//------------------------------//
// 14 The Darkest Dream, Part One 
// Story: Continuity Disrupted 
// by Doug Graves 
//------------------------------//

Doug slowly glances around the dark room. The moonlight flickers through a blue haze around the farmhouse, the curtains casting shadows that conceal the corners and walls. The heavy wooden table sits in front of him, an obsidian dagger embedded just out of reach. The blade gleams, spotless in the moonlight, though the dark pool underneath suggests the blood has had all the time it needed to slough off. Doug shudders; of all the things he could have been dreaming about, why did it have to be this?

Doug glances down, grimacing at the dark chains that bind him to his chair. The barbs press against his skin, a few painfully digging in. He tries moving first one arm, then the other, but the complete lack of give makes escape impossible this time. Same with his legs. There would be no rescue attempt this time, no chance to check on his foals, and make sure they are okay. At least the barbs aren't as painful as the real thing, though he is a little surprised that he can still feel pain. Though that had been true of the few other times he dreamed, and they were always much more vivid than any dreams prior to Equestria.

The house isn't quite silent, soft breathing coming from his side. Doug slowly turns his head, trying to take in the whole picture and not focus on the alicorn's chest slowly moving up and down. Shadowy tendrils slither along her body, snaking further and further along her barrel. Her head is nearly fully entwined, practically a gladiator's mask from her ears to her muzzle. Or an iron maiden.

A flash briefly blinds him; he tries to shield his eyes, immediately regretting the reaction as his arms burn against his restraints. His eyes slowly recover, barely able to make out the dark blue, nearly black figure standing in front of him. Her hooves, chest, and horn armor are accented in mirrored teal and amethyst, a cobalt and purple aurora of a mane waving behind her. Nightmare Moon.

Just behind the dark alicorn blink in two ethereal figures, their nearly transparent forms briefly wavering before they solidify into one white and one blue alicorn. The two glance around at their surroundings, the ghostly Princess Luna remarking, "We acknowledge it has been some time, but we still remember our duty." She glances at the two dream alicorns, their movements paused as she says, "And this dream is hardly accurate. We recall our appearance as far more intimidating."

The ghostly Princess Celestia nods. "You see this as a dream, and not a nightmare?" At Princess Luna's nod she continues, "I as well. I suppose I am just here for sentimental reasons, then. I do feel some responsibility for this; had I not gone to him for support, he would have been spared all this." Princess Celestia snorts as she motions to her own figure, "And my flanks are hardly that large!" The alicorns seem to fade into the background, watching the dream unfurl.

Nightmare Moon cackles, looking down at the white alicorn trapped in front of her. "Your plan has failed, sister! The Elements of Harmony ruined, the world now mine to control!" She roars in laughter, pointing a hoof outside towards the moon, "And now, dearest sister, you shall face exactly the same fate that I suffered! Banished, a thousand years to the sun!" She gleefully laughs, "Except, with the night lasting forever? You know what that means, yes? It means, you shall never see your precious ponies again!" Nightmare Moon snorts as she bursts into mad laughter again, strutting around the room.

Celestia slowly shakes her mask from side to side. Nightmare Moon cocks her head, staring at the white alicorn. 

"Oh?" Nightmare Moon says, moving close to peer into Celestia's shuttered eyes. "Is there something you wish to say?"

If Celestia tries to open her mouth to speak, nopony can tell, but after a few seconds she barely nods her head up and down.

"Hmm," Nightmare Moon stalls, tapping a hoof against her chin, "Very well. I fear no trick from you, sister, even if your magic isn't fully drained. Though, by now, it should have been." She peers close again, "Do you care to explain that to me?"

The tendrils slide away from Celestia's muzzle, the white alicorn opening her mouth and licking her dry lips. She barely ekes out, "Foal."

"Foal? You mean him?" Nightmare Moon points a hoof at Doug; the human has turned back to face the table. He is blankly staring at the dagger, seemingly oblivious to the world, though his breathing tells her that he's paying attention.

Celestia weakly shakes her head back and forth, barely able to whimper, "Our foal."

The ghostly Princess Luna fades in just enough to command, "Explain this."

Princess Celestia fades in briefly, merely saying, "I will at the end."

Princess Luna pauses before both alicorns fade out again.

Nightmare Moon fixes Celestia with a penetrating glare, her eyes blazing teal. A rumbling starts deep in her throat, building and growing louder until finally erupting. She bellows, "It worked! You succeeded!" Nightmare Moon cackles as she teleports, reappearing scant inches away from Celestia's still blinded eyes, "AND FOR NOTHING! YOU LOSE!!"

