Twilight couldn't believe what she was seeing. There on stage was the dark blue alicorn sister to her mentor. Princess Luna pranced back and forth across the stage in full royal regalia as the audience cheered, a small microphone headset attached to her head.

"I said, ART THOU READY TO PARTY?!" the princess cried again, louder than the first time. She was met with a roar of agreement.

"Ah, if it isn't my old friend Clover the Clever," the princess said, smiling down at Twilight. "You are looking good for your age."

"Princess," Twilight said, pushing to the front of the crowd, "It's me, Twilight Sparkle."

"Now miss Twilight, if you are going to name me by my costume I will name you by yours."

"Costume?" Twilight asked confused. "But you aren't wearing a-" Twilight's eyes grew wide as two monstrous beasts stalked out from back stage, taking their places near the band. One was a the unmistakable daemon of smoke and shadow, bone white antlers rising from a skull that was dripping either ink or very dark blood. The other was some sort of robot spider centaur, each limb tipped with blades still wet with gore. "Princess! Behind you?"

"Hm?" Princess Luna looked round at the creatures. "Ah, it's time for my song it seems. Don't go anywhere and maybe we can talk after."

The robotic spider thing produced a microphone as the band began to play. It's mouth opened and an errie electronic voice came out.

"In the daylight,/ I’m your sweetheart,
Your goody-two-shoes pure as a work of art.
But you don’t know me,/ And soon you won’t forget,
Bad as can be, yeah you know I’m not so innocent

Better beware I go bump in the night,
Discord-may-care with a lust for night,
And I know you, (oooooooh)
Can’t resist this
You know you
Are so addicted.
Fools you better run for your life!"

There was a flash of dark magic, and suddenly Nightmare Moon stood on stage in the princesses place, singing to the crowd.

"Welcome to the nightmare in your head,
Say hello to something scary,
The monster you all dread,
Just give in or you'll be sorry,
Welcome to my other side,
And now it's Mrs. Hyde!"

Dark forms boiled out of Nightmare's starry mane, manifesting into ghostly monsters that drifted through the crowds producing shrieks of fear and laughter.

"I can be the witch,
I can play the bore,
Or your fairy tale princess who could ask for more?
A touch of wicked,
A pinch of risqué,
Good girl gone bad, my poison is your remedy"

Better be scared, better be afraid,
Now that the beast is out of her cage,
And I know yooooooooou,
Wanna risk it,
You know yoooooooooooou
Are so addicted.
Fools, you better run for your lives!

Welcome to the nightmare in my head,
Say hello to something scary,
The monster in you all dread,
Just give in and you won’t be sorry,
Welcome to my evil side,
And now it's business time!

Nightmare Moon reared up on her hind legs, striking an imposing figure for a moment. As she came back down she seemed to melt, her hair swirling around her. As the magical smoke cleared and Sarah stood up. Her right arm was a masterwork of silver and steel, and her long shimmering dress looked like a window into a star filled sky.

"I’m the spider crawling down your spine,
Underneath your skin.
I will gently violate your mind,
Before I do you in.
Put on the blindfold
There’s no way to be sure,
If you'll survive tonight!

Welcome to the nightmare in my head,
Say hello to something scary,
The monsters that I dread,
Better run or you'll be sorry,
The Nightmare's in your head,
Say hello to something scary,
The monster that you dread,
Just give in and you won’t be sorry,
Welcome to my evil side,
And now it's business time!

The crowd went wild as the song wound down. "Hello Castle Nightmare!" Sarah cried to a renewed cheer. "Tonight, we are here to celebrate not one, not two, but three separate holidays. Many of you may know the story behind one or two of these, but I doubt more than a claw-full know the story behind all three. Let us start with the tale of the founding of the Gryphon Empire and the Ghost Flight."

A dozen gryphons joined Sarah up on stage, gathering into two groups at opposite sides around small torches. Overhead a strange ghostly cloud hovered, and Twilight could swear she saw glowing eyes and strange equine shapes moving in the fog.

"Thousands of years ago, just after the founding of Equestria and the mark of Hearth's Warming Eve, the scattered tribes of gryphons were at war. An unnatural winter had settled over the land, destroying crops and driving the tribes against each other in a desperate bid for survival." As Sarah narrated, some of the gryphons left the torches and stalked towards the others, meeting in the middle in a mock battle. "But so cold was the winter that the battles never finished. The warriors of each tribe were frozen in place at the height of combat." Crystals made of blue cellophane stretched between wooden frames sprung up from the stage between the gryphon fighters and the audience, giving the impression of each being frozen in a block of ice.

