“The problem with nightmares is... you can wake up.”
Luna took a deep breath as she looked to her crying sister, and hugged her. Carefully, she turned her eyes towards Trixie, “Trixie, as I said, report.”
“Yes, mistress,” Trixie said through her own tears, trying to regain her composure. “At approximately five P.M Trixie and her five companions went into the dream world to free the princess. After many trials and a long battle in her mind, we... we... failed.” as that word fell from her lips, Trixie found herself beginning to cry harder.
“Well, of course you failed. That was what I was expecting you to do,” Mirage's voice came in low and soft as a black fog crept in past the threshold of the medical room.
Luna’s eyes opened wide in horror at this as the fog began to cover her body, “TIA!”
Celestia looked as Luna reached out a hoof for her and reached out one for her as the fog began to encompass her body, “LUNA!!!”
“And look at all of you, mourning the death of your hope. Becoming lost in a sea of despair,” Mirage’s voice continued as the black fog began to fill the room, encircling Trixie and her friends.
“Mirage,” Trixie growled, her face turning into an angry scowl as she grabbed Twilight’s crown in her magic and placing the golden circlet onto her hat.Her sadness now replaced with anger, she quickly began to look around the now black and darkened room. The fog had now left the room just a black void, devoid of the bodies of the bearers and the princesses, “Lighting! Carrot Top, Blossomforht! Octavia, Lyra! Are you girls alright?”
“I’m here, and so’s Lyra!” shouted Lighting Dust. “I don’t know where the others are.”
“Octavia and Blossomforth are with me,” Carrot Top said as she joined up with Trixie, the said ponies trotting behind her.
“Trixie, where are we?” asked Octavia.
“In Mirage’s illusion, I think,” Lyra said, looking around the empty void. “She probably wants a little-”
“And now, you are all together, how sweet. I do love it when heroes fall together,” Mirage’s voice echoed in the small room.
Trixie looked towards the direction of the voice, her face staring down with a look that was equal parts anger, revenge, sadness, and a little fear, “Show yourself, Mirage! We all know you are here.”
“Very well,” Mirage said, stepping out of the shadows with a smile. “You have earned that much I suppos-”
“Get out of that stupid disguise,” Trixie yelled. “I was there, remember? I know that the elements of harmony cured your original host of you a year ago. So, show your true form, witch!”
“Fine, as you wish,” the feline woman said with a smile, her form dissipating. After a few moments, it was replaced by a shadow with two slitted cat eyes that quickly formed into a slightly larger cat being than before. Slowly, the fog began to form into a towering cat-like woman looming over the mares. Whereas her old fur was grey, her coat was now as black as night, with bits of the black fog still flowing off of it. A smile graced her lips as she looked at the the ponies,her dark green eyes sending a chill of fear down their spines, “Is this better, Trixie.”
“A feline, like Katrina right?” Lyra asked, trying to settle her legs.
“Yes, of as sort,” she smiled as the dark purple dress she wore flowed, looking down at the ponies. “The truth is, we embodiments tend to show our true forms so rarely, that we forget and pick one that we like the most. I just happen to prefer cats. Real nightmare fuel would be to see Discord’s real form.”
Trixie shook that fear off and stepped forward, “So, is this your plan? Lure us here into the void and kill us slowly?”
“Kill you? Oh no, my plans are far too extravagant to stop at simple murder, though trust me... your deaths are coming. What I plan is something a little more... inspired,” with a snap of her fingers, she revealed the bodies of Cadence, Shining Armor, and Spike, hanging by chains. Their bodies were covered in cuts and bruises.
Carrot Top gasped as she looked at the bodies of the three, “What did you do to them?”
“Nothing deadly, I can assure you,” Mirage said, snapping her fingers to dismiss the two ponies and young drake. “It’s just that, when I appeared from my void into their room, they challenged me. Apparently, giving their loved one a gift was offensive to them, so they attacked me, wanting to stop me in their heroic foolishness. I had better ideas...”
“So, what is your plan?” Octavia asked.