"Please," forces out Celestia. Her head lowers to the table, past the point of comfort, the barbs beginning to pierce into her dull white coat. Pinpricks of red form, some dripping along the thorns while others seep further along her hairs.

Nightmare Moon snorts, "Please. Is that all you can offer? After what you did to me? Banishment to the sun would be a blessing compared to what you would go through if I imprisoned you here." She waves a hoof at the otherwise empty farmhouse, "And nopony will vouch for you, sacrifice themselves for your sake."

Celestia chokes back a sob, not able to look up and meet her sister's gaze, even if her eyes weren't covered. 

The room is silent for several seconds before Doug coughs, "I will vouch for her."

Nightmare Moon spins, the twin daggers she is glaring at Doug made manifest behind her. "YOU? You would dedicate a lifetime of service to myself, Nightmare Moon, in order to save this wretch?" Nightmare Moon spits, pacing over and planting a hoof on Doug's chest; he shudders as he glances down at the armored leg on him. "And, should any fail me? You, or her, or your foal! Then all of you shall perish!"

Doug breathes in deep, forcing his eyes to meet the teal abyss swirling in front of him. "I so swear."

Nightmare Moon sneers, "Then you have damned yourself for nothing! For she has no one to vouch for, and none other to vouch for her!"

Celestia forces out, "I so..."

Nightmare Moon turns, glaring at the imprisoned white alicorn. "I tire of listening to your pathetic whimpers." The tendrils around Celestia's muzzle loosen, the bloodied barbs receding into themselves.

Celestia breathes a sigh of relief, a brief moment of respite before she says, "I so swear, for the unborn foal of my union with Doug Apple, of Herd Apple."

Nightmare Moon stops in place, the glare on her muzzle slowly turning to a wry smile. She turns, a glacial pace to regard the white alicorn. Her voice, the slow cadence of a funeral march, "You. Would serve me. One thousand years of service. Never. Once. Seeing your precious sun. Just for the sake of your foal?"

"I wish to be with you, sister. Even if it is not what we used to have." Celestia grimly nods before bowing her head, "And I do this for the sake of all of our little ponies."

Nightmare Moon stomps a hoof, the tendrils surrounding Doug and Celestia transforming into barbed suits of armor. Purple gauntlets and sabatons encase Doug's hands and feet, a teal cuirass and faulds for his chest, a dark black bassinet leaving his face visible. Dark barding covers Celestia; color returns to the visible sections of alabaster coat. Her mane is clipped short, no longer waving in the air but instead a chromatic rainbow threaded through the back of her dark helmet in a high ponytail. 

"Kneel," Nightmare Moon commands, her deep voice echoing through the farmhouse. 

Doug and Celestia both rise from their chairs, bending a knee before the dark alicorn.

"This is perfect!" Nightmare Moon laughs derisively. She hums to herself, "Now, Doug Graves. What. Should. I. Do. With. You." She smirks, "Ah, I have just the job for you. Perfectly befitting your name." She pauses, turning her head slightly to the side and regarding Doug. "And do you know what it will be?"

Doug considers a few options before tentatively saying, "A... grave digger?"

Nightmare Moon shakes her head. "Oh, no no no. Nothing so pedestrian. I think... you will be my high executioner. Filling the dug graves."

Doug lowers his head, his body shaking as he forces out, "I am at your command."

"For your first official execution. Hmm," Nightmare Moon ponders, her gaze raising to the ceiling. "Ah! I have just the one. Since I no longer have use of them, your first command is to execute your five foals."

Princess Luna fades in, "We are reconsidering our earlier statement, about this being no nightmare."

Princess Celestia appears as well, "I agree, though perhaps we may arrive at a different conclusion by the end. I defer to your expertise, of course."

Princess Luna nods, "We fear it becoming far more grim, perhaps close to what we originally intended as... her. But this..." She sighs as both alicorns fade away.

Doug stares blankly at Nightmare Moon for several seconds. His voice catches as his knees go weak, one hand going to the table as he nearly collapses.

"Oh! How forgetful of me." Nightmare Moon smirks, "you need something with which to fulfill your duty." The dagger plucks out of the table, levitating towards Doug. His body shakes as he takes the dagger, staring at the blade in his gauntleted hand. "And now, your first condemned."

Four fillies and one colt teleport in front of Doug, each chained to the floor. Nightmare Moon motions forwards with a hoof, staring at Doug. He shakily raises one hand to his head, the barbs on his gloves scratching against his scalp as he grimaces, pleading as he shakes his head from side to side.

