//------------------------------// // Hope // Story: A New Dawn on The Horizon // by thunderhawk7865 //------------------------------// Chapter 7: Hope (I highly suggest you follow the Youtube link within this chapter when you get to it. Just a heads up.) Blazing Dawn’s eyes snapped open upon hearing his mother talk, his pupils dilated with fear. Slowly, he turned his tear-stained face upward to look at his mother’s face, praying he wouldn’t see evil lizard eyes where his mother’s normal eyes were. “No...” Slowly, Rainbow’s wings rippled and mutated into horrific bat wings, and with a sickening crunch, a horn erupted from Rainbow’s cyan head. “We meet again, alicorn...” Her normally tomboyish voice now evilly distorted, the Nightmare’s deep, musky bass voice echoing around the alleyway. “NO!” Blazing Dawn screamed, more tears streaming down his face at the loss of his mother. The alicorn suddenly tried to pry himself from his mother’s previously loving hooves, but Rainbow now had a surprisingly iron grip around her son, not letting him go, and squeezing quite hard. Roaring, Nightmare Dash picked up the young alicorn, spun him around in the air, and slammed him hard onto the ground, pinning him to the ground. He cried out in pain as his crippled wing received the brunt of the slam. Blazing Dawn was too shocked to speak. His mother was taken over by the Nightmare. He watched through tear-stained as Rainbow Dash finished her transformation into Nightmare Dash, her element necklace falling to the ground next to him. The corrupt Rainbow Dash cackled evilly, “Aw...the alicorn is speechless...how quaint...” The Nightmare lowered Rainbow’s head so it was face-to-face with Blazing Dawn, “You are probably wondering why I decided to...take over...Loyalty when my goal was to eliminate her and you...” Her horn started to glow with dark energy, “It still is...” The Nightmare let out a low cackle, “I think dying by the hooves of your own mother will be fitting after all the trouble you caused me, wouldn’t you think? Then, I can devour her soul...slowly...” Blazing Dawn gasped in horror as he struggled to get away again, but he screamed in pain as Nightmare Dash slammed a hoof down on his forehoof, the dark energy crackling even more. Slowly, the Nightmare lowered Rainbow’s horn down to Blazing Dawn’s head. “NOW, ALICORN, YOU WILL DIE! BWAHAHA!!!” "Ugh..." Rainbow Dash's eyes fluttered open. She was in a pitch dark room, it looked like, with what appeared to be a circular screen on the far side of the room, around which a spacious cloud of purple gas was swirling.. On the screen, a blue pony was laying on the ground, tears streaming down his face. It was... "Blazing Dawn?" Dash tried to move, but couldn't. She looked down and found herself floating in the air in an upright position in the middle of a white circle on the ground. Black chains were wrapped tightly around her as she floated there. "What the hay!?" Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and tried to break free of the mysterious chains, but to no avail. She grunted in pain as she felt the chains tightened, "What's going on? Twilight? Son! ANYPONY!" A musky laugh filled the air as the purple cloud flying around in front of the screen with Blazing Dawn on it swirled around in the air and moved over to where Rainbow Dash was suspended in the air. To Rainbow's horror, Nightmare Dash formed from the gas and stared her down, chuckling evilly. Rainbow gasped. She now understood where she was. “Get out of my head, Nightmare!” Rainbow barked, struggling some more to get out, but once again, she cried out in pain as the chains tightened around her torso once again. The evil version of her chuckled and smiled toothily at her, “It’s too late, Loyalty. Your son will be killed...by you.” Nightmare Dash turned around and trotted back towards the screen, “Fitting, no?” “I thought you wanted to kill me...” Rainbow growled, panting from the intense pain of the squeezing chains, “Not control me...” “Loyalty, I will slowly devour your soul until you are no more...” Nightmare Dash whirled around and scowled at Rainbow, getting in her face, “AFTER I kill your spawn!” “NOO!” Rainbow Dash screamed, continuing to struggle against the chains despite the fact the chains were again squeezing harder, “No no no no!” Tears began streaming out of her eyes as she watched her son, on the screen, cowering on the ground as Nightmare Dash’s mutated horn slowly lowered towards his head, “SON! SON! LISTEN TO ME! PLEASE!” Nightmare Dash chuckled, “It is futile, Loyalty. He cannot hear you." “Mom?” The Nightmare whirled around in shock and Rainbow smiled. Blazing Dawn was not cowering