//------------------------------//
// Nightmare: Part 2 
// Story: Exiled unto Dawn 
// by ObCom 
//------------------------------//

	Applejack had thought the morning would be a peaceful one. She woke up at her usual, early hour to do her regular patrol around the outlying farms, making it a point to avoid the Everfree Forest. Despite the chill in the air, the mere thought of the Everfree sent a chill to her core. There just wasn’t anything right about that place. The land itself was twisted by some magical experiment gone wrong. Applejack’s sharp eyes drifted over the bastardized stretch of land and she spat before continuing her patrol. Finding nothing out of place, and noting with satisfaction a few rabbits caught in her traps, she walked home with a spring in her step.
After leaving the rabbits at home for her sister to prepare, Applejack turned around and departed for the library. Halfway there, she realized that she had forgotten to take off her weapons. Years of familiarity had often left her wearing them at inopportune times. Rarity still pestered her about bringing her axe to one of her fancy dinners. With a shrug, she kept walking. Better safe than sorry, right?  
As if some spirit was agreeing with her need for caution, the wind carried a strange sound that was not part of her morning routine. Applejack paused to listen and thought, was that a scream? Suddenly glad to be armed, Applejack set off at a sprint, blowing past a guard that was sitting on a barrel eating an apple. She rounded the corner and saw a crowd forming around the front of the library. “Outta my way!” she yelled and barreled through the crowd. Seeing the ranger charging forth, the townsfolk hastily parted. 
Applejack ran into the door, axe in hand, and stopped dead in her tracks. She didn’t know what she had been expecting, but what was before her certainly wasn’t it. Blushing at her dramatic entrance, she slipped the axe into her belt and turned to face the crowd. “Nothing’s happening. It’s just Spike throwin’ a fit,” she offered with her usual smile. 
If anyone else had said that, the people would’ve demanded more information. But this was Applejack speaking, and no one had any reason to doubt her. Besides, it was a well known fact that she couldn’t lie to save her life, something that was proven the few times she tried to play cards. The crowd immediately dispersed and Applejack headed back into the library. 
“Alright, they’re gone. Now why’re you screamin’ your head off?” she demanded. 
“I’m sorry, AJ, I couldn’t help it,” Spike said, his face beet red. “It’s just that she’s been like this all morning! She’s destroying my work!” 
“I am not doing anything wrong!” Twilight huffed from behind a shelf. “I am putting all of the books in their proper places.” Each word was harshly enunciated and Applejack saw Spike wince as if each syllable was a new stab wound.
“But they were already in their places!” Spike whined. 
“Putting all of the books on the shelves based on color and size is not an effective way to run a library!” Twilight retorted with a tired groan. Applejack had the feeling that the argument had been going on for a while. 
Applejack looked at Spike and saw that the boy was visibly upset about Twilight. Tears were already beginning to gather in his eyes. She let out an explosive sigh and made her way around the shelves. When she found Twilight, she said, “Alright, Twilight, let’s get out of Spike’s hair for a bit.” 
“What do you mean? I’m not leaving until this is all fixed!” Twilight’s purple hair was a mess, and her voice sounded like it was on the edge of panic. Books were flying above her and into the shelves. It made for an impressive sight. 
“You’ve got all night for that. Now c’mon, daylight’s burnin’ and I’m gonna show you the town.” 
That got Twilight’s attention. She levitated the books into a giant stack and rubbed her eyes. “I am supposed to see the mayor today,” she groaned. 
Applejack smiled. “Well why don’t you go get cleaned up and we’ll head on out.” Twilight weakly nodded and made her way up the stairs, ignoring Spike as she passed. Spike didn’t seem to notice as he was hugging Applejack in an instant. 
“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” he said. 
Put off by the sudden affection, Applejack put her hand on his head and gently pushed him away. “Now, Spike, it wasn’t anythin’. I didn’t kill a manticore.” 
“It sure feels like it! She’s been all over the library already, making fun of everything I’ve done around here since Mr. Breezy.” Spike choked a bit at the mention of the deceased librarian. “I don’t know if I can take it. How long is she going to be here?” The sad look in Spike’s eyes made Applejack’s heart break. 
She put her hands on his shoulders and waited for him to look her in the eye. “How ‘bout I have a bit of a talk with her. Maybe get her to realize how she’s been treatin ya.” 
“You can try. I’ve been at it all day and she just ignores me,” Spike huffed and crossed his arms.
“She might listen to someone her own age.” An idea suddenly formed in her head and she grinned. “I’ll try to keep her busy all day, so how about you lock up when we go and you see if Rarity needs some help,” Applejack said with a wink. 
The mention of his dearest crush made Spike smile and he gave Applejack another hug. With a sigh, she patted his head and waited for him to let go. If this was any indication, Applejack was going to have a long day ahead of her. 

