//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: The Equestrian Nightmare // Story: Death Cometh // by Dracthul //------------------------------// Sorin locked the door to his room, making sure no one was around. He conjured up a link to The Citadel, an image of Vultrax appearing before him. “What is it, master?” “With the power of the windigos and changelings combined, I now have the strength needed to assault the dreamworld. When I gain a strong enough foothold, I will summon you into the realm with me. If all goes well, I will be able to infest the real world, turning it into a manifestation of my will.” “I will be awaiting the call, master.” Sorin magicked the image away as he waved his hoof. He looked outside his window, seeing the moon in the sky. The time had finally come. He laid down in his bed, tucking himself in. He let his body drift off as he poured himself into the dreamworld, directing himself to a certain princess. The doors to the throne room burst open, six mares charging in. They were the six Elements, their intent to destroy Nightmare Moon. The Elements of Harmony were on their necks, and scowls were on their faces. They spotted their target atop her throne. “Nightmare Moon!” Twilight shouted. “We are here to end the tyranny you have put onto Equestria!” The Mare of Nightmares laughed in her wicked and sharp voice. “End? Me?” She laughed again. “I am Nightmare Moon; I cannot be defeated. Celestia fell before me, and now so will you!” She leaped from the throne, falling towards the Elements. She felt her body tense up, causing her to crash onto the ground. She screamed as she felt something coming out of her. A black liquid pooled in front of her, jumping at the Elements. It crawled over each of them, seeping into their minds before rushing to a window in the room. Their eyes lit up, turning black as night. “Wait! What is it doing?” Nightmare Moon shouted. She got to her hooves, trying to chase after it. She shot at it with her horn, but it crawled through a window, disappearing from the dream. “No! It’s gone!” Luna awoke panting, sweat running down her entire body. “What? My dream ended… differently?” The memory of the mysterious black creature came into her head, making her eyes widen in panic. “That thing escaped…” Yogg-Saron’s minuscule form weaved its way through the dream web, grabbing hold of the six dreams he could taint. He flooded his conscience into each of them, beginning to feed off the corruption he spread within them from the comfort of the shadows. After having received a letter detailing a black smoke monster that plagued each of the Element’s dreams, Luna instantly teleported to Ponyville. It took only a few ponies to direct her to them, and she burst into the Carousel Boutique. “Which of you saw the creature of black smoke in your nightmare?” she demanded. “Wow. That was fast,” Fluttershy pointed out. “We all did,” Twilight answered. “Not me!” Spike said with a grin. Groaning, his friends said, “We know!” “So you’ve encountered the smoke monster too?” Twilight asked. Luna nodded. “That thing is a creature of my nightmares. It escaped from my slumbers yesterday.” “But how did it get into ours?” Fluttershy asked in her mellow voice. “I think it is like a parasite from how it used my dreams to get stronger, but my dreams must no longer be enough for it. Now it seeks others to infect and corrupt. It must have learned of you six from seeing you in my dream.” “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Spike interrupted, walking over to her. “So what you’re saying is you dreamt about all of them, and not me?” A frown worked its way onto his face. “Uh, so Smokey gave us bad dreams,” Rainbow Dash dismissed. “No biggie.” Luna shook her head. “I saw that it had grown more powerful in my dream last night, but I did not realize that power was enough to enable it to escape my dreams. If its power grows, it could very well find a way to escape into the real world. It could turn all of Equestria into a living nightmare!” She had no idea how right she was. “Okay, okay, okay, I take it back! That does sound bad. Really bad!” “If I am to stop it, we must get started right away.” The Elements nodded in agreement. “We’ve prepared everything exactly as you requested.” “Good. As you six slumber here, I will pursue the creature into whichever of your dreams it infests,” Luna said. “Ooh! It’ll be like a princess sleepover!” Pinkie Pie squealed, plopping into one of the beds. “Speaking of princesses, aren’t you gonna ask Celestia for her help as well?” Twilight asked. “There is nothing my sister can do. She has no power in the realm of sleep. Only I can move from dream to dream. I am afraid nopony can help me tonight.” In her ignorance, Luna decided to leave her sister out of it. “Even us?” “Especially you,” she replied. “You have all suffered so much because of me. You need only slumber while I hunt the creature in your dreams.” Feeling her hair get tugged, she looked down to see Spike holding a bunch of her mane. “I know you said nopony can help, but I’m no pony. I’m gonna stay up and watch over you guys just in case.” “Aw, thank you, Spike,” Twilight said after seeing him sit down on a bed with his eyes wide open. “One good thing about not sleepin’ well last night: shouldn’t be too hard to fall asleep now,” Applejack said while rolling into the blankets. “Are you kidding?” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, appearing right next to Applejack. “This is so exciting, I don’t know how I’m ever going to—” Her head fell back, and she started snoring. Everypony did the same, falling asleep within seconds due to how tired they were. Luna flew into the air, forming a white ball around herself as she concentrated. The spirals of her horn turned white, and six tethers came from it, connecting to the heads of the six Elements. She sent her conscience into Rarity. “Oh, my!” Rarity said in her dream. She was in a strangely shaped room with a dozen windows placed randomly around. Flying pink dresses were moving around above her, each of them perfect in their design. Never had she seen such a quality of apparel. “This is simply divine. How avant-garde!” Unnoticed, Yogg-Saron moved around the room, flying through one of the dresses and causing it to grow a crude mouth and two snake-like strips of cloth. The creature charged at her with a harrowing screech. “Forget avant-garde; I should have said en garde!” She blasted the outfit with her horn, but another raced towards her. She managed to shoot that one as well, causing it to drop to the floor smoking. The dress inflated like a balloon and then popped, revealing Princess Luna in all her stoic glory. “It is here,” she announced, feeling the wicked presence in the dream. Nice of you to join us, Luna, Yogg-Saron thought as he flew through three more dresses, turning them into beasts. They leaped onto another dress, ripping it to shreds with their claws. Rarity looked on in horror as the remains of the fashion piece floated down to her. She picked up one of the strips, staring at it. “It was such a pretty little chiffon.” She collapsed to the floor, crying into the cloth in her hooves. “What kind of monster would do this?!” “The evil kind,” Luna firmly answered. “Then let’s stop it!” “No, please!” Luna pleaded, putting out a wing to stop Rarity. “I don’t want you to suffer anymore because of me.” Yogg-Saron went over to Luna, hovering above her and feeding off of her guilt. She batted him away with her wings, and he raced towards the dresses in the room. “I will catch it.” She shot towards him, but he already had a wall of creatures in the way. She fired lightning at one, frying it to dust, and hit another before it could attack her. She flipped around, ending the last one in her way, but it was already too late. Yogg-Saron went through a window, forming bricks behind him to slow her down. He pushed through the boundaries of Rarity’s mind, exiting it and jumping dreams. “It has jumped into another dream. I am sorry, but if I am to stop it, I must follow it where you cannot.” “Go,” Rarity told the princess. Luna blasted through the bricks, flying through the window in chase of Yogg-Saron. “I should be able to handle things here.” Looking around, Rarity saw a small army of bestial dresses ready to pounce upon her. She gulped. “I hope…” Pinkie Pie was trotting through a green forest, singing as she did. There were flowers around her, and she was at peace. She sprung into the air, causing the world around her to warp away. As she came back onto the ground, she was in a small cave. She jumped again, laughing. This time, she appeared in a large crater. There was a dragon right in front of her, but she was not worried. A spring later, and she was standing in Cloudsdale. Princess Luna appeared as well, looking around at the floating city. “I followed the creature here. Now I need only find—” She was cut off as Pinkie Pie jumped again, appearing in front of an ancient temple. “Sorry, can’t help it.” She did another jump, causing the scenery to shift again. “An idea pops into my head, and—” She stopped, realizing she was in a bakery with a giant frosted cake in front of her. “Ooh, cake!” she squeed after seeing the multitudes of cakes in the room. There were party streamers and balloons everywhere, making her feel at home. Yogg-Saron did not waste time in tainting her dream. Floating over to the cake in front of her, he let some of his blood sleep into it. It spat