"Need I Remind You Of The Consequences Of Failing My Command?" Nightmare Moon thunders, towering behind Doug. "Not only will your foals die anyway, but you condemn Celestia and her foal as well!"

"Please, Nightmare Moon," Doug begs, motioning with the dagger, "there must be another way. They can vouch for each other."

Nightmare Moon snorts, "Only an adult, one with a cutie mark, may sacrifice a lifetime of service to me for the sake of their kin." She smirks, "Will you make your foal choose which of her sisters will live? Or will you make the choice for her?"

Applebaum pushes against the chains binding her to the floor. She looks up at Nightmare Moon; the alicorn's horn flares and releases the chains around her. The foal's mouth opens, but no sound comes out. She stops, pawing at the wooden floor, trying and failing to scratch out a message.

"Inscribe it." the alicorn commands, her harsh tone indicating that quill and ink would not be enough.

Applebaum glances around before Doug kneels down, offering the dagger. Applebaum shudders, sliding her foreleg across the edge. She dips her hoof in the welling blood, again looking at Nightmare Moon.

The dark alicorn's horn flares, an image appearing across the filly's face. Applebaum looks at her visage in the dagger, whimpering as she traces her hoof along the lines, a rough red sigil of Nightmare Moon's cutie mark now inscribed on her forehead. 

"Choose." 

Applebaum shudders at Nightmare Moon's command, tentatively lifting a hoof at Lemon. The chains around the yellow filly break, disappearing into the ether. Lemon glances back and forth, tears streaming as she silently whimpers, the two running over to join Doug.

Nightmare Moon sneers, "You have now sentenced two of them to a lifetime of service to me. You think you have some plan for the rest?"

Doug quakes, his gauntleted hand running through and tugging at his hair. He stops, roughly pressing into his scalp as he squeezes. His eyes light up as a thought strikes him, "The mares." Doug raises his eyes to Nightmare Moon, "Their dams, the mares of the herd. Their lives, for the fillies."

"THEY ARE NOT YOURS TO COMMAND!!" 

Nightmare Moon bellows, a sweep of her hoof enough to send Doug cowering to the floor. Nightmare Moon considers for a few seconds before sneering. Her horn flares; three fillies teleport next to their sisters while six mares appear by the white alicorn. The mares are battered and bruised, bloodied cuts and torn manes, each groaning as they slowly shift about. "But perhaps they may choose for themselves."

"What?" yells Rainbow Dash, struggling to her hooves. "What's going on? Doug!" She notices the armor surrounding him and Celestia. Rainbow Dash limps over to him, "Don't tell me..."

Doug solemnly nods, "I... I failed us all, Rainbow. I'm working for her now." He motions towards Nightmare Moon; she stands regally, an imposing figure over all. "And... and she is giving each of us the same offer. Serve her, vouch for one other and share their fate. And keep our fillies alive. Or decline, and any not vouching or vouched for will perish."

Rainbow sobs, her hoof clanging against the armor as she feebly strikes Doug, "Why, Doug? Why are you making us choose between you and Equestria? Between Celestia and a Nightmare?"

Doug motions towards the white alicorn adorned in teal and amethyst armor, "Celestia... Celestia also made the choice. There is no Equestria now that isn't under Nightmare Moon's control." His head drops down, "It was the only way to save her." He looks back up at Rainbow, "And all of you."

Rainbow stares at Doug for a few seconds before whimpering, "So... so... I can stay with you, right? I can still stay loyal to you?"

Applejack weakly raises a hoof, coughing as she calls, "Rainbow!" before slumping back to the ground.

Rainbow turns, tears welling as her eyes wander over Applejack and the rest of the herd. Her gaze drifts to Scootaloo, her filly mournfully staring up at her. Rainbow stands on shaky legs, staggering over to Nightmare Moon and kneeling down. She coughs, barely eking out, "I swear, Nightmare Moon. For Scootaloo."

Silence pervades the farmhouse as Nightmare Moon regards Rainbow Dash's kneeling figure. A smirk slowly creeps over the alicorn's muzzle, her horn flaring. Black and purple armor coalesces around Rainbow Dash, a dark blue eye in the center of the chestpiece. Nightmare Moon's cutie mark appears on the horned helmet; Rainbow grunts as her wings are likewise encased. Around Doug's upper arm a cerulean band appears, a black band wrapping around Rainbow's foreleg.

Scootaloo's bindings break, the filly charging over to her dam. Rainbow Dash kneels down, nuzzling the orange pegasus before Nightmare Moon snorts. Rainbow Dash jerks up, snapping to attention. Scootaloo mewls, cowering behind Rainbow before she quails under Nightmare Moon's stare. She marches forward two steps, next to Rainbow, and kneels as well.

