Twilight pulled magic into her horn, ready to throw up a shield around herself and the other ponies as one of the armored gryphons approached.
"Unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi! Mares and gentlecolts of all ages! Welcome! Welcome to the Castle Nightmare in the Kingdom of Dreams." He waved his claw, and torches lit in sequence across the courtyard, forming a path to a massive door. Strange lights flashed and danced beyond the door, and a rhythmic thudding was filtering though the cracks.
Twilight walked cautiously along the lit path, ponies of various ages tagging along behind her. Applejack walked by her side, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, while Pinkie Pie bounced along just behind. The armored escorts simply smiled and waved them along, trying to look as unthreatening as possible in heavy body armor.
A pair of cloaked figures stepped out of the shadows and pulled open a large pair of double doors. Light and sound poured into the hallway, and Twilight caught her breath.
Just beyond the opening was a sight straight from Tartarus. Undead canids, bloodied cannibalistic zebras, armored and battle scarred gryphons and tattooed minotaurs twirled and moved around each other. A strange mix of classical strings and electric back beat floated in the air, playing a haunting tune. The walls were decorated with bones and blood, spider webs and strange runes, and a long table of gruesome treats like stacks of raw meat sat against the far wall.
"It's horrible!" one of the ponies behind Twilight cried.
"It's terrible!!" another agreed.
"It's a PARTY!!!!!" Pinkie cheered before bouncing forward.
The music slowed and shifted, and a familiar voice cut through the din. "Hey all you amazing creatures out there! Are you all having a good time?!" Twilight turned to the right and spotted the famous DJ Pon3 sitting in a literal nest of turn tables, speakers and cables. A roar of approval rose from the crowd. "I said, ARE YOU HAVING A GOOD TIME?!?!" Pon3 screamed, and the roar doubled in volume. "Well everyone, it seems that we have some more ponies in the crowd."
More ponies? Twilight turned back to the crowd and was stunned to see over two dozen ponies, including the Mayor and Mr. and Mrs. Cake dancing or chatting with the monsters.
"Well don't just STAND there!!" Pon3 called. "If we wanted wallflowers we'd have planted seeds!" the crowd laughed. "Alright, lets keep this party going!"
An armored gryphon approached the ponies and bowed before them. "Please, come in. You are in no danger here. I am Reggie, scribe and assistant to her majesties Sarah and Nightmare."
"No danger? In an army of zombies and warriors?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow.
Reggie drew a scimitar and waved if back and forth. It wobbled. "Cardboard armor and rubber blades are enough to make ponies cower? And don't tell me you're fooled by the makeup and body paint. The Rover's couldn't even decide what color dead things turn."
"Cardboard? Body paint?" Twilight said. "It's all costumes?!"
"What did you expect for a Nightmare Night party?" A minotaur asked. "You all aren't scared of this fancy makeup are ya?"
"I don't know if anyone could really be afraid of ol' Zeke." Reggie said, pointing out a gryphon in a wheel chair. He had only one wing and was missing both of his left legs.
"What is all of this?" a pony asked.
"I believe the pink one said it best." Reggie said, pointing to Pinkie Pie who was already dancing with the minotaur. "It's a party."
On the western wall of the obsidian castle, seven ponies touched down without a sound. Princess Luna looked over her hoof selected guard, nodding her approval at the stealthy flight. Some of them were looking around at the shadowy castle in concern, others in curiosity. The Princess herself did not care for the current state of the castle. The odd dark stone, the subtle way old towers and walls she had known for centuries were different, the entire makeover felt like a tainted dark version of a childhood memory.
"Guards." She addressed them softly, drawing their attention. "Search the castle covertly and locate Sarah Jordan. This castle's completion signify fulfillment of two of the three conditions on her gease. The last is for ponies to willingly visit her."
"Princess." one of the guards pipped up.
"Yes, Sergeant?"
"Aren't we willingly visiting her?"
"No, you are here on my orders, not because you came of your own free will. I am here out of a sense of duty, nothing more. We must determine what strength she has, what forces are allied with her, and try to determine what she might do once released. Blaze," A male bat-pony stepped forward. "Thou art our assessor. Be on the lookout for signs of other, larger monsters the Nightmare may have enslaved or tempted to it's side. Appraise and advise on the best methods for their defeat."
"Your Majesty," one of the guards said, "I hear music."