out a chunk of frosting onto Pinkie Pie, making her look at the cake in shock. Two eyes opened on each of the three layers, two arms growing at its sides. Three grotesque mouths snarled as it looked at the tasty mare. “Ew, cake!” she screamed while backing up, only now noticing the other corrupted confections all around the room. A cake flew towards her, but it exploded, Princess Luna coming out of it. Without a second thought, she threw up a shield around her and Pinkie Pie. As the monsters came closer, she pushed the barrier outward, purging the infection from the dream. After the flash, she looked around for the creature, seeing it crawl into a small box. She dove after it, but everything around her disappeared, causing her to slam into a statue instead. “No!” “Sorry,” Pinkie Pie apologized, realizing she had just jumped again. Yogg-Saron entered Fluttershy’s dream, looking around. He was back in Ponyville near her cottage, a place he knew well. Below him, her pet bunny, Angel, was brushing her hair. The only thing odd about the scene was that Angel was giant compared to her. “Mmm,” Fluttershy hummed, “it’s so nice to be the pet for once.” His dark form made its way over to the oversized bunny, reaching a tendril out to the animal. He stabbed the bunny, infecting it with his twisted energy. It grew long, sharp nails, blue horns, and a flaming tail as it transformed into something evil. Fluttershy paused as she felt a drop of saliva land on her mane. Looking up, she saw the titanic bunny who roared into her face. Cowering before it, she whimpered, “N-n-n-nice, giant, evil Angel…” She screamed as it tried to grab her with its claws, but Luna swept in, grabbing Fluttershy and flying her up to the top of the nearby tree. Growling, Yogg-Saron looked around for a way to jump to another dream. Finding his exit in a birdhouse opening, he squirmed his way through it. Luna formed a door above her, flying through it in pursuit. He appeared in the sky, instantly recognizing where he was. He was in Sweet Apple Acres, specifically the vast apple orchard there. Applejack was busy polishing a giant apple only a short distance away from him. Knowing Luna was right behind him, he went from tree to tree, making them rot away as he did, stealing their energy. Killing three more, he flew towards the giant apple, spoiling it as he passed through a hole in its core, Luna following closely behind. This time, he appeared in a totally different area: a large cave with jagged rock formations. There was a swarm of changelings charging towards Rainbow Dash, but she was beating them easily. She took down a large group with only a few punches and kicks, but more replaced them. The Lunar Princess appeared, blasting one of the changelings away. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he started transforming the cave into something that would make Rainbow Dash scream in anguish. Kicking the last changeling into oblivion, Rainbow Dash suddenly found herself in a large pasture. Horrified, she whipped around as she heard a voice singing. We are such happy flowers We will now sing for hours Aren’t we unbearably cute? Watch me solo on jazz flute As the melodic notes of the instrument filled her ears, she screamed. The cute sunflowers swaying from side to side only added to the torture of the scene. Yogg-Saron laughed as he zoomed past Luna, headed straight for the clouds, only getting stronger by tainting the dream. She quickly started to chase after him, but he hopped dreams first. He materialized out of the stone floor tiles of a massive library. There were bookshelves lined up everywhere that had to be at least a story tall. Books were floating around, some of them going towards the desk at the center of the aisle. He spotted Twilight sitting at the desk, reading peacefully. His essence went over to one of the bookshelves, turning the entire thing. Three books launched from the shelf with a flap of their bat wings, their fangs bared as they went for Twilight. She jumped from her seat in time to dodge one, and she narrowly avoided the other two. Getting off the desk, she started running down the aisle as fast as she could. As she looked back, she could see the books behind her gaining. Come closer to my trap. Coming around a bend, Yogg-Saron rushed towards Twilight. She tried to slow down, but he was already upon her. He put out his tendrils as he prepared to strike. Luna jumped in his way, firing a spell that would stop him. Before he could move out the way, crystal started to grow on his form, spreading across him. Inch by inch, it overtook him, entombing him in crystal chunks. She thought him to be trapped, but he was already tearing through his confines. She looked to Twilight, who was