NiGHTS: Equestrian Dreams

by Sirion123

CHAPTER 3

Chapter 3
Unpleasant Dreams

Once again, Nights had spent his time waiting, and once again, she was bored. The duelizing had been far rougher then any Nights had personally experienced, and could only imagine what the little filly had gone through. Another first, besides the very arduous possession, was that his “host” passed out. If Nights was to be honest, she had no clue as what to do. Having no other means of passing his time, Night’s looked over her form.

Instead of his typical boot like feet she was use to, his legs were reverse jointed and ended in hooves. Springing from her back were a set of ivory white wings, which were accented at the ends of his primary feathers, with a dark and rich violet color. The normal gold trim that adorn her vest had been replaced with a polished onyx trim, along with his color scheme set to a tone several shades darker then usual, giving her a much more menacing look. Simply put, his form had changed greatly. And by far the most shocking thing about his newest form, Nights could not be changed back to her pre-dualized self. Another First for the experienced jester. Well this is certainly new. Never had actual wings before. They feel strange, Nights gave them an experimental shake, …and very itchy. Your not just a filly are you little one… Just what are you? It was then that Luna had started to return to consciousness.

“What happened?”

“We dualized you silly filly.” Answered the violet jester, “Though…usually it’s a much smoother process. Nor, for that matter does it alter my form so strongly. I can’t get rid of the hooves or wings. Though...I think I’m starting to get used to them. OH!…I forgot to give you a look at what we look like.” Nights gave himself a once over allowing Luna to take stock at how the two of them looked together liked this, dualized. “But this brings up so many questions. Your not just a dreamer are you young filly. Are you really fighting against Wizeman? Are you some trap he laid for me? Are you a nightmaren?”

“A what?”

“A NIGHT-MARE-REN! Wizeman right handed, or ,er, many handed, man. A tool sent out to collect ideya, and enthrall all dreamers under his rule. SO…are you one?”

“No. No I’m not. I’m a pwincess. I pwotect the dweams of my subjects. My wittle ponies depend on me to save dem from the nightmares and dings like Wizeman!” Proudly stated Luna, not liking the accusatory tone Night was setting against her.

Nights pondered what the filly had said for a moment. Thinking over what she had experienced with his brief time with the midnight blue filly. Nothing untoward came to her mind, just a dreamer who had some truly unfortunate bad luck. In the end Nights could only shrug, after all, despite the filly’s uniqueness, he couldn’t dualize with a nightmaren. She was a little ashamed he had accused her young and potential new friend, with her pointless question. In the end all he could do was apologize.

“It’s fine. Wizeman needs to be stopped. He took my ideyas and we need to get them back. When I’m back to how I was, he will be, unab…unably…stopped from enterwing, my wittle ponies’ dweams.”

“Well then…looks like there’s only one thing left to do. So what are we waiting for, lets go!"

Quickly, Nights/Luna, fluttered about in a circle, his new, and still itchy wings flapping lazily, before leaving the Ideya Palace and into the desolate landscape of an Equestria, dying of unending night.

---

Somewhere within the dreamscape, Nightmare Moon had been enjoying the misery her “mother,” if she had to give a term for Luna (Because she had been formed from her). The brutal truth, of what a little jealousy gone wrong, was a nice cozy blanket, a comfort for the onyx colored mare. A feeling further enhanced as she was also a child of Wizeman the Wicked. A being of pure darkness, with cruelty that knew of no bounds. Her vigil against those who would hinder her masters plans was never ending, and Nightmare had kept a slitted eye on her charge, no matter her distance from the palace Luna was imprisoned in. So when she experienced a slight tug followed by a shock, temporarily incapacitating her, bewilderment had colored what visible features existed under her mask. On an instinctual level, the mare in the moon had understood Luna had somehow escaped from her prison, however, Nightmare Moon had a harder time believe the destitute mare was capable of doing so after everything Wizeman and her had stolen from Luna. Born to be a mare of action, regardless if it was inspired by the original Nightmare Moon, or by what ever needs Wizeman had had, when he had created her in her originals image. Nightmare had taken off in the direction of the palace. All with the intention of incapacitating Luna, by any means possible. The dark avatar of anger and jealousy spread her wings, and with powerful thrusts, launched herself forward at incredible speeds. The downtrodden ponies below her morphed into shadowy forms as she passed by, turning into demon like shades with red eyes. Whether Luna had known it, Nightmare was preparing for battle.