“Let me tell you what I see in your future,” Mirage said, the fog around her forming images for the ponies to see. “With the deaths of their students, Luna and Celestia will become reclusive. Luna will never risk another pony's life and thus will never take another student, and in her desire to protect Equestria alone, she will fall in battle,” Trixie let out a gasp of horror as she watched Luna stabbed through the heart by a pony clouded in darkness. “This will hurt the sun princess ever more, breaking her to a point where she will abandon Equestria.”
Lighting Dust growled, “Celestia would never abandon us!”
“If her family is dead, she would. No dragon whelp to raise, no student to care for, and no sister to keep her company. For a goddess, she certainly attached herself with many failings,” Mirage chuckled as she wiped away an image of Celestia flying away from Equestria.
“It is a bigger weakness to think that friends and family are a weakness,” Octavia denied.
Undisturbed by the musicians outburst, Mirage continues, “The ponies will begin to fall into despair, but, they will find a light of hope. Cadence, despite the loss of her husband and young adoptive drake, will present the ponies with a new light of hope. It will be a symbol for them to hold to, a way for them to believe that they will see the light of a new day. Then, I will rip the unnamed princess away from Cadence’s body before the child has a chance to breathe life. This will break her,” an image formed of Cadence crying over three graves as she held a small bundle in her forelegs. The image then changed to the pink alicorn holding a knife to her throat.
“NO!” shouted Blossomforth as she watched the end of the scene, tears coming to her eyes.
“With her death, all of Equestria will fall into a pit of despair that it will never come back from. It will be filled with an eternal hole of hopelessness and misery that it will never return from. This will become my greatest achievement, and what’s better,” she chuckled lowly. “Once I am done with you six, I will track down your harmonic connections with the other worlds and devastate them in much the same way. This multiverse will become nothing more than a black spot where no hope will come from ever again.”
“And you think we are gonna take it?” yelled Lighting Dust as she flew off from the group, only to be slashed by Mirage’s claws.
Raising a clawed hand, Mirage shook her head, “No, not at all. I expected you to do the hero thing,” she then unleashed a bolt of lightning from her hand that electrocuted the five other ponies. “And stop me. It makes the oncoming defeat so much mor-”
“Don’t you know when to shut up?!” shouted a familiar, scratchy voice as a rainbow streak broke through the void, making a hole of light appear from where she entered.
“What on -OOOOOF!” Mirage grunted as the rainbow trail hit her straight in the stomach. Looking up, she watched as Rainbow Dash flew up in front of her with a cocky smile. “No, how can this be-URK!” her question was stopped by a lasso wrapping itself around her neck, pulling her body backwards.
“Now, Pinkie!” shouted Applejack through the rope as she held it in her teeth.
“Yes ma’am, Applejack ma’am!” squealed the pink party pony as she got on top of the rope, and began to cartwheel along the long lasso, reaching up to Mirage’s head and began to lightly beat against her skull with her hooves.
Mirage growled and tried to swipe at the pink mare, but only grasped at air. Her vision was then blocked by a set of light blue eyes, “Um, excuse me. I just wanted to let you know that I am a distraction for my friend who is about to hit you with a barrage of diamonds from the room.”
As Fluttershy flew away, Mirage let out a flat, “What?” and then looked on in horror as Rarity lifted several gems from the ground and sent them flying at her, cutting deep cuts. “Ah! H-how can this be?”
“Foalish, Mirage,” Trixie said with a chuckle. “Once again, the Great and Powerful Trixie, defeated you with another illusion.” As she adjusted her hat, she continued, “See, Trixie had a feeling you would be coming for her and the others, so she came prepared. Knowing that the bearers needed time to rest and heal up after the pain you put them through, Trixie put an illusion spell over them as they entered a healing sleep. Then, she proceeded to act her heart out!”
“But you don’t have the power to cast a healing sleep spell. How on earth,” with a shudder of fear, Mirage stopped herself as a bit of fear came over her. “No, no, it can’t be!”
A bolt of purple magical energy flew out from the void, hitting Mirage in the stomach. A young and soft voice came from the direction of the beam, tempered by a light growl, “You know, I don’t mind that you tried to kill me. That was something I have come to expect since I got these two large targets on my back,” Twilight Sparkle said as she walked to Trixie’s side, every step she took was punctuated by a crackle of magical energy around her hooves. “But really ticks me off, is that you tried to kill my FRIENDS!!”
