//------------------------------//
// A God Without Worshippers 
// Story: The Substitute Demon 
// by Reykan 
//------------------------------//

	Warm. That was all his brain first registered as the alicorn finally came around the next morning. Warm, soft, and oh so very inviting. The night before was a blur, but what he could remember left his face between a grin and a blush. The two of them, Cimmerian and Pandinus, had very different ideas of what their night should entail. The queen was to the point; they were there for a purpose. He went along with it at first, but the next round, he was pretty sure she was convinced of the superiority of, well, enjoying their time together.

It didn't take long for someone to disturb him. By now he knew it was a forgone conclusion; the second he was comfortable in bed, some resident of the Temple would come along needing him for something. So as he sat in bed, the queen cuddled into his side in the much softer and more sensitive form of her alicorn disguise and the stallion swirling a pitcher of water in his magical grip, he pondered how to proceed. First order of business would obviously be a shower, one that would unfortunately have to be pretty quick. Wouldn't be able to get Swift and Humble in for it either, as the fewer citizens in the room right now the better. Next a quick brunch, then he'd be sending off the mercenaries. Herrick was supposed to be taking off today.

Nodding to himself, he tried several times to detach himself from his current captor, the queen's grip being much stronger than he remembered. It was probably the love she'd picked up despite not feeding during their, eh, fun. An idea popped into his head, and he started blowing into her ear. She flicked it a few times, before opening her eyes with an irritated scowl.
"Why are you doing that?"

"We need to get up." he told her, pulling her into a tighter embrace for a moment. "We're going to need a bath, and I think we'd have more time to enjoy it if we took it together."

The queen grunted in irritation, slowly disentangling herself from the stallion and making her way to the bathroom. She dispersed her disguise in a flash of ashen fire, leaving her true form visible even as she powered the arrays to heat the freshly drawn bath-water. It was a close thing, but they could both fit if they didn't lie down. Suddenly the door burst open, three drones buzzing in and starting to scrub and brush both of them down. At his confused look, the Din giggled.
"What good are drones if you can't take advantage of them every now and again?"

The alicorn shook his head, splaying his wings for the drone carrying his large feather brush, opting to use his own magic to lather a shampoo into most of his fur. He chuckled as the queen purred at the cleaning, leaving the bath-water churning around her.
'She's her own hot-tub when she runs the heating array.'

Both left the bedroom substantially more presentable, though they opted to leap or hover to the nearby balcony from the bathroom instead of traversing the biological disaster area that his room had become. As they flew around to the main entrance to hit the dining hall, Pandinus said she'd already sent several more drones to the room to help with the clean up. At the very least, they wouldn't have to worry about the pony servants being traumatized by the nightly activities of a male with magically enhanced endurance and a female that was empowered by love.

Ted laughed at the sight of the changelings in the dining hall, a few still having a slight pink tint to their eyes as proof of last nights bounty. Obviously there was no denying it, the scattered residents whispering and laughing amongst themselves as the two walked in. Even Scootaloo was present for the meal, though she still seemed to be recovering from the mental duress she'd undergone the last few days. 

"So much for not feeding last night." He said, giving the queen a shove with his flank as they made their way to the buffet table. Both filled plates, though Pandinus' was smaller as hers was merely for enjoyment.

"Tell you what, Cimmer. Go out to the river and shove your head in the water. Hold it there for a few minutes, and don't drink any water." The queen responded as they took their seats, a second large chair having joined his some time ago. "While I managed to shunt what I accidentally absorbed to the hive, it's quite difficult to not inhale the love I was drowning in when my conscious mind takes a sudden vacation. After all, for the longest time, I was desperately draining every bit of emotion I could find just to survive."
The queen took a few bites of a breakfast wrap, rolling the taste around her mouth for a few moments before continuing. "That being said, you've left me in a horrible position. While the love I can feed on afterwards was nothing to sneeze at, I'd rather not get washed away like I was the first time. Yes, it was mostly because of the blood rage that it was so intense, but I still sensed quite a bit of love last night, possibly enough to leave me feeling bubbly for a few days."

"And the issue is?" The alicorn asked, buttering a few pancakes. Oh, how he loved pancakes. The only thing he couldn't find out here was maple syrup. That was kind of depressing.

"The issue is I find myself with the horrible decision of either feeding to my hearts content or enjoying our time together to the fullest. It can be, difficult," the queen said before trailing her tongue along his neck "to enjoy the experience properly when my mind is clouded by so much love."

The alicorn rolled his eyes. "Heaven forbid you have to choose between pleasure or gorging. I wonder how many queens would have killed for that kind of problem."

Din giggled at the idea. "All of them, I assume." She leaned into his neck, breathing deeply as she placed her muzzle against his neck. "And I'd do the same to keep this problem.
"Oh, I do believe I have a solution!" She said after a few more inconsequential bites. "I do believe we can bypass the problem altogether by doubling the amount of nights we spend together."

Ted laughed at the proposal. "Oh, and this is different from your current agenda how, miss sneak into my room every night when she first molted?"

She responded with a pout. "If you don't want to keep me warm at night, I suppose I'll have to find someone else to do it."

