“Twilight?”
“I can’t believe it!” the alicorn princess hopped about the throne room with excitement, while the pegasus and the zebra stood by, and watched her hyping about. “This is Monoceria! The legendary homeland, from which our predecessors came, it’s been buried under ice and snow this entire time!”
“Twilight.”
“I mean, no wonder nopony knows where it disappeared to after Equestria was formed!”
“Twilight!”
She gasped. “When we get back home I need to send an archeological expedition! So much forgotten and unexplored-!”
“TWILIGHT!!!” the rainbow-maned pony yelled on the top of her lungs this time, finally pulling her overly hyped friend out of her moment. “I get that this is an important discovery, but this really isn’t the right time!”
“With Rainbow Dash, I must agree,” the shaman joined in, “this isn’t the moment to overflow with glee. You may be feeling stout, but the rest of your friends I believe will shout for help, so they too can gallop about.”
After being stuck in Canterlot for so long, it was a moment in which the princess so easily lost herself, after making a discovery nobody could’ve dreamed of. The other two mares finally managed to snap her out.
“I’m sorry…” she apologized. “It’s just that… This discovery is beyond anything anypony could’ve imagined. There are no written historical records about what became of the original home of unicorns after the mass exodus to escape the frost and snow that the windigos had brought with them. And this whole time… it was buried beneath the Frozen North.”
“But why did Sombra bring you here of all places?” Rainbow Dash questioned.
“I don’t know,” she answered, “but I am surprised that he made sure this place remained intact.”
The zebra and the pegasus glanced at each other. “Your assumptions would be sound, if not for the truth in facts we found,” the shaman replied.
“What do you mean, Zecora?”
“She means that Sombra may not have been the one who made sure that this place is in a better condition than it should be,” the other pony interjected. “Somepony else must’ve been here long before Sombra brought all of you guys. And speaking of which…”
“I know, I know,” Twilight concurred. “Let’s go and search the rest of the castle, see if perhaps any of our friends are here as well.”
“I’d be surprised if they weren’t. Let’s move,” Rainbow Dash ordered and she marched on to the door on the left side of the throne room.
This time around, however, she was met with near-complete darkness. It appeared that the light that illuminated the castle’s interior wouldn’t be much help in a place where the light source could barely come through. And just as she made the first step forward, she immediately tripped over the rubble that lay in her way, landing face-first on the floor. The alicorn got to her side and helped her get back up.
She finally lit her horn up, creating a more permanent light source. “This should work better. Stick together, both of you.”
The three mares slowly made their way down the hallway, and as they did, it noticeably kept going darker, especially since they began to descend the stairs. At this point, even Twilight slowed the pace with which they started. It seemed like it would take a long time, because despite walking for several minutes, even after getting to the bottom and finding themselves in another corridor, it didn’t seem to end. Suddenly, the princess stopped dead in her tracks, halting her companions with her wings.
“Twilight, what is it?” the blue pegasus asked.
“Shhhh,” she tried to keep her silent. “Listen.”
They all remained quiet for a few moments, intently listening. There was nothing. And just when the pegasus tried to question, she did hear something. It was really low and weak. She couldn’t quite make it out what it was saying, but it sounded like a voice.
Twilight motioned to move forward, and as they did they kept listening to the sound. It happened again. And every time they moved, the sound kept growing louder, and more pronounced.
It could finally be heard. “Noooooo…”
Little by little the group quickened their step, and little by little, it became clear that the voice was a cry of terror.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
The Princess of Friendship stopped again after that. “That voice… IT’S TEMPEST!”
Without waiting even a moment longer, she dashed down the corridor, and the other two mares had to speed up so they wouldn’t get lost in the dark. Soon, the light appeared in the cracks of the door in front of them, and they immediately got bashed open.
A wide room opened before them and the light source seemed to have been the candle holders on the wall that somebody conveniently lit up. Broken down pieces of wood were lying about, roughly resembling furniture, with bits of some really old hay lying about. From the looks of it, this was the servant’s quarters.
However, the source of the noise was present in the middle of it, as a scarred, broken, purple unicorn was levitating several hooves off the ground, panting frantically, and after a few moments, the cry followed again. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
“Tempest!” Twilight cried in panic, seeing her suffer, and charged at her.
She would quickly fall as the wonderbolt lept on top of her, slowing her down. “Twilight, wait! You don’t know what you’re doing!”
“But we got to help her! Tempest is-!”
