//------------------------------// // 29 The Darkest Dream, Part Three // Story: Continuity Disrupted // by Doug Graves //------------------------------// "That dinner was dee-licious!" exclaims Pinkie Pie as she pronks from the living room to the kitchen and nuzzles Meringue. The table all the fillies are eating at is piled wide with empty dishes. And, since the rest of the whole herd is sitting in the adjoining room, the floor is also strewn with plates now thoroughly cleaned of their lasagna, apples, and meringue pie. The filly barely acknowledges the gesture, merely chewing the remainder of her greens piled high with apples of every variety. "Acceptable. Can improve." "Thanks, sis!" Lemon bounces up from her chair, embracing Meringue in a hug. "Best dinner ever!" "Perfection goal that cannot be attained. Will pursue. Must." Lemon sighs, "Look, you're really sucking the air out of my balloons." She leans in close to Meringue, glancing back to her cutie mark and bouncing her flank up and down. She smiles back at the filly, whispering, "Anything that you want to talk about?" Meringue stares at the wall before her eyes slowly widen, her muzzle pulls back to a grimace, and her head shakes from side to side. "Well," Lemon says, snuggling up to Meringue, "let me know when you want to talk about it." She gives a nuzzle to her before turning to Doug, "Besides, somepony else was going to give us a talk, right?" Doug sighs, "Yup. Let's get this cleaned up first." He starts piling the plates onto each other. Pinkie Pie heads back to the main living room and starts helping the other mares pick up their dishes, though she stops when she gets to Twilight Sparkle's mostly clean plate, only a piece of lasagna with a single bite taken out remaining. "You gonna eat that?" "Um," Twilight replies, her face contorting to a mild disgust she is trying to suppress. She looks down at the dish, a bit of cheese oozing out, "No, you can have it." "Okie!" Pinkie Pie pops the partial portion partly past her pearly whites, puncturing and spraying poor Twilight with parts of pasteurized product. "Gaah!" Twilight Sparkle screams, her horn flaring and trying to strip the cheese from her mane and mostly failing. Pinkie Pie backs away from the flailing hooves, her tongue licking off the cheese that dripped on herself as she eyes Twilight hungrily. "Darling, stop. Let me help." Rarity's command goes unheeded as Twilight tugs at her mane. "Stop. Stooop." The white unicorn gets up, her hooves trying to help Twilight Sparkle but mostly ending up getting tangled along with her. Rainbow Dash smirks, trying to contain her laughter as Twilight Sparkle and Rarity end up splayed out on the floor. Rarity finally gets Twilight to sit still long enough to remove the offending material from her mane. "There." She levitates a brush over, sitting down next to the couch and tackling the newly introduced tangles. The fillies file into the living room, scattering around wherever there is room. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy follow as they finish clearing the dishes. Doug sits on the couch while Rainbow Dash and Applejack sit on each side, yawning as they snuggle into him. Lemon hops into his lap. Doug traces a finger over the new cutie mark, smiling at another young mare finding her way in the world. Lemon glances up at him, smiling encouragingly as she nudges him. "So, Lemon seems to think that some sort of intervention is necessary," Doug quips, his gaze travelling around the room at the ponies gazing back at him. He focuses on Twilight and Rarity, Twilight pouting as Rarity gives him a cheeky grin. "I still think it's a little early, but I have been having a few bad dreams regarding this whole... Nightmare Moon... thing." Applejack and Rainbow snuggle in closer as Lemon runs a hoof down his side, whispering, "You're doing great." "I told you the story once, so I won't go too much into detail there," Doug starts, shaking his head. "The worst part about it," Doug says to the packed Carrot House living room, the entirety of the herd cramming themselves inside, "wasn't the lack of control." "Really?" asks Twilight, though she sinks down a little as the rest of the herd glances at her. "I'm sorry, please continue." Doug waves his hand, dismissing her interruption, "No problem. As I was saying, it wasn't being able to do nothing. Although that part was terrible, too; it was almost like watching a movie. Something I had no control over, I just had