Standard Disclaimer: I do not own MLP, nor am I in any way affiliated with the author of the story this fic is based upon.

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Chapter Twenty

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Rainbow Dash was awakened at seven-thirty in the morning by a deep rumbling sound that grew louder and louder until she could no longer ignore it. "What the hay?" She grumbled to herself as she sat up.

Half a second later she was knocked back down as Scootaloo galloped into the room and tackled her. "Rainbow Dash you've gotta see this!" The filly exclaimed, "It's awesome!" And with that she turned and galloped back out, not waiting for her hero.

It was. Outside, she found the source of both Scoot's excitement and the rumble that had woke her up: the biggest R.V. she had ever seen. "You like?" Brian asked as he climbed down from inside.

"We didn't. Sara's brother works for a leasing and rental place, he cut us a deal."

"I assume from your speech that such conveances are expensive?" Dashie turned to find the princesses had joined them, followed by everypony else.

"Expensive is an understatement." Brian answered. "I paid less for this house and all the ground than this thing would cost."

Before anyone could move, there came the sound of many guns being cocked. Everyone looked around in shock to find themselves surrounded, but not by military or government agents. The attackers were dressed in a wide variety of civilian clothing.

"You dare to assault us!?" Celestia shouted, and began to charge up power in her horn, but Rainbow motioned for her to stop.

"Ain't it obvious?" The voice asked. A man stepped into view, a man Dashie and most of the humans present recognized all to well...

The Don laughed. "Da criminal justice system is a wonderful ting. A little cash in Da right places and out I spring. An den, I justs has Da boys watch youse all family's 'til Da dame here (he pointed at Jessie) bugs out real fast-like. We follows and here we are."

"Ponies, not horses. And so, what, you plan to sell us as slaves?" Twilight said.

"Slaves, pets, lab animals... Whatever pays da best." The mobsters all laughed at their boss's joke.

"I'd be more worried about myself, if i was you. Plenty of ways to get money from a looker like youse too..."

"An proud of it!" The Don laughed. "Now, let's all line up and March single file ta Da vans we gots waiting."

"Risky with their weapons or not, I've got to do something." Celestia thought. But before she could take action, things got worse.

With a tremendous crash of thunder a bolt of darkness arced down from the sky. Everyone ducked back, and when they looked again there stood the shadowy figure of an alicorn. "Nightmare!" Luna exclaimed.

"Nightmare!?" Miri looked back and forth between Luna and the new arrival. "But... I thought she was... And Luna was..."

"Not so." Celestia answered. "The Nightmare is but a demon parasite which took control of my sister."

Luna nodded. "Indeed. Stand firm and fear not. The Nightmare has no power without a host."

"Do you think so Lulu?" Nightmare taunted. She spread her ethereal wings wide, and a glow of magic power crackled around her.

"A thousand years in your form was more than enough time to store back some of your strength."

Until this point, the Don and his men had held back. But when he saw that this new pony had such dangerous power, he shouted "Dat's it boys! Take dat ting out!" As ponies and humans ran for cover, the mobsters opened fire on the Nightmare.

If the spectral being had been inside a living host, it might have worked. As it was, the bullets passed harmlessly through Nightmare's incorporial form. She smiled as the hail of bullets stopped. "Nice try human. Very nice... My compliments. But as you can see, all for nought. And now it is my turn..."

Before anyone could react, the Nightmare surged towards Don Calamari, who screamed as the creature flowed into his body, taking control. In the aftermath there stood the Don's body, glowing with power, eyes shining red.

That was enough for the rest of the mobsters. They threw down their weapons and ran screaming.

"What? Here you mean?" Don Nightmare laughed, and, deflecting a blast from Luna, said "Tempting, but no. For one thing, I've got another world I want to punish first. And besides, that way, if you actually do manage to defeat me again, there goes your little alliance with Earth... Will any pony trust humans after a nightmare human attacks them?" And with a flash of magic, Don Nightmare disappeared into Equestria...

Twenty minutes later, and the scene outside the Dashell home was still a madhouse. While Celestia herself stood, silent, eyes closed, thinking, everyone else human and pony alike were loudly arguing over how to best proceed. And now the Princess of the Sun was getting a headache...

"SILENCE!!!" Celestia boomed in the Royal Voice. "Now that I have your attention, here is how we should proceed: Lulu, take the Bearers we have back to Canterlot and retrieve the Elements. I do not know if you will be able to use Laughter or not, but you must try. If it works, all is well. If not, well, five Elements should suffice to slow the Nightmare down until Pinkie Pie is freed."

Twilight asked "But what if he... Er, she..." The mare paused, unsure of whether to call a female demon in a male body 'he' or 'she.'

"One problem at a time my student." Celestia answered. "Do as you can. Meanwhile, I will speak on the human newscast as soon as possible, hopefully tomorrow morning, and with luck Pinkie will be freed soon after."

Rainbow Dash said "I know we gotta hurry, but one more question... What about Squirt and her friends?"

"They will be safer on Earth with the Nightmare free. Though, perhaps they should travel with us rather than staying here."

Delayed only by Brian's insistence on one minute with his daughter, the group heading back to Equestria gathered around Princess Luna, who spread her wings to give them all an easier way to be in contact with her.