As Trixie watched Twilight hit Mirage with another magic missile, the blue mare smiled, “Good to have you back.”
Twilight could only smile at Trixie, “Thanks, for everything. Oh, and you have something of mine.” Twilight then used her magic to take her crown and place it on her head.
A chuckle came from Trixie as Twilight took her crown back, “It looks better on you anyway, Sparkle.”
“Thank you, Lulamoon,” Twilight smirked as she adjusted her crown, and blocked a fireball from Mirage as her friends gathered around her.
“Fine, if I have to kill you twelve myself, then I will!” Mirage said as she watched Trixie’s team gather to the magician. As she watched the twelve ponies form a line and face her with faces of pure determination, she thrusted out her hand with lightning crackling from her fingertips.
“Yer mind games couldn’t take us down, Ah am gonna guarantee ya that you ain't either!” Applejack bragged, putting her hat down over her eyes. As the lighting flew out from Mirage, several things happened at once. Rainbow Dash kicked three of the bolts meant for her friends while Trixie and Twilight made a combined spell to protect the rest, and Applejack raced out, rolling under a bolt and bucking Mirage in the leg.
The cat woman screamed in pain as the hit connected and kicked the problem mare in the stomach, sending her flying. This left her open for Rainbow Dash to fly straight into her chest and repeatedly strike her with a series of fast punches. The cyan mare’s hooves struck so fast and so hard that her forelegs became a indistinct blur. Mirage grunted and growled as Rainbow Dash struck her, and grabbed the speedster with her claws and pulled the rainbow maned mare off. In her claws, she began to slowly squeeze Rainbow Dash, listening to a slow crack of a rib. However, Blossomforth flew in front of her face, distracting her long enough for the grip on Rainbow Dash to loosen and let go.
Fluttershy flew up and managed to help Rainbow Dash down to the ground. The cyan mare smirked to her best friend to show she was ok and then returned to her feet. A yelp from Blossomforth directed the two pegasi towards Blossomforth falling through the air with a gash on her stomach. But, before either pony could move to save her, Lighting Dust flew under her and carried her safely to the ground. Dust then struck at the thighs of the embodiment, only to have her back burned by a fireball from Mirage. As the blue pegasus began to fall, she was caught by a leaping tackle from Carrot Top.
As she set Lighting Dust down, Carrot picked up one of the dropped gems and looked to Octavia. Nodding, the grey earth pony drew a long screeching note along her cello. This sent Mirage reeling back in pain, her claws barely cutting into Fluttershy’s hind leg, and allowing for Carrot to get close to her back and slice into the grey fur with the diamond. Yelling in pain and rage, the monster spun and sent a piece of rock into the carrot farmer. With a smile, she raised her hand to burn Carrot, but stopped when she felt something sticky on her hand, stopping her magic. Turning, she shot daggers at Pinkie Pie, who was holding an extra large bazooka, “Pie Bazooka, MKII.” giggled the pink mare with a glee that was equal parts insanity and fun.
As Pinkie laughed, Mirage lifted up her arm to form another fireball, but a stare from Fluttershy caused her to stumble back. Fluttershy then began to beat her wings as hard as she could, causing the embodiment of cough violently. As she coughed, she managed to slash ice like claws across the buttery mares side and sending her flying towards the ground in a corkscrew. Fluttershy was saved by a use of magic from Rarity and was settled down by Applejack. The pink maned pegasus looked up to Applejack and smiled softly to reassure her that she was alright, “What on Earth?” Exclaimed Mirage as she recovered from her coughing fit to see Pinkie Pie holding Lyra in a giant slingshot.
“FIRE!” screamed the mint colored unicorn as Pinkie Pie launched her from the slingshot aimed straight at Mirage. With a flash of her horn, the embodiment stumbled back and was barraged by Lyra’s lyre hitting her with the loudest sound she could hit. Howling in pain, Mirage slashed at Lyra, sending her straight to the ground. As she struggled to stand back up, the cat monster called down twelve bolts of lightning that struck the twelve ponies and forced them to their knees. As their coats began to crackle from the burning, Twilight began to counter the magic with her own, drawing the lighting towards her. Once the twelve bolts were collected to her, Twilight redirected them back at Mirage.
