//------------------------------//
// Dreams of a Nightmare 
// Story: Purple Batteries 
// by Xutiepops 
//------------------------------//

Twilight and Spike barely talked for the next few days. Not because they were fighting with each other. But because they were dealing with what seemed like much worse for both. 
Twilight constantly felt that ghost around her, compelling her to study the Everfree forest. 
Spike only saw more and more dreams and visions of Rarity, he wanted to talk to Twilight and be her assistant so he could get more than three hours in a day, but it wouldn't happen. Twilight couldn't stand having anypony around her. So Spike was stuck sleeping all the time and waking up with many pains from falling asleep in the craziest of spots. He groaned as he picked himself up and walked into the writing cabinet room that was a total mess. 
Books occupied the floors more than they did the shelves. Underneath the pile of books sat a wobbly table. But one thing really told Spike something was off with Twilight. 
Her writing cabinet was wide open with ink holders obviously misaligned and pushed out of place from their rows. Even Spike got an itch to fix it, but he decided digging through the book pile for his friend seemed more logical.
"Uh, Twilight?" He asked, and it seemed like the first time he talked to her in weeks. He peeked around the book pile and saw Twilight with her nose buried with a book. He couldn't help but smile at the dark green book with a jagged, dark tree on the cover. 
"Oh, hi Spike!" She smiled and stood up, pushing the open book away. "I suppose we should actually talk." Even she seemed nervous. 
"I'm just happy to see you enjoying a book," Spike smiled at her and she smiled back, everything was finally back to normal. Until Twilights expression fell at the sight of her precious writing cabinet. Her magenta aura encased the cabinet and all the ink holders and pens aligned in neat rows once again. 
Spike and her just laughed at her constant need to have it fixed. "Anyways, what was that meeting with Celestia about?" Spike asked happily. 
"Oh yeah!" Twilight trotted out past him and started down a hallway towards the stairs. Spike followed along, to happy to notice how bad his back was hurting from sleeping on top of a book pile in the kingdom. "The princess said we needed to head to Ponyville to check on the Summer Sun Celebrations preparations." 
Spike stopped in his tracks, "Where's Ponyville?" Then he remembered that Ponyville wasn't far from Canterlot, he froze as he remembered that the Everfree lied right beside Ponyville. "Uh, actually, I-I don't think I should go! I-I mean, I should stay here and take care of the study, you know... a-actually clean." Spike laughed nervously to hide his concern. 
"Really?" Twilight asked and turned to him, both standing near the railings on the towers floors. Twilight glanced down at the labyrinth and barely saw the blue wooden table underneath the pile of books. She encased the pile with her magic, instantly setting off an alarm. She saw the legs of the table relax as she dropped the books next to table. 
As she stared at the pile she saw the mess that was the entire labyrinth, then she remembered the kingdom, and the small mess that was the fourth floor. She sighed and looked down at Spike who was currently smiling nervously and looking around, darting his eyes everywhere but Twilight. 
"I suppose the study has been a mess as of late," she thought and noticed Spike jump at the contemplation. "But the Summer Sun Celebration will take place in Ponyville, and I would have front row seat. Are you sure you don't want to go?" 
Spike nodded and smiled and genuine smile, though she couldn't see the racing mind and the anxiety that set its place in his stomach. "Y-yeah! Y-you have duties in Ponyville, and I have to take care of your study. I-I've had a bit of a vacation lately anyways." 
He really wanted to see the Summer Sun Celebration, he never really saw it. It only took place in Canterlot once and he was too young to remember. He had a chance to see it first hoof -...claw?- but there was no way he could fight the temptation to venture into the Everfree. He already knew he would only distract Twilight and get himself hurt, the best way to avoid it was to stay in Canterlot. And he'd definitely wouldn't sleep all the time, saying as he would have a job to do. 
He glanced over at the pile of books that was the writing cabinet room and smiled. Then, his smile faded, "Isn't that the morning after tomorrow though?" 
Twilight nodded, "I feel bad for not telling you, you could've gotten everything cleaned up and been able to gone with me. I'm sorry, Spike." Spike only shook his head in response with a smile. 
"I-It's fine, I'll be fine. Though, when are you leaving?" He asked nervously, he didn't want her to leave right after things cleared themselves up. 