"The cold blew through the camps, chilling even the hearth's and forges. Confident of their success, the terrible windigos descended from their icy clouds to claim the last of the gryphons, planing to seal them in icy prisons of hate forever." The ghostly horses drifted lower, and a few more ice blocks popped up over gryphons around the flickering and fading torches.

"It was at this time that young Agustus, barely into his fifteenth year, began his rise to power. While normal weapons and armor had no effect upon the strange and ghostly creatures, iron blades and claws made in the cooled forges cut deep into their side." A young gryphon swung a deep blue blade at one of the ghostly horses, cleaving it in two as it let out a terrible wail. "So armed, he and a smattering of remaining warriors flew against the creatures that had claimed his homeland.

Five gryphons gathered behind the young one, dropping their armor and weapons and replacing them with ones painted a deep blue. The rock band began to play a heavy tune, and one of the female guitarists stepped up to the mic.

"They see you as small and helpless
They see you as just a child
Surprised when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild

Prepare for your greatest moments
Prepare for your finest hour
The dream that you've always dreamed is
Suddenly about to flower

As one the gryphons launched into the air, beginning a tight areal battle between the ghostly horses and the blue clad gryphons. The audience roared as the fight began.

"This will be the day we've waited for
This will be the day we open up the door
I don't wanna hear your absolution
Hope your ready for a revolution
Welcome to a world of new solutions
Welcome to a world of bloody evolution
In time-your heart will open minds
A story will be told
And victory is in a simple soul"

As the ghosts were beaten back over the crowd and up towards the sky, the blue 'ice' blocks fell away from the frozen warriors on the stage. When they began to fight again, the young 'Agustus' landed and stopped them, redirecting them towards the windigos in the air. Similarly he dragged the unwilling from the campfires up into the fray.

"Your world needs a great defender
Your world's in the way of harm
You want a romantic life a fairytale that's full of charm

Beware that the light is fading
Beware as the dark returns
This world's unforgiving
Even brilliant lights will cease to burn

This will be the day we've waited for
This will be the day we open up the door
I don't wanna hear your absolution
Hope your ready for a revolution
Welcome to a world of new solutions
Welcome to a world of bloody evolution
In time your heart will open minds
A story will be told
And victory is in a simple soul"

The final ghostly windigo was driven to the stage and slain on the final note, a much older looking Agustus now standing victorious. "Well, wern't that somethin." Applejack said, watching as the gryphon actors stepping off the stage to talk with the audience.

"I had no idea the Gryphon Empire was founded around the same time as Equestria." Twilight said, telekinetically sketching out notes as fast as she could. "The uniting of the three pony tribes and driving the windigos out must have been the catalyst that started their own rise! This is so exciting!!"

"Uh, right." Applejack said, turning her attention back to the stage. Sarah raised her hands to call for quiet, drawing her audience back to her.

"Next up tonight, we have the Bittersweet Harvest." Sarah said, waving a hand and inviting a large number of 'zombie' canids up on stage. "A tradition that actually mirrors one from my homeworld, on this night the canids who have passed on during the year are escorted to their final resting place and those who have passed on may visit loved ones in disguise." The canids began to mill about, dancing to a soft classical tune drifting from Octavia's section. "Old foes might use it to scare, and friends and family who have gone on use it to heal the wounds left by-"

"You!" one of the canids yelled in shock, causing the others to jump back. There stood a young but commanding canid, her redish fur covered in green and grey dye. She was glaring at a taller, older canid of similar color who had done a much better job on her costume.

"How dare you?" Red asked, enraged. "How dare you show yourself here tonight?! I had all but forgotten you." The band started to play a different tune.

"What do you even care?! You abandoned me! You walked right into the Emerald Hound's lair to your death."

"And where are they? What good did it do to have all of you slain in that stupid feud? To have my aunt wake me to tell me that not only was my entire family dead but now we were homeless as well?"

"NO!" Red said, catching up a microphone. "You weren't there when I felt like I'd reached the end. You weren't there when I was considering a final option. Do you even know how hard your death hit me?"