“Trapped in a nightmare, same as you,” Zecora intervened, slowly walking in front of her, “which is why you must know what you’re getting yourself into.” She raised her hoof, slowly continuing to move in the direction of the prisoner of the dream until she finally hit it. The alicorn saw it; the zebra's touch disturbed previously the invisible dark torrent of shadows that served as the prison’s bars. “Beyond this point lurks her innermost darkest domain. Unless we assist her, trapped she’ll remain.”
“It’s just like what happened with you, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash further elaborated. “We need to convince Tempest that what she sees isn’t real, so she can break herself out.”
The princess took in a deep breath and exhaled. “Okay, let's do this properly… just get off me, please?”
The pegasus jumped off her and followed to where the zebra was waiting.
After the latter readjusted herself to the alicorn’s other side, each of the two mares put their hooves on her side, awaiting her command. “Ready?” she asked.
Both the shaman and the wonderbolt nodded in response, and all three stepped through the veil of nightmare.
The sound of droplets falling from the ceiling could be heard all around them. A dark, damp cave surrounded them, they could barely see in front. The silence would soon be disturbed, however. They could hear the light sound of hooves coming in the distance, fast approaching, yet the loudness wasn’t raised but was instead accompanied by loud panting. Out of the darkness, the main perpetrator appeared; it was a little purple filly unicorn with a short pink mane, charging in their direction.
“Was… was that Tempest?” Rainbow Dash asked, confused, as the little girl didn’t stop, and instead just ran past the group. “Why does she look like a little kid?”
It didn’t take long for the Princess of Friendship to search her memory to guess what was going on, but she would be unable to voice her explanation… because it made itself become known all by itself. A loud growl echoed. Heavy stomps were fast approaching from the direction the filly just came in, garnering the group's attention. From the darkness they could see dancing lights, one much bigger than the others, they kept growing brighter with every passing moment. And then… a pair of red eyes appeared underneath the brightest light. Soon, the form completely stepped out of the darkness, for it to be on full display: a great blue-furred body stood before them, vaguely transparent, dim stars covering most of it, except for several brightest ones at the back of its tail, and a single big star on its forehead.
“URSA!” the wonderbolt yelled in panic and quickly pushed her two friends to the side to avoid it, as it charged in their direction, then running past them.
When it quieted down, the zebra finally made a complaint. “Rainbow Dash, this wasn’t necessary. Remember, what you see around is all imaginary.”
She scrambled off both of them, before blushing in embarrassment. “Sorry.”
“We need to hurry and catch up to her, before the Ursa Minor does the-“ Twilight urged them, however, before she could even finish, she heard a roar coming down the tunnel behind them.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” the filly’s cry followed, then a snapping sound, and after that everything went quiet.
The mares looked at each other, all of them terrified. What they just heard… was unsettling, and now there was nothing but dead silence. They did not anticipate what came next, however. They heard the light sound of hooves coming in the distance, from the same direction they did earlier, fast approaching. The little filly appeared again, running as fast as she could, past the group. They were confused; didn't she go that way a few moments ago? Why was she coming from the same direction again? And of course, the pursuer would soon follow, as the Ursa Minor came charging after her.
Without waiting a while longer, the princess jumped back on her feet. “Come on, we need to help her!” And she rushed in their direction.
The pegasus and the zebra got up as well and followed. They ran down the tunnel and turned a corner, only to behold the scene on display. The little unicorn was pressed against a dead-end, and the giant constellar omnivore was bearing down on her; there was no way for her to escape. It then raised one of its arms, displaying grisly claws. Twilight, seeing what was about to happen, immediately shot a blast from her horn at the Ursa, only for it to end up passing right through it. The action went completely unnoticed, and the beast brought its claw down.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” the filly cried out in terror.
A snapping sound followed, and soon after, a pink flash blinded everybody. When the light finally dissipated, the mares could finally see again, yet the little filly and the bear were both gone. The trio approached the scene closer and checked the surroundings. There was simply no trail left.
“Is this the storm-mare’s greatest fright? The source of all her trauma which gnaws like a blight?” Zecora inquired.
“Yes,” the alicorn solemnly answered, “this is the one moment in Tempest’s history that defined her as a person. All of the life choices she’s made, especially her working for the Storm King in the first place, came from this moment. And it seems that even after all this time… even after all she’s done to try and move on with her life, this moment still haunts her.”