---

Nights/Luna flew on, in the endless sickly colored dreamscape, hoping to find an Ideya Capture, a device Wizeman used to syphon way the ideya’s power. However, after several lengthy minutes, their search had turned up nothing. Not even the always common blue chips, small blue spheres of nightopia, who’s only purpose was to balance and remove the dark and corrupting forces of Nightmare (The land Wizeman ruled, not Luna’s counterpart). Nothing but the trailing starlike twinkles, sprouting into existence from Nights/Luna’s arms and wings marked any progress the two had made. As the two flew further, using the unique empathic abilities gained by dualizing, Nights was able to pick up on Luna’s growing unease. At the beginning of the nightmare, her subjects were plentiful, if not sickly and near death. Now? Not a soul could be found, no signs of life, or wind, or anything natural could be heard or felt. Something is not right here. Thought Nights, his own sense of unease growing alongside Luna’s, All of this silence and emptiness is all pointing toward a tr—

From nowhere, and everywhere, a miasma of pitch black had formed and quickly enveloped the dualized duo. Before either Nights, or Luna could react the night lit landscape had turned to an empty void. Though the moon still was high in what might have been the sky, little to no light had been produced by the satellite. A rumble penetrated the silence, as a brightly lit, day glow orange, castle began to form with sickly corrupted neon green flora outlining what was quickly becoming an arena. The castle was not a marvel of the crown, but rather a rotten image of what it once might have been. It’s towers fallen, littering the castle courtyards with a random assortment of rubble. Pieces of the second story could be seen, still intact though, thoroughly decayed, with violet moss growing on the stone, giving the castle a melancholy and menacing look. Nights was confused with what the castle was or had signified gaining glimpses of what Luna was feeling. Luna, on the other hoof, had not missed What the castle was or why Nightmare had brought it forth. Before them, illuminated in the pitch black sky and neon glows of the castle remains, Nightmare had laid her past betrayal, and sin for Luna to bare once again, the castle of the two pony sisters perverted by what ever had called it forth. The sight of her fall, and return to harmony, This castle, painted in disturbingly bright colors, had ripped open old wounds and regrets, like a vicious dagger to the soul. Her past grew heavy on her heart once again.

“I’m surprised Luna…To find that a failure, such as yourself, had somehow managed to escape your prison.” Came a demure voice from the shadows, faceless, formless. “So you believe you can stop master Wizeman in your current st—“ Nightmare Moon paused, the jester looking being confusing her. "I sense Luna...but all I see is you...a jester..." Nightmare pointed a hoof at Nights/Luna, in turn Nights pointed a finger at herself as if to acknowledge Nightmare source of befuddlement. Nightmare only stared on for a moment before using a scanning spell.

"I see..." Nightmare frowned, "You are like myself. Shall I fetch master Wizeman?"

"I'd sooner be sealed away again then help that creature with anything!!" Snapped Nights, his anger visible on her features, Luna's unseen expression matched the jester.

“That can be arranged." Nightmare stated coolly, "If you do not serve my master," The mare in the moon spread her wings, rolled back to her hind legs in preparation for flight, "Then you must be dealt with accordingly." Nightmare moon launched herself strait at Nights.

Acting on reflexes alone, Nights narrowly dodged Nightmare's surprise attack. Not one to miss an opportunity, Nights tried to take advantage on the onyx colored mare. Tucking his wings in close, Nights called forth her own dream powers, his body narrowing, her legs melded together, giving the dark violet jester more control for the next step. With an immediate increase in speed, Nights' form began to spin as he move forward at incredible speeds, her spin dash attack. Corkscrewing in the dark twisted land of Nightmare, Nights had managed to impact the wicked mare of the night, eliciting a grunt of mild pain from the onyx mare.

“Impressive. That, technique, is quite interesting. However, I suppose I should stop playing with my prey." Nightmare Moon stated, after recovering from the hit.

