As the sun set on the horizon and night approached, Fluttershy made her way to the sofa, feeling too weary to even climb the stairs to her room. Just as she was about to settle down, a knock sounded on her door.
"Come in!" She called hoarsely.
Twilight entered the cottage, a saddle bag on her back and a soft smile on her face.
"Twilight? What are you doing here?" Fluttershy asked.
"I came to see if I could help somehow." The Alicorn explained. "I've been reading up on some solutions for restful sleep, and I thought you might like somepony to keep you company. You know, in case you have another nightmare."
Fluttershy's eyes glistened and she smiled gratefully at her friend. "Thank you Twilight, I'd really like that."
And so, Twilight set about helping Fluttershy to get more comfortable and ensure a more peaceful sleep. First she added soft pillows and downy comforters to the sofa, then she lit some soothing incense, and a cup of warm milk mixed with honey and cinnamon. While Fluttershy sipped from her cup and snuggled under the covers, Twilight pulled up a stool to keep watch over the Pegasus, hoping that she'd be able to solve the Pegasus' problem once and for all.
From her balcony, Luna felt the cool night breeze bristle her coat as she gazed up at the velvety sky. She was still unsure about letting Discord accompany her to the Dream Realm, and had hoped that the tranquility of her night would help soothe her calm her and prepare her for what she and the Draconequus would face. Discord himself had been hovering silently behind her, waiting for the right moment to startle her.
"So, ready to go?" He asked abruptly.
Luna almost flinched, but she'd expected Discord to show up the moment night fell. "I am, are you?"
"I wouldn't be asking you that if I wasn't." He answered, is body itching for some action.
"Then let us go inside and begin."
In her chambers, Luna ignited her horn and began to explain what she was doing to Discord. "Now then, the spell that I cast will send our spirits to the dream realm, from which we will find and enter Fluttershy's dream. Once the nightmare is vanquished, we shall both return to this room."
"Sounds simple enough." Discord said dismissively.
"Yes, but before we go I want to make it clear that this is a one time thing, and that you should not and cannot disturb the dreams of other ponies. Understand?"
"Yes, yes, now will you get on with it already?"
With a frustrated growl at Discord's impatience, Luna wasted no time in zapping the Draconequus in the head with her magic, sending off to sleep. Discord's eyes snapped open and he found himself floating in a fuzzy void, surrounded by orbs that showed various ponies throughout Equestria. Luna appeared beside him in a shaft of moonlight.
"So this is the Dream Realm." Discord mused. "Not nearly as interesting as I thought it'd be."
"We are in a part of the realm referred to as Limbo." Luna explained. "It is the space just between the waking world and the dreams of ponies."
"So then, which dream is Fluttershy's?" Discord asked, his eyes searching for a glimpse of the little Pegasus.
Before Luna could answer, the sound of Fluttershy's terrified screams pierced the otherwise calm silence of Limbo.
The skies were as red as blood, and as clouded as smog. All around her the world had been torn up and stitched together into a place of utter madness. Monsters and demons roamed about, terrorizing the poor hapless ponies that crossed their paths, and in the center of it all was Discord, grinning sadistically at the torment he was causing.
"Discord, please!" Fluttershy called out. "You have to stop this!"
Discord shifted his attention to her, but the look he gaze her made her feel like she was of little concern of consequence in his eyes.
"Stop this you say? Why would I ever do a thing like that?" He asked, not seeming to care how she answered.
"Can't you see what you're doing to everypony? If you keep this up, you'll go back to stone, probably forever this time!"
"It's adorable that you think that somepony could stop he." He chuckled. "It really is."
Fluttershy's eyes were overflowing with tears. "Please, Discord! I know this isn't you, it's not too late for you to stop, to fix this!"
"And what makes you think you know me?" He asked, the tone of his voice sent chills down Fluttershy's spine. "My wants, my hopes, my desires, what makes you think that you know anything about them?"
"Because I'm your friend. You like laughing and making mischief, and you like to have tea with me. We're best friends, and I don't want anything bad happening to you!"