Flinching from the power of her own lighting, Mirage lifted two fingers and erupted three stone blades that cut into the sides of Rarity, Twilight, and Trixie. Wincing from the pain her in side, Trixie used her magic to grab the stones alongside Rarity. Together, the two flew them over to Carrot Top and Applejack as Twilight froze one of the stones into pure ice. Carrot Top nodded and kicked the ice stone, breaking it into several tiny spears that struck Mirage along with the stone that Applejack bucked into her. Roaring in pain, the embodiment did not see Rainbow Dash grab the hooves of Lighting Dust, “Hold on, Dust!”
“Got it, Dash!” Lightning Dust smirked, not needing to be given a hint of what the plan was. Thrusting their forelegs out in a torpedo formation, the two pegasi flew at Mirage, spiraling together in a twister. This had the effect of combining their two contrails into a helix corkscrew of rainbow and lighting energy. Flying as fast as they could, the pegasi struck hard into Mirage’s belly, sending her reeling back. Before she could retaliate, Twilight and Trixie froze her feet to the ground.
“Octavia!” yelled Lyra as she held up her lyre.
Octavia nodded, putting her bow to her instrument and ran it along the strings in time with Lyra’s musical playing. Together, the two created a hard rock riff that began to hit Mirage with powerful musical magic, hard light imagery, and powerful flames.
Mirage growled as she looked to the mares, her body covered in cuts and burns. As a trail of blood slid down her arms, she couldn’t help but smile as she looked at the twelve ponies, all in pain and looking tired. This sight almost brought a laugh, but that was silence when a hole opened up, letting in powerful moonlight, “YOU DARE THREATEN THE WELLBEING OF OUR SUBJECTS? FOR THIS, INSULT, YOU WILL BE PUNISHED!!!” Luna yelled, flying through the hole and hitting Mirage with her magic.
As Mirage screamed from the force of the night princess’s attacks, she began to try and hit Luna with her own spells. This attempt was soon halted by another voice booming from the clouds, “ FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE TO MY FAMILY, I WILL SEE YOU BURN!!!!” Celestia shouted, hitting Mirage with a powerful burst of sun magic. The beam burnt a black spot into Mirage’s stomach.
As the two princesses fired beam after beam of magic at Mirage, the twelve ponies all gathered together in a group. Twilight stood bravely with her friends, while Trixie stood with her group, their eyes narrowed in determination. As Mirage let out another scream of pain, Twilight looked up at the embodiment, “You know, I have to thank you Mirage,” the alicorn princess said with a smile. As she continued, Celestia landed behind Twilight, a prideful smile on her lips, “For the longest time since getting these wings, I have been afraid. Afraid of losing who I am, of losing myself, or even losing all desire to try anything new. What’s more, I was afraid of losing my friends.” Twilight then smiled towards Trixie, as Luna landed next to her team. “But thanks to you, you had my friends come together to teach me something important. That the bonds I made, the friends I met along my journey, will never die! As long as I keep their memories in my heart, and the lessons they taught me, I will never lose them. Even when they are gone, I will make new friends, new memories, and have them grow inside my heart along with my old friends. That way, they will stay with me forever.”
Mirage screamed in defiance, firing a beam of energy at the two groups, only to watch in shock as a rainbow shield block the beams, “You claim to be despair? You claim to be fear? We are hope!” and at that, twin beams of rainbow light shot out from the collective group and flew straight at the embodiment. The cat woman looked on in fear as the twin streaks of rainbow light flew into her. Pinkie Pie thrusted her hoof in the air, as Blossomforth smiled, in return the beams turned into images of a balloon and a pair of flowers. Lyra and Fluttershy both smiled, turning the rainbow beam into a lyre and a trio of butterflies. Applejack and Octavia nodded, with the orange mare tipping her hat, the beam became the representations of their marks. Rarity and Carrot Top cocked their heads confidently, making their marks appear and strike into Mirage’s body, sending her reeling. Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust held up their hooves in defiance, creating two unique lightning bolt cutie marks. Celestia and Luna looked to each other, smiling before facing Mirage with a smirk, a sun and moon blasting Mirage back onto the ground. Twilight looked to Trixie, smiling softly as if to say “thank you for saving me”. Trixie smiled back, and turned to Mirage, the two students of sun and moon hitting her with a starburst and a magic wand cutie mark.