Together the trio crept along darkened hallways until they reached a balcony overlooking the party.
"What manner of madness is this?" Luna whispered, stunned at what she saw. "So many creatures, and even ponies?"
"Should we fall back?" the guard asked.
Princess Luna considered for a moment, then lit her horn. Deep blue magic surrounded each of them, and when it faded the guards were in their normal colors. Their armor looked like cardboard, and their bat wings appeared to be costume. Luna herself was now a smaller unicorn.
"Princess?" one guard said, looking over himself.
"Thou- you shall address me as Moon Dancer." She said. "If this is what it appears to be, a Nightmare Night party, and the ponies below have come here of their own free will, then there is nothing we can do but try and protect them from the beasts around them. You," she singled out a guard, "go and wake my sister. Tell her what you have seen and encourage her to bring the Elements."
"Princess there are at least two dozen ponies down there." Blaze said, looking around. "That is way too many to escort through the Everfree without our patrols noticing. There must be another way in."
The Princess nodded and pointed to two other guards. "Find it, we may be able to use it as a way out too."
"And the rest of us your majesty?" Blaze asked.
"You will keep an eye out for larger monsters, while the rest of us work to determine if these ponies are guests or prisoners. If the latter, we work to remove them from danger. If the former, if they are here of their own free will and Sara is free, then we shall simply have to try to reason with her." The Princess said. And hope that the Nightmare has not corrupted her as thoroughly as it had me, or we may be facing a foe akin to Discord
In a place that is not a place, a creature who is not a creature stood before a dozen canids. It gazed at them in a way that would have struck terror into any living thing.
"Um, excuse me."
The cloaked figure turned to see a half dozen ponies standing behind him.
YES?
"Um, could we come too?"
I DON'T SEE WHY NOT
Princess Luna, disguised as Moon Dancer, made her way carefully through the crowds of creatures dancing, eating, and chatting. Somewhere deep inside she was a little jealous that Sarah had managed to get everyone partying in the courtyard like this, her full moon and stars adding to the few torches scattered around the party.
"Good evening miss!" a canid painted up like a zombie said, "Can I offer you a drink?"
Luna flinched away from it, remembering the last time she had taken a drink in this castle. "No, thank you uh,"
"Trevor."
"Thank you Trevor, but no thank you. I need to keep my wits about me if I want to get out of here."
"You want to leave? But the party's finally getting going! That one pink pony really seems to know how to have fun."
"Pink what?" Luna asked, scanning the party. Sure enough there was Pinkie Pie herself, dancing across the dance floor and pulling creatures in to dance with her. "What in the world is Pinkie Pie doing here?"
"She came in the last cart." Trevor said, "Though to be honest, I think more ponies are watching the reactions of that orange pony and purple unicorn."
Luna spied Twilight standing near a snack table talking with a pony in a blue jumpsuit with yellow stripping. She trotted over but had to stop herself before she gave her disguise away. According to Celestia Twilight had known a Moon Dancer in Canterlot, and Luna's disguise didn't look a thing like her. She trotted up close enough to overhear the conversation and pretended to be looking over the snacks.
"I was thinking, given the late hour, that it might be safer here than in the Everfree." The pony in blue said.
"I agree, but I still wish we had Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy. They could fly back to town for chariots or something to get everypony home."
"Maybe once the party dies down a little one of the canids could get us home?" The pony suggested, waving her right hoof.
Twilight frowned. "Maybe, but I'm not happy just sitting here waiting, and I definitely don't want to ride that roller coaster again after a night of drink and dance. I'm going to go look for another way home." She trotted off, a determined look in her eye.
"I hope she doesn't do anything dangerous." The pony muttered, tapping a large metal band around her right hoof. Luna was surprised to see a small screen light up with a very familiar display.
"Oh my goodness!" Princess Luna said, trotting up, "You're dressed up as Little Pip aren't you? I didn't recognize the Stable-Tech Uniform from a distance."
"Yeah." The new pony said with a smile. "My friends made it for me, said I fit the part well. I don't think we've met." she offered a hoof. "I'm Seeker."
"Moon Dancer." The Luna said, shaking her hoof. "Can you believe we are in the castle with the Nightmare? Just thinking about it gives me the shivers."
"It doesn't seem so bad really." Seeker said, waving a hoof at the crowd. "Everyone seems friendly, the music rocks, and the food is great. Mostly."
