//------------------------------// // Nightmares Do Come True // Story: Honor Above All Else // by Honored Service //------------------------------// This bad boy is going to be the new cover for the story. Thanks HeimoBauss its amazing! Honor Above All Else Chapter 20 By Honored Service The princesses wrapped up the service and departed from the stage set up in front of the statue. The statue of me. In all of my glory. I sighed, knowing that it was probably going to be taken down once everypony realized I was far from dead. But staying here in the shadows and admiring the hoof work of a statue of myself for a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt anyone, now would it? Is your ego so big that you have to stare at a giant statue of yourself? “Oh shut it. Although I could make the suggestion to have a Queen Chrysalis put underneath my boot.” I smirked as the Nightmare gave a huff and went quite. “But I am getting a little sad watching everypony leave stuff at my feet. The statue’s feet. Whatever you know what I mean.” The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the gardens as I made my way to the statue of myself, and the last pony still standing in front of the cold stone figure. I crept closer as the mare began to speak. Her words were cut off by sobs that escaped her lips as she spoke. “ I've kept good care of these so I could give these back to when I saw you again. But…but…” Another wave of tears cut the mare off as she feel to her stomach and wept openly on the statues feet. Two small metal discs fell next to her. “But you aren't coming back are you Honored?” Oh Sky. I should have stepped up sooner before this water works display started up. “Now why are you sad?” I asked her with a hint of playfulness. “I would expect somepony to be happy in front of such a good looking statue; although I think the jaw line is a little to round. Don’t you?” Fast Skies turned around with a look that could kill, but as soon as she recognized me the look disappeared and she went through several emotions at once. Happiness, confusion, more happiness, even more confusion, and then unbridled joy. “Hi Sky.” I said to her while beaming down at the red mare. We began walking towards the castle after she recovered from shock. I was kind of eager to speak to the princesses about the year’s journey and the turn of events regarding the Nightmare. As we reached the door – ************************************************************** “Honored?” “Yes Princess?” I stopped speaking and turned to look up at the sun princess. She was smiling, but had this look that a mother would give her child if she was beginning to grow bored with an incredibly long story. “I think we all know what happened after you reached the castle.” “Oh. Right.” I blushed as everypony around me began to explode into laughter at my stupidity. “Well and then I began telling the story. The End.” I smiled and threw my arms into the air and bowed. “Amazing story!” “I’m going to publish these notes.” “This calls for a welcome-back-you're-not-dead-party!” “Now you get back to training the new recruits, Lieutenant.” Short Blade said reaching over and holding out his hoof for a hoof-bump. I turned to the princesses, a heavy thought still weighing on my mind, “Am I still an Equestrian Honor Guard?” “Well considering that you're still alive and you saved Equestria multiple occasions, I think we can allow it. Isn't that right sister.” Luna looked at her sister. “Sister!” The princess of the moon jabbed an elbow into the sun princess’ ribs. “Ouch! Yes, haha of course, but I still would like to have a medical analysis done to insure that you're healthy and in the right state of mind… I mean that you're alright in the head… I mean that nothing is wrong with you.” Celestia blushed and gave a nervous laugh. “Nightmare, I don’t think she’ll ever trust you,” I whispered to myself, “but I'm sure with time we can win her trust.” I hope so, I'm dying to get to know her better. “Fine princess. I’ll do whatever medical thingy that needs to be done but I swear, if I hear now cough, you can forget it!” I stood up and walked heavily over towards the door were a pony wearing a lab coat and a stethoscope was waiting. “I’ll be back everypony!” I closed the door behind me and followed the doctor pony down the hallway towards the medical wing of the castle. Hopefully this would be a quick, "what do you see in this ink blot test." I nail those every time. ************************************************************** As the meeting was winding down, the ponies began to say their goodbyes and head off to their respected rooms. “Oh Short Blade, may I speak to you for a moment?” Princess Celestia said to the unicorn guard as he was leaving. “Of course your highness.” He turned around and trotted lightly back to the alicorn sisters, still resting on their thrones. “What do