"Couldn't take it couldn't stand another minute
Couldn't bear another day without you in it
All of the joy that I had known for my life
Was stripped away from me the minute that you died

To have you in my life was all I ever wanted
But now without you I'm a soul forever haunted
Can't help but feel that I had taken you for granted
No way in hell that I can ever comprehend this

I wasn't dreaming when they told me you were gone
I was wide awake and feeling that they had to be wrong
How could you leave me when you swore that you would stay
Now I'm trapped inside a nightmare every single fucking day

It's like a movie but there's not a happy ending
Every scene fades black and there's no pretending
This little fairy tale doesn't seem to end well
Theres no knight in shining armor who will wake me from the spell

I know you didn't plan this
You tried to do what's right
But in the middle of this madness
I'm the one you left to win this fight

Red like roses
Fills my head with dreams and finds me
Always closer
To the emptiness and sadness
That has come to take the place of you

I know you're broken down by anger and by sadness
You feel I left you in a world that's full of madness
Wish I could talk to you if only for a minute
Make you understand the reasons why I did it

I wanna tell you that you're all that ever mattered
Want you to know that for eternity I'm shattered
I tried so hard just to protect you but I failed to
And in a prison of abandonment I've jailed you

I never planned that I would leave you there alone
I was sure that I would see you when I made it back home
And all the times I swore that it would be okay
now I'm nothing but a liar and you're thrown into the fray

This bedtime story ends with misery ever after
The pages are torn and there's no final chapter
I didn't have a choice I did what I had to do
I made a sacrifice but forced a bigger sacrifice on you

I know you've lived a nightmare
I caused you so much pain
But baby please don't do what I did
I don't want you to waste your life in vain

Red like roses
Fills my head with dreams and finds me
Always closer
To the emptiness and sadness
That has come to take the place of you

You're not the only one who needed me I thought you understood

Would I change it if I could?

Every nightmare just discloses

And no matter what I do

The canids re-converged on stage, all bowing to the audience before separating out into the crowd. Sarah stepped back up, applauding as well. "The Bittersweet Harvest everyone! That brings us, of course, to the final holiday we are celebrating this night. As you are all aware not too long ago Princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria, returned from lunar exile. She was still woefully intertwined with Nightmare, a creature of the dreamscape Luna ruled. With the Elements of Harmony, six brave young ponies managed to separate the princess and Nightmare, ending the madness that had consumed their merged minds."

A black fog seemed to roll out from back stage, swirling around the hooves and equipment of the band and pooling near Sarah. Slowly the fog began to pull together and rise.

"In Equestria the summer sun festival honors the princess's return, but tonight is not her night. Tonight is-"

"Nightmare Night" the black fog said, congealing into a somewhat ghostly Nightmare Moon. Ponies cried and fell back from the stage, and even Twilight recoiled from the ghostly sight.

"It is this night when we dress in costume and dance with the darkness," Sarah said, sweeping up beside Nightmare, "giggling at the ghoulish and facing our fears, for in facing them we grow stronger."

Sarah and Nightmare Moon danced around each other as electric and operatic music swelled from the amplifiers. Sarah began to sing, her voice having a haunting edge to it.

In sleep you sang to me
In dreams you came
That voice which calls to me and speaks my name
And do I dream again for now I find
The Nightmare of Equestria is there
Inside my mind

Nightmare joined in with the second verse, pulling and dancing around in a ghostly fashion.

Dream once again with me
Our strange duet
My power bound with yours grows stronger yet
And though you turn from me to glance behind
The Nightmare of Equestra is there
Inside your mind.

Sarah and Nightmare began to sing, a strange chorus considering they had only one mouth.

Your/My spirit and my/your voice in one combined Your/My spirit and my/your voice in one combined
The Nightmare of Equestria is there/here The Nightmare of Equestria is there/here
Inside my/your mind Inside my/your mind

In the background, twin guitarists stepped up to microphones and began to add their own voices to the song.

Its there, the Nightmare of Equestria!
Beware, the Nightmare of Equestria!
Its there, the Nightmare of Equestria!
Beware the Nightmare of Equestria!

BOTH
And in this labyrinth And in this labyrinth
where night is kind where night is kind
the Nightmare of Equestria is there/here, the Nightmare of Equestria is there/here,
inside my/your mind inside my/your mind

Sarah's voice rose in a single pure and beautiful note. As she sang, Sarah herself lifted into the air, dark tendrils of shadow supporting her. More reached back and tore the curtain from the back of the stage, revealing a large blank wall of flat stone. Nightmare's head appeared, floating above the scene and gazing down.

"Dream, my Angel of the night" Nightmare commanded, and Sarah began to move her hands, directing a blue flame to the empty stone. As she sang and moved her hands the flame extended, stretched and split, growing into a large and intricate spell circle.
Dream, my Angel
With each command Sarah took a deep breath and sang the long haunting note again.
Dream for me
With each command the circle glowed and grew, more intricate, more detailed.
Dream, my Angel!
The limits of both voice and space were being reached, and the flames flickered and spun.
Dream for me!
The note reached an apex, held as the circle flared brightly before both finally snapped out and silence and darkness fell over the stage.