There was a pause before Discord cackled mercilessly. "Friends? What use have I for friends when I have chaos, the fabric of reality is at my fingertips and you offer me something as dull as friendship?" Fluttershy could feel her heart twisting and her throat tightening with each laugh he uttered. "In fact, what makes you think we were even really friends to begin with?"
At this point, Fluttershy had about as much as she could take, collapsing to the ground and breaking down into painful sobs.
"ENOUGH!"
A blast of blue magic narrowly missed the Draconequus, getting him to turn his attention to the Princess of the Night and the real Discord. The apparition growled and cursed under its breath.
"Stay back foul beast!" Luna commanded.
Discord's eyes locked onto Fluttershy in her pitiful state and immediately he flew down to help her.
"Fluttershy!" He cried. But Fluttershy didn't seem to hear him, to engrossed in her own misery. He tried reaching out to her, open to try and get her to her senses, only to receive a painful sting on the talon. "Yee-ouch!" It was then that Discord noticed a dark aura surrounding his friend, like some kind of shield.
"Now, begone!" Luna shot a spell at the nightmare, a spell that under normal circumstances would be enough to make even the most terrifying of nightmares disappear in a wisp of smoke. However, this nightmare simply smirked at her and deflected the attack as though it were nothing.
Luna's eyes widened in shock. "W-what?"
The nightmare looked over to where Discord was trying in vain to get past its little shield and have the Pegasus acknowledge his presence.
"That's enough of that." The double said, taking Discord by surprise as he suddenly found himself being flung into the air and crashing into Luna. "I suggest you two leave while you still have the chance."
"Funny, I was thinking of saying the same thing to you." Discord said, about to snap his talons. Only for the nightmare to encase them in solid concrete and crashing onto the ground. Discord tried to pry himself free but the concrete remained firmly attached to him.
Luna tried once more to banish the creature from existence, only for it to pin her to the ground with black chains that burned into her fur.
"I was hoping to do this a little later," the night mares said, snaking his way behind Fluttershy. "But it seems that I'll have to move things along." With that said, he placed his hands on Fluttershy's shoulders, and the aura around her intensified. The color was beginning to drain from her body, not only that, but she also was starting to look lifeless and empty.
Discord glared venomously at his doppleganger, his teeth grinding into daggers. "You...get your wretched hands off of her!"
In a sudden burst of speed and with strength Discord didn't know he had, he was able to run at the nightmare and knock him flat onto the ground with a punch from his concrete talon, before breaking free of its stony confines. With the nightmare distracted, Luna was free from her chains and able to have another go at her foe. Discord held Fluttershy in his arms, she felt so frail, like a fragile snowflake about to crumble to piece in his touch. As he got a better look at her, that's when Discord noticed something. Poking out of his friend's chest, as a black wisp.
Discord took hold of the wisp and said, "Forgive me my dear, but this may hurt a bit."
The nightmare, who'd been fighting off Luna, saw what he was about to do, his body stiffening with fear. "No! Stop!"
But it was too late. Discord pulled with all his might at the black wisp, which caused Fluttershy to let out a sharp cry of pain. The wisp elongated, starting to resemble a snake, before pulling out its horned head. In his grasp, Discord ignited the snake-like creature, watching it writhe in the flames.
At the same time, the nightmare Discord let out a screech before flickering away like a mirage. Discord would've held on longer to make sure that the loathsome thing burnt to ash, but the creature gave him a bite, forcing him to let go of it, and allowing it to slither away. A few minutes later, the surroundings of Fluttershy's dream world lightened, becoming much more serene and peaceful, and Fluttershy herself was looking much better than before.
Luna, still confused as to what had just occurred, said to herself, "This is unlike anything I've ever encountered before. For a nightmare to do any of that..."
"That was no ordinary nightmare." Discord said.
Luna looked at him in surprise. "You...you know what that was?"
His gaze still on the resting Fluttershy, he answered, "I have a good idea, and whatever scheme it's planning, it certainly isn't done yet."