any more. He was looking up at the screen in a mixture of confusion and hope. “WHAT!?” The Nightmare screamed, “IMPOSSIBLE!” Rainbow smiled and smirked, tears still streaming down her face. She leaned forward in the chains and yelled out at her son. “Blaze! Listen to me! Please!” Blazing Dawn was no longer cowering on the ground. He was looking up in surprise at his corrupt mother, whose normal voice had just broken through. Nightmare Dash grunted as if in pain, shut her eyes, and opened them again. They were normal. “Mom!?” Blazing Dawn leaned up slightly, shocked that anypony at all was able to break through the Nightmare’s control. “S-son...” Rainbow struggled to say. She was gritting her teeth in pain, clearly trying to break through the Nightmare’s iron shackles. “It’s...not...me...” She said, blinking again, her eyes returning to serpentine and again back to normal. “I’m safe...” She smiled at her son. “Just...just fight back...” “I can’t fight you!” Blazing Dawn cried out at his fading mother. “You...can do it...AAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!” Her eyes returned to the serpentine corruption of Nightmare’s control. “STOP IT AT ONCE, LOYALTY!” The Nightmare grunted in pain once more, closing it’s eyes and opening them again, Dash’s eyes now being her normal magenta hue. Tears flowed from her eyes as she looked down at her son, “Fight for all of us! AAAAAAAAARGH....hahahahah...” The Nightmare took control once more of Dash’s body. Blazing Dawn’s expression of fear slowly turned into a slow smirk after hearing his mother’s words. He grabbed his mother’s element necklace and sat up, his horn glowing with a familiar white energy. “Futile, Loyalty! Hahaha...now, to finish you o-WHAT!?” Blazing Dawn was no longer on the ground in front of Nightmare Dash. He was gone. “WHAT!? DAAAAMNIIIIT!” The Nightmare’s demonic voice reverberated through the alleyway as it cursed at the disappearance of it’s prey, “WHERE’D THAT ALICORN GO!? HE CAN’T TELEPORT!!!” “I can NOW!” “WHA-!?” Before the Nightmare could give a full response, Blazing Dawn came falling down from the rooftop of one of the buildings nearby and landed neatly on the back of Nightmare Dash, “Surprised, motherbucker!?" Blazing Dawn barked with a smirk, slamming a forehoof hard onto Nightmare Dash’s face. “ARGH!” The Nightmare gasped in pain as it stumbled out of the alleyway. Blazing Dawn, all the while, was slamming a hoof into Nightmare Dash’s face whenever he could. “This isn’t my mother...” Blazing Dawn kept telling himself as he pummeled the monstrosity that used to be his mother, “She’s safe...this isn’t my mother...this ISN’T my mother...” “WHOA!” Nightmare Dash took to the air. The demon tried it’s best to knock the young alicorn off, doing flips and turns and loops, but Blazing dawn held on, roaring as his injured wing gave him trouble as he held on. “STILL HANGING ON, ALICORN!?” A now extremely irritated Nightmare Dash barked vehemently,“WELL, HOW ABOUT SOME OF THIS!?” Diving downward as fast as it’s demonic wings could take it, the Nightmare entered the streets below. As it approached the first corner, the Nightmare angled itself so that Blazing Dawn was aimed at the wall. As the Nightmare took the turn, he cut it pretty close to the wall, slamming the already injured alicorn into it. “GAH!” Blazing Dawn still managed to hold on, despite the fact that he heard a crunch in his back when he hit the wall, “CUD!” “WANT SOME MORE!?” The Nightmare cackled, slamming the young alicorn into other walls as the demon rounded more corners. As Nightmare Dash rounded a corner into the Town Square, Blazing Dawn still holding on. Blazing Dawn, writhing in pain, needed to end this. “GET OUT OF MY MOTHER’S HEAD!!!” The young alicorn roared, aiming his horn down at the back of the Nightmare’s head, and zapping it with a blast of magical energy. “AAAARGH!” Nightmare Dash screamed in pain as she barreled downwards towards the Town Square. The inside of Rainbow Dash’s head felt like an earthquake disaster zone each time Blazing Dawn dealt damage to Nightmare Dash physically. Nightmare Dash was standing in front of the screen on the far wall, growling in frustration, while Rainbow Dash, still chained up and floating in the air, was still struggling to break free. The whole area vibrated violently whenever the young alicorn slammed his hoof into Nightmare Dash’s skull. The Nightmare was growling horrifically, “THAT IS IT!” It whirled around and teleported instantly up to the chained up Rainbow Dash, “How can your spawn be this resistant to my power!?” Rainbow Dash smirked, “My son will end you...” The Nightmare shot a forehoof forward and