surrounded by a swarm of frenzied books, and was about to assist her when Yogg-Saron exploded from his prison, catching the princess off guard. He wrapped around her, covering her entire body in his blood. He pulled her magic away, causing her to convulse in his grip, expelling her from the dream and causing the Elements to wake up. He was about to be pushed out of the dreamworld since his link was gone, but he felt tethers all around him. He could feel that the tethers were the dreams of every pony in Ponyville. Cackling madly, he grabbed onto one of the threads, entering into a pony’s mind. He formed in a mirror on the wall, dropping out of the now shattered glass. He was in a foal’s bedroom. He could tell by the childish decorations all over the walls. Nearby was a set of stairs that he slowly crawled down. Peering through its spindles, he saw three ponies sitting at a dinner table. A happy-looking stallion was eating a hayburger, his wife and daughter eating alongside him. This was the old pony’s favorite dream. He could enjoy a wonderful meal with his beautiful family while having a pleasant conversation with them. It brought only joy to his heart. Yogg-Saron carefully moved down the steps and went over to one of the chairs. He climbed up the legs and went inside the body of the mare. Taking control of the host, he stopped eating. His head snapped to the stallion, drawing his attention. “What is it, honey?” The only response was his wife’s jaw falling from her face and into her food. He almost fell out of his chair in horror, dropping his utensils onto the floor. She stood up, her fur starting to fall off. She came closer to him, blood beginning to run out of her eyes. Petrified in fear, he watched as his wife picked up a knife and ran at him. His instincts kicked into action, making him pick up his own knife from the table and stab it into his wife’s chest. She fell to the floor with him on top of her. “Stop hurting mommy!” the foal yelled, trying to pry her father off her mother. He did not relent, pulling out the knife and stabbing it into his wife’s forehead. Now crying, his daughter collapsed to the floor. Her father went over to her and hugged her, holding her close as he tried to calm down. The adrenaline pumping through him started to wear off as he felt the soothing warmth of his child. Yogg-Saron stood up in his body, silently trotting towards the stallion. Black tentacles rose from his back, inching towards his victim. “Boo,” he whispered, causing the stallion to jump back in fear. The tentacles wrapped around his daughter, prying her from his grip. “No!” the stallion shouted, watching as the monster in front of him turned his daughter around so he could look at her face. The tentacles gripped onto each limb, stretching her out like a star. His eyes lit up as he realized what was happening. He stumbled to his hooves, desperately running towards his daughter. She screamed as the monster pulled hard, making a sick cracking sound. Just as he reached her, she ripped apart. Her arms snapped apart as her chest split open. Her head rolled back as her legs tore away from the rest of her body, her crimson blood splattering everywhere. The stallion caught the mutilated body of his daughter, utterly horrified. He stared in shock at the corpse in his hooves. From its chest, a black sludge jumped at him. It wrapped around his neck and lifted him into the air. His wife trotted beneath him, looking up at his choking form. Her tendrils wrapped around his entire body. Yogg-Saron started to consume the lifeforce of the stallion, making him grow stronger. The fear of the pony combined with the corruption of the dream made him surge with power. After he finished with this dream, he would go to the next and feed off of that one. “My feast begins,” the mare whispered, turning black and pulling her husband into her. The Elements all awoke with a hard gasp. Spike rushed over, asking if they were alright. Shaking, Fluttershy was the first to speak. “That, that was terrible. I-I never want to have that nightmare again.” Shivering, Rainbow Dash said, “Me either!” “But Luna caught it, didn’t she?” Spike asked, a little concerned. “I am so sorry, my friends.” She descended from the air, landing in the center of the room. “I failed. It will be back to infect your dreams the next time you sleep.” “Yeah. I reckon I could live without seeing that thing ever again.” “But you will,” she told Applejack. “Again and again—every night—until it grows powerful enough to infect the waking world.” She walked over to a window, too ashamed at the moment to look at anypony. “After what I did as Nightmare Moon, the fact that I am once again responsible for harming others is more than I can bear.” “It’ll