Struggling to her feet, Mirage let out a gasp of horror as the twin beams began to change, turing into twin alicorns. One alicorn was a dark violet with a rainbow mane that blazed white, orange, pink, purple, cyan, and yellow. The other alicorn was a deep blue with a mane of grey, blue, green, light white, light yellow, and azure. Mirage tried to run, but was struck hard by the two alicorn as they ran straight at her, firing beams of rainbow light that pushed Mirage through a black hole. Grabbing onto the edges of the hole, she screamed “Why, what makes you think you can beat back the darkness?”
The purple alicorn smiled, “Because, I have friends who will help me.” and with the other alicorn, blasted Mirage through the hole, sealing it. Slowly, the black fog dissipated, leaving behind the medical room, the bearers, two ponies and a drake. Painting, Twilight smiled and looked to her friends, “Thank you...”
The first thing Twilight could hear as she slowly opened her eyes, was the soft chirping of birds outside her window. Lifting herself slowly out of the bed, she took a look around the white room and saw the different flowers and items that were left by her bed. Then, she watched a unicorn mare walked into the room, “You’re awake!” Trixie said with a happy smile as she ran in. Behind her, floated a pair of indigo flowers that she put into a vase. “Not that Trixie was worried, mind you.”
Twilight rolled her eyes at this, “How long was I out?”
“Four days, long enough for everypony else to heal. I told them that you were just tired and needed some real sleep and that you were no longer under a spell. But, your friends wouldn’t believe me. So, Luna ha to reconfirm it for all of them,” Trixie then chuckled. “This news, of course, didn’t stop Pinkie from trying to have a ‘thank Celestia Twilight is alive and a-ok’ slumber party in this room the past four nights straight.”
“Of course not,” Twilight giggled. “Did you all stay by my bed the entire time?”
“No, regulations forced us to do it two at a time. Did you know the princess was this close to changing them?” Trixie said, walking to sit on Twilight’s bed. “The others are all outside, talking to each other.”
“Are your friends leaving?” Twilight asked.
“They don’t have the excuses your friends do, so they need to,” Trixie said, looking out the window. “Besides, Lighting needs to go for her new position in the Shadowbolts.”
Twilight looked at Trixie with a soft smile, “Trixie, thanks, for everything.”
“Your friends did all of it,” Trixie said.
“Yes, and what they did, I’ll never forget. I was so afraid that those dreams would come true, that I would lose myself, but thanks to them I see it now. Those nightmares will never happen, because of how they changed me,” Twilight smiled softly. “But you did a lot too. You, who never led anything before, you kept cool and kept them all together. Even though you were worried and afraid.”
“Trixie was ne-”
Twilight cocked an eyebrow, “Really? Not once?”
“Maybe a little. But, then she looked at her team and realized, she had to succeed... because they needed her. You needed her, and so did they,” Trixie said, looking out the window.
“Friends have that effect on you,” Twilight said. “They tend to hold you up when you are weak, and help strengthen all that you are. They also make you want to try harder, because you want to live p to them. It’s why I am no longer afraid of losing them, because what kind of friend would I be, if I abused the gifts they gave me?” Twilight then got off the bed and walked to a window, “Now come on, let's go and say hi to our friends.”
“Friends, yeah... I guess they always have been,” Trixie smiled and turned to walk out the room.
Twilight opens the window and takes a deep breath of air, before jumping and taking off. Her voice then began to sing in an upbeat and uplifting tune.
A friend for life
That's what you are to me
Trixie: (Smiles back and walks to the courtyard where the others are)
A friend for life
That's what you are to me
Rainbow Dash finishes talking to Lighting as she hears Twilight singing. Turning, she smiles a beaming grin and flies into the alicorn with a giant embrace. As tears fell from her eyes, Rainbow Dash added her voice to the song.