grasped Rainbow Dash’s throat, causing her to choke. The chains wrapping up Rainbow Dash dissipated, and the Nightmare lifted the cyan colored mare into the air. “Not before I end YOU, Loyalty!” Rainbow’s field of vision slowly began to darken as she began to lose consciousness again. She knew what was going on. The Nightmare was trying to destroy her soul. Rainbow struggled to stay awake as the Nightmare’s grip tightened around her throat, “Hurry...ugh...son...” "AAAAAAARGH!" "NOOOOOOOOO!" Both Blazing Dawn and Nightmare Dash crashed hard right in the middle of town square, Blazing Dawn falling off of Nightmare Dash's back, rolling a few times before skidding to a halt several feet away from the corrupt Pegasus. This drew the attention of several Nightmare ponies who were walking around close-by. "Ugh..." Blazing Dawn shakily got to his hooves, shaking off the dust and blood from wounds he had received from the crash, "AAAARGH!" His injured wing cracked as he straightened himself, crying out in pain. He opened his eyes after the pain receded and gasped, his pupils small with shock. The various corrupt ponies around town had heard the noise and were gathering in the Town Square, grinning evilly and slowly approaching the young alicorn. "Ha...hahaha...haha...ha..." The alicorn whirled around to see Nightmare Dash getting up and smiling evilly as she was flanked by Nightmare Arrow and Nightmare Papyrus, "It's over, alicorn..." Blazing Dawn narrowed his eyes in anger, spreading his one good wing, and charging up his horn with a fire attack, "It's not over yet, Nightmare!" He panted heavily, looking at all the corrupt ponies gathering around him. He saw some familiar faces, such as Nightmare Jack and Nightmare Rarity, emerge and feign an attack stance. He gulped, remembered his mother's word that she was safe somehow, then growled, "It's not over until I give up, and I'm done running!" Nightmare Dash smirked and powered up her horn as well, "Noble, but pointless...there's nopony to help you now..." "AAAARGH!" Blazing Dawn reared up, swung his hooves, and charged at his corrupt mother, horn crackling with energy. "GGGRAAAH!" Nightmare Dash reared up and charged at the young alicorn as well. Blazing Dawn closed his eyes and shouted as Nightmare Dash got closer and closer, bracing himself for impact. Right as they were about to clash, however, a flash of dark blue energy from the sky caused Blazing Dawn to skid to a halt and open his eyes. "L-Luna?" The regal Princess Luna stood between Blazing Dawn and Nightmare Dash, clashing her horn with that of Nightmare Dash, both of their horns crackling with energy as they clashed. Nightmare Dash's serpentine eyes were wide with shock, "Princess Luna? What the-!" Luna's eyes locked onto Nightmare Dash's eyes and she leaned forward, the magical sparks multiplying in abundance, "Hang on, Rainbow! I'll save you!" Before Nightmare Dash could say anything else, Luna lurched herself forward and, with a furious battle-cry in the Royal Canterlot voice, zapped Nightmare Dash with a mysterious blue blast of magical energy, causing all the other corrupt ponies to stop their advance and back-up in terror. Nightmare Dash cried out, fell to the ground, instantly returned to normal, and fell unconscious. Luna smirked, "Get thee hense, demon..." "MOM!" Blazing Dawn bolted past Luna towards his downed mother, "Mom?" He nuzzled Rainbow Dash's body, reaching a forehoof down and feeling for her pulse, "Oh, good...she's alive..." "Of course she is..." Luna approached Blazing Dawn from behind, "Blazing Dawn, thank Equestria you are well." Blazing Dawn turned around and hugged the alicorn princess tightly, thanking Celestia that somepony finally came to the rescue, "How did you know what was going on? Ponyville is in lockdown!" "Lunar broke through Shining Armor's barricade..." She responded, "He came to me in Canterlot gravely wounded after escaping this disaster." Upon seeing Blaze's worried expression, Luna grinned, "Do not worry yourself, he should be okay." Luna took a quick look around at the destruction and the corrupt ponies recovering from the scare Luna gave them, "Looks like the Nightmare did a number here..." Blazing Dawn again extended his one good wing and feigned an attack stance with Luna, "What are we gonna do, your Highness?" Luna smiled, "I brought some friends..." With a thunderous flapping of wings and trotting of hooves, the elite guards from the barricades in and out of town flew down from out of the sky and galloped out of alleyways. Weapons drawn, the landed and formed a defensive ring around the two alicorns. The corrupt ponies looked taken aback by this new turn of