be okay. Everypony makes mistakes!” Pinkie Pie said. “As long as none of you dreamt about another pony, it remains confined to your dreams. I still have a chance to catch it before it’s too late.” Pinkie Pie let out a breath. “Phew, that’s good to hear. Although after you left, I did happen to dream that I was eating a giant ice-cream cone with all of Ponyville while taking a test we hadn’t studied for. See, what’d I tell ya? Everypony makes mistakes!” Everypony in the room realized the gravity of what she had just said. “But that means it could be turning every dream in Ponyville into a nightmare!” Twilight exclaimed. “It is far worse than that,” Luna started. “Infecting all those dreams gives it more and more power. Soon it will be able to escape into the real world and infect Equestria with its nightmare plague.” “Then you must let us help you stop it before that happens!” Rarity announced. “But how?” Fluttershy asked. “That thing was able to escape Luna when it only had six dreams it could get to.” “It is true. With so many dreams to hide in, I do not know how I can catch it,” Luna grimly answered. “What if everypony in Ponyville were having one dream?” Twilight offered. “I can create shared dreams, yes, but for so many ponies at once?” The princess looked down. “I have never done anything like that. The amount of power it would take…” “Well, it is worth a try, isn’t it?” Fluttershy asked. “Of course. I will do anything to end this, including accept your help. I cannot allow that creature to escape into the real world. All of you must now go back to sleep and hope that I can create such a dream.” Everypony did as Luna said, quickly drifting off into sleep again. She went into the air again, her horn turning white along the ridges. Countless white threads extended from her horn, spreading all over the town and connecting with each pony and their mind. The Elements found themselves in the streets of Ponyville, all of their neighbors outside as well. Some were big and small, and some were in flying boats. All kinds of odd things only a dream could produce were happening in the town. Seeing all of Ponyville’s citizens, Twilight realized the plan worked. “Princess Luna did it!” “Ponies!” Luna shouted, getting everypony to come to her. She was in a glowing sphere, holding each thread of the collective dream together. “Princess Luna,” they all said together, bowing. “There is no time for bowing, my friends. There is something coming, something terrible! No, it is already here!” She pointed toward the edge of town, where a large black mass was rearing its head. Yogg-Saron rose over the streets, looking down upon the scared ponies. Inside, he was smiling at their terror. “I am so sorry! I brought this upon you!” Luna said, straining as she continued the flow of magic. “But I will end it now!” Her horn sparked as lightning formed at its tip before firing forward towards him. It struck part of his form, making him roar out as electricity burned through him. After only a few seconds, the stream fizzled away, and he darted away, chasing down the ponies. Twilight ran over to Luna. “Princess, what’s wrong?” Sweat was running down her face as she fought to keep the tethers linked. “It... is taking all my strength just to hold this massive dream together! You will have to stop it. I truly wish I did not have to ask this of you!” “Then you’re in luck.” “Yeah! We’re already on it!” Rainbow Dash said before shooting off to help, her friends doing the same. Realizing the princess was too weak to stop him, Yogg-Saron went on the prowl. He chased down a group of ponies, but they split up, somehow escaping him. He flew over to a house, going through it and spreading his plague at the same time. It grew wicked teeth and limbs, attacking nearby ponies. He flew towards another, passing through that one as well. The screams of his prey only bolstered him, making him strong enough to rip through the dream barrier and escape into the real world. He flew towards the edge of the town, forming a sword out of his body. He cut through the fabric of reality, starting to go through it when Twilight’s magic seared him. He recoiled, and Luna sealed the tear back up. Growling, he sped over Ponyville, hoping to get out of Twilight’s range. Rainbow Dash flew up to his side and kicked him, but he shifted himself into a ring, causing her to fly right between him. He made a smaller hole in his body, a magic bolt flying straight through him. With his enemies deterred, he flew upwards. He quickly reached the barrier, a sharp talon sticking out of his form. He shredded through it, a glowing gash appearing in front of him. He let his essence pour through it when he felt a sharp pain. A muscular-looking Spike riding