“Ye, but where is she?” Rainbow Dash questioned. “Both her and the Ursa Minor were here a moment ago. They couldn’t have just sunk into the ground.”
Twilight thought for a moment. “No… but they both ran past us twice in a row. My guess is that this nightmare is in a constant replay.”
“Replay? You mean like a rewind button?”
“You could put it like that,” she elaborated further. “It’s possible that she’s experiencing the event happening in real-time, but she’s unaware that she’s in a loop.”
“Then the only way for us the break the loop is to interfere!” the wonderbolt answered.
“But I just shot the Ursa Minor and it went straight through it.”
“Not the illusion, Twilight, we need to get Tempest to snap out of it,” the blue pegasus urged, when a roar soon echoed in the distance further down the tunnel, proving Twilight’s theory true. “And I think now’s the right time!”
She ran. Little Fizzlepop Berrytwist ran as fast as her hooves could take her. Desperation pushed her. But in the back of her mind, she dreaded that she wouldn’t be able to get away. She could hear it, right on her tail, with low growls, and heavy stomping, fast approaching. The Ursa. It will get her. It will catch up to her and maul her. And she had no power to defend herself. She knew that. She couldn’t do anything, she was just so small and weak. And just when she turned the corner, the filly felt the ground under her hooves disappear. She was levitating, with no explanation as to why. And to make matters worse, she could hear the bear approaching ever closer. She flailed about desperately, but it did not help, she couldn’t move an inch.
Ursa Minor charged through the cave. It already knew where his prey was going, it was already predetermined. Nothing would stop him. He turned the corner, predicting that the little pony would be trapped in a dead-end, only to find… nothing. His quarry was not where it’s supposed to end up. As he was looking about, he didn’t notice that a group of figures enveloped in pink aura descended from the ceiling behind him… that is until his attention was drawn by the tapping sound, echoing all around as they tried to sneak away. The Ursa Minor turned and spotted his prey, letting out a roar.
“Curse these darn horseshoes!” Rainbow Dash swore.
Twilight quickly picked up the little filly again and dashed through the tunnel. The bear didn’t waste any time and ran after them, the zebra and the pegasus didn’t even have time to make the considerable distance to escape him, but the beast simply ran through them, as if he was made of vapor. The two mares looked at each other for a moment, then ran after him.
“We need to hurry!” wonderbolt urged. “Twilight’s not a fast enough runner to outpace the Ursa Minor, and if it catches up to them, Tempest’s toast!”
“I can disrupt the illusion and lessen its speed,” Zecora answered, “but with only my hind legs I’m hard-pressed to succeed!”
Rainbow Dash thought for a moment. “I got an idea! Ditch the packs, quick!”
The Princess of Friendship, well ahead of everybody else, kept running, but she could already hear the bear’s sound behind her.
In the heated moment, the little unicorn finally managed to become aware of what was going on around her. “Twilight? What are you doing here?!”
“We’re saving you, Tempest!” she answered, before stopping herself from saying what she originally wanted. “Awww, you’ve got the cutest little voice.”
She blushed in embarrassment from somebody saying that about her, but it would soon disappear and be replaced by panic once again, as she heard a loud roar behind them. “Twilight, you can’t be here! He’s gonna get both of us!”
The alicorn finally got herself back on track. “Tempest, he can’t get us! This whole place, it’s all a nightmare in which you’re trapped!”
“Nightmare?! I’m not dreaming all of this, Twilight!”
“Yes, you are, Tempest! And you’re the only one who can-!”
She tripped. Somehow Twilight managed to bump her hoof against a rock, then flew a few hooves and dropped to the ground, sliding for a bit. She was confused. How could this have happened? This whole place was an illusion. Unfortunately for both of them, this slowed moment was enough for the Ursa Minor to finally come in sight. She quickly scrambled to get back up and gain the lost speed, while grabbing the filly, but it was clear that they wouldn’t be able to get away in time. However, there was a galloping sound far in the back, quickly catching up. Rainbow Dash moved at a high speed, but she wasn’t alone. Zecora sat on her back, holding her staff in her hooves. And when they finally caught up to the charging beast, the shaman made a single swing at the star-bear, passing through him and distorting his image, stopping him… for a moment, before it became normal again and resumed with its speed.
“Keep swinging that stick of yours, Zecora!” the pegasus yelled.