Charging a combination of Wizeman's gifts to the newly formed nightmaren, and her inheritance, the equestrian magic stolen from Luna, Nightmare Moon charged dark magics into her horn, a dark almost black violet aura the only indication that she was trying something. Once Nightmare had stored what magical energy she deemed capable of significant damage, she cast forth her arcane bolt. Once again Nights' quick reflexes had save him from being hurt. Quickly bowing and bending her body in a way impossible outside a dream, Nightmare's attack failed to connect.

"That was a little close...and unfair," Nights whined a little, "Why didn't you tell me she had that kind of power... Wait... Don't answer that...I think I got it. Most nightmarens have to stick to what ever manifestations of fear they can steal from the dreamer...giving your uniqueness Luna, I think it’s fair to say, Nightmare Moon is just as unique."

"I dink you're wight. Wizeman base her off of my own dawkness." Replied Luna, "I would hewp, but wit me wike dis I'm unable to use magic."

"Then there's only one thing for it. We fight her with what I can do." Nights just smirked, "We'll just use paraloops."

Needing space to properly set up a paraloop, Nights once again set off in a spin dash. Moving at high speeds, yet with slightly limited turning abilities, Nights had hoped to out run Nightmare's attacks before starting to make the jester’s most powerful attack. At first, this change of tactics had worked, moving so fast that Nightmare’s bolts of magic kept falling behind him. However it did not take long for the onyx mare to catch on and start leading her attacks. It took three tries, but the dark mare had finally hit her mark.

The bolt hit Nights straight into his chest, pulling her from his spin dash and sent careening into the, brightly colored and distorted, castle structure. Chunks of bright day glow orange bricks fell from the dilapidated building, falling about with no rhyme or reason, burying the duo in a pile of rubble.

That really, REALLY, hurts. thought Nights, resisting the urge to rub his chest. Slowly she removed the rubble surrounding him, freeing herself from it's entrapping grasp. Taking stock of the the interior of the castle, Nights experience in defeating nightmaren came forth, greeting Nights like an old friend. I can take advantage of this landscape.

“Hey Luna? Do you mind if I’m in complete control for a bit? I have a plan to stop Nightmare Moon, but it’s only going to work if I don’t have to worry about fighting for control.”

Luna’s answer was a, silent, feeling of consent.

---

Outside the nightmare version of of the ruined castle the royal sisters had once shared, Nightmare Moon inspected the impact point that the jester had made. Cautiously the onyx mare had investigated the area. She found more rubble, piled in what appeared to be where Nights’ unexpected crash had ended. She was hoping to find a battered body, dream ligaments broken and useless, yet to her extreme disappointment not a single trace of the violet harlequin could be found. Where did that jester cretin go? It should be in some measurable amount of pain. No matter, I will find it. Besides if that tackle attack it made was it’s strongest attack, this inconvenience will be taken care of shortly…what…what’s that sound?

The sound in question, the twinkling noise that had brought the mare out of her thoughts, the noise seemed to emanate from a growing ring of starlike particles surrounding her. Paralyzed in confusion Nightmare could only watch as the trail of stars fully enclosed around her. Once the last star had been in place, an overpowering well of gravity fell upon the ink black mare. Pain course through her body, her veins felt as if filled with lava, her nerve endings set ablaze with hell fire. This unknown form of attack eliciting an instinctive shriek of agony. Nightmare felt her strength leaving her, being drawn away by what ever force the trail of stars had. The attack had lasted no more then a second, before Nightmare was rocketed through several walls, eventually landing on the opposite side of the castle from where she had originally entered. Nightmare struggled to recover from such a powerful attack, slowly rising to her hooves, taking several shaky steps before catching her second wind.

“I…I can’t take much more of those…” The onyx mare thought aloud.

“Wow! I’ve never seen a reaction like that to a paraloop!” Came Nights’ surprised voice from the shadows the nightmarish landscape had cast.

Nightmare’s gaze narrowed as she scanned the darkness, trying to root out the violet jester. To her ever increasing rage Nights remained outside her detection.

“Where are you? You knave!”

“Knave? Who even uses that word? No…I’m not a knave, just a free spirit who has an extreme dislike for Wizeman and all his plans.”