events as they tried to reposition themselves accordingly. Blazing Dawn could only smile. He couldn't believe it. The lockdown was lifted and finally somepony in authority knew what was going on. "Alright, troops!" Luna braked, narrowing her eyes, "We are to protect the alicorn Blazing Dawn at all costs! Do NOT kill anypony! Only knock them out!" "YES, YOUR HIGHNESS!" The guards responded in a chorus of cheers. Luna looked down at the young alicorn and smirked, "Did Lunar ever teach you the knockout spell?" "The what?" Blazing Dawn was confused, "Heh...he only ever taught me spells that were illusions...he never really taught me offensive spells..." He shrugged, "I had to learn those myself." "The knockout spell is what I used to harmlessly get the Nightmare out of your mother's head." Luna explained, "It acts as a reset button, which is why it expelled the Nightmare from out of her." "Oh..." Blazing Dawn said, looking around at the advancing corrupt ponies. Luna feigned a fighting stance as well, charging up her horn with the light-blue energy of the knockout spell, "I will teach it to you later..." She smiled again, "For now, leave it to me..." Luna then rose a hoof and yelled in her Royal Canterlot voice, "CHAAARGE!" The guards roared in response and galloped and flew at the advancing corrupt ponies, using the hilts of their weapons to knock out the corrupt ponies and harmlessly expel the Nightmare's influence. The Nightmare was clearly done playing. Instead of aiming to corrupt the guards that were now assisting Blazing Dawn, it was having all the ponies under his control go for the kill. Luna was on a win-streak. She had used her spell to expel the Nightmare out of several ponies already, including Derpy and her daughter, who had charged at Luna from the get go. Sensing something behind her, Luna whirled around and slammed a hoof forward, impacting the face of a leaping corrupt Papyrus. The Nightmare was expelled out of him instantly. Blazing Dawn had just bucked the corrupt Shadow Breeze and Lightning Flash at the same time when he heard a scream nearby that wasn’t corrupt. He turned in alarm to see a guard get cut down by Nightmare Arrow’s sword. “NO!” Blazing Dawn leaped over the fallen guard and did a flying kick in the corrupt Red Hoof’s face, knocking him out. Blazing Dawn then quickly turned and felt the pulse of the fallen Pegasus guard. He felt nothing, “Cud...” He stood up and turned around, ready to get back into the fight, “Ok, what no-ARGH!” Right as he turned around, he was hit by yet another blast of magic, this one more powerful than the last. Groaning in pain, he sat up and gasped. A corrupt Twilight Sparkle stood before him, grinning evilly, her horn crackling with magic energy, “It’s time to die...” “Aunty Twi! STOP!” Blazing Dawn cried out, narrowly dodging another dark magic attack from Nightmare Sparkle’s dark horn by rolling aside, grunting as his injured wing crunched beneath him. “I have you now, alicorn!” The corrupt Twilight Sparkle barked, advancing slowly towards the scared alicorn. Blazing Dawn growled and thought quickly, trying to remember the spell Luna was doing to cleanse the ponies she was fighting. He gritted his teeth as the corrupt Twilight edged closer and closer. Slowly, but surely, the young alicorn’s horn started sparkling with light blue energy. “AAAAAAARGH!” He closed his eyes and roared. Then, there was a flash of light that shown through Blazing Dawn’s closed eyes. His eyes snapped open, half-expecting the corrupt Twilight to be upon him. He gasped when he saw a normal Twilight Sparkle falling to the ground, unconscious, her horn still crackling with dark energy as it died away. Blazing Dawn gulped and smiled awkwardly, “Guess I do know that spell...” “Blazing Dawn! Look out!” The Princess of the Night was in front of Blazing Dawn in an instant, clashing horns with a corrupt Fluttershy as she flew down from the sky at Blazing Dawn, “Back, demon!” Luna arched her neck so that their clash ended, then headbutted her away, followed up with a blast of the blue spell. “Thanks, Luna...” Blazing Dawn sighed and stood up, walking up to the downed Fluttershy and Twilight, checking their pulses to see if they were okay. Sighing when he found out they were, he stood up straight and looked around. The guards had prevailed. All the townsponies who had been corrupted by the Nightmare were down for the count, with a few stragglers here and there being knocked out by the elite guards that were still standing. Sadly enough, a few guards had fallen in the fight and were being lifted up and lined up nearby by unicorn guard magic. Looking over at the