weapon, they only bring peace. I am unsure what effect they had on her but we need to be ready if she does return.”

“Right Tia. Well I need to inform Kebert Xela, he should be here.” Luna told her sister as she got up from her bed.

“Of course, I shall also have to call Twilight and her friends for an audience. We may need them on this.” Celestia said getting off the bed herself. She looked out the window at the still dark sky and sighed. If we don't succeed it may look like this forever. I hope Luna isn't affected by this... not like last time, I don't think I can do that twice to my own sister...