//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: Daydream  
// Story: There's more than one way to live a Nightmare 
// by Abaddon spice 
//------------------------------//

   Celestia woke up.

Her horn was tingling, telling her it was time to raise the sun. She slowly got up and stretched, and groggily went off onto her bedroom balcony and lit her horn. Many would think the princess of the sun would love mornings, but in truth she was kind of 'meh' about them. They weren't bad but they weren't good either, she just woke up and did them.

As the sun rose, Celestia slowly began to feel more energized. She then inhaled the fresh morning air, and of course she couldn't help but let her mind wander. 

It had been at least a few days since her elder sister had come back, and she was glad for her return. But something always seemed, well... A little bit 'off' about her. 

It wasn't that she was evil again, no, it was more of like looking at a whole different pony. Before, she was restrained, dignified, and downright cold at times. Celestia felt a shiver run down her spine as she remembered their childhood.

Nightmare always wanted to be loved, to get attention for her hard work. The ponies though, favored her and Luna more, and not truly just them, even their parents gave more attention to them when they were younger. Celestia felt a ping of sorrow stab her heart as she remembered their parents. Here one day and gone the next. Leaving them with a newly developing kingdom on their withers. 

All those years and without help from anypony, her sister had fought fang and hoof just to keep the country running, and when all the ponies turned against her, she had just simply went mad.

Celestia shook her head of those memories, 'No. We will help her. Always.' 

'Just as sisters should.' She silently vowed.

Her thoughts though, had put her in a melancholy mood as she headed to the kitchens for breakfast. Before she exited her room, she quickly went to her dresser mirror. She looked at her frowning reflection and quickly replaced it with her usual gentle smile.

"Better" she murmured to herself. And as she turned around, Luna teleported into her room.

"We need to talk." She said calmly. 

To any other pony she would look like she was just starting a conversation, but Celestia had known her sister for over a millennia. The way her ears were perked and her movements only slightly ridged. She was fully panicked about something.

"What is it?" She said with a hint of concern in her voice. They had practiced these facades to near perfection, it was a perfect poker face for politics, but why was Luna using hers?

"Nightmare" she said quietly, and with that one word, Celestia's blood turned to ice. 

She immediately cast a teleportation spell, and sent them both to a bunker room far under Canterlot mountain. It could only be accessed by telportation, and was armed with enough enchanted food and provisions to last for two whole years. It was first used as an emergency evacuation room, for if a foe could defeat both them, but soon was forgotten due to no need and or use. But, it was the perfect place if the sisters needed to talk in absolute privacy.

"What happened." Celestia asked again, showing a lot more panic in her voice as she checked on the bunkers wards.

Luna told of the dreaming events she had witnessed.

"Do you think she is turning?" She asked when she finished the tale, and Celestia rubbed her head. 

'Monsters, she could handle. Politics. Foals-play. Her elder sister?' The name of her just made her want to curl up under her bed. 

"I don't know. She's just not..ugh" she grumbled as she tried to make since of it. Her sister was not known greatly for her deceit, she was always a "charge-in horn blazing" type of mare. And unlike the name suggests she never had ever turned dreams into nightmares, truthfully she actually had taught Luna how to dreamwalk. 

Well, for any consolation, at least no pony else could listen in to this.



Nightmare was lying flat on the ground with a large glass against her ear. As she crawled around she could hear the sounds under the ground clearer.

'You sure they're beneath me?'

'Yes, I'm sure, just a few more paces.... and stop.'

When she stopped she could hear the sounds clear up into voices, then a question popped up. 

'Wait, how can I hear them? There is at least half a mountain between us.'

'Alicorn hearing, plus your more predatory. Your senses are sharper than a normal pony or alicorn'

'Hey, can I also eat meat?'

'Yes, now hush, their getting to the good part.'

As she listened in, she heard the rest of the conversation. Forest informed her when it had finished.

'So what do you think?'

'.... It was interesting?'

'What? No, witty remark? No, random quote? Who are you and what have you done with Nightmare!'

'Hey, I can be serious you know'

'As serious as a pony that talks to a voice in their head?'

'Yes, plus I just want to inform you; There is no spoon'

'We're getting off topic. Now, what do you want to do now that you know they don't trust you.'

'Earn their trust, duh'

'Your making this difficult'

'Yeah, well I'm trying not to get banished, thank you.'

Knocking interuppted their conversation, as Nightmare got up and went to the door she heard: "Room Service"

As she opened the door she looked down at a lime green earth pony in a maid uniform.