atop a derpy pegasus used a lance to slice through him. He let out a feral roar, only for a pony flying on a trail of gold coins to blast him with gold. He reeled in pain, gouging another hole for him to go through. A small pony with giant wings flapped hard enough for the wind to force him away from the barrier. Rainbow Dash flew around him, forming a tornado beneath him. Trying to resist, he was sucked into the harsh winds of the twister, but it was not enough to hold him. With a mighty surge, he exploded from the tornado, rising into the air. Yogg-Saron channeled his power into one spell, the space around him bending as he wove it together. His dark voice carried through the dream and its destination in the real world. “Come, Vultrax, and put down this puny resistance!” Blue crackles formed around him as the entire realm shook. A crack in space formed in front of him, growing in size until it exploded in a fit of blue light. A high-pitched whinny echoed through Ponyville as Vultrax appeared, answering his master’s call. His ghostly body took shape as he descended to the ground. “Distract these mortals as I tear through this realm.” Yogg-Saron began his ascent. Vultrax nodded, looking at all the ponies around him. A few charged at him, not knowing of his power. As they reached him, he phased through them, reforming behind them. He slammed his hoof into the ground, Void energy backing his punch. The ground around him uprooted, sending the ponies flying. He took to the air, only to get blasted by magic. He scanned the area for his attacker, unable to find them. Filthy Rich flew towards the windigo from around a building, firing a stream of bits at him. They ripped through his body, sending blinding pain throughout his nerves. He whipped around, breathing frost onto the impudent pony. Instead, his attack only hit a wall of gold, rendering it useless. Filthy Rich flew upward, shooting down at Vultrax. The two fought, Yogg-Saron heading towards one of the tears he made. Before he could reach it, a swarm of books flew around him, battering his body. He swatted some away but even more took their place. He went to go around them, but a lasso pulled him down. He watched the tear get stitched back together. Vultrax finally landed a punch, sending Filthy Rich to the ground. Vultrax landed, lumbering towards the downed pony, about to strike him down, when he froze. Spike had driven his lance straight through the windigo’s malleable body. He went to his knees, pain coursing through him. Filthy Rich got back to his hooves, and Spile pulled his lance out of Vultrax. He collapsed onto the ground, his new blood trying to heal his wound. Looking up, he saw his master faring no better. Yogg-Saron roared as the evil Angel dug his teeth into him. He was then burned by more gold, his whole body being pushed down by the downbeat of giant pegasus wings. He kept lashing out at his enemies, but he could not hit them. He was losing. Such impudence! I will be your end! Luna looked from her bubble at the scene. The creature was held back now, but her control over the collective dream was slipping. The strain of holding it together was wearing away at her resolve, and she knew she was close to letting it unravel. “I cannot hold this dream together much longer!” Once that happened, the creature would be free to feed off all the other dreams in Ponyville, and she would not be able to stop it. “Equestria will fall because of me!” Yogg-Saron felt the sudden outburst of guilt radiating from Luna, and he drank in as much of it as he could. His form buckled, forcing the ponies around him back. They fell to the ground, and he swelled in size. Vultrax’s chest healed back up, and he got to his hooves. Yes… Spike managed to catch himself in the air, still riding his mount. He saw Yogg-Saron grow even larger. “Am I crazy, or did it just get even bigger after Luna said that?” Twilight shouted, “I think it’s feeding off your guilt, Princess Luna!” “If that is so, then perhaps that is how it grew strong enough to escape in the first place!” Luna said. “Say what now?” Applejack yelled from a rooftop. “I have been giving myself the same nightmare every night… to punish myself for the evil I caused as Nightmare Moon.” “But why would you do that?” Fluttershy questioned. Tears welled up in Luna’s eyes as she felt herself getting weaker. “To make sure I never forgave myself for how much Equestria suffered because of me.” She felt herself start to cry. “But it seems I have not learned my lesson, for now I have only made you suffer more!” Yogg-Saron neared the barrier, about to tear through reality one more time. Twilight went over to the princess’s bubble. “But that means you might just be the key to stopping all