Cheers erupted from the crowd as the shadows died away and a single studious purple unicorn made her way to the front of the stage. The lights slowly came back up and the bands began to cycle through dance music. Twilight found herself not far from Sarah, who sat on the edge of the stage, drinking from a tall glass.

"You wanted to talk to me, Twilight Sparkle? I'm surprised you would even approach me after our last encounter."

Twilight swallowed hard, uncertain of what to do. Sarah should have been harmless, but with the Nightmare so active she could be as dangerous as Nightmare Moon. But she had thrown a party. But they had effectively kidnapped the pony guests for the party. But they didn't seem to be in any danger, and even Applejack was having fun, despite her misgivings. There were just so many questions, but it seemed best to start with the broadest one and work forward. "What is going on?"

"Its a party, Twilight! I would have thought with Pinkie Pie around you would have experienced at least a few of those before." Sarah waved at Pinkie, who was back on the dance floor again. "A celebration of holidays and festivals."

"But it isn't just that, is it?" Twilight asked, concerned, eying the huge blackened magical circle burned into the stone wall behind the stage.

"No." Sarah said, "It isn't, but that's a surprise. I'll tell you if you promise to keep it secret." She smiled, and Twilight nodded, leaning a little closer to listen.

Princess Luna had a long history of difficult decisions. She had aided her sister in the peace accords after the Draco-Gryphonic wars following Discord's fall. She had stared down Discord, challenged beasts and out foxed devious politicians.

Princess Luna was sweating bullets. Right now Nightmare, the same horrid creature that had resulted in her banishment for a thousand years, was inches from Twilight Sparkle. It was only with an iron will that she did not cast aside her facade and rush to her young friends rescue. Three of her guards were standing at her side, ready for a take down order, and everyone flinched when Twilight let out a loud "WHAT!?" only for Sarah to hush her.

"If I have to tell you to call me Moon Dancer one more time you will be on latrine duty for a month." the princess hissed, her voice on edge. "What is going on here?"

"It is similar to the one Sarah attempted to use to escape Equestria the first time, but without the Elements of Harmony I worry about how she intends to power such a spell."

"Leaving?" Twilight whispered, slightly embarrassed by her loud outburst. "But, all of these creatures..."

"They aren't my army Twilight, they are just creatures who fell on hard times." Sarah looked out over the party, "Many of them needed this," she said, waving an arm. "This party. Many haven't been happy for a long time. They've lost friends, family, homes, loved ones. I just wanted to see them smile for a bit before I left." Sarah stood, stretching out her left arm. "Anyway, it's time to get started."

Sarah picked up a microphone. "Alright DJ, we've had quite a few tricks tonight. I'd say it's about time for some treats!"

The deadly forms of D and Machina moved forward onto the stage next to Sarah. D was now carrying a great glass bowl filled with dozens of tiny slips of paper, while the spider like Machina was quickly setting out a dozen boxes.

Sarah waved her hand over the bowl with a flourish. "Here we have the names of every creature in attendance. If I call your name, please step forward." She pulled a piece of paper and glanced at it. "Applejack?"

The orange farmer swallowed heavily and padded slowly forward, her eyes flicking nervously to the monsters on either side of Sarah. Machina shifted, pushing a box forward, which Sarah opened. "Ahh, here we are." Sarah pulled out a stack of dark metal pans and a small book. "Pie pans, cake pans, and a skillet from the castle kitchens, along with a reproduction of the cookbook 'A Royal Snack by P.L and P. C.'. I can vouch for both the durability and effectiveness of these pans and the deliciousness of the recipes in the book."

Applejack looked at the prize as though someone had just handed her a 24 karat golden saddle. "T-THANK YOU!" She practically screamed, hurrying back into the crowd to a waiting Pinkie Pie, both eager to try the centuries old recipes.

"Next," Sarah said, pulling another name, "We have, oh, Twilight Sparkle! Another element bearer." Sarah turned to D, "You did mix these right?" D responded by shaking the bowl vigorously, while Machina pushed another book forward. Sarah opened the box and smiled. "Well, I don't think this could have gone to a better pony. As you are aware, Miss Sparkle, the library here in the castle is only maintained by the ancient spells here. That is why I have asked some of the refugees to make reproductions of some of the older texts. It is my great privilege to present some of those reproductions to you now."

Twilight lit her horn with glee as she accepted almost twenty books, all obviously constructed by claw and hoof.

More names were drawn, and more prizes given out ranging from a gem studded bracelet for a gryphon to earrings for Sweetie Belle (who had to Pinkie Pie Promise not to pierce her ears before she got them), to a list of recipes from other worlds for Pinkie Pie. At last there was only one small box remaining.