Twilight sat in thought and then smiled and looked back at her friend, "I suppose tomorrow morning would work, then I have all day to check things, I could get a small nap, and wake up early enough to see the celebration." As she walked down the towers corridors Spike's smile faded. 
He never realized how bad he wanted to see it, who knew when the princess was gonna raise the sun in Canterlot again? Dread made its home in his heart as he realized something. 
This was the last Summer Sun Celebration he would have with Twilight. And he didn't want to go because he knew he'd ruin it. Though, what if he didn't? What if he stuck to Twilights plan and they'd be back on the train right after the celebration and he'd never even get close to the forest. 
He was ready to walk right over to her and declare he would go and celebrate it with her, though something froze him in his place. In the creepiest in-between, a head stuck out and stared at him, clearly confused. It was Rarity. 
No, no way he could go. She was warning him not to, he'd make some stupid logic in his head to go into the Everfree and get himself hurt. He bit his arm and stared at Rarity, waiting for her to go away. 
She didn't. 
He growled and bit down harder, not realizing how bad it hurt. She just tilted her head, worry finally flashed in her eyes once he tasted blood. He pulled his arm away in shock and saw it bleeding from a few holes that resembled sharp holes like fangs. In just a second, he saw a light blue aura over them and a white hoof holding his arm to keep him there. 
He simply growled and looked up at her. She growled back and focused on his arm. She seemed so displeased, but it was also harsh disappointment and care. His eyes narrowed on her and he snatched his arm out of her grasp, just when her magic almost fully healed him. 
She stared harshly and held out her hoof, asking for his arm. He just pulled it closer to himself -he got used to just making movements to prove a point, and he learned to decipher what she meant and every expression her eyes made. She frowned and tried to grab his arm from him, he dodged her just seconds before she could grasp it. 
He realized she became more and more real with every time he saw her. She started as a misty cloud and now she looked almost real, still with some edges wavering in the air. 
She turned away with her eyes closed and her head held high and a frown of dislike, as if saying she wouldn't give him help if he didn't want it. He looked down at his arm and growled and he held it out to her. She peeked open one eye and instantly smiled as his arm became encased in the light blue again. 
While his arm was healing and she was wrapping it in a ribbon -he decided not to question where she got it- he decided to ask her a question. "What do you think I should do? Go to Ponyville and celebrate the Summer Sun Celebration, or stay here and avoid it?" 
She looked up at him, her eyebrows raised as they always were to give her a sense of class and judgment. He noticed something different about her, she didn't have on her blue eye shadow. Why would his mind make her different?
She shrugged and tied a knot on the ribbon, smiling in accomplishment. "Rarity?" She turned to him and saw how conflicted he was. She stopped thinking about herself and sat down, telling him she was listening. 
"If I go there, I know I would go into the Everfree and look for you," he said and saw her jump with excitement and her eyes sparkle. "But I'd only bother Twilight, get myself hurt, and prove to myself you don't exist." 
She didn't even take a second to contemplate it, she instantly shook her head. She looked at him firmly and mouthed the word 'no'. 
"W-why? If I get hurt then Twilight could help me, I would do it after we get everything done, so then all I'd prove is... that you... don't exist," he trailed off as he stared in her eyes. He could tell she was bewitching him to make his decision not to go. Why did she want him to believe she was real? Why? Why couldn't she just answer him? 
She turned away and had her harsh stare on the creepy in-between she had led Spike to before. She stood up and started towards there, Spike followed. Once she and Spike stood in front of the in-between, the books towered to make jagged trees, paper was tinted dark to make the ground seem real. The darkness that cast over the bookshelf didn't help. 
She took a step into the in-between, the back wall pushed back a step. She took another and the shelf took another step back. Spike tried to step forward with her, but a barrier stopped him. He looked up and saw it was a barrier of light blue magic. 
His eyes widened as her bewitching stopped working, she ran deeper into the in-between that stretched endlessly, she never looked back. Spike felt as if he was losing her, everytime she left before she watched him before she disappeared, now she was running away from him, leaving him, not even peeking over her shoulder. Panic shot through him.
Before he could control himself, he yelled her name. "Rarity!" She stopped in her tracks and looked at him, even if he could barley see her. "I won't go to the Everfree, I won't go to Ponyville!" 