Once again the twinkling sound had graced Nightmare’s ears. Immediately Her eyes widen as she turned her frantic gaze about, attempting to find the trail of twinkling stars. It did not take her long, as within the darkness surrounding the combatants, the star trail was brightly lit, like beacons of brilliance, warning against the nighttime shore. Noticing the trail of stars about to close the loop surrounding her, Nightmare immediately took to the sky, narrowly escaping the the rapidly expanding dark violet field, reaching the trail of stars and going no further. Though not directly caught inside the jester’s attack, Nightmare was close enough to feel an incredible pull to the center of the loop before it dissipated. So distracted by the paraloop she had avoided, she had failed to notice the second paraloop encompass her.

Once again Nightmare Moon screeched in pain, and once again she was propelled through the castle walls. What was new to this second instance of Nights’ attack, was the onyx mare felt her strength all but abandon her. Somehow the paraloop had stolen something from her. The magic she used before was harder to call forth, her legs felt tired, aching from exertion despite not yet pushing herself to the edge, her wings heavy, drooping around the dust, dirt, and rocks. She felt, and almost was, practically powerless. If I take another hit of that technique… Thought the mare in the moon. A surge of power came rushing to the mare, born from a desperate need not to fail her wicked master, and the all powerful mandate to survive. Casting a general concussive spell, Nightmare had hoped to catch the nuisance that had been besting her thus far. A dark starlit dome of arcane swelled from the apex of Nightmare’s horn. The ever increasing sphere of force had enveloped the castle ruins before it caught Nights unawares. Her flight taking a sudden and painful change of trajectory, sending him straight to the ground.

“What the…?” Nights exclaimed, taking about five seconds to recover, before realizing something else. That fact the attack didn’t hit as hard as before…that and she felt just a little bit stronger…

Night’s turned his draconian gaze down on the nightmaren before her. Where the Nightmare Moon at the start of this fight had been strong and full of confidence, now, she was anything but. Nightmare stood, looking disheveled, her flowing miasmic main now hung limp against her neck, her tail hung loose in much the same manner. Nightmare’s breathing was ragged and shallow. She looked as if she was about to faint.

“The paraloops are really effecting her aren’t they Luna?”

“I know…It’s stwange, but I feel a wittle bit bedder now.”

“I noticed that too. Maybe my paraloops are taking back what ever Wizeman had stolen from you? And since Nightmare Moon is born from that…

“I dink your wight.”

“Regardless, I think one more paraloop should do it. Ready?”

“Yes!”

With steely determination, Nights extended her wings, bent slightly, and took off at near spin dash speeds. Nightmare spotting her prey taking off, followed soon after, in a cat and mouse chase. Bolt after bolt of magic were hurled at Nights, whizzing by the harlequin, missing only by inches, sometimes not even by that. Several burn marks and stings had marked Night’s body, despite his deft movements and fighting instincts. However Nights wasn’t always on the run from Luna’s dark counterpart. Several times he had trapped Nightmare in that final paraloop, only to watch the mare escape the epicenter of the gravity swells. For all the efforts both dream beings made, neither could gain an advantage over another. They were stuck in a stalemate. Tragically, the state of things wasn’t going to remain for much longer, soon Nightmare would have the advantage. A faint, yet growing, tugging sensation was felt by Nights, a sign that the their dualization was about to end. Dodging another burst of magic, Nights was running out of time, and worse yet, ideas as to stop Nightmare.

“We need to end this quick, else we’ll separate and your counterpart will have an easy win. It doesn’t help that I’ve run out of ideas. So little filly…you got any plans?”

Luna pondered for a moment before replying.

“How faw does the trwail of staws go?”

“It can go somewheres about hundred, hundred fifty feet. Why?”