She could only do one thing, and she proceeded. A swing with her staff at every turn possible was enough to cripple the beast’s speed, but even then, it slowly moved after its prey. Twilight took this chance to run off with Tempest before the beast caught up to them. She made a turn, hoping to get some reprieve, only for her to stop dead in her tracks. It was a dead-end! It seemed like, regardless of which way they went, both sides would cease.
Seeing that the Ursa Minor was still not close, she put the filly on the ground. “Tempest, listen carefully. This whole place around us is your nightmare coming to life. You’re the only one who has the willpower to break through it.”
“How? How am I supposed to break out?” she questioned. “And this can’t be a dream. It’s all real.”
“Nonsense,” the alicorn said, picking up the little unicorn. “If this wasn’t a dream, do you think I could do this?”
She charged straight into the wall, a decision she would soon regret, as she bashed against it, and then fell to the ground.
“What the hay was that?” the filly asked, confused.
“I…” she tried to speak while she was writhing in blunt pain, “I wanted to go through the wall… it’s how we got in but…”
“See?!” the filly yelled. “How can this be a dream when this whole place is solid?!”
A loud, disturbing roar echoed around the corner, and soon, the large blue shape adorned with stars appeared. The zebra was still swinging about with her staff to distort the vision, but it was clear that she was getting tired.
“That’s it, it’s over!” the little unicorn huddled against the wall. “Any moment now that thing’s gonna get here and take everything from me! I’m gonna be left all alone again!”
There was an undeniable horror in Tempest’s voice, Twilight could tell. They were running out of time. Things didn’t go the way she had hoped, some didn’t even make sense. What could she possibly do or say at this point that would get her to see the truth?
“This won’t hold for long,” the zebra called, “you must make her see she’s wrong!”
The Princess of Friendship heeded her words. She managed to get back on her feet and get over to the shivering little unicorn, picking her up in her hooves.
“Tempest, listen to me, and believe me when I say, this is a nightmare. Zecora’s doing her best to slow down the Ursa Minor, but the only way you can get out of here is if you free yourself.”
“But…” she spoke with teary eyes, “I’m just a helpless weak little unicorn…”
“You’re neither weak nor little, let alone helpless!” Twilight loudly stated. “You’re not just a unicorn named Fizzlepop Berrytwist! You’re Tempest Shadow! You’re strong, tall, and one of the most capable ponies I’ve ever met! But most importantly… you’re not alone. The fact that we’re here, doesn’t that mean something?”
The words lingered. Not long after the princess finished that sentence, however, Zecora made one last swing at the imagery of the star-bear, before the staff finally slipped from her hooves. He charged, and this time there was nothing to deter it anymore. It got in range of her prey, stood up on his hind legs, and raised his giant claws. In one last-ditch effort to protect her, Twilight stepped before the filly, just as the limb was brought down on her.
ZAP!
A bolt of lightning shot out and destroyed Ursa Minor’s claw, shattering it into stars. He didn’t even react, he just stood there, confused, unsure what had just happened. And then he spotted her. The little unicorn filly had crawled between the legs of the purple mare and now stood defiantly against him, her horn flickering.
“Get. Away,” she spoke in a cold tone.
He remained motionless, then once again roared, raising his other claw, but before he even had a chance to bring it down, her loud voice echoed through the tunnel. “I said, get… AWAY!!!”
A stream of lightning shot out from the unicorn, cutting straight through the beast, and puncturing a hole in the ceiling of the cave, penetrating the darkness, causing it to collapse on itself. The invisible veil that surrounded them shattered, and just before it completely disappeared, it turned into a shadowy horned equine, which roared loudly, and then disappeared.
It finally settled down, allowing Twilight’s sight to readjust. Her two companions were laying on the ground on the other side of the room, but the victim was saved. Tempest Shadow was wide awake, standing tall, staring in the distance, taking in slow breaths, as she’s just woken up for a nightmare.
She finally looked at the princess. “Where are we?”
“Are you serious?” the broken unicorn asked, as she and the rest of the group wandered back into the throne room, while on the way, the alicorn explained to her what had happened in the meantime.
“I am, Tempest,” the princess confirmed. “I couldn’t have believed it myself at first, but the evidence is overwhelming.”
“And this… Sombra-thing brought us here? But to what point? If his goal was to keep all of us trapped in a nightmare, wouldn’t it matter if we were all just stuck in the same place?”
“He wanted to isolate us. He didn’t dare risk it like he did last time when we managed to free ourselves after he put us under his power, so who knows where everypony else is.”
“So where do we go from here?” Tempest asked.