He saw her smile and relax, then he bewitched himself to continue. "As long as you don't stop showing up." 
She smiled and nodded, running deeper into the Everfree in-between. He smiled, him and Twilight were on good notes, he didn't make Rarity cry, he made her smile! Yet, one thing haunted him. 
Why did he tell her to keep coming?



Twilight sat in an empty room, ready to go to Ponyville. Yet, she didn't remember the room at all, nor did she know why she was there. 
The room had silver tapestry that only looked heavy, they were being hung from gold rods. She looked and saw the bright, silver window hanging in the middle of two thrones. One throne had a bright yellow tapestry next to it, the picture of a sun on it. The other throne had a deep blue one, the moon and planets on it. 
The two thrones had been colored according to the tapestry, the yellow one had a bright yellow throne to match. The deep blue had a light blue throne to match. A dulled, red carpet led up to the two thrones, and the room seem deserted and ancient. Dust riddled everything and the pillars seemed on the verge of breaking. 
It was nothing like the Canterlot castle were marble lined everything, this looked like... stone. Stone was so old and no pony used it, so why was it here? Where was she?
A pillar snapped under a weight, sending a whole section of stone to cave in and fall, blocking what was assumed to be the exit. Another pillar snapped, and another, sending the floor above them to destruction and a fall. Twilight ran to avoid it, only succeeding by an inch within one of the fallen pillars. 
She looked up at the silver window, glass stained panes had no life. She looked until she saw something in the gray, then she realized it was transforming, she wasn't making it out with the lines her eyes drew. The image turned to a yellow sun with a white crescent moon sitting in the left side.
Suddenly, right down the middle of the two thrones, a crack started forming. The crack built and broke into the wall to create a hole that let the moon shine bright down on the robot. It was gorgeous, the dark castle suddenly being lit up by the white of the moonlight, she wanted to bask in the beautiful ancients. 
"I am afraid this no longer exists," a voice said. It was deep and commanding, but Twilight did notice it was still feminine. 
She turned and saw a tall mare, an alicorn. She had a short, light blue mane, her coat was just a deeper color and her cutie mark was a dark black with a moon. Twilight stared in confusion, who was this mare?
The alicorn sat down on the blue throne and spoke. "I know you need to know my name, and I will tell you, if you agree to what I order." 
Twilight sat in place and nodded. Suddenly, the tapestry swung in the wind and the breeze picked up the dust and made the robot cough. 
"First, I think you should know my story before I tell you what I need of you," she started and stood, a dark blue aura coated horn as she transformed. 
Her coat faded to a darker color, her hair became long and flowing, like Celestias. It was dark with white specks in it, like stars in the night sky, a light, transparent ring sat on the edge of her manes outline. Her cutie mark formed into a necklace on her chest, the white crescent moon encased in a black necklace like Celestias. She opened her deep blue eyes that only reminded Twilight of Celestia. 
Her magic formed a map in front of her. Twilight noticed it was a map of Equestria. She noticed Manehattan, Las Pegasus, Fillydelphia, Van Hoover. It moved closer to Twilight and zeroed in on the small area underneath Canterlot, it was marked 'Ponyville' on the map in a dark ink.
"I am Princess Celestias sister," she started, ready to shut up the robot.
"B-but Celestia's the only princess we have! How could you be her sister and not have royal power? I mean, and I've never seen you around and I've discovered most of the Canterlot Castle," Twilight rambled until the alicorn sealed her mouth shut with magic. Twilight nodded timidly for the alicorn to continue.
"Her and I used to rule Equestria along side each other. Her raising the sun, and I raising the moon. I suddenly realized ponies basking and living in her daylight, while they slept and ignored my night." 
"For lack of a better word, I became corrupted, I despised my sister more and more each day. Until I refused to lower the moon," the alicorn continued. 
The map turned darker and zeroed in on the Everfree. The moon shining into the room glistened off the entrance and it didn't seem that scary anymore. She noticed the jagged trees shining in the silver light and that it was darker than its surroundings, as if it really was the darkest part of Equestria. She saw the yellow eyes stare at the entrance, and she could see the outline of a pony in the middle of the woods. 
