//------------------------------//
// Claiming the Sun 
// Story: House of Sun 
// by Riossumari 
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Nightmare stood looking down at his captives, Twilight and the others struggling to get free. The chains held them tightly and despite their efforts it seemed to bind their magics as well. Sunset glared back at Nightmare angry to see him inhabiting their friends body still. 
“So what now? Just going to keep us locked up like this?” Sunset shouted. Nightmare grinned at the unicorns words, 
“Oh no, I want you all to be present when I decide to set my minions beyond Canterlot’s borders. And then, I’ll imprison all of you for eternity, turned to stone to watch and listen as I claim everything there is in all of Equestria.” he said. His horn glowed with the amulets magic, the rubble of the destroyed staircase behind Nightmare changing and taking form of a throne looking down on everything in the room. With a single flap of his wings Nightmare rose into the air and sat gently down on the new throne. 
“But the guest list isn’t finished just yet, we still have others that need to gather first.” Nightmare continued to speak. A distant boom shook the castle, Nightmare looking over his shoulder. “Well, I believe that must be Celestia, or mayhaps Luna? No worries, they’ll be here soon enough.” he saId.




Nightmare’s minions swarmed from the shadows on all sides, Celestia trying to gain altitude to escape. But once airborne she found minions in the form of angry raptors awaiting her in the sky. Celestia unleashed magic blast after magic blast trying to destroy the shadowy birds, but every time she destroyed one another would take its place shortly after. Celestia flew for one of the castle towers in the distance trying to get away, hoping to regroup and come up with a better plan. As she flew she glanced down at the courtyard entrance, there she saw Sweetie Belle and the others fleeing from more of the shadow creatures. Celestia changed direction trying to reach her and help only to be intercepted by another shadow creature, a massive bat. Its clawed feet gripped Celestia’s back and neck easily taking control of her direction and with a single swing of its legs threw Celestia back towards the castle. She gathered her magic and created a barrier shielding her landing as she smashed through a window and onto the second floor of the castle. Celestia was dazed from the impact but maintained her shield. When she looked up she saw more of the shadow creatures emerging from the darkness around her and quickly swarming her shield. Wolves, snakes, and panthers made of darkness piled onto her barrier beating away at it and trying to break her defenses. Celestia broke into a full sweat, there were so many of them and they were too strong she thought. It was taking her full concentration just to repair the damage as it was being made. The thumping of large feet caught her attention next as she looked up to see a pair of shadowy bears closing in. Celestia tried to reinforce her barrier but then the bears began to slam their claws into the barrier, causing it to crack. Celestia tried to repair the damage and reinforce her barrier but the more she tried the harder the shadow monsters attacked. After multiple heavy hits the bears finally broke through Celestia’s barrier and the creatures swarmed over her, she fired magic blasts trying to destroy them but there were too many. The bears charged in and just as they were about to overwhelm her she gathered as much magic as she could and released it in one massive burst of magic sunlight the sheer force of which destroyed the entire room she was standing in. 
Celestia collapsed exhausted from the attack and tried to catch her breath but she knew there was no time now. Sweetie Belle needed her help now! She spread her wings and prepped herself to take flight again when she felt a sharp pain on the side of her neck, a large shadow snake having snuck up on her and sinking its fangs into her. Celestia screamed in pain and tried run away, but the snake quickly moved its large muscular body close and coiled around her. Binding her legs and wings and holding her still as its jaw clamped down. The white alicorn tried to summon her magic to fight back, but something was wrong now. Her magic felt off, difficult to focus all of a sudden. The snake must have had some sort of venom she thought, and try as she might to get free her strength was fading fast. The snakes coils tightening around her and squeezing her body, Celestia was having trouble breathing now let alone moving. After a minute the snake felt her strength finally fading, she was at both it and its master’s mercy now. The shadows beneath her swirled and soon Celestia sank into the darkness and was brought before Nightmare and his other captives.




Sweetie Belle was with Applejack and the others fighting off the shadow creatures near the courtyard, they tried to get closer to the castle but the enemies numbers were too many. 
“We can’t stay here, there’s too many of them and not enough of us! We gotta go!” Trixie shouted, Sweetie looked back hearing the unicorns words. She didn’t want to abandon her friends, she had to help them somehow. As the others retreated Sweetie instead ran towards the castle gates.  Fluttershy looked back and called out to the filly causing the others to stop and look back. 
“Sweetie Belle! Y’all get back here this instant!!!” Applejack shouted. Sweetie ran as fast as she could but was cut off by two of the panthers, the filly slid to a stop as they snarled and growled at her. One raised its claws high to swipe at her, Sweetie Belle covered her head and shut her eyes expecting the worse. Then a burst of magic rained down destroying the shadow creatures in front of her. When she looked up she saw Luna land in front of her, without wasting a word she scooped up Sweetie Belle onto her back. 
“Every pony fall back! Get as far from the castle as you can!” Luna shouted. Applejack and the others didn’t waste a second instead turning to flee. As the other shadow creatures closed in on Luna the mare’s horn glowed and she quickly teleported away from the castle. Sweetie Belle looked around and saw they had moved to the center of the city, a safe distance from the castle. The filly hopped off Luna’s back and began to rush back to the castle but was soon lifted up by Luna’s magic and brought back to the older mare. 
“Sweetie Belle, no! We can’t go back there.” Luna said. 
Sweetie turned to Luna and objected immediately, “But what about Sunset? Or Twilight? Or any of the others?!? They could be in danger back there!” Luna could see the filly was upset and walked up to her and hugged her tight gently petting the back of her head. 
“I know Sweetie Belle, I know. I want to rescue them as badly as you do. But right now we can’t make rash actions. I don’t know what the cause of this is, but I have an idea. And if we want to save every pony we’ll have to work together and get as much help as we can.” Luna said. She could hear Sweetie Belle trying not to cry and in response she held her tighter. 
“Princess Luna!” a voice called out, Luna looked up to see Lullaby, Applejack, and the others rushing up to her. 
“Are you okay? How’s Sweetie doing?” Lullaby asked. Luna smiled happy to see Twilight’s friends were safe, she set Sweetie Belle down and wiped the tears from her face with her wing tip before turning to the others and saying. 
“She will be fine, she’s a brave filly and she’s been with us through this sort of thing before. But right now we need to regroup, find as many ponies as we can who aren’t captured and form a plan. We’re dealing with a powerful foe, and I will need all of Canterlot’s help it were to save the city and my family.”