“Well there’s only one door here that we haven’t tried yet,” the alicorn told her, as they stopped in front of it.
They had no idea what they were in for next, but Twilight, nonetheless, moved to open them. However…
“Shhhhh,” Rainbow Dash tried to silence everybody. “You hear that?”
Everybody quieted down and listened. It sounded as if the wind was blowing through the damaged building, creating a wailing sound. They knew something was off, though. They were underground, behind closed doors; there was no possibility that wind could be blowing in a place like this. But the question remained: where was this sound coming from? It certainly wasn’t in the room, it was coming from somewhere outside. They ran out onto the courtyard and the wailing noise became louder. They looked about and couldn’t quite tell from where it was coming.
“Up there,” Tempest said.
The other mares turned in her direction. She was looking upwards, and that’s when they saw the tallest tower of the castle. The wailing was coming from the very top of it. Without waiting, they ran back inside, through the corridors, until they finally arrived at a spiral staircase. This was it.
“What’s the probability that this place is haunted?” the wonderbolt asked.
The Princess of Friendship gave her a confused look. “Why would you even think that?”
“Well… it’s just that earlier-“ the pegasus tried to elaborate, only to be interrupted.
“Pffff,” the noise came from the broken unicorn, “if you’re afraid of ghosts, you’re free to stay. I’m not.”
She began to climb the stairs, and the rest followed. It took a while, as the loop seemed to have no end. Yet there was an indication that they were making progress; as they kept advancing the wailing kept growing louder… it almost sounded as if somebody was moaning. But they would soon get their answers when they finally reached the door to the top of the tower. With a single buck, Tempest busted them open and charged in, battle-ready, only to stop and looked into the distance, confused. The rest of the group followed and became overcome with worry. The source of all that wailing, the moaning sobs, they belonged to the elegant fashionista, her make-up completely smudged, levitating off the ground in a middle of a broken-down royal room.
“Rarity!” Twilight called.
“Is… this what I looked like when you found me?” the broken unicorn questioned.
“Compared to this?” Rainbow dash turned to her. “Nope, not this badly.”
The former lieutenant decided to march on first, only to be called out by the princess. “Tempest, wait!”
She didn’t make two steps when her hoof disturbed the shadowy veil and then backed up in surprise. “Is that the “invisible zone” you were talking about earlier?”
“Yes,” Twilight answered, “but it wasn’t THIS BIG.”
“You know, now that you mention it, Twilight, Tempest’s zone was kinda bigger than your own when we found you,” the wonderbolt interjected.
Uncertainty burdened her, so the princess turned to the shaman. “Zecora, what do you think?”
The zebra rubbed her chin. “I cannot see the answer far ahead, but I surmise the controller's power is widespread. When one is freed, the others under the spell must still their master heed.”
“Wait… are you saying that there's a possibility that Sombra’s strength over Rarity might have gotten stronger because I and Tempest were freed?"
“It's my best guess in light of this mess.”
This was a cause for concern. There was no telling what would happen now, but they didn’t really have a choice in the matter. Their friend still needed rescuing and all she could hope was that their increased numbers would help the outcome.
Twilight inhaled and exhaled. “Everypony, stick close.” And as per her order, the broken unicorn, pressed against her, and the wonderbolt and the shaman followed suit. “That’s not what I meant… but whatever. All together now.”
And together they marched on, and through the veil.
They found themselves inside a house. It was alien to Tempest, but the other three mares recognized it. It was Carousel Boutique - Rarity’s home and workplace, and it wouldn’t take long to understand what was giving the fashionista the grief when a familiar voice spoke.
“Yeesh! No thanks, Rarity!”
Twilight’s gaze almost immediately turned. That was HER voice. She spotted her own duplicate, dismissing Rarity, as she was offering her a fancy saddlebag, running out the front door.
“But… but Twilight, I made it just for you…” the fashionista said as she ran after her.
A shriek followed and the four mares quickly followed outside. They were out on the street of Ponyville and a crowd had gathered around the princess. Next to her stood a cross-eyed alpaca, wearing clothes with very bad color coordination, which also reflected the gift that she bestowed upon the mirage of Twilight: a saddlebag, sewed together from various fabrics, each in colors that clashed terribly, with big glittery letters embedded on it, saying “Purinses Twilite”.
“Oh my gosh, Mayribell, it’s absolutely gorgeous!” the mirage of the princess said in a delighted tone. “Your generosity can be matched by none.”