"My sister and I fought and tore our castle apart." A broken piece of stone fell next to Twilight and she jumped, now fearing something would fall and break her metal shell. "She used the Elements of Harmony to banish me to the moon for a thousand years." 
She looked up at the moon as gray dots formed in the shape of a unicorns head on the side of the moon. The moon disappeared from the sky and the sun shown through, giving light to every little crack in the castle. Tears and cracks consumed the castle. One tapestry was shredded and the blue throne broke just after the alicorn stepped up off of it.
"My sister cried and cried, hating herself for having to banish me. She could not stand the castle anymore, she tried living here after destroying most of my things, then she left it all and moved to Canterlot to continue her reign." 
Plants grew from the ground and consumed the thrones, the alicorn stepped off from the platform and walked towards Twilight.  
"During this Summer Sun Celebration, I will break free from my tomb," she looked up at Twilight and put her hoof on the robots shoulder. "You are the pony I trust to free me from my curse of Nightmare Moon. Though, I need you and your dragon." 
Twilight shook her head and took a step away. "Why? Why me? I'm a pony who lives in a study in Canterlot, I'm nothing more!" 	
She couldn't understand why she was so needed. She was a robot, could she really do a lot? She was on her life's end, why was she needed now? Just to give her one last adventure and her first ever adventure? 
One thing she couldn't understand at all was what she knew she would never get an answer for. 
Why was she the special one?
"Do you believe me? Us?" The alicorn asked Twilight, snapping her out of her questioning thoughts. She simply stared back in confusion. Us? Suddenly, she remembered the pink mare who asked to free her of her curse, the multiple books open to the one page of the Everfree. This wasn't malfunction anymore, these were signs of something bigger .
She looked at the alicorn with determination in her eyes as she nodded. The alicorn smiled. "Then go to Ponyville with your dragon friend, and after you check everything you need to check, go into the Everfree."
"But Celestia needs me for the celebration, surely I would miss that if I assist you. A-and ... since you clearly aren't Nightmare Moon now, why will you be once you break free from the moon?" Twilight asked, thankful she could actually ask questions and get answers. 
The whole floor above her started to rumble and crumble. The alicorn grabbed Twilight and flew them out of the castle in just the right time. They were now standing outside and Twilight saw a bridge that led to jagged trees and a darker sky that didn't seem to listen to the sun. Time seemed to past at a rabid speed, winter lasted for thirty seconds, then spring, then summer, then fall would last for a minute. The cycle repeated until she started noticed the castle being rebuilt. 
"I will answer your questions, my dear," the alicorn said, but her expression showed Twilight she could not. "Once I am free, I must speak to your friend before the night ends. Get some sleep, I need to make sure he understands that he needs to go with you to the Everfree," the alicorn nodded and started to fly off. 
"Wait!" Twilight yelled and was surprised when the alicorn looked back at her, willing to answer one question if it held a short answer. She swallowed. "What's your name?"
The alicorn smiled, "Luna."



Spike stood in the same room Twilight once stood in. Silver, yellow, and blue tapestry. Blue and yellow throne, one small silver stained glass window that formed a sun and moon. 
The same three pillars fell, yet he dodged them as if he knew what to expect. He looked at the blue throne for help, but nothing came and more pillars fell. He watched one fall, he cowered in fear. He put his claws to his face, closed his eyes and waited for utter destruction. Once he felt nothing he peeked one eye open and saw the light blue aura encase the pillar and push it back to its place. 
He looked around and saw everything was different. The pillars were all put back up and everything was dusted clean to shine and sparkle. The throne platform held one purple throne and all the tapestry had the most detailed designs of diamonds and grace and the fabric shimmered in the sun. He stared in awe. 	
He felt something tap his shoulder and turned to see a smiling Rarity. Her smile was so radiant and her shoulders were held up in happiness. Once she saw his expression she tackled him in a hug. 
He suddenly turned away once she climbed off of him, she stared in confusion. He knew why she was so happy. She opened her mouth the speak but no noise was made. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes and she hung her head.
"I-I thought you didn't want me to come into the Everfree," he said, scared and hurt by her crying once again. 
She pouted and looked annoyed. A blue thread and needle levitated over and spelled out a sentence. "Girls always lie about what they want." 