clock, Blazing Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. It read half past five in the morning; thirty minutes to dawn. “It would appear that we are victorious, Blazing Dawn...” Luna sighed, looking up at the slowly-setting moon, “I am impressed. Lunar has trained you well...” She gave a warm smile. “Yeah...” Blazing Dawn nodded, panting and looking around, “But...wait...” “What?” Luna asked, concerned. Blazing Dawn’s eyes darted from side to side worriedly, “What about-?” “AAAAAARGHH!” There was a scream of pain from a guard as he was flung high through the air at a breakneck speed from behind the alicorns. He slammed through a house wall, which exploded in a shower of dust and bricks, killing him instantly. “Corporal!” Luna cried out, whirling around. She gasped. “Captain Shining Armor?!” All the remaining guards and Blazing Dawn whirled around as well to see a very angry-looking Nightmare Armor. The demon was panting heavily with frustration, his horn was crackling dangerously with evil energy. “I HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR GAMES, ALICORN! I’VE HAD IT!” He seemed to grow in stature as his horn grew in power, “I AM KILLING YOU ALL HERE AND NOW!!!” He smirked evilly and pointed a hoof at Luna, who rose a hoof slightly in defense. “Except...you...” He chuckled. “YOU, Your Highness, will reunite with me...” All the guards and Blazing Dawn looked over in alarm at Luna, who was scowling. She lowered her horn towards Nightmare Armor and narrowed her eyes, “You may try...” “RRRAHHHH!” Nightmare Armor reared up and slammed his hooves down on the ground, the ground cracking beneath him. He then lowered his head and blasted a beam of dark energy at Luna. Luna barked in surprise, lowered her head, pawed the ground, and blasted her knockout spell at Nightmare Armor. The two blasts of magic colliding in the middle of the two battling ponies, causing a blinding shock wave of magical energy to explode around where the two beams were colliding. The various guards got knocked down by the impact and were stunned by the blast. Blazing Dawn stood strong, feigning a stance at Luna’s side, ready to attack should the worst happen. Luna could feel herself slowly being overpowered, and could tell that Nightmare Armor’s beam of dark energy was getting closer and closer to her, bit by bit. Luna closed one eye in distressed and grit her teeth as she tried to increase her power, “Shining Armor! Please, fight it!” Luna cried out, hoping to appeal to Shining Armor’s better nature, “Remember your job!” Luna growled, “Your wife! Your sister!” Nightmare Armor laughed maniacally, “IT IS FUTILE, LUNA! SHINING ARMOR IS MINE FOREVER! HIS POWER IS LIMITLESS! HIS RESOLVE, CONTROLLABLE! HE! IS! MINE! BWAHAHA! AND YOU WILL SOON FOLLOW!!!” “Ugh...” When I was just a filly, I found it rather silly... To see how many other ponies I could meet. I had my books to read, didn't know that I would ever need, Other ponies to make my life complete. “Argh...wha...what?” But there was one colt that I cared for... I knew he would be there for me. “T...Twily?” My big brother, best friend forever! Like two peas in a pod, we did everything together. Shining Armor’s eyes fluttered open. His head was hanging down, his blue mane hanging in his face. He stood upright, chained to dark, infinite ground by black linked chains. The captain hovered in the middle of a white circle. “What? Where—?” Shining Armor struggled a little in the chains, grunting in pain when they tightened further around him, “How did I get here? Where did these...chains come from?” He looked around, taking the screen on the far wall, on which he saw Blazing Dawn, feigning a fighting stance, and Luna, blasting a blue beam of energy at the screen, “What’s going on? Twily? TWILY!? Where are you!?” “Well, well, well...look who’s up and about...” A purple cloud of gas that was hovering around the screen flew over and formed a solid Nightmare Armor in front of Shining Armor, “Well, I wouldn’t say ‘about’...hmhmhm...” “Nightmare!” Shining Armor struggled to escape, but the chains tightened even more than they did before, “Where am I? What are you doing looking like me?” “Hahaha...haven’t you figured it out yet?” The Nightmare responded. “This...” He extended his forehooves. “Is the inner machinations of your mind!” He turned around and trotted up to Shining Armor, “I have imprisoned you here. And here you shall remain. Forever.” “Why!?” Shining Armor stopped struggling when the chains got too tight and growled, “Why forever? Let me go!” “You are different, Shining Armor.” Nightmare Armor turned around and looked at the screen. Luna appeared to be struggling to keep up her attack, “You are such an abundant fountain of magical energy. With you under my control, nopony will be able to resist my control! I am able to control countless ponies at once with your magic at my command!” “You bastard!” Shining Armor grunted yet again as he tried to break free of his chains, “Why not fight me one on one; nobly!? Why keep me chained up like the coward you are?!” “Noble is far from what I am, Shining Armor. Here you shall remain. Under my control.” The Nightmare turned and trotted towards the screen, “Do go back to sleep, Captain. It’s going to be a long eternity for you...hmhmhmh....” “NO!” Shining Armor struggled again to break free, but the chains tightened again. Shining Armor barked in pain, and stopped struggling; the chains loosening their grip. His head fell again, his eyes overshadowed by his bangs. “No...” Tears fell from under his bangs as he shuddered, his throat getting clogged up with emotion at never escaping, having to float in this nightmare for eternity. He’d never see his sister or his loving wife ever again. “No...I...I...no...” Remembering all the wonderful things waiting for him in the real world, Shining Armor sniffed sadly, and, to the Nightmare’s utter shock from where he was standing, he began to sing in a sweet tenor voice: (I highly suggest you all listen to this while you read this next part. Just a suggestion.) Lost in the darkness, Silence surrounds me. Once there was morning, Now endless night. Shining Armor slowly looked up, tears staining his face, and his teeth barred. The Nightmare could feel the guard Captain’s eyes burning a hole in the back of his head as he continued to sing: I will find the answer. I will escape you. I promise you this— Till the day that I... At this point, the Nightmare whirled around and started trotting slowly back towards Shining Armor, interrupting him. To Shining Armor’s horror, the Nightmare began to sing back in Shining Armor’s voice, but with a demonic distortion that chilled the Unicorn to the bone. Do you really think... That I would ever let you go? Do you think I’d ever set you free? The Nightmare rose a hoof up to Shining Armor and grasped his shoulder with an iron grip, causing Shining Armor to grit his teeth in pain. If you do, I’m sad to say, It simply isn’t so, You will never get away from me! Shining Armor roared suddenly and, with surprising force, angled his head to the side and blasted the demon away with a quick zap of offensive magic. The Nightmare was utterly shocked. Shining Armor had taken on a confident aura as he stared directly at the Nightmare, singing at the top of his lungs at the demon, hoping he would find the strength to break free: All that you are, Is a demon in my head! I close my eyes and you’ll disappear! The Nightmare whipped his head around and turned his back to Shining Armor, looking at the screen, smirking. I’m what you face, When you look in the mirror! Long as you live, I will still be here! Shining Armor narrowed his eyes and barked back a quick rebuttal to the Nightmare’s statement. All that you are, Is the worst of a Nightmare! All that you are is a dying scream! After tonight, Luna shall end this demon dream! The Nightmare cringed as Shining Armor sang that last set of lines. Something the guard Captain had said had clearly and royally pissed the demon off. The Nightmare whirled around and shot a forehoof forward. The chains on Shining Armor tightened far worse than they ever had before. Shining Armor started grunting in pain, trying to resist the urge to give up as the Nightmare belted more song at the white Unicorn. This is not a dream, my friend! And it will NEVER end! I am Nightmare! The Nightmare that never ends! I AM HERE TO STAY, NO MATTER WHAT YOU MAY PRETEND! And I’ll flourish, long after you are gone! Shining Armor, whose eyes were closed in pain, stuck his head up straight, opened one eye with clenched teeth, and sang right back at the Nightmare with surprising fortitude. Soon you will die! And my memory will expel you! You cannot choose but to lose control! The Nightmare was now very angry and it was clear his focus was slipping from keeping Shining Armor incapacitated. With wide eyes and clenched teeth, he got up in Shining Armor’s face and sang right back. You can’t expel me! I’m deep in your mind! Each day you’ll feel me devour your soul! Shining Armor headbutted the demon away before belting out his rebuttal. I don’t need you to survive, Like you need me! I’ll return to normal, As you dance with death! And I’ll rejoice, As you breathe your final breeeeeeeeeath! After hearing Shining Armor sing about his untimely demise and expulsion from his own mind, the Nightmare