you need?” “Please make sure that Honored’s new room is set up to his liking. You know, a bed and weapons rack; standard guard gear except to his dimensions. But just in case something should go…amiss during the exam, have a few guards stationed outside of the medical wing.” Celestia nodded to the orange unicorn giving him the signal he could leave. Short Blade bowed and left the room, going to prepare Honored’s new room as a Liutenant in the Equestrian Honor Guard, “Sister is all that really necessary? Surly if the Nightmare was going to make a threat he would have done so sooner. I know him, and he’s not one to keep things waiting.” Luna looked to her sister and tried to comfort her. “I'm sorry Luna. But the last time I failed to take any precaution, I lost you for a thousand years. And with the attack on Canterlot still fresh on everypony’s mind, I just don’t want to risk anything with Nightmare.” “I trust your judgment sister, but be easy on Honored. If you push too hard, he may snap under the pressure.” “Ha easy. Right.” Celestia was now finding it very hard to look at her sister and decided to stare, with intensity, at one of the guards across the room. “Psst Rex.” “What?” The other guard whispered back. “The Princess is staring at me really hard.” “You are so screwed.” Guard Rex shot back. “I went to the bathroom for five minutes. I didn’t know that pink party thing would get into the kitchen.” The guard stayed strong and kept focusing straight ahead, trying to forget about the mess and the destroyed oven. And sink. And everything. “It was your shift. I’ll take good care of your wife.” “You bastard.” The guard pony whispered back as he said his final prayers. “Sister, what did you do?” Luna stepped in front of her sister, saving some poor guard from fainting, “Nothing Luna.” Luna raised an eyebrow and continued to glare at Celestia. “Okay so I may have made the medical exam a lot longer and more… extreme to make sure that Honored had the Nightmare under control.” Luna raised a hoof, “No nothing too extreme, just things that should bring out higher emotions to see if Honored is really in control, or if the Nightmare can break free in cases of annoyance or embarrassment.” “What have you done sister?” ************************************************************ “Now I'm just going to need to draw one more blood sample.” The nurse, Gentle Heart, said. I just gave a deadpan stare at the poor mare and then at the cart which had six vials filled with my blood. “Are you sure you need another? Or why couldn't you have just filled up a milk jug instead of all the pricking.” I shuddered and flinched as another needle was jabbed into my arm, this one done not so gently. “The princess was clear to have extra samples to save and have on standby to conduct research with.” She jerked the needle out and placed another filled vial along with the other ones on the steel cart. She turned and wheeled the cart out of the pale green room. Another lab coat wearing pony walked in. This one was a stallion pushing another cart. He stopped and ran a hoof through his blue and gray mane. “Alright Honored Service, my name is Doctor Prick.” “Oh you have got to be kidding me.” I slapped a hand into my face and sighed. “Don’t worry, I'm just here to draw some blood, other bodily fluid, skin tissue and some hair follicles.” The doctor smiled and picked up a needle and slipped a protective covering off, “Now hold still.” ************************************************************ “Like drawing blood… eight maybe nine times.” Celestia smiled innocently, “and removing some skin cells, and hair roots. And maybe for future testing some mmhmmmh.” “What was that last one?” Luna moved closer to her sister’s head. “I may have asked the doctor to try and get some mhhmhmh from him.” “One more time and don’t mumble.” The Princess of the Night was beginning to grow irritated with her sister’s childlike behavior and lack of trust for the returned hero. “Get some reproductive cells… for experimentation.” Celestia hung her head in defeat as Luna stared at her, mouth agape. “REALLY CELESTIA!? “Luna screamed at the guilty alicorn, sending her toppling over backwards in her throne. “Well in my defense it was to see if there would be anyway for him to reproduce, since he’s the only human alive.” Celestia said as she stood back up on wobbly feet. “We are going to have serious talk later young lady!” Luna turned and marched off towards the medical wing to save a human from the worse exam in Equestrian history. “But I'm three thousand years older than you.” Celestia said to the disappearing alicorn. *********************************************************** I gave the doctor a deadpan stare. “No.” I said, crossing my arms in front of me. “No way not no how.” “Listen, I know it’s a bit… strange but I was told by Celestia herself to have you do this.” Dr. Prick