Nightmare Moon grins, laughing to herself as she regards the remainder of the mares. 

Applejack leads, gulping as she slowly walks forward. Rarity, then Fluttershy, then Pinkie Pie each stand with varying degrees of difficulty and trepidation. 

The four mares say in unison, "We swear, for"

"Apple Bloom." "Sweetie Belle." "Hedge." "Meringue."

Nightmare Moon's horn flares bright, four more sets of armor appearing around each of them. Four bands appear around Doug's upper arm: white, yellow, orange, and pink joining to the cyan already present. Each mare gains a black band around their foreleg, the tight fit squeezing against their coat. Doug drops down, a relieved breath escaping as he catches himself on the floor.

"Sadly," Nightmare Moon intones, not a hint of grief in her voice, "You are still one short. And with none to vouch for Twilight Sparkle? For opposing me directly, she will be your first condemned. Followed by your youngest, as none are left to vouch for him."

Doug shudders, briefly glancing at Pomarbo, then at the rest of the herd. The seven foals each have a rough black collar, inscribed with the name of the pony vouching for them or, in Applebaum's case, the pony she is vouching for. The collars crackle with dark energy as the light leaves Doug's eyes. He briefly closes his eyes, quaking slightly, murmuring to himself. His eyes open, a haunted look as he grips the dagger. 

The five mares look to Twilight, the unicorn shuddering. "All of you?" she stammers, hanging her head. "Abandoned by each of my friends?"

"What choice did we have?" mourns Applejack, teary eyes focusing on her colt, the only foal remaining shackled to the ground. "If you thought this monster-" Applejack shudders as Nightmare Moon strides over, an armored hoof crashing against Applejack's plated helmet! The blow drives the mare to the ground; she whimpers as she adjusts the dented helmet, slowly getting to her hooves and standing at attention.

Twilight Sparkle glances between the mares and foals, her gaze finally resting on Celestia. She defiantly shouts, "Princess Celestia! How could you abandon Equestria like this, to this fiend!"

Celestia barely flinches at her student's recrimination, holding her head high as she neutrally states, "I made this choice to save Equestria." Her stony facade breaks, regarding Twilight with tears in her eyes, "And I wish for none to perish, my faithful student. Not you, not any." She drops down slightly, barely whispering, "Please consider your choices carefully, Twilight Sparkle." Celestia stands back up, returning to attention.

Twilight Sparkle stares at Celestia for another second before hanging her head. She glances up to Nightmare Moon, "If it saves the life of my friends and their family, then I accept. I so swear." Several seconds pass, Twilight nervously looking up at the dark alicorn. 

Nightmare Moon cackles, "Unfortunately, you are not kin of Pomarbo." The stunned unicorn's limbs are encased in shadowy tendrils, forcing her to kneel in front of Doug. "Your second condemned." Pomarbo's tiny body levitates next to Twilight, the colt softly whimpering, "Your first."

"No! Wait!" shouts Twilight, vainly struggling against her bonds as Doug rises, his face devoid of emotion as he raises the dagger. "Stop! I'll do it! Whatever it takes!"

Doug stops, the dead look in his eyes replaced by a flicker of hope.

"Perhaps..." Nightmare Moon drawls, her muzzle curling to a smirk. She motions to Applejack, "Make your request." 

Twilight glances at Applejack, then back to Nightmare Moon. She hesitantly says, "Applejack? May I join the herd?"

Applejack continues standing at attention, ignoring the unicorn.

"Applejack," Nightmare Moon says neutrally, the barest hint of a smile at her subject's obedience, "Do you accept?"

Applejack's inflectionless voice replies, "If it pleases you, Nightmare Moon."

Twilight looks to the dark alicorn, "Unless there is anything else you require, I so swear, Nightmare Moon, to serve you. For the sake of my friends." 

Nightmare Moon snorts; her horn lights, shooting a purple beam into Twilight's chest. "There is one more thing." A black band snaps around Twilight's foreleg, a purple band joining the others around Doug's arm. Nightmare Moon commands, "Consummate."

Twilight takes a step back, feeling a heat deep in her nethers. "What did you..." she trails off as she moans, finding herself resting her forelegs on the ground while her tail flicks to the side.

The figures of the dream pause as Princess Luna and Princess Celestia step forward, their forms solidifying. Princess Luna states, "This seems to be the end, yes?"

Princess Celestia nods, "Close enough, yes."