cackled maniacally. His horn glowed and in an instant, several copies of himself surrounded the floating Shining Armor. The real Nightmare Armor walked forward, wrapped a hoof around Shining Armor’s throat, and lifted him up, the chains still wrapped around his body. One by one, all the Nightmare Armors started singing, belting horrifying words at the incapacitated guard Captain. I WILL CONTROL YOU FOREVER! A wide-eyed Shining Armor struggled to get free before belting back at the demon. “NO!!!” Nightmare Armor could only grin as he continued to sing. WITH NIGHTMARE MOON HERSELF BY OUR SIDE! Shining Armor managed to wriggle his forehooves up to his throat, trying to pry himself free of the demon’s iron grip. “Ugh! DAMNIT! NO!” The numerous copies of Nightmare Armor slowly started surrounding the guard Captain, who was struggling to break free. I know that, now and forever, Nopony will be able to separate... SHINING FROM NIGHTMAAAAARE! The struggling guard Captain suddenly stopped struggling and hung in the air for a second. Then, his eyes snapped open, a powerful magical shockwave knocked back the real Nightmare and destroyed all of the copies he created. Shining’s chains disappeared and he landed on his hooves, pointing his horn at the flabbergasted demon. CAN’T YOU SEE?! IT’S OVER NOW!! IT’S TIME TO DIE! The Nightmare, serpentine eyes widened, stood up and growled worriedly, barking back at the Unicorn. NO! NOT I! Only YOU! Shining Armor slowly started advancing on the retreating demon, his horn still crackling with golden energy. If I die, YOU DIE, TOO! Frantic, Nightmare Armor, still backing away, growled and sang back at Shining Armor. You’ll die in ME! I’LL BE YOU! Shining Armor had had enough of the Nightmare’s games. He blasted a golden shot of energy at the retreating demon, the shot impacting the breastplate of Nightmare Armor’s chest piece. DAMN YOU, DEMON! Get out of my head! The Nightmare shakily stood up, the place the magic hit him still smoking, the chestpiece charred from the blast. Can’t you see? You ARE me! Shining Armor shook his head and closed his eyes, arching his head back and crying out at the outside of his mind. NOOOO! Deep inside... The Nightmare gave one final stand, standing upright and barking back at the prevailing Unicorn guard, hoping to break him. I AM DEATH! I CONTROL YOU! “NO! NEVER!” Shining Armor opened his eyes and stared down the evil demon. “YES! FOREVER!” The Nightmare retorted, looking very worried he would lose control of the powerful Unicorn at any moment. Shining Armor grinned as a strong wind started pulling Nightmare Armor into the darkness and away from the white stallion. He narrowed his eyes and yelled out at the demon, “CELESTIA DAMN YOU, NIGHTMARE! ROT ON THE MOON!!!!” “I’LL SEE YOU THERE, SHINING ARMOR!” The Nightmare barked back as the wind slowly started pulling him backwards. He began pawing the floor desperately, trying to hang on while glaring at Shining Armor. Shining Armor clenched his teeth, closed his eyes, and sang one final word, his horn glowing intensely with golden energy. NEVEEEEEEEEERRRR!!!! “NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!” Nightmare Armor cried out as one last golden shockwave from Shining Armor made him lose his grip and go flying towards the screen. The screen rippled as the Nightmare got sent through it. Shining Armor opened his eyes and smiled, “I’m coming, Twily...” Outside of Shining Armor’s head, Luna was trying her best to beat back the steady beam of dark magic slowly gaining ground on her knockout spell. Suddenly, she felt Nightmare Armor’s strength take a sharp dive downward. She took this advantage and roared, increasing her strength one final time. The result was a powerful, light-blue beam of energy overpowering the dark beam of energy from Nightmare Armor. It broke through the dark magic and slammed into the possessed Captain, and Luna could’ve sworn she heard the Nightmare crying out, though it sounded distorted. The blue magic enveloped Shining Armor, and the Nightmare screamed as he was all, but expelled from the guard Captain’s mind. Blazing Dawn, Luna, and the rest of the Royal Guards had to shield their faces with their forehooves until the light the magic had produced faded away. When they looked to see if the demon was down for the count, there was a chorus gasps and hushed whispered of disbelief. A normal Shining Armor stood where Nightmare Armor had been. He blinked, swayed a little, almost falling over, and shook his head, rubbing it with a forehoof. He looked up at the two alicorns and smiled weakly, “I...I did it...” Blazing Dawn and Luna exchanged shocked glances at each other