to watch it play out, and a part of me wanted to scream and yell, but I couldn't. I knew there would be no winning a physical confrontation with her. And so I thought my only way to win, to try to come out of this alive was to convince her that, I don't know, I was not going to fight her. Or I would be a good little Baltar. Four times, she gave just the barest sense of hope, that maybe I would be able to persuade her to leave me and Celestia alone. Or at least not do whatever horrible thing she had planned." Doug glances over to the ponies in the room; each one is paying close attention, a look of horror or disgust at what had happened. Though there is also a sense of hope, of trust, a belief that together they can get through this. "The worst part was the maliciousness with which she did it." Doug closes his eyes, "Like every move was calculated to bring about the worst possible outcome for me. If I hadn't been chained, maybe I would have fought back, and failed, but at least I had tried." "But ya did try," says Applejack, nuzzling up to him, "and maybe you failed all the same." "But the important part is you didn't let that failure stop you," continues Rainbow Dash, her exhausted voice slightly slurring her words. "You kept trying. Even when you were beaten." She presses her snout into his side, her smile ruined by a wide yawn. Doug pulls Rainbow up, sharing a quick kiss before he turns to Applejack and doing the same. Lemon nuzzles him as Doug looks across the room, everypony beaming at him. He sighs, yet smiles, "I guess you're right. So," he looks at Twilight and Rarity, "I guess I'm going to keep trying with this whole magic thing. Any ideas?" Twilight raises a hoof, shyly smiling as she says, "Well, you can come over to the library at some point. I have lots of different spells, maybe they can show you that magic isn't all bad!" Doug nods as he sinks into the couch, Lemon hopping off his lap. "I'd like that," he says, his voice fading. Pinkie Pie nuzzles Lemon as she comes close, but it quickly turns to a mock scowl. "I still can't believe you went and got your cutie mark without me being there!" Pinkie Pie shakes her head, saying in a deep, growling voice, "Unacceptable!" "Unacceptable!" mimics Meringue, sticking her tongue out at her dam, who promptly sticks her tongue right back. "Oh, dear," says Fluttershy, nudging Lemon, "I don't suppose this is a time for your cutie mark to come into play." "Nah," says Lemon with a grin as Meringue and Pinkie Pie charge each other. Meringue's weak, flailing slaps merely serve to tickle the pink pony as she giggles, practically taunting her filly by merely swaying back and forth. Lemon continues, "They're just having fun." "And it doesn't mean I won't throw you a super duper amazing party to celebrate!" Pinkie Pie says, turning so Meringue's wailing hits travel down her flanks. Pinkie Pie groans, "Worst massage ever! Can improve." "Always." Pinkie Pie settles down, as does Meringue, both laying down as Rainbow Dash yawns. She settles against Doug, sleepily saying, "You don't mind if I go to sleep here, do you?" Applejack chuckles, "Ah don't think anypony will begrudge you that spot, Rainbow. You sure earned it today." Applejack yawns, "Ah still can't believe you managed to get all of Big Mac's side done." "Well, I had a lot of help," Rainbow says, her words trailing off. "But I am pretty awesome." "Ah don't know; for Ponyville's number two athlete, Ah was expecting a little more competition," Applejack winks. Though it turns to a frown as she glances over. Her muzzle curls right back to a smile: Doug and Rainbow are both asleep, Doug with his head leaning back against the couch and Rainbow cuddling into his lap. She snuggles next to Doug, her hat tilting down to cover her eyes as she fades to sleep. Twilight mumbles as she drifts off to sleep, her head laying on Rarity's flank, "Is this my first sleepover? I think this is my first sleepover." Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy glance at each other, debating ushering the fillies to bed. They ultimately both yawn, laying down next to the sleeping forms and drifting off to sleep themselves. * The farmhouse is silent. Doug groans as he slowly gathers his wits, inspecting the room around him. Same dull blue haze outside the farmhouse, partially obscuring the pure white moon shining in the night sky. The room is cast in a soft blue light, shadows playing against the walls and table, though he can still make out the white alicorn sitting next to him, his eyes tracing over her. Celestia is still trapped, her head nearly completely covered, just a small slit around her nose so she can breathe. The shadowy tendrils continue along her barrel and flanks, covering her cutie mark. The human glances down, and notices, a slight tug confirming the obvious: his arms and legs are immobilized by cobalt chains. The chains slowly come to life, slightly waving back and forth, heralding the return of... He closes his eyes, preventing the blinding flash. The smile on his mouth belies the trouble he faces, the heavy sound of hoofsteps getting closer. Yup, there she is. Nightmare Moon. The dark blue alicorn sneers at Celestia as she strides closer, cackling and shouting, "Your Plan Has failed, Sister!" Her tirade is interrupted by Doug saying, "Can you hurry this up? I've got places to be." "The only place you will find yourself is crushed underneath my hoof!" Nightmare Moon bellows, spinning to regard the human. "Silence, or I will do to your mares what I did to your foals!" "My mares?" Doug says, a shrug of his shoulders raking his arms with the barbs of his restraints. "Huh. That would be bad." It's painful, at first, but when he stops caring the pain on his face seems to fade away to nothing. "You go do that." The blade embedded into the table levitates up, Nightmare Moon striding up to the human. "Silence, whelp!" Doug lifts his head, unblinking as he meets the Nightmare's eyes, calmly stating, "Under your command? Never." Princess Luna grimly forces herself out of the human's dream before she is expelled at the dream's 'conclusion', the images flashing before her conscious mind. The strewn bodies of fifteen ponies and one human, each defiant to the end. Leaving her as Nightmare Moon to rule over a lonely wasteland. Would that be a victory? Could she use that ending for her own Nightmare that night? The Princess of the Night shudders as she lays down; she might as well use it as a start. But why does he dream these dreams? Is he still playing through the possibilities in his mind? As Tia said, 'gaming' the scenarios in the safest place imaginable? Her eyes close, again drifting off to sleep. She finds herself next to the farmhouse, rows upon rows of apple trees withering under the pale light of the moon. The mad cackling of Nightmare Moon echoes around her as she ascends, tears streaming from eyes, seemingly exultant in her victory. The moon gleams bright in the sky, barely illuminating the deserted towns and cities. She soars through the air, basking in the moon's rays. Princess Luna snaps out of her supposed nightmare. This is a schoolfilly's daydream, not a nightmare! How dare she derive any pleasure from Nightmare's victory! Well, Doug is not the only creature that can play multiple variations on the same encounter. She lays back down, recalling and rewinding Doug's dream to just before the end. Nightmare Moon stands amid the bodies of the herd, her face enraged as the dagger flits back and forth menacingly. Doug is laughing, smirking, practically cavorting at Nightmare Moon's impotent rage. "You've failed!" He pushes forward against his restraints as the dagger levitates against his throat. "No one. No pony. No creature, will ever bow to you! You think you deserve respect? You deserve nothing! You think you have beaten us? Well, let me let you in on a little secret." He motions with his head, Nightmare Moon drawing in closer. He whispers, "You stole fizzy lifting drink." Nightmare Moon's eyes narrow. Doug bellows, "YOU LOSE! G-" as the knife slides across his throat, his limp body slumping to the floor. Nightmare Moon glances around at the fallen bodies littering the floor. Even the promise of her Sister and unborn foal had not persuaded him. Their deaths had done nothing but harden his resolve. And if she could not persuade him or his herd then what chance did she have of gaining Equestria's trust and admiration? Or even their fear but grudging acceptance. Nightmare Moon flies out of the farmhouse, rows upon rows of apple trees withering under the pale light of the moon. Her mad cackling echoes around her as she ascends, tears streaming from eyes. She really did deserve exactly what she had gotten. Nothing. The blue and purple wick of void jitters with excitement as it spins around her, growing larger and larger with every passing moment. She drifts off to sleep again, this time starting at the beginning of Doug's Nightmare.