---

Nightmare Moon had kept up the pressure, hoping to exhaust Nights. For a little bit Her efforts seemed to work, Nights seemed slower, sloppier. But what ever had cause that lull in her opponent, ended just as quickly as it had started. Nights, picking up her newfound strategy, had sped off, breaking away from the close combat the jester seemed committed to. Not willing to let her target out of her sight, Nightmare had put more power behind her wings and trailed after. Keeping a weathered eye on the trail of stars lest she be caught by the paraloop again, Nightmare had maintained her magic attacks, her frustration growing every time the harlequin had rolled out of the attack’s path. Suddenly Nights pulled a hard turn, banking to his left, pulling a 180 and now charged toward Nightmare, before speeding by her at high speed. The change of both direction and tactics, Nightmare had pause for a moment before pursuing once more. Nightmare had moved only a short distance before noticing Nights had, once again, turned around and was heading toward her. Initially Nightmare had continued her charge, but when she noticed the trail of stars near completing a paraloop she was about to enter, she halted. Not willing to falling for this trap before her. Infusing her horn with magic, in preparation for attack, Nightmare had needed Nights to me just a little bit closer. She had received her wish, yet in an unexpected manner. While Nights did close in on the onyx colored mare, the method of which had caught Nightmare off guard.

In an instant, Nights had zoomed forward in a spin dash, once again barreling past Nightmare. Now thoroughly confused by the actions of her foe Nightmare turned around and froze in fear and realization. Nights and completed another paraloop, and this time, Nightmare was stuck in the center of it, unable to escape. Nightmare Moon was given only a second to accept she had lost, before the swell had wrapped her in it’s painful embrace. Nightmare gave an inequine, shrill, scream as her form faded to nothing. The magic and memories stolen form Wizeman returned to their rightful owner, Luna. All that remained of Nightmare’s presence was a small softly lit star bouncing lazily in the dilapidated castle. Not too long after Nights/Luna’s victory, had the time limit on their dualization ended, separating the two.

“Wew…” Nights sighed, miming wiping sweat off her brow, “That was a little too close.”

“Indeed.” Luna replied, sounding less like the filly she looked like and more in tune with her normal self.

“Luna? You alright…You sound different. Less cute and young…”

“I think It’s because a part of me returned. I think when Wizeman had used my memories to make Nightmare Moon, he took a part of what made me, well, me…Draining Nightmare moon of that…made me stronger and more like I was before this all started.”

“I noticed that. Oh, would you look at that,” Nights turn his gaze to the small brilliance shining in the darkness. Slowly the star expanded, engulfing the brightly lit, yet menacing, landscape, a golden aura emitting from what ever solid material of the star touched, “The dream is collapsing…Well I don’t have much time before you wake, So~ We still have the other four ideya to find, but it might take some time to find out which dreams Wizeman’s nightmaren hid them in. I would like to help but once this dream ends I’ll be locked in the palaces again…So I won’t be able to help search for them.” Night’s noticed the solemn look on Luna’s muzzle, “Don’t worry there’s one in every dream, usually in sight of the dreamer, especially if the dreamers ideya have been stolen. All you need to do is enter the palace with an ideya and boom we’re off to the races…er…yeah…” she finished with a half hearted smile, feeling slightly awkward about mentioning horse races to, well, a horse.

“No!! …I’m not going to leave on your own against him. I can’t do this without help…not after what he did to me… though I might screw up the courage to face him, I don’t have the strength to face him alone.”

Without a word Luna brought forth her magic, a nice soothing royal blue aura shown around her horn, glittering under it’s own light, growing in brightness the more magic she gathered for the spell. Slowly a tendril of magic extended from her horn, moving in snake like fashion, before it touched Nights’ form. A sensation of warmth spread over his body, as well as the royal blue aura.

“Luna…” A growing nervousness could be heard in Nights’ voice, “Wh-what are you doing?”

Luna could only offer a soft friendly smile.

“Don’t worry about it. This will be a gift to you, as well as my thanks for your help. I think you might enjoy this.” Luna’s smile grew coy.

What ever Nights was going to say was never heard. The expanding star had enveloped them, ending the dream.

Author's Note:

For any purist out there, I am aware that you can not complete a paraloop with a spin dash. My defense is artistic license, so deal with it. Beyond that, I only have one other thing to defend. Luna's speech. When Wizeman took her memories to make his version of Nightmare, he essentially stole away luna's life. So it seemed natural to me she would revert to a child like state. When Nightmare was defeated, the memories returned, and thus so did "Luna" if you will.

I'm happy with the chapter, though I wish I could be a bit more descriptive, but all in all I'm happy with the chapter. It's going to be a bit before the next one, As this is my writer's block breaker, for Borders so just keep hanging on.