before Luna broke the silence, “How...how are you conscious?! The guard Captain smiled and stepped forward. “Your motivational speech woke me up, Your Highness.” He bowed, “It gave me the strength to break free of the Nightmare’s dark shackles...” “Then you’d be the first...” Blazing Dawn smiled and nodded, “All the other ponies...well...” He gestured around, “You know...” “I do.” Shining Armor nodded, turned and trotting over to his unconscious sister. he frowned and sighed, looking down at her, “I know too well...” The remaining ponies spread out, Shining Armor helping the guards levitate dead guards over to the place where they were being lined up, weapons in hooves in memoriam. A few dead townsponies were found as well, them being lined up separately. Shining Armor sighed and he gently laid a dead mare next to her mate, “War never changes...” He said aloud, “Even here...” Blazing Dawn, in the meantime, had trotted over to his knocked-out mother. He fell down on his haunches in front of Rainbow Dash and looked down at her beaten body. He leaned down and nuzzled her face gently, a tear falling out of his eye as he did so, “I’m so sorry, mom...” He blinked sadly, the tear falling onto her body, “Sorry that...that I had to hurt you like I did...” Watching the young alicorn nearby was Shining Armor. He sighed and turned to Luna, who was watching as well, “I feel so bad that all this happened just because the Nightmare wanted him...” Shining Armor pointed a forehoof at Blaze. “I mean, we’ve had incidents with him before, but...this...this is the most destructive...and costly incident yet...” He looked down. “My own wife and sister couldn’t stop the demon...” Shining Armor shuddered, “I wouldn’t even have the moxie to take down his mother and friends like he did...” Luna smiled, “Fear not, Captain...” She put a hoof on the Unicorn’s shoulder and looked over at Blazing Dawn again, “At least we can take some comfort in the fact that the Nightmare is gone...” Blazing Dawn was still nuzzling his mother’s body. He looked up suddenly, sighing, “This just isn’t fair for anypony...” He gulped, “I mean, why did the Nightmare have to—” His ears perked up, “Wait...why is everypony still unconscious if—” His eyes widened. “LUNA!” Shining Armor whirled around. “LOOK OUT!!!” Before Luna or anypony standing around her could act, a large cloud of purple gas came plummeting out of the night sky towards her, evil laughter echoing through the sky. Shining Armor, being trained to be agile in the Guard, managed to leap out of the way of the cascading cloud of gas, and so did a few of his guards. But some weren’t so lucky as they were still next to the Princess of the Night when the cloud of purple gas crashed down onto the regal alicorn. “NOOOOO!!!” Shining Armor shouted is despair, drawing his sword. “FORM UP, GUARDS!” He barked, ordering all his guards to get in formation around Blazing Dawn. “CUD!” Blazing Dawn swore, spreading his good wing and powering up his horn with a fire attack. After a while, the cloud of gas cleared up. The guards trapped inside the cloud when it crashed down were down; dead or unconscious, the remaining heroes couldn’t tell, but down and out for sure. Luna, however, was up; standing, with her eyes closed. There was a few moments of grim silence that seemed to go on forever. Blazing Dawn and Shining Armor stood there, just waiting for something, anything, to happen. Luna’s eyes snapped open. Serpentine. “NOOOOOOOO!!!!!” Shining Armor and Blazing Dawn screamed, their eyes wide with unbelief and horror. Suddenly, thunder sounded through the air and a dark shockwave exploded around Luna, knocking down Shining Armor, Blazing Dawn, and all the guards. Blazing Dawn and Shining Armor managed to stumble to their hooves, Shining Armor picking up his sword with magic in the process. Blazing Dawn noticed that all the guards had been knocked unconscious. When they both managed to look over at Luna again, they gasped. Luna was surrounded by a evil purple aura, little bursts of electricity shooting of around her as she began to grow in stature, as did her horn and wings. “Nightmare Moon...” Blazing Dawn and Shining Armor muttered in horror as a familiar evil laughter filled the town square and chilled the two to the bone. The clock on the Town Hall now read a quarter to six in the morning; a mere fifteen minutes until dawn. OCs: Blue Arrow, Papyrus, and the Red Hooves (c) QTXAdsy Shadow Breeze (c) AnonJ17 Lightning Flash (c) Lightning Flash How did everypony enjoy the song? Please let me know. If it gets popular enough, I may provide a download link for you all. Thanks for your awesome patience. Picture: Robsa990