pleaded as he waved the little glass jar and magazine towards me. Playcolt just seemed a little weird to say the least. Actually this entire situation was starting to feel like one never ending joke Celestia was taking too far. Hey at least it’s the newest issue. “DOCTOR THIS EXAM IS OVER!” The door to the exam room exploded open as Luan jumped forward and put herself between me and that Prick. Dr. Prick. “Thank you.” I whispered out to Luna as I stood up off the bench and followed her out of the room. Dr. Prick was too busy trying to recovery from the heart attack that comes from a princess surprising you and then shouting your head apart. “It turns out my sister had devised this ‘little exam’ as a test for the Nightmare, like putting you through annoying and taxing situations to see if you would snap under the given problem and let the Nightmare come free.” Luna explained as we walked together through the castle. We paced the throne room and the kitchens and the guest rooms. I looked up at Luna with a confused expression. “Fear not little human, we just have one little stop to make.” Luna narrowed her eyes and gave an evil sly smile. “Time to return the favor to sister dearest.” She gave an evil laugh that slowly turned into a giggle. “But I must ask for your help.” Now normally I would not be one to try and get even with one of the Princess, but nine blodd draws, skin samples, hair being yanked out, and then trying to get me to… spank the monkey for her research, all still very fresh in my mind was justified calling for a little revenge. “What’s the plan Luna?” I rubbed my hands in front of me, plotting for oh so sweet justice. Oh man this is so much better than running through the woods! Getting to prank the princess, this has got to be up there with killing the king of Griffmeny. “It sure is, and we haven’t even been back home for a week.” Luna led me to a large door with the symbol of a sun imprinted on it. “Okay Honnored… and um Nightmare, here’s the plan.” She explained the relatively simple plan to me. “Well Nightmare? Is this plan going to work?” Of course it will. But I’ll need a lot of control. And how do we know Princess Celestia won’t blast us into the sun? “Luna, what if Celestia reacts a little… extreme. She already is very unsure about us.” “Oh please don’t worry; I’ll be nearby to insure that this illusion doesn’t go too far. Now let’s get this show on the road!” Luna jumped into the air and flew out of the window next to the door. “Nightmare, you go this?” I asked while running towards the window. Most definitely. This magic is simple, just a simple shape shifting spell. Easy stuff. “Sweet.” I jumped through the window and began the fall down from the tower towards the ground. Moments after the leap, Nightmare’s black and green magic swirled around me and changed my shape into that of a large earth pony wearing a long black flowing robe. Nightmare slowed my fall and began flying back up towards the window Princess Luna was flying next to. “That looks most scary.” She whispered as I joined her on the large window sill. The black robe still moved on me even though I was standing still. “Nice Nightmare. This looks really good.” I whispered aloud. Thanks. You only get to prank a princess once in a lifetime, so it might as well be a good one. And oh, one last thing. With a quick snap and flash of green magic, a scythe appeared floating next to me. It had a long curved blade that glowed with a dark red light. “Oh I get it, I'm the grim reaper!” “Shhhhh!” Luna held a hoof out to me. “Now you have to be convincing, so the louder the better. I sound proofed her room to make sure the guards don’t hear anything. After she breaks down crying, I’ll come and clear everything up.” Luna turned around and slowly trotted up to the window. “This will get her back for the stupid room full of moon pies trick.” Her horn lit up and the window slowly creaked open. I stepped up to it and pushed it open the rest of the way with my foreleg, which was skeletonized. “Nice effect.” Thanks. “Princess Celestia, your time has come!” I called out in a deep voice. “You are no longer bound to this Earth!” I called out louder as I stepped fully into the Princess’ room. A door on the other side of the room cracked open and Celestia poked her head out. If I wasn’t trying to be scary I would have broken down into laughter because Princess Celestia had her hair wrapped in curlers. So that’s how she gets it to flow. Her eyes shot open and she ducked back into the bathroom, slamming the door shut so hard I could have sworn I heard the door frame crack. “Celestia, come out. The time has come.” “Princess Celestia isn’t here right now.” Her voice called out from the bathroom. “You’ll have to come back later. Now please go away Mr. Reaper.” “Nightmare, do it.” I hissed. A bolt of sickly green magic struck the door and it turned to ash, falling into a pile on the floor. I stepped into the door way and slowly brought my hoof to the hood on the robe and lowered it. Celestia scooted backwards until her back hit the wall of the bathroom. “No. It can’t be my time yet!” I took another step forward so my entire fake body of the Reaper was inside the bathroom. “The time is now. Good bye Princess.” The fake scythe slowly moved to my front and levitated up until it stopped above Princess Celestia. “Luna will now have to take control.” “Wait.” Celestia stopped cowering in the corner of the bathroom and looked at me. “LUNA!