"Y-you wanted me to go to the Everfree, b-b-but you're not real," he said sadly and suddenly realized something. Why would he dream of a girl he couldn't have? He's had dreams of gems and comics before, and he always had those things. So why did he dream of the one thing he wanted more than anything, and yet she wasn't able to be with him? 
He turned to her, eyes wide in understanding, he didn't even have to say anything. She just nodded and turned away. The blue thread spelled the words, "I understand." 
He stared at her in annoyance. "If you understand, then why are you crying?" He was harsh, but she could only smile and hug him once he asked that. He smiled and hugged her back, he finally realized that the mare of his dreams was real all along. And he was going to go after her, no matter what Twilight said.
The second they got to Ponyville he would go to the Everfree to see her. She smiled and pulled away. "Why don't we make this 'dream' special?" The thread spelt out. 
He tilted his head and just raised an eyebrow at her. "How?"
Her shoulders bounced and a smile plastered on her face, he could tell she was giggling. Her thread spelt out more letters. "Well, since you will have a long day, I do insist on making your dream nice so you have a comfortable sleep, so why don't I give you a tour?" 
He jumped at the idea and nodded, she smiled and they made their way to a hallway. 
A deep blue alicorn smiled in understanding. She wasn't the only one who needed saving, and it seemed Spike was already saving his mare. From the scene she witnessed, it seemed like she didn't need to tell him to go to the Everfree. 
He was going there already.



When they awoke in the morning sun, both almost didn't want to get out of bed. Each had a smile plastered on their face at the relaxing sleep. Spike tried to go back to sleep since he didn't see an entire wing of the castle, but Twilight was already up and stretching.
She woke up earlier than expected, she assumed it was Luna's doing. She smiled and was finally happy for once in the past two months. She wasn't scared, and that hoof that lingered on her waist once she woke up didn't bother her. Well, it did, but she knew that the ghost was simply leading her to the Everfree. 
And since she was so happy at the thought and finally felt free of her own tradegy, she respected the hoof and started out of her book cave down to the first floor, to avoid waking Spike. She wanted her dragon to get some more sleep -even if she thought he was still asleep- while she charged before traveling to Ponyville. 
Who knew how long she would be there.
She read through her books over the Mistress from the future and the Mare in the moon. She wanted to meet both in person so badly, a smile stood on her face as she charged and turned the page as the battery box finally beeped, telling her she was free to go. 
She unplugged herself and got up, trotting peacefully up to the kingdom -ruins. She smiled at the thought of cleaning the writing cabinet room once she returned, since Spike definitely wasn't staying to fix it. As she got to the halfway point in the towers, peacefully trotting with her eyes closed, she bumped into Spike. 
"Oh yeah!" Spike said happily, his smile mirrored hers. He helped Twilight up. "I'm going to Ponyville with you, hope that isn't too big of a trouble." 
Her smiled widened. "Of course you're going, Luna told me to bring you along." Twilight trotted past him. 
"Huh? Luna?" He asked and tilted his head in confusion. She turned to him, her smile turned to a confused stare. Her mouth then turned into a small smile. 
"The dark blue alicorn in your dreams? Didn't she talk to you?" Twilight asked, now confused as to why Spike didn't seem to recognize anything she said. 
"Uh, all I've seen is Rarity, no 'dark blue alicorn'." Spike answered, though he suddenly became estatic, remembering a specific blue alicorn that was the mare in the moon. "The mare in the moon! So I wasn't the only one seeing myths!" 
Twilight chuckled. "I saw the mistress of the future before seeing Luna, though I suppose Luna or not, you still got the message that we're going to the Everfree together after we do everything we need to do." 
Spike went back to confusion. "Do everything we need to do? Like the princess checklist? Twilight! We can't do that!" Twilight only sighed. 
"Yes we do Spike, we don't want to throw the festival off even more than we will, besides, it's not like we're staying for one day," Twilight explained and Spike visibly relaxed. Then he was confused... again.
"Why do you need to stay for a while?" He asked and pointed at her. He assumed she knew he wanted to spend more than just a few hours with Rarity, but why did she need to stay? 
"I have more than just one curse to break Spike, plus... I want to meet an old childhood friend," Twilight smiled and started up the stairs to the kingdom. "Be ready in about an hour! That's when the train leaves!"