this!” “Yeah,” Rainbow Dash shouted from the air. “If it gets strong because you feel bad about what you did as Nightmare Moon, then you just gotta stop feeling bad for what you did!” “How can I forgive myself?” Luna cried. “I am no better now than I was then. I should have realized something was corrupting my dreams. Instead, I failed, just as I failed to stop myself from becoming Nightmare Moon! And now my failure is about to turn the world into a living nightmare!” Yogg-Saron stabbed his talons through the wall, pulling away the veil between the dreamworld and Equestria. His essence started to flow through it, his laughter cascading. Vultrax was by his side as well, fighting off the ponies still trying to stop him. “But look at what you’re doing!” Twilight pleaded. “Nightmare Moon would’ve wanted to turn Equestria into a nightmare. You’re doing everything you can to stop it! Don’t you see? That proves you’re not the same pony you were then. Everypony who knows you knows that Nightmare Moon is in the past. We all trust you, Luna. Do you trust us enough to believe we’re right?” The words sank in as she saw the creature about to escape. She did fail to stop herself from becoming Nightmare Moon, but now she was trying to stop herself from destroying Equestria. She did change. One last tear rolled down her cheek as she looked to the ponies she could call her true friends. She smiled. “I do.” Yogg-Saron let out an immense demonic roar that made everypony turn to him. His form contorted as he shrank down, his essence returning to the dreamworld. No! Pathetic ponies! Vultrax also felt his power drain, causing his chest to reopen. He fell from the sky, crashing into a house with a loud grunt. Yogg-Saron watched his power disappear as a few sparks. He let his rage loose as he fought to hold on to all that he could. His voice boomed out as he brought one more spell together. “If it is a dream you want, then let me show you…” The buildings melted away, all traces of Ponyville eradicated as he fought for dominion. Obelisks rose from the now barren ground as the realm quaked. Spikes shot out of the earth, stabbing through the ponies unfortunate enough to be in their way. The top of a pyramid erupted from the center of town, the rest of it rising out of the dirt. Everypony backed up as they saw the massive structure grow until its peak poked the very edge of the dream. There was a massive orb in the pyramid, and it ignited in blue light as the shaking stopped. An opening on each side of the pyramid formed, rows of repulsive creatures standing inside the temple. They had no faces, and their bodies were made of pulpy flesh and tentacles. “Ny’alotha!” At their master’s conclusion, the Faceless Ones marched forward. Yogg-Saron went to the top of his temple, resting his essence on it. His minions towered over the ponies, and started to charge towards their foes. Luna, with newfound strength, kept the dream together. “Hold off these monsters!” Twilight and her friends formed a line to meet the Faceless Ones, but Vultrax swooped down in front of them. “My master will end your little village, and with it, all of Equestria!” He ran at Twilight. Spike’s mount dove towards the windigo, and he readied his weapon. Prepared this time, Vultrax let Spike phase through him, causing the dragon to slam into the ground. Vultrax reappeared, still charging toward the Elements. He snarled, the Faceless Ones coming to his side. Spotting his forces, Luna charged up a lightning bolt, aiming it at Vultrax. She let the blast run free, watching as thunder clapped over him. He was hurled back as his vision turned white. He felt a tremendous heat wash over him, the screams of the Faceless Ones echoing around him. His body slammed into the side of the temple, shaking the very structure. His sight returned, and he stared at the ponies who still stood firm. He got to his hooves, stamping them in the dirt before charging again. Yogg-Saron watched the rest of his minions wreak havoc upon the interlopers. Vultrax may have been injured, but that would not stop him. “Your attempt at resistance is futile. You cannot escape…” “We’re not trying to escape!” Luna shot back. He chuckled. “Really? Was it not you who tried to run from the pain of knowing you were a far second to your sister.” He could feel the doubt stirring already. “It was me, but I see now that I have changed. No longer am I running from my pain!” “You lie to yourself, Luna. I know you better than you know yourself.” His form rolled down the temple, crawling over to the princess. “Your sister thinks you are nothing.” Yogg-Saron wrapped around the ball Luna was in, trying to seep his essence through it. “Luna!” Twilight shouted, too busy fighting to help her. “She