"Well Seeker, you've won the grand prize, though I'm afraid it still needs a little assembly." Sarah reached over to her metallic arm and pulled out a single golden bit. "D, Machina. Come here." She held up the coin. "A bit, my anchor in this world, for gold, to represent a wealth of spirit." Sarah passed the bit to Machina, who heated it, pushing a hole through it's center and stretching it out into a thin gold circlet. She intertwined it with a dull grey band of her own metal. "Steel," Sarah continued, "from beyond the stars, to show the strength of will."

Machina passed the circlet to D, who enveloped it in his shadowy body. When it emerged, the circlet now had a ring of bone intertwined with the gold and steel. "Bone," Sarah said, accepting the circlet back, "as a reminder of the wisdom of those who came before."

A dark tentacle of hair rose from behind Sarah, bearing a large sapphire. In it's center something dark flickered and moved. It was set in the center of the crown, held by the other materials. "And shadow, that, like all knowledge, is insubstantial and sometimes difficult to capture and use."

Sarah raised the crown high for all to see before lowering it onto Seeker's head, smirking at the astonished look the pony was giving her. "I hereby crown you Princess Seeker, of the Kingdom of Dreams.

"Y-you can do that?" Seeker asked in wonder. Everyone else in the castle seemed too stunned to speak.

Sarah opened the box and held up a thick folder of documents. "Here I hold official copies of the constitution of the Kingdom of Dreams, as well as letters of formal recognition from several major powers. It is by these laws and letters that this kingdom may trade and converse with foreign powers, and it is by these laws that rights of succession for ruler have been set. There are only two, the first being that a council, composed of one representative of each race, unanimously votes to remove the current ruler and unanimously selects a replacement." Sarah looked around at some of the non-pony guests and smiled. "The other is that the ruler may voluntarily give up their rule to any they deem worthy. For your bravery in coming, and your luck in being drawn, I have chosen you to succeed me." she said, handing the folder over.

"What!" A gryphon cried out. "Just like that? What happens if we don't accept that?"

"Well the first thing that would happen is the kingdom would no longer be recognized and the constitution would be rendered null and void." Sarah said calmly.

The gryphon snorted. "I think we can survive that." There was a soft cracking sound, and a glossy black brick landed at the gryphon's feet.

"The second is that the Nightmare energy holding the castle together and bound to the constitution dissipates and the entire castle crumbles to dust."

"Ooooh kay," Seeker said warily, her eyes not leaving D and Machina. "So I guess I'm princess until this council picks someone better."

Sarah nodded, then seemed to flicker, as though she and her companions were invisible for a split second. "Ah, it seems my time is up. Without the anchor even the princess' gease cannot hold me to this world." She smiled. "You may all want to stand back a bit for this." She raised her arms, and six large gems were lifted from their hiding place behind the stage by Nightmare tendrils and slotted into place on the massive spell circle at the back of the stage. An odd wind kicked up, and a swirling dark mass of energy formed above the center of the stage. Machina's spider form folded down impossibly into itself before attaching to Sarah's right arm, while D just seemed to turn to smoke and was absorbed by her left.

"Friends, guests," Sarah called, yelling over the unnatural howl from the portal, "I bid you farewell, but say that the night is not yet over. Dance, drink and be merry."

Sarah looked out at the crowd, her eyes seeming filled with sadness as she looked over everyone. "And remember me." With that she stepped into the portal and vanished, the massive gems draining away instantly and the circle and portal fading from reality.

Silence filled the space, a kind of respectful silence. Reggie, Zaephir, Thomas, Red, and Scorpio came forward and bowed to me, giving a sign of cooperation at least for now.

"Your.... majesty, there is much we should discuss" Reggie said, "We should retire elsewhere."

"I agree that there are many many things I'll need to know to run a kingdom, and I want to do my best, but certainly the majority of it could wait until tomorrow morning, right?" I shifted nervously from hoof to hoof, adjusting the crown to sit a little more evenly on my head. "I don't want to deprive the band of a member in the middle of a party. Let's let every, um, one have fun tonight and we can talk about details later."

"Very well," Red said with a sigh, her respectful nature dropping for a more casual one. "But you are going to have us hanging around you for the rest of the party trying to fill you in anyway so you'd better pay attention."

I nodded, "Fair enough, that will allow you to introduce me to everyone I haven't met yet." Pio went back to playing, and Red and Reggie helped me off stage and started to point out important creatures. "I've got to say, that was quite a show."

"Yeah, we've got to hand it to Sarah and Nightmare." Thomas said with a grin. "When they make an exit, they really make an exit."

Dimension Jumper

by redtau

And the Band Played On