I couldn't see what was
Right there in front of me
Turned my back
Got my mind off track
Lightning Dust looked down to where Trixie was walking under her and flew down to join her new friend. Giving Trixie a high hoof, Dust also joined in the song.
Yeah
You saw a world that was
Something new entirely
Helped me to see
All the possibilities
Rarity, hearing the voices overhead, beams a warm smile at seeing her friend alive. At a gallop, she runs after them, singing with a slow tone.
Oooooooooooooh......
Like a star in the day light
Or like a diamond at night
Carrot Top, seeing Trixie walking by her, smiles at the traveling companions and hugs Trixie. The look in her eyes saying that she forgave her.
Your light was hidden
From my sight
Trixie shook her head, and instead hugged her new friend. Then, with the two ponies following her, began to follow Twilight and her friends, singing along with Twilight as she began to sing.
A friend for life
That's what you are to me
A friend for life
That's what you are to me
Fluttershy walked by some of her animals as she heard Twilight’s voice and Rarity’s hoofsteps, and began to sing quietly to herself.
Every friendship is tested
You say you're sincere
Lyra watched as Trixie approached, a soft smile on her lips as she added her voice to the song.
But it's all unclear now
But with a word
Applejack, putting her hat over her eyes to hide her tears, walked with Fluttershy. Helping the pegasus’s thoughts to be heard aloud.
Everything changes
And just like that
You and I are right back
In a nearby park, Shining and Cadence watched at Twilight and friends walked by, “Looks like she is going to be all right,” Cadence looked up to Shining. “Maybe later you should tell her?”
“I will,” Shining said, watching his sister fly away.
“That is what you said about the wedding. I don’t want to be in that delivery room and you just then finally remember to tell her,” Cadence said, lightly punching her husband in the shoulder.
“Ok,got the message,” Shining said with a blush..
Unaware of what was transpiring in the park, Rarity and Carrot Top sang together in a low soft tone.
Oohhh....
Like a star in the daylight (Star in the day light)
Or like a diamond at night (Diamond at night)
Octavia, walking up behind the group with her cello in tow, smiled as she played and sung at a slightly faster tempo.
Your light will shine
When the time is right
Twilight and Trixie began to walk towards a bridge, their voices playing as one now.
A friend for life
That's what you are to me
A friend for life
That's what you are to me
Pinkie Pie, standing on top of a building, leaned forward a little. She then pretended to fall, but was saved by Rainbow Dash and Twilight, who sat her down as she sang in her usual upbeat melody
When I put my hoof out
And I thought I would fall
Blossom forth flew down to her friends and gave them a big hug, her voice joining in with Pinkie’s.
You knew what I needed
And you came around
To fix it all
Trixie and her team make it to the bridge first, and as she looked at all of them she felt her heart warm. Taking a deep breath, she sang what she felt in her heart.
A friend for life
That's what you are to me
Twilight lands with her friends, standing with them in a show that they will always be together. Her voice happy and upbeat, she sang the loudest of the group
A friend for life
That's what you are to me
Singing along with her sister, Luna lands behind Trixie, adding her voice to the group. Celestia then landed next to Twilight, singing with a high tone.
A friend for life
That's what you are to me
As the voices joined in harmony, Cadence and Shining walk with Spike in tow. Using her magic, Cadence lifts Spike and places him on Twilight Sparkle’s back. A smile at the two member of her family.
Ooohh-wa-ooohh
(Like a star in the day light)
A friend for life
That's what you are to me
(Like a diamond at night)
Twilight, looks at her friends and smiles
That's what you are to me
The en-
“So, they stopped me from causing despair. So what?” Mirage said, looking at the portal to the world of Equestria. “Never be said I am one to quit. I’ll just... oh, what is this?” She stopped herself from walking as she saw a small point of light fly into the portal. “Oh, what’s this? It seems that the world is going to have a few guests. Oh, well. I have another world in mind.” with a low chuckle she walked to another portal, “This one I’ll have to thank Luna for.”
Mirage will return in- Lunaverse: Nightmare’s Reign