"I never said I don't want you there. After all, you're very comfortable when you start purring." The alicorn said as he stood up to get a second helping of breakfast.







"It's so sweet!" Blur said, seated across from a new pegasus she'd introduced herself too. "I mean they always hang around each other, but he usually doesn't return the affection so publicly. I'm not sure if it was because he was nervous about it or because he didn't want to encourage her teasing."

"Sweet isn't the word I'd use, kid." Scootaloo responded. "The two are strange enough on their own. I mean I barely remember the first queen I've ever seen, and I saw her when I was a filly. This one's a saint compared to that one, but I'm pretty sure that by the time both of them are done growing, you said he drinks the honey too? I'm pretty sure by the time both of them are done growing, they'll be around the size princess Celestia was at before she was captured. I think they're getting close, too; maybe they'll pass her?"
Turning back to her conversation partner, Scootaloo hummed as she gazed at the yellow pegasus. "So how did you end up out here? I know I came in with the Talon's and I think five or six of the local ponies came in from Zarris, but otherwise..."

"Oh, I was part of the original group that participated in the ritual. We freed Father from the armor he was trapped in, in fact Shadow Weaver managed to create a ritual that basically created a new body for Father's spirit based on his old one. I, I'm ashamed to say this, but most of us thought he would kill us at one point. Even I was part of that group, but within a week I'd learned the truth. He watches us, he protects us, and for when he's not there to do it himself, he teaches us to defend ourselves."
"It was really bad before he was here." The yellow mare said quietly. "I honestly didn't think we'd survive the week, much less the year. Now ponies are forming herds, planning families, some even hope to have their own homes some day."

"When did that start? Calling him Father, I mean." The orange pegasus asked between bites of her meal.

Blur stared at her plate for a moment, the memory still vivid for her. "For me it was when I saw him put on his armor. He was so scary, yet he was so kind. He hugged me, and told me he'd help us, that the shadows weren't to be feared. For the others, I think it was after the gnoll raid. Most of us were easily overpowered. We weren't fighters, we were just a bunch of ponies lost in the jungle. Even the griffon Amald was overpowered by the raiders. Then he came back from his expedition. He came back, he saw us being taken away, and he just, he ripped them apart."
"Can you even imagine it? To be so certain that what little freedom you had was gone, and to turn, with chains around your neck, to see a creature you already knew wanted nothing more than your protection? He started glowing, I swear he looked bigger, he moved with such grace, I think even his voice changed a little when he was going after them. He passed out in his room afterwards from exhaustion, I think, but the second he was awake, he was here, making sure everyone was okay. That was when I knew he truly loved me, that he truly loved us all." She mumbled, tears forming in her eyes. "I started telling them about what he told me, how he wanted us to be happy, how he wanted to keep us safe, and they listened. Soon, it wasn't just me calling him Father. It spread after that, and soon it just became so common, even the newest residents were picking it up."

The orange pegasus mulled the information over for a moment, something about it bothering her.
"You said you freed him from armor?"

"Yes, the Nightmare's Raiment. We retrieved it from the Castle of the Alicorn Sisters. It was why most of us were scared at first. Weaver said it would pit two alicorns against one another. At best, they'd destroy each other. At worst, the winner would be weakened enough to be beaten by other beings. It, it didn't work out that way though. I know he responded to Nightmare for a while, but...but I can't help but think it wasn't his real name, like he was humoring us. Now I know Father's true name. I know it may sound strange, but I don't think he's the same creature that was bound to the princess all those years ago. All those tales of cruelty, of killing those who spoke against it. They're just too different from Father's actions."

"That's quite the leap of faith." 

"I know, but faith and hope was all we had back then." Blur told her. "Now we have a future. I'd say our faith and hope was well placed. Father didn't let us down. Even when we worried about the changelings, even when some whispered against his keeping the queen here, we held faith. She was sickly, she spoke in broken Equish, she just looked so scared all the time. Now look at her. She shines in the sunlight, she's the hive-mother of the changelings that come to the temple, and, and she's becoming so much more than a ruler every day. She's starting to fulfill the role of a Mother to Cimmerian's role as a Father." The mare giggled at the memory. " I know it's strange, but with how close she is to Father, it felt right. So one day I started to call her Mother. She didn't say anything, just kind of stared at me for a long while. I think it confused her. It still leaves her looking at me strangely some days, and some of the other residents look at me like I've grown a second pair of wings when I say it, but it feels right. It also makes me feel better, it makes me feel at home."
"I lost a lot over the years. I still don't know where my parents went, and my bothers... I need this. I need Father to be there for me, I love having Mother there, knowing she has eyes on everything that happens here. Even my dreams are guarded by my new family. What more could I ask for?"

A moment of silence settled between the two before Blur spoke again.
"Did he help you find her?"

At the orange mare's shocked expression, she smiled. "I heard you speaking about losing someone, and I know Father likes to help us. You slept most of the day away, so I assume you were with Father for most of the time. Did you find who you were looking for?"

"Yea. Yea I found her. Not in the way I was expecting, but I found her."

Blur reached a hