//------------------------------//
// Meet My Nightmare 
// Story: Timeless Harmony 
// by Barrier Pavise 
//------------------------------//

Timeless Harmony

Chapter 7: Meet My Nightmare
(O.C. P.O.V.)

The banging continued. The slashing seemed endless. Stalwart lay in the middle of his old living room in a state of depression, watching as the wooden door that separated him from the beasts that wanted to tear him apart began to give. It wouldn't be long before they were upon him. The doomed fighter sighed. “I guess this is what I get for leaving Barrier behind huh?” he asked himself as a single tear fell down his face.
Deep cracks began to form in the door, showing it had very little time left before it would give the shadow creatures what they wanted. Stalwart stood up and faced the door with sword drawn. If he was going to go down, he was going down fighting. Then, the door collapsed. The creatures were there and ready to attack, but before they could make a single move, Stalwart was blinded by a strong white light.
The brave earth pony shielded his eyes from the strong light with a hoof. When he had lowered it, all that remained of the shadow creatures were thin trails of smoke that evaporated into the air. Stalwart stared at the doorway where they had once stood in disbelief. The horrid beasts were gone and replaced with a sight that lifted his very heart.
“Barrier!” shouted the happy earth pony as he ran up to his friend in the doorway and gave her a huge hug. The unicorn returned the notion, happy to see her friend was still safe. “I can't believe you took out all those monsters!” cried Stalwart as he broke the embrace.
Barrier smiled at her swordspony assistant, feeling proud of herself. But then, sense making overtook as she thwacked the earth pony in the back of the head with a hoof.
“Hey! What was that for!?” cried Stalwart as he rubbed the back of his head.
“That's for leaving me with that spider, you coward!” replied the annoyed unicorn. Stalwart gave a cheesy smile at the accusation, knowing that she was right and he should have stood by her side.
“Okay, good point. I deserved that. But anyways, we finally made it to Canterlot!” said Stalwart, changing the topic before Barrier simply got more frustrated.
“Yeah, but it looks like things are even worse over here.” Barrier scattered her sight across the room that her friend had took refuge in, it was in ruins. “Why did you pick this place to hide in?”
“Heh, funny story. It was kinda like a voice brought me here.” Barrier looked at her friend with a confused look on her face, but chose not to pursue the matter. She would probably ask him later, but right now they needed to get to the princess. The stranded duo then left the collapsing building and headed for the large castle that claimed Canterlot as its own.
---
By the time the two ponies reached the sealed iron front door of Canterlot Castle, it was pretty obvious what they were looking for was not here. The once magnificent castle had been derived of all its beauty and replaced by endless swarming shadows and darkness.
“Uh Barrier...?” started Stalwart as he stared at the closed spiked door.
“Don't worry, I got it” reassured the unicorn as her horn began to glow. She trotted closer the bars that separated her from the inside of the castle. The same blue glow that covered her horn then began to coat the bars as they were lifted from the ground and the path was open.
“Nice one Bare!” cheered the earth pony as he walked into the halls of the castle. Barrier smiled at the compliment and followed her lifelong friend into the massive building. Once inside, she placed herself right next to Stalwart who was gazing around the castle and what it had become.
True, it was still obviously Canterlot Castle, but it was nothing as it was before. The same large staircase greeted them as they entered, and most of the other structures and statues were still pretty much the same. However, many others were destroyed or toppled over. Twisting shadows squirmed across the walls, giving it the illusion of life. The entire ground was clouded in a dark purple mist, similar to the one from the forest that seemed to have sprouted the giant spider.
“Stalwart, I don't like this...” said Barrier as she took a few slow steps forward.
“This isn't right, this isn't Celestia's castle!” cried Stalwart. “Never, in a million years would she let it look anything like this. In all my life in Canterlot, this place has stood tall and proud. This is not her castle.” Barrier looked at her comrade who continued searching around the hall with a stern look on his face, but never moving his body.
“You seem to know much of my castle” came a female voice. Stalwart and Barrier began twisting and turning their heads in every direction, looking for any sign of where this voice had come from. This wasn't the voice of the princess they've come to know, yet it still called this place 'My Castle'.
“Who's out there!?” called Stalwart, an angered scowl spread across his face. All of the thick fog that clouded the adventurers' hooves rapidly dashed toward one direction; the top of the staircase. There, they began to twist and turn as they rose from the ground, forming some type of solid object. It was then that the ruler of the night and queen of darkness herself appeared, Nightmare Moon. The dark alicorn spawned atop the stairs and released an evil laughter that shook the very walls and brought with it the crack of thunder.
“Oh my Celestia, Nightmare!” cried Barrier in shock and fear.
“Nightmare? Didn't you say that Twilight chick beat her already?” asked Stalwart, as he looked back and forth between his friend and the large alicorn.
“Yeah, it happened after she came back from her banishment on the moon” explained Barrier.
“Ah, I see we have somepony with intelligence in your little party” taunted Nightmare in a rather calm and serene voice. “You seem to know my past.”
“Yeah, and I also know that The Elements of Harmony defeated you once and for all!”
“You see, that is where you are wrong” cooed the empress. “It appears spending time amongst that brutish earth pony resistance has taken away your natural unicorn wisdom.”
“What'd you say about earth ponies!?” retaliated Stalwart as he took a step forward and anger began to flow in him.
“I said that your little earth pony rebellion is nothing more than mere animals. Even that one unicorn amongst you that talks about herself in the third person is nothing more than a beast as low as you.” That was the last straw. Stalwart, fueled by rage, drew his sword with his mouth and began to charge toward the empress.
“Stalwart no!” called out Barrier, but to no avail. Stalwart began working his way up the staircase to the ruler of the night, swinging his blade blindly. But Nightmare had anticipated this act, expecting no less from an earth pony. So she stood there, waiting. As the charging swordspony reached the last few steps that separated him from his target, Nightmare boomed out the word “Begone!” with such force and power that Stalwart was sent flying back down the staircase.
He screamed as he soared through the air and prepared his body for impact. He was flung to a spot just next to Barrier where he landed with a hard thud. “Ow, what the hay?” he cried as he rubbed a hoof against his head.
“I tried to warn you” began Barrier as she lifted Stalwart to his hooves with her magic. “It's the royal Canterlot voice.”
“You are just full of knowledge aren't you, you little spell caster you” complimented the alicorn. Barrier scowled at the princess, she would have none of her taunting.
“Listen Nightmare!” called Barrier. “We're not here to fight you, but don't you dare hurt my friend again!”
“Oh, and you're a little fiery one too aren't you?” The taunting continued. “But I like that in a unicorn. But if not here to battle, what is it that you wish of me?” Stalwart immediately spoke out, saying, “We wanna know what the buck you're doing in Celestia's castle!”
“Silence earth pony!” boomed Nightmare. “My offer was not towards you! I am speaking to the unicorn.” Nightmare's voice returned to the calm and somewhat welcoming voice she spoke with earlier. “Now, what is it you wish from me, Barrier?” The blue unicorn was slightly shocked at how the princess knew her name, but dismissed it for a more important matter.
“We want answers” replied Barrier.
“Is that so?” said Nightmare, as she gave the proposal some thought. “Very well, you shall have them.” Barrier and Stalwart exchanged hopeful glances, expecting everything to finally be explained to them.
“But first, a test” said Nightmare, quickly wiping the hopeful looks on the ponies' faces.
“What kind of test?” asked Barrier, no longer feeling safe in the alicorn's presence.
“Oh, you shall see.” And with that, Nightmare returned her gaseous form and disappeared from sight.
“Barrier, I don't like the looks of this...” whispered Stalwart, growing nervous as the air around him began to feel thick.
“I know, but don't worry” reassured the talented unicorn. “Whatever comes our way, we'll get through it together.” Just as Barrier finished her sentence, a large wall sprung from the ground, separating the two ponies from each other. Immediately, Stalwart began to bang his hooves at the stone structure, trying with his entire pony might to reach the mare on the other side.
“Barrier!” he called. His cry was greeted by the sound of crackling lightning as Barrier shot bolts of magic at the wall. But to no avail. They were both trapped in a single room, their own little world of pitch black darkness.
---
Barrier decided it would be best to remain calm. She knew Nightmare had something planned and wasn't just going to leave her here to rot. “Okay, Nightmare!” called out Barrier to the ceiling. “I'm ready for your little 'test'!”
“Ah, there's that fiery spirit I saw earlier” answered the female voice. Although no source of the sound could be located, a single beam of light shined in the center of the small room. “Go on, step into the light.”
Barrier took a hesitant step forward, but then stopped. Something told her there was something wrong with the area of light.
“Come now, don’t tell me you’re suddenly afraid of a little sunshine” taunted Nightmare from her unseen location. “Go ahead, walk into the beam and begin your challenges.”
Barrier trotted closer to the welcoming warmth of sunlight. She stood mere inches away from the beam, feeling a sense of relief and welcome. She walked in. The warmth felt amazing on her fur. She closed her eyes and allowed her body to be graced with the feeling of joy. It was then that a small strand of shadows began to work its way up her body from her hooves. They continued to move until they reached her chest. Barrier stood still, completely oblivious to the darkness that was swallowing her. Then…she was gone.
---
Stalwart continued to bang on the wall between him and Barrier, even though he couldn’t hear her banging back or her speaking any more. It wasn’t before long that his small body began to give in to exhaustion as his banging slowed and he placed his back against the wall. He allowed himself to slide down the stone and lean on it as he reached the floor.
“Barrier, please be okay” prayed Stalwart to himself.
“Oh, don’t worry about her” came the voice of Nightmare again. “It’s yourself you should be worried about.” Stalwart got up to his hooves as he scanned his vision across the ceiling, searching for any hint of Nightmare.
“Show yourself coward!” called Stalwart, gritting his teeth in anger.
“In good time you little earth runt.” Stalwart grew even more enraged.
“Why don’t you just come out here and fight me one on one!?” Nightmare ignored the swordspony’s challenge.
“Hm, you have much anger in you. I like that. You want to face me? Fine.” A very dim light shined in the other end of the small room, revealing a type of passageway that seemed to be made entirely of twisting shadows. “If you expect me to grace you with my presence again, you must prove your worth.”
“And you want me to do that through your little challenges right?” asked Stalwart, eying the passageway suspiciously.
“Exactly. Trials first, then I just might waste my time with an earth pony. Stalwart scowled at the ceiling and the voice it hid. Fueled by rage and adrenaline, Stalwart ran towards the dark path and headed straight in. The shadows quickly took hold of the adventurer as he was swallowed by the darkness that would begin his trials.