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. I flew backwards out of the bathroom and landed against the side of Celestia’s bed. “BWHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAH!” Luna was lying on her back rolling around on the floor, laughing her head off, as a very red faced Celestia walked out of the bathroom. Nightmare dropped the illusion and I became myself once again, propped up against the bed smiling like an lunatic. “Oh you should have seen your face sister!” Luna fell down into another laughing fit. “Celestia isn’t here right now! HAHAHAHAHA!” Celestia looked from her in tears sister to me. “Well hey, will you look at the time.” I looked at my bare wrist, “guess its time to get to bed. Busy day and what have you tomorrow.” I jmped up and sprinted towards the door. Faster, faster, come on we got to get out of here. I grabbed the door handle, but my blood ran cold as I saw the lock snap shut. Luna’s laughter had stopped as well, as we both made a dash towards the opened window from which we had entered. Just as Luna and I had reached the exit to freedom, the window swung shut and locked, leaving us both trapped in Princess Celestia’s room. “I’m terribly sorry human.” Luna whispered as we turned slowly back around to the sun Princess. “I’m sorry I was convincing.” I whispered back. I'm sorry that I made you convincing. On a whole a solid B- on the acting. “Now remember Honored and Luna,” Celestia stepped towards us, an evil smile plastered on her face, “nopony will believe you if you tell them what happened in here tonight.” Her horn glowed yellow and the drapes swished closed behind us. I jumped into the air and Luna caught me in her fore hooves. Luna quickly dropped me, as we booth scooted up against the wall. “Maybe she’ll send us both to the moon together.” Luna said to me. “Or maybe death will be swift and painless.” I suggested as Celestia came within an arm’s length from us. Or maybe you both are acting like foals and nothing will happen. Celestia’s horn glowed once more, and a from under her bed a large brown paper bag slowly was dragged out. Her smile grew even wider as the bag came floating next to her. “Do either of you like bananas?” Or maybe I’ll wish I was dead. *********************************Castle Guard Omega Group********************** “Hey Shadow?” A stallion stopped walking his patrol and turned his head towards Princess Celestia’s tower. “You hear that? Sounds like screaming.” “What?” A royal night guard asked, as she stepped up next to the golden armored unicorn. She stretched her bat like wings as she listened. “Nah I don’t hear anything. Come on, let’s finish this patrol Bright.” She trotted ahead of the younger guard, “I’ve got a surprise for you in the barracks.” She wiggled her flanks at him and bounded ahead of day guard. “Yes mam!” Bright called out, before dashing off after the night guard. ************************************************************************* The sun was just beginning to rise as Luna and I stepped out of Celestia’s room. I turned to the Princess of the Night and sighed. “We will never speak of that. Ever.” Luna nodded her head quickly. “Agreed human. Although I am surprised that you were able –“ I covered her mouth up with a hand still covered in bits of bananas. “Not. A. Bloody. Word.” Luna gave final nod as I withdrew my hand. “Well then Luna, I'm going to go sleep, and try to kill myself with ungodly amounts of alcohol. Have a good day.” “I won’t be too far behind you human.” Luna smiled and waved goodbye to me as I set off to find the kitchens stock of alcoholic beverages. Honored, please take out your pistol and place against your head. Or impale yourself on a sword. Or go kick a dragon. Something anything. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF EVEYTHING JUST KILL ME THEN. “Oh shut up you. It was just… bananas.” I shuddered as I opened the double doors leading into the kitchen. A tan unicorn mare wearing a chef’s hat turned around and greeted me with a smile. “Good morning Honored. Princess Celestia said you would be coming down for something to eat, so she told us to make you your favorite meal.” She turned around and levitated a steaming pan towards me. “Banana nut bread!” “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”