"Mostly?"
Seeker pointed at another snack table on the far side of the dance floor. Two gryphons were standing guard over it and politely but firmly turning ponies away. "My guess, those are snacks for the more carnivorous guests."
The thought of plates and bowls full of meat sickened Luna slightly, though she had to admire the effort taken to prevent ponies from accidentally eating something so revolting. "That's disgusting. I hope they have enough, I'd hate to think where they might get more meat from in a pinch."
"I think I overheard one of the minotaurs saying it's manticore meat." Seeker said, "Which makes somepony here braver than me, and I'm an adventurer."
"I just worry what they've brought us all here for." Luna said, trying to put a little doubt into the adventurous young pony. "What if we are needed to free Nightmare or that Sarah creature?"
"Well, the invitation said party, so I'm hoping that's all it is." Seeker said, waving her party invite at Luna. "Still, I haven't seen Sarah all night, or any sign of anything else aside from a party. Until something shows me otherwise I'm going to enjoy myself. Looks like others already are."
Seeker pointed at a one winged old gryphon in a wheelchair with almost a dozen children of various races sitting in a circle as he told an exciting story. What caught Luna's eye though was the familiar sight of Applejack talking with one of her disguised night guard and a gryphon. She excused herself from Seeker's company and wandered over to where the farm pony was.
"You work on the apple farm on the edge of town right?" the gryphon asked. "I used to fly with Davis, Twine and Squawk. We'd get about two dozen bushels every time we came through this area."
"What happened to your wing?" The guard asked, pointing to his left side. The gryphon extended it, revealing the wing missing from the first bend on down. "Is that the price Nightmare charges to stay here? I notice almost every creature who isn't a pony looks wounded."
The gryphon laughed. "You folk have strange ideas about Sarah and Nightmare. Her majesty didn't have anything to do with this, I lost it to a manticore about a month back. D, T and S had to drop me, a gryphon who can't fly is just dead weight to them. I had nowhere to go, till I heard about this castle."
"Whut did ya hear?" Applejack asked.
"'Refugees welcome' basically." The gryphon said. "Sarah said she was more of a lost soul than anything else in this world. She fed and housed me, and only asked for a little construction work." He laughed again. "Mind you, she ended up having to fix the whole thing herself, but that's a whole other story. You should get Zeke to tell it."
Applejack smiled, looking over at the crusaders among those caught in Zeke's storytelling. The guard just huffed and trotted off. Luna just looked around and felt a little lost. Everyone was having fun, there didn't seem to be anything more malicious here than a normal party. She felt a tapping and it took her a moment to realize it was coming from her own hoof tapping to the rhythm of the music.
Well why not? She thought, moving towards the dance floor. Nightmare Night only comes once a year.
Three songs later she trotted off the dance floor towards the bar. Halfway there a pair of her guard, one she recognized immediately as Blaze for his bright red coloring, approached her.
"Princess," Blaze started.
"Moon Dancer!" Luna hissed at him, pushing forward to the bar. A minotaur behind it smiled at her and poured a tall cool glass of cider.
"Moon Dancer," the other guard said, "I believe I have located two potential exits. One appears to be a barn in the outer courtyard, it has roller coaster carts and a door to some tracks leading underground. The other is the gates to the east wing of the castle, which are being guarded by a half dozen creatures. They wouldn't let anyone past."
"I've looked around everywhere but I can't find anything more threatening here than a few gryphons and minotaurs," Blaze said, "and they all seem more interested in dancing and drinking than fighting anything. Honestly the Equestrian army could probably take this entire castle with only a platoon or two of soldiers, a single company at worst."
"None of us have seen Sarah or any sign of the Nightmare or the daemon D anywhere." the other guard added.
"We shall have to wait and see then," the princess said, looking up to the empty main stage as the dance music faded out. "And perhaps not for very long."
The curtains on the main stage pulled back, and a pony rock band struck a few chords to the cheers of everyone. Speakers whined as a mic was turned on somewhere, and a familiar voice poured out.
"Hello Nightmare Castle!" A royal voice cried, "Art thou ready to party?!" Another Princess Luna in full regalia burst from backstage to the surprise of everyone
Luna looked up at her double on stage, eyes wide in wonder as her guards worked to pick their jaws up off the floor. "What- what trickery is this?!" she cried.