Luna activated the recall. Three seconds later they were gone. "Well," Thomas said, "If we're really gonna try to reach New York City by morning tomorrow, we'd better get moving..."

Luna and the Element Bearers arrived back in Canterlot to find pandemonium. The north quarter of the city was ablaze, civilian ponies running out, guard and rescue ponies in. "Luna!" Cadance galloped up as soon as she saw them. "What's going on?"

"Have the guard keep it busy. We will gather the Elements." Luna paused, deep in thought. "On second thought, minor change to my sister's plan... Cadance, you are more likely to get results from the Element of Laughter than I. Go with the Bearers. I will keep 'Don Nightmare' occupied." The Princess then flew off into the damaged portion of the city.

"You heard her ladies." Cadance said. "Let's go." Sparing a moment for one last glance in the direction her aunt had flown, she raced towards the castle along with the others...

Luna, meanwhile, was aghast at the scene of devastation she was flying over. How could anyone, even the Nightmare, do so much damage so quickly? Looking ahead, she caught sight of it, funneling it's stolen power into twin vorticies of flame from each of the human's hands, burning everything in sight. She landed behind the monster, charged up a spell in her horn, and blasted away.

Don Nightmare was thrown to the ground, but not hurt. Luna quickly threw up a shield as it tried to counter with a spell of it's own. "Just as I want you to..." Luna thought. Her plan was straightforward. Except for the ability to possess a living host, the Nightmare had no real powers of it's own. And since humans lacked magic, it couldn't be drawing anything from the Don. Therefore, she had only to wait it out until it exhausted the power stolen from her. Simple, and easy, save for provoking it's attention onto herself in order to spare others and speed up the process. Or so she thought...

"I know what you're thinking princess." Don Nightmare said. "But it's not that easy! Magic or no, this human is pure evil... And evil is also a power source for me!"

Luna swore under her breath. She should have seen that. Then she smiled. If the Don himself really was pure evil, with no redeeming qualities at all, (And he would have to be, for his evil to be used like that), then there was no innocent victim inside to be preserved. Thus, there was no need to hold back.

Two seconds after Luna realized this, Don Nightmare found itself blasted hundreds of feet backwards, through half-ruined buildings, clear of the city center. Extending a pair or spectral wings from the back, it tried to slow and gain control of it's trajectory, but was unable to do so before slamming into the ground hard. Scrambling to it's feet, knowing that Luna could be counted on to press the attack, the Nightmare looked around for something to use to it's advantage but came up empty. And now here came Luna.

"Huzzah! A mighty blow!" The Princess bragged. "Yield. Yield, and relinquish the human's form."

"Tis true." Luna admitted. "Yet there is much to commend a fast and painless death over a slow and torturous one."

"There is much more to commend living!" The Nightmare shouted as it jumped to the attack, using magic to form a scimitar which it swung in a low arc. Luna dodged the first swing, the second, jumping back to gain space, using the precious moment of time gained to magic up a mythril coating for her horn which would give it the strength to dual with Nightmare's blade.

Four hours on the road. Brian knew that he needed to be well rested; he would be driving the next shift in place of Thomas who was up front right now. But he couldn't turn his mind off. Looking around the cabin, he could see Lyra staring out a window, Scootaloo playing with the old gameboy, the other two crusaders and Solomon's girls watching a cartoon, and Solomon trying to teach Celestia the Earth version of chess.

"I'm just wondering... Isn't it strange that Nightmare chose to control a human? I mean, we've got no magic..."

"Ah... Well, basically, it had no other options. Only the unrepentantly evil can be possessed against their will. If you have even the littlest good within you, you must invite it in... Which is why it usually goes after those in the grips of emotional distress, as Luna was so long ago."

"Inviting it in simply means answering it's request by saying 'yes.' It counts even if you do not understand what you are saying yes to."

Brian nodded, getting it now. "And someone in distress is less likely to think the question through."

Solomon looked back, saw that the children had all left to the rear cabin, whispered anyway, "In that case, what about Scootaloo? She's in distress, knowing her wings might never work..."

"No. Children do not have the legal authority to make binding decisions. Therefore, the Nightmare, which does have rules it cannot break, cannot exploit the young in that way."

"You seem strongly concerned for the filly. Is it because of her connection to Rainbow Dash?"

"It's because she is, as you say, a child. Though... Princess, Dashie wants me to adopt her."

"True. But between the importance of establishing ties between our worlds, and the fact that you have proven yourself a reliable and trustworthy father, well, I would have no objection if you and the filly both agreed."

Brian answered "Yeah, it's like I said to Dashie... Scoots is older than she was, and has a choice in the matter, and isn't going to want to leave her friends. And I'd hate the thought of taking her from what she knows."

"Separating may not be an issue. If i understand the gate design properly, it would also be possible to create a permanent link, for example a doorway that would be Earth on one side and Equestria on the other. Say, for example, Ponyville and your property..."

Brian smiled bigger than he had in years. "In that case, maybe I need to have a talk with somepony..."

Dashie: Twenty Percent Cooler

by Kieva Lynn

Twenty