Soon, other familiar faces popped out of the crowd, getting to her side and praising the creator.
“Well shimmy muh apple trees, Mayri, Ah don’ think I’ve seen anything the like of it!” Applejack praised her.
“I have to admit, it looks pretty,” Fluttershy joined in.
“Okay, no contest: that’s like, the coolest thing ever!” Rainbow Dash said.
“You’re the bestest, most generous gift-giver, EVER!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.
The broken unicorn just stood there, unsure how to even react to the awkward situation, but she could clearly see what her two companions thought: they were cringing, either because of the product that was being shown, or their copies giving it praise. That was nothing compared to what Rarity must’ve been going through, as she stood out of the crowd, motionless and speechless.
“But… she didn’t even spell your name right…” she finally voiced her thoughts.
Suddenly, everything started to turn surreal, as the world began to turn dark and twisted as if reality was bending. Gazes of all the mirages suddenly turned to the fashionista.
Soon, one after another, the images of her friends too began to turn the same way. “What would a two-bit tailor know about creativity?! We don’t need anything from you, Rarity! We ain’t ever will! Exactly!”
“No… please don’t…” Rarity begged as their voices began bearing down on her, their shapes turning into shades. “Please, don’t abandon me! Don’t forget me! PLEASE!” She collapsed, covering her face, and began to sob loudly, and with it, more and more darkness emerged.
“Ooookay, I think it’s time to throw the proverbial wrench into this,” Tempest commented.
“No arguments here!” both Rainbow Dash and Twilight said almost simultaneously, giving each other a quick glance of surprise before the latter made a call to action. “Zecora! Take care of the images so we can deal with this!”
The shaman didn’t waste words. She clenched her staff between her teeth and ran at the mirages, cutting straight through them, causing the disruption in the nightmare. Soon she swung her staff in Rarity’s direction to dispel the shadow that was rising out of her… only for it to bounce back. The zebra flinched. Did that just happen? She swung her staff at the shadowy mass again and again, and each time it bounced back.
“What the…” Twilight herself was visibly confused as well. “Zecora, what’s going on? These images shouldn’t have a solid physical form.”
The shaman would not be able to answer after what happened next. She swung her staff once more and this time, the darkness coiled around and gripped it. Suddenly, a pair of giant eyes opened from the darkness, emitting a diamond-like radiant glow.
“How uncouth…” the silky echoing voice came from the shadow.
Both the princess and the wonderbolt backtracked. That voice just now; it sounded as if it was the fashionista’s, but distorted, sinister even. The shadow twisted the staff that the zebra was holding, and spun it, sending her flying a considerable distance away. It then turned its attention to the host from which it was rising. Tendrils sprouted from the shadow, reaching for the fashionista, wrapping around her, lifting her off the ground, dragging her slowly into its depths, not even trying to fight back in a moment of despair.
“RARITY!” the Princess of Friendship called out to her.
The voice reached her, and she finally raised her head, noticing her at last. “Twilight…? Twilight, please I don’t want-!”
Her voice was drowned out, as the shadow completely took her in. After the deed was done, it began to twist, taking on a new shape, resembling a tall equine, long strands of flowing hair extended from its head and tail, clusters of stars lighting upon them, along with several white streaks, the tri-diamond cutie mark with flashes appearing on its flank. The shadow’s new form finally solidified, and the pair of radiant diamond eyes once again opened.
“Ahhh… better. So much better…” the shadow equine spoke, elegantly flicking her starry mane, before setting her gaze on the other three mares. “Well now, look who decided to enter my domain.”
“Who are you?” Twilight asked, with Rainbow Dash immediately jumping in. “And what have you done with Rarity?”
The shadow equine giggled. “Isn’t it obvious, darlings? I am Rarity, or rather, the TRUE Rarity, one that resided in the darkest corners of her mind.”
“What the hay are you talking about?” the wonderbolt protested. “You’re seriously trying to convince us that she of all ponies would have such a problem?”
“Then you don’t know your friend as well as you think, Dash darling. The other me… she was so tormented by her worst fear that I finally managed to surface, in this of all places, where the reality bends to my will.” The shadow equine’s horn lit up in a blinding light, and in a matter of moments, she wore silver royal horseshoes, chest crest bearing her cutie mark, and a helmet with an opening to allow her mane to flow out. “Remarkable, isn’t it? Without any effort, I can conjure whatever I desire in this place. And best of all… I can make others look as glamorous as me.”