Twilight had to admit, Ponyville was a nice place. The warmth she had felt last night wasn’t the result of her emotions running wild. The town was full of well-mannered, friendly people and she was glad that the stereotypes were baseless. Applejack had been an amazing guide, and everyone seemed to acknowledge her presence in some way, but Twilight could sense something was off with her companion. Despite the fact that they were standing side-by-side, she could feel the ranger’s eyes boring into her. 
“Is there something on your mind?” Twilight asked, hoping her voice didn’t sound too irritated. 
Applejack licked her lips and acted like she had to think. “Now that ya mention it, I s’pose there is somethin’,” she drawled. With a nod of her head, she steered them to the side of the road. Leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, she said, “Had a little talk with Spike this morning.” 
Twilight shifted uncomfortably. Something in the ranger’s eyes pinned her to the spot. Twilight told herself that she shouldn’t be nervous. “Is that so?”
“Mhm. He said y’all didn’t treat him too well. Made him pretty upset, though he’d never admit it.” Twilight shivered. To hear Applejack’s serious tone after knowing nothing but her friendly drawl made her forget that she was a talented mage. She had magic, she shouldn’t be afraid! But she was. Applejack took Twilight’s silence as a cue to continue. “Y’see, I’m from Ponyville. Born and raised. Y’ve seen how folks are around here. Now I might be a little biased, but I’d say we’re pretty civil around here.” 
She pushed off the wall and Twilight involuntarily stepped back. “I know you’re new, and I’ve never been to Canterlot, so I don’t know how things are up there. But when y’come down that mountain, y’gotta understand that you’re not dealin’ with rocks anymore. We’re people, and we’d like to be treated like it. You understand?” 
Twilight nodded once. “I should think about others and not just myself,” she squeaked. 
And just like that, Applejack flipped back to being her friendly self. “There ya go,” she said and patted Twilight’s shoulder. “Now c’mon, I know ya gotta see the mayor.” 
Twilght followed the ranger with her head down. She didn’t realize how terrible she was around others until then. In Canterlot, everyone had acted that way. As if sensing how she had acted, Applejack said, “Although you made Spike mad, that library really did need to be organized.” 

