**A commission for Starlight Nova, who requested a fic featuring his Nightmare Pony OCs. Takes place Post-Tirek, but before Starlight Glimmer's Timey-Wimey Rampage™. Tagged teen and dark for an oddball: the Nightmares being named after phobias and bad things, barring some exceptions. Also implications of said bad things.**

A long-isolated kingdom sits and stews, waiting for its chance to shine as the shadows of the past threaten to consume it. After carefully gauging the situation and his options, King Cauchemar decides to enact his plan, one brought on a whim with seeds long ago planted in the grim reality of the Kingdom of Nightmaria. The catch? Equestria must be conquered, after being scouted out thoroughly for any and all weakpoints.

The equine citizens must pay their toll, in full. Nightmaria will sit idly by no longer, as other kingdoms bask in the wonderful light of the sun. Thus, he sends the Champions of Nightmaria out to probe and poke for weaknesses in the Equestrian line of defense. What little his scouts have relayed to him don't bode particularly well for the Equestrians—over-reliance on Elements of Harmony, useless guards, and so on don't exactly do international wonders.

Though unbeknownst to him and his Champions, there might just be a reason why Equestria has stood the test of time.