"Hello this is Royal room service, your.... Augh!" She yelped as she saw the dark alicorn towering over her.

Nightmare just rolled her eyes (which made her cower more) and continued down the hallway.

'See! Just look at the servants reactions! Doesn't that irritate you?'

'Don't you want me to be evil? I thought you would like ruling through fear'

'......Is it troubling if I sometimes wonder which of us is the evil one?'

Nightmare shrugged and continued off to the kitchens, her "sisters" should be there about now. As she trotted in, she saw Celestia and Luna sitting  and chatting across from each other. She soon came closer and sat at the head of the table, the conversation slowly died away and the room had gotten uncomfortably silent.

So she decided to break it.

"So.. Quite a lot has changed since I have been here, yes"

"Uh yeah"

"Yep"

Silence.

"So, when is day court?"

"In an hour or so" Celestia bluntly replied and Luna nodded.

'Throw me a bone here! I got nothing but random shit/ Forest, help me!'

'They're your sisters. Not my problem.'

Nightmare wanted to growl with frustration, but Luna spoke up.

"Um, sister shouldn't you be resting?"

Nightmare stared at her for a minute, "Uh yes, but I was hungry" she bluntly replied.

Celestia's eyes narrowed. 

"And why have you not ordered anything?"

Nightmare stared at her.

'HELP!'

'FINE!'

Nightmare's face turned quizzical.

"But where is the servant that we talk to?"

Luna snickered and Celestia facehoofed. When she looked up she apologized.

"I forgot you haven't been here for awhile. We don't have food couriers anymore, we have waiters that will give you a menu with options and you will select from that." She briefly explained.

"Ah, thank you. I understand" and then she picked up a menu that was hastily placed near her.

'Thank you'

'You owe me big time' 

'Whatever.'

And then she scanned the menu, as she was looking through the categories and evil idea popped into her mind.

A terrible idea.

A horrible idea.

A horrible terrible evil idea.  

"Oh, Celestia, where is the meat selection?" Nightmare asked innocently.

Celestia paled (which is impressive because she has white fur) and smiled weakly.

"Ah, it's on a different menu, Quick Trip please bring us the foreign dignitary menu" she sated calmly as she tried to suppress her disgust. 

Quick nodded his head and sped off, leaving the sisters alone.

"So." Nightmare drawled as she put down the menu and rested her head on her hoof.

"Plan to tell me why my entire existence is a foals tale?"

From the plain "oh shit" looks on their faces, they had nothing, and a predatory smile worked its way onto her face.

"So, who should go first?" 



They were trapped. Nightmare was innocently smiling and Celestia felt terror rush through her veins. 

'She's going to kill us! She's going to kill us!' Her brain screamed, but on the outside she calmly smiled.

"Well, the ponies rumors spread like wildfire after your *ahem* banishment, and soon it turned into a legend" she stated.

The frown she received did nothing to calm her nerves. 

"Then why did you not correct them?"

Just as she was about to answer, Quick had returned with the menu.

"Ah, here you go your majesty." He said as he gave the menu to Nightmare. Celestia silently rejoiced at the intervention.

'Sweet Mother, bless you Quick Trip' 

But the festivities were cut short as Nightmare's slitted eyes focused back on her.

"We will talk about this later." She said, with a tone that made Celestia feel like she had just proclaimed her death sentence.

'Bollocks'



'Was that really necessary?'

'Yes' I replied as I sent in my order. (I asked for sausage and eggs)

'If I want to be able to get their trust then I need to see what I did wrong in the past and try to correct it' I explained as we waited for the meal.

'You know she's terrified of you, right?'

'Well, I am pretty, well, off putting'

'That's putting it real mildly' Forest snarked and I forced myself not to roll my eyes.

'Eh, whatever, hey I think the food just came' 

I smelled the heavenly aroma of breakfast sausage and as Quick placed the plate on the table, I nearly dove-in muzzle first.

Keyword: nearly

'What do you think your doing! Use your manners, and pick up the utensils you animal.' Forest interuppted and ultimately destroyed my train of thought.

'Fine, whatever you say, mom' I snarked back and elegantly picked up the knife and fork and began to cut and eat the sausage.

Celestia soon quickly excused herself for day court and after awhile Luna told me she needed her rest and went off to retire to her chambers.

I finished up my plate and Quick picked it up and left the room.

I was left in the dining hall.

All alone.

This was going to be a long day.