Friendship Harder: Collected Microfiction

by KwirkyJ

Nochnoy Dozor [Adventure, Drama]

"Here, Pipsqueak!" Luna cried. "Another bandit!"

"Don' worry, Princess!" The small colt charged over, sword in his mouth, and slashed at the bad pony. The schooner listed, sea spray crashing over the side.

"Be careful, Pip!"

The bad pony slipped and Pip shoved against him. The bad pony shouted in surprise and tumbled over the side.

Pipsqueak turned, a proud grin spread across his face. "How was that, Princess Luna?"

She walked up to the gunwale, beaming, and wrapped him in a matronly hug. "Thank you, my brave little pirate. I certainly hope he can swim…." She ushered him to the rail and froze.

The ocean was bone white. Instead of swells there were crests of rock and dust. The schooner they rode crashed over a crater rim, spraying fine powder high into the sails.

"Princess Luna?" Pip asked. He looked up and paled.

"Yes, Luna," came a voice cold and silky-smooth, whispering into her ear. Luna could almost feel the breath. "Are you having fun?"

Luna pitched forward with a jolt; she fell.

---

Instinctively, Luna pulled her mind through the Between, to the nether-realm of the dreamscape lined with doors. There before her stood herself, tall and dark. "Nightmare," she hissed.

Her other self clicked her tongue and sashayed forward. "Tut tut, such disapproval. Is that any way to treat yourself?"

"I was never you."

The other's smile grew and curled. "I thought you might say that. How noble. Noble and misinformed. Come…” The other stamped her hoof, and every door burst open. A purple mist poured from them all, swirling around them both. “Dream a little dream of me."

Ahead was suddenly down. Luna cried out in surprise as she plummeted through an open door.

---

She stood on the dais, high in Ponyville's town hall. The feeble pegasi guards flew about her, brandishing their spears. Their points shrieked as they bit at her metal armor; where they found purchase, the pain was only exhilarating.

"Foals," she jeered. "All of you, weak, incompetent, narrow-minded foals. If you will not bow before me, you will be punished that others will obey."

She summoned her magic, seizing them. She squeezed, the pressure mounting as her smile broadened, relishing in the power at her command.

One of the guard growled despite the pain, defiant. "Monster," he managed.

"Monster?" She said it with a lilt, as if considering. "Perhaps."

Without preamble, she hurled them through the walls, accompanied by cracks of lightning.

There at the door, unhinged, stood a small palomino colt and a mauve mare, their eyes wide.

"Princess Luna?"

She stared, frowning in concentration. They did not belong in this memory. Unless…

She lurched forward with a splash.

Celestia looked up at her, her body broken.

She straddled the once-princess, dipping her head low to lick the blood from Celestia's brow. Celestia winced as her tongue drew slowly along her horn.

"What ever is the matter, sister-mine? Too proud to whimper?"

Celestia never looked away. "Monster," she whispered.

"Yes," she said. "That seems to be the consensus these days. You simply do not understand power."

She nibbled delicately on Celestia's ear before biting down.

"Sister!"

The ear and the body attached to it was gone. Celestia was suddenly above, stooping through the hole in the castle's ceiling. She was no longer bleeding; her face was unblemished.

Sunlight pierced through rain above the Everfree, dancing on her armor. Wherever it touched, her obsidian coat turned blue. Blue… It hurt.

The world spun, and she collapsed into the floor.

---

In a bed surrounded by books, a unicorn mare lay. She appeared to have been reading, despite the lack of candle. She looked up, expectant. “I was right,” she said. “You’ve come.”

She scowled. "This isn't right."

The unicorn stood and began walking forward cautiously. "Luna, you know me. I'm your friend."

"A god doesn't need friends, Twilight Sparkle!"

"So," the unicorn said, a smile forming, "You remember my name. What else?"

She shook her head. "No!" A hoof stamped and the books flapped from the shelves. "You are in my realm, foal! Impudent! Ingrate!"

The unicorn came closer, never slowing despite the onslaught of animated tomes.

"Stay away!"

Twilight wrapped her arms around her. Armor peeled away, taking midnight flesh with it.

She fell up.

---

Luna was in the dream hall again. The doors were shut; all but one, where Twilight sat. Overhead, filling what passed for the sky, was the moon. Across its craters a pirate schooner cut a fast tack.

"Luna?" Twilight said.

Luna simply stared up at the moon.

"Are you okay? I came as soon as Cheerilee…."

Luna felt a wing drape over her back, and a barrel press against her side.

A soft kiss touched her dampened cheek.

"That was never you," Twilight said. "Never was, and never will be."

It was a long time before Luna answered.

---

"Mayhap."

Author's Note:

Originally written for the Thirty Minute Ponies prompt, "The Nightmare Returns".