The town hall was the tallest building in Ponyville. The town’s flag flew proudly on its spire while several, bright pieces of fabric decorated the otherwise bland exterior. Twilight had asked if there was a celebration, but Applejack just let out a sigh and said no. Before Twilight could ask for an explanation, the doors flew open. 
If Twilight didn’t know better, she would have wondered if the giant mass of fabric leaving the hall was some sort of monster. But she wouldn’t have done that because she had spent months reading about the creatures in Equestria. So instead of conjuring a fireball, she raised an eyebrow and looked at Applejack. 
When the mass was in front of them, Spike’s head appeared around the other side. Seeing his savior of the morning, he brightly called, “Hi, Applejack!” 
“Feelin’ better?” she asked with a chuckle. 
“Mhm. Rarity’s been redecorating the hall because these banners are ‘too tacky.’” He shrugged despite the mass in his hands. “I don’t know what’s so bad about these, but at least I got away from that witch.” 
Twilight cleared her throat and Spike’s eyes widened. Looking around his cargo, he saw a suddenly irate mage glaring at him. “Oh, uh, hi Twilight!” he said with nervous enthusiasm. 
Before Twilight could say anything, Applejack said, “Now, Spike, I already had a little talk with our friend here about manners. Do I have to do the same for you?” Spike shook his head. “Good, so now we’re all friends,” Applejack concluded in a tone that brooked no argument. “Twilight here has to see the mayor, so you get goin on your chores, alright?” Spike nodded and, with a rushed farewell, took off. 
Twilight frowned at Applejack. “I could’ve been spoken for myself.” 
Applejack smiled. “Sorry, bad habit.” Twilight tried to maintain her frown, but to her annoyance, found that she couldn’t. Shaking her head, she climbed the steps into town hall. 

Rarity was never one to brag too much about her own accomplishments because it was dreadfully unbecoming of a lady. A majority of her deeds were also illegal and would get her a cozy cell if she mentioned them, but no one had to know about that. Standing in the middle of the town hall, she had to stop herself from patting herself on the back for successfully updating the decorations. Of course, she didn’t do all of the work, but Spike had already departed. 
Spike. Rarity’s joy was taken down a notch at the thought of the young boy. He had told her about his dreadful morning, although she expected a bit of hyperbole had crept into his tale. Not like she could blame him, being seen as the victim can be very beneficial. The door opened suddenly, and Rarity was torn from her thoughts. 
Turning around, she saw Applejack and, if Spike was right, Twilight Sparkle, the envoy from Canterlot. Rarity felt a small smile tug at her lips, her mind already running through every little rumor and snippet of information she had heard of Equestria’s capital. To see someone from the place, in the flesh, it was nearly overwhelming. Rarity was almost about to faint on a convenient chair before she realized that the envoy was already gone, leaving her alone with Applejack. 
“You were too busy seein’ stars there, Rare,” Applejack said. 
Rarity chuckled. “Maybe just a little. But it looks like someone has made a new friend.” 
Applejack shrugged. “Dunno ‘bout that. More like I’m keepin’ her outta trouble. She almost toasted Rainbow last night.” 
“Oh,” Rarity said in a low tone. Years ago, a more innocent Rarity would’ve said she would never associate with such brutes. She couldn’t say that now, of course, she knew Rainbow Dash of all people. “What else do you think of her?” 
The ranger took a deep breath and was silent for a moment, keeping her eyes on the doors Twilight had gone through. Finally, she said, “She’s a good person deep down, I think. I don’t know how much that Canterlot lifestyle affected her, but give her some time an’ she’ll come around.” 
“Hm. That’s pretty deep, coming from you, but do you think someone from Canterlot of all places will stay here for long?” 
“What’s that s’posed to mean?” 
“Don’t get me wrong, darling, Ponyville is a nice place, but it’s no place to spend your days. I see this as a stage in life, where I will go to the stars and reach my destiny in Canterlot!” 
“I guess that’s why you’ve been tryin to knick my wallet ever since I came in.” 
Rarity let out a delicate laugh and put a slender hand on the ranger’s broad shoulder. “You flatter yourself too much, dear. But if I did want your money, you would never have noticed it was missing.” As Rarity spoke, she walked around Applejack in a slow circle, a teasing smile on her lips. 
“Yeah, I’m sure,” Applejack said. “Y’know Fluttershy misses ya.” 
Rarity’s breath caught in her throat. “That,” she hissed, “was a low blow, even for you.” 
Applejack grinned. “I don’t see what the problem is. All ya gotta do is come down to the old tavern instead of your fancy froufrou party.” 
Rarity’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe I will.” Now that an awkward silence filled the air, she didn’t know what to do. She wanted to talk to this Twilight Sparkle and scrape her brain for everything about Canterlot. On the other hand, she would have to stay in the hall with Applejack. She held her breath until the count of ten before saying, “The usual time?” 
“Eeyup.” 
“I’ll be there,” Rarity said and moved toward the door. She stopped and, looking over her shoulder, added, “And be sure to bring your new friend.” 