“Rarity… if it really is you, please listen,” Twilight urged her. “You can still be generous and nobody will take you for granted. You just-“
“No, Twilight sweetie,” the dark mare interrupted her, “I’ve set my sights on something greater. Why bother trying to be generous to somepony and risk having them refuse me… when I can just MAKE THEM accept me?” Her horn began to glow again. This time the world around them began to tremble. Suddenly, giant crystal spires began to rise all over the surrounding area, creating a giant crystal metropolis. The princess, the wornderbolt, and the shaman desperately tried to dodge it all, while the former lieutenant just stood in place, defiant. “Instead of a Princess of Friendship, Equestria will have a Queen! Dark and beautiful, radiant as scorching sun, more terrifying than the blackest night! The most glamorous creature in the world! And all shall love me and despa-!”
ZAP!
A giant bolt of lightning suddenly flew towards the dark mare, hitting her and sending her flying into one of the crystal formations behind her. The two Elements looked in shock, their sight turning to the broken unicorn, whose horn stump was still flickering.
“Seriously, why do they always go into some self-righteous monologue, and leave themselves open to an attack?” she said with a frown.
“Tempest, what were you thinking?!” Twilight scolded her. “We need to convince her to free herself from the nightmare, not pummel her senseless!”
“Sorry to disappoint you, princess, but I fear that at this point, whatever grandiose speech you had ready, would’ve fallen on deaf ears.” And just then, the sound of breaking rocks came, as their opponent re-emerged.
As the dust settled, and the form of the black mare revealed itself again, Twilight noticed something. There was a gap in the chest of the shadowy being, and sticking out of it was a bright face belonging to her friend.
She seemed to have regained consciousness, trying to cry out, before the shadow surrounding her silenced her again. “Twilight! Twil-!”
“Ugh,” the dark mare groaned and her body fully mended. “That was incredibly rude of you, Tempest Shadow. Do you want to test your power against me? FINE!” With a roar, her body was illuminated. “Feel the wrath of your queen… GLAMOROUS DARK!”
The unicorn gave the alicorn a quick glance. “See what I mean?”
Tremors began as the living nightmare charged at her attacker. The unicorn once again shot lightning at her, but this time she was prepared, summoning a barrier that fragmented her attack. With the proximity she was at, Tempest decided to move to evasive tactic, dodging the charge, and hiding behind one of the crystal clusters. It would not take long before the charge came her way again, and managed to dodge again just before the nightmare pony shattered it. Tempest kept dodging her attacks and tried to flank her, but she was simply too agile.
While this was happening, Rainbow Dash peeked from behind one of the risen crystals to observe the situation, before slinking back to where the other two mares were. “This ain’t good, Twilight! There’s no way Tempest can fight that… thing on her own, we need to help her!”
“I must concur,” the Zebra agreed, “this rampage must no longer stir, but…” She glanced at the Princess of Friendship. “To which path now do we recur?”
Twilight was quiet, thought buzzing through her head, as she knew what she saw. “Rarity… she’s trapped inside that nightmare that manifested itself from her own fear. She wants to break free, but she’s not strong enough on her own.” She turned to the shaman. “I need to reach her, but I can’t while she’s inside that mobile darkness that has a mind of its own.”
“Well, Tempest’s attack earlier managed to get her out for a moment, but that’s unlikely to happen now that she’s got her defenses up,” the wonderbolt pointed out. “We need to find an alternative.”
The alicorn went into thought once more, trying to find how to make it work. The pegasus told her that only one attack worked so far against the manifested nightmare, and even that was when she was distracted. But now that she has her defenses up, she… And that’s when she finally figured it.
“I may have a plan… but I need Tempest to hear it as well.”
And as if on cue, the former lieutenant lept behind the crystal where they were hiding, landing right on top of them all. “Ladies, this isn’t the place to lounge about! Any moment she’s gonna-!”
Just then, the sound of heavy horseshoes could be heard coming their way, and Twilight at the last moment teleported everybody away as Glamorous Dark broke through their hiding spot. They teleported behind one of the other crystal formations, but she knew it’s only a matter of time before they’re discovered.
“Everypony okay?” she asked.
“Peachy,” Tempest said as she crawled off them.
Rainbow Dash managed to get back up and peeked from the cover. “If you’ve got a plan, you better tell it quick, Twilight. Rarity’s nightmare is bound to get the second wind soon.”