Abandoned City
The thirteen ponies moved stealthily across the old cracked roads of the city. They did not always activate their lights as for two different reasons: Reason 1 was to try and not give away their position to the nightmare. Reason 2 was to not give away their position from the changelings which they could hear in the distance. There clearly was a lot of them, but they hadn't noticed Celestia and her guards yet. Their commander, Flaremane, finally asked Celestia the question that her fellow guards had been thinking,
"Milady, what exactly was this city before?"
Celestia sighed, but kept her voice down,"This was once a city filled with a ponykind different than the kind today. They were...vile, powerful creatures. However they did serve a purpose. They absolutely hated changelings and the feeling was mutual. Thats why there were no changeling attacks until the wedding. They had sensed the lack of their archenemies."
Flaremane looked a little surprised. She hadn't known why there had been just one changeling attack at the wedding, but now that she knew, she couldn't help but feel a little scared of the creatures that could have easily sent them running. The rest of their time was spent in silence as they looked for gate through the ruins of what looked to be strange houses, abandoned stores, and completely destroyed shops. Still they found nothing, and some of them began to panic when they heard the following words:
Time's uuuuuuuuuup! Here I cooome. Well actually i have to take care of our uninvited guests, so you have some more time to live.
Seven ponies sighed in relief as Celestia ushered them forward, looking around for any hint of a magic exit. The others were looking for signs of life or a physical entrance. After about three minutes of searching, they began to hear the screams of the changelings. Something flew past Celestia and slammed into the wall. Flaremane shined a light on it and recoiled, gasping. It was a skeleton of a changeling, with a rotting head with flesh still attached. Judging from the red stained bones, the nightmare was having even more of his "fun." The screams went on for several more minutes before they all heard it:
There, now that that is done, we can get back to playing. Better start praying now.
Celestia turned towards the frightened faces of her guards. Each one could feel only a fraction of his power. They were scared now, and she would not let another death happen by this monster. Celestia turned and faced the darkness.
"Why don't you face me in a one on one magic duel instead? Or are you too afraid to end up like the rest of your race?" She taunted.
Mmm, already can't handle the death? Typical really.Very well i will accept. Give me a second while i change the scenery a bit.
"Change the what?" one of the Sunguards gasped. The ruins around them began to fade and shake, causing nausea. Then, darkness with bright shapes around them in the form of trees and such. Then a red light appeared in the distance, and something spoke, a voice that long ago Celestia had learned the hard way to fear.
<I AM HERE.> The voice sounded like everyone of Celestia's nightmares, even though that Luna had tried to help her purge them, they were all ignited along with the most revolting images as well. Celestia couldn't see her Sunguards, and she dreaded what that it had done to them.
<NOW YOU ARE FINISHED.>
Celestia gritted her teeth and prepared herself,"We'll see about that. Because I plan to send you back to the abyss from which you came from!"
Lucid Dream's Refurbished house
Twilight and her friends stood at the entrance waiting for Lucid Dream to come back. it had been a while since he had rushed off and now the ponies were starting to get worried.
"Do you think he's okay?' rarity asked.
"You kidding? The way he handled that hydra? Of course he'll be fine!" Rainbow Dash huffed.
Twilight rolled her eyes,"Easy girls. If he's not back in a couple minutes, we'll go in to find him, okay?" Her friends nodded, then all Tartarus broke loose in the Everfree.
An enormous explosion rocked the ground, sending the ponies gathered sprawling. Twilight was the first to recover from it, managing to flap her wings and take to the air. She looked around and saw her friends were stunned but unharmed. Then she turned her attention to the Everfree and saw it all.
There was a battle taking place over the Everfree, where part of the forest was on fire. Two things circled around in the sky, both in an apparent fight to the death. Twilight flew forward for a bit, and gapsed as she realized that Princess Celestia was dueling with a dark cloud. Thought she couldn't see the creature, she knew that little parts of it were on fire and judging from the flashes of sun magic, its body was partially covered in what suspiciously looked like bones. All Twilight could do was watch as her friend and mentor fought with the creature. She heard movement below and saw Lucid Dream using his magic to drag twelve other unconscious unicorns towards the edge of the Everfree. He got another few feet before colliding with some barrier that enshrouded a part of the Everfree and kept the fight inside.
"Lucid Dream!" Twilight called landing on the ground near him.
"Twilight! Can you open up this barrier? I need to get these other unicorns to safety!"
Celestia looked down and saw Twilight speaking with ...with....Lucid Dream?! Celestia was so distracted that the creature hit her with a bolt of magic. She was sent spiraling downward until she regained her flight. If Lucid Dream was down there...then who was she fighting?