Twilight walked through the streets in the few remains of sunlight. A guard was doing the rounds with a torch in hand, stopping at the occasional lamp post to make sure it was lit. Businesses were closing and people were either going home or to one of the few taverns in town. Applejack had departed, but not before inviting her to a few drinks. 
The gesture was nice, but Twilight had no intentions of going. Her conversation with the mayor had left a bad taste in her mouth. Instead of gaining answers, as she had hoped, Twilight had to sit through the same, boring sort of meeting that was only held for the sake of the mayor holding onto her power. It was a common practice in Canterlot, and Twilight’s old habits told her not to drink any of the tea the mayor offered. When Twilight had, with great reluctance, told the mayor about the “great evil” Celestia had predicted, the older woman just looked shocked. 
Now confused and hurt that her mentor had pushed her aside like trash, Twilight headed to the library for one of her most favorite and important past times: research. The road back wasn’t too long, but any time in silence was enough for Twilight’s restless mind to settle on the evening with the princess. 

“You’re sending me away,” Twilight had said. It took all of her strength to not drop her tea cup as the news settled in. Given the number of books and scrolls scattered about, any spilled liquids would have dire consequences. 
Princess Celestia watched her student’s reaction without emotion. “Only because I trust you, Twilight. All of the signs point to Nightmare’s return. If I leave now, Canterlot will destroy itself, and Nightmare will not conveniently come to me. Not in the beginning.” Celestia stood up from the table and walked towards the window. 
Twilight watched her mentor’s shoulders rise and fall, waiting for her to say something. The princess had entered Twilight’s chambers in the middle of the night talking about a myth that no one had ever heard of. It sounded too convenient, to Twilight’s paranoid fueled instincts. “What do you mean, princess?” Twilight asked, sick of the silence. 
“In a few days, Nightmare will make her way back into Equestria. She will stop in the Everfree forest, where she will take her seat of power, and she will launch on a conquest that won’t end until I am dead and you are her slave.” Celestia spoke in a long-winded rush and waited for Twilight to digest the information. “You must go to the town of Ponyville, for it will be her first target. Go there, warn them, bolster their defenses, and defeat Nightmare while she is still weak.” 
Twilight blinked and set down her cup. “Princess, I’m not sure I understand. Who is Nightmare? Why haven’t we ever heard of her before?” 
Celestia was before her in an instant. Twilight involuntarily gulped and felt pinned to the spot underneath the princess’s gaze. “Twilight Sparkle, my most faithful student,” she began, her tone commanding, “do you trust me?” 
“Absolutely, princess,” Twilight replied with a nod. 
“Then you must go tonight. Travel light and make haste. I believe in you, my student,” Celestia said and put her hand on Twilight’s head. Twilight’s body was suffused with warmth for a moment while she packed her essentials. The warmth turned to rage the second she was out of the city gates. 

Nightmare maneuvered through the Everfree forest, despite her long absence. Some things never changed. Her heavy steps crunched through the light layer of snow. When the forest suddenly ended and she stepped into a large clearing, she knew she had gotten to the heart of the forest. In the middle of the gnarled, twisted trees, the many monsters and hostile land lay the most deceitful patch of ground in Equestria. Nightmare raised her blade so that it caught the moonlight and smiled for the second time since her return. 
“I am back, my most loyal subjects. Come back to me once more, and fight by my side!” she yelled. The abyss that floated behind her expanded and took the shape of a tornado as she channeled her magic. Her sword broke apart along the irregular, blue lines in the blade, each white shard revolving slowly around her body. The spell completed, Nightmare’s blade re-forged itself and she brought it down onto the frozen ground. 
A second passed. 
Then the corpses emerged.