uses you. You became Nightmare Moon to even the score, but now you reduce yourself to this pathetic form!” He tightened his grip on the sphere, feeling it buckle. His blood oozed in, clouding her thoughts. She betrayed you… She banished you for trying to defend yourself. Take back the throne. Overthrow her! “No! Celestia is my rock. She has always been there for me!” Then why did she leave you to rot for a thousand years? The Faceless Ones pushed the ponies back, Vultrax managing to fight off the Elements. “Because I tried to destroy Equestria!” She felt her resilience waning as the dream became even harder to maintain. Why do you deceive yourself, Luna? You can be great if you get past this lie you tell yourself… He felt the sphere crack. Meanwhile, the ponies were regrouping, the horde of Faceless Ones coming with their commander leading the charge. Let me show you… The landscape around Luna changed to that of Canterlot. The city was burning, dragons soaring over the desecrated area. The screams of ponies brought her to tears, the chilling sound shaking her. This is what will happen if Equestria continues to follow this path of Friendship. To survive, somepony must overthrow her and prepare for the coming storm. The city changed again, repairing itself, the castle turning a beautiful midnight black. Ponies in the streets were safe and happy. Dragons flew at the city, but they were met with a volley of magic. They fell like flies, unable to get close to Canterlot. This is what you can do. You can protect your people from ruin—but you must accept that you cannot stay weak to do so. Your sister will lead you all to destruction. He felt the ball cracking further, almost at the point of shattering. You, Luna, can save them all… She looked out at the landscape. It really did look incredible. Ponies were thriving, they were safe, and they were happy. There was no hunger, no war they could not win, and they dictated their own fates. Equestria was the great nation it was meant to be. Luna considered the offer—only for a second. She could feel her shield wearing down. She knew the monster was only trying to turn her against her friends. “You’re wrong.” He laughed. And why is that, princess? “Because my sister is kind, benevolent, and caring. She believes in the magic of Friendship, and she is right to.” Do you hear how weak you sound? The magic of Friendship? Laughable! “We are stronger together, and Friendship and Love link us. It stopped Nightmare Moon, it stopped Discord, it stopped the changelings—and now it will stop you!” Yogg-Saron’s essence was forced from her mind, returning her to reality. He could feel the shield repair itself. What? No. “I won’t let you harm my friends.” Her eyes sparked with electricity. “I won’t let you corrupt the dreamworld any further!” The shield exploded, sending him flying. The ponies fell back, running to Luna. She floated down to the ground, her eyes glowing white. Finish this, minions! Vultrax and the Faceless Ones sprinted towards the last line of defense. Twilight and her friends stood ready with the princess. Yogg-Saron steadied himself, rising above his forces. “This realm is mine!” “We won’t let you have it,” Luna stated, opening her wings. Lightning spewed from her body, eviscerating everything in her path. Vultrax warped above the blast, but his front line of troops was destroyed. “We are kind.” Yogg-Saron’s form shrank, the obelisks cracking apart. “We are loving.” His body began to spasm. The obelisks collapsed, and the pyramid shook. “We are strong!” He roared out as his minions began to be purged from the dream. “We are Equestria!” A white stream crashed into him from the princess, his essence melting beneath it. “I will not fall to your weak ma—” “Enough!” Luna looked to her friends, all of them laying their trust in her. She turned back to Yogg-Saron, a scowl on her muzzle. “I BANISH YOU!” The white stream engulfed him, blasting all around him. The temple was burned away under its purifying power, and Vultrax was forced out of the dream. Yogg-Saron felt himself being torn from the realm, his essence starting to splinter. He let out a bellow as he felt the last of his form get expelled, his foothold in the dreamworld lost. His last words were, “I release you, Luna…” The white light washed over everything, returning the dreamworld to its normal state and removing all traces of evil within it. Yogg-Saron was hurled back through the veil, and everypony was returned to their dreams. All Luna saw was white as she felt tranquility. The tethers slipped away, and she let her body rest. As the light cleared, she found herself lying in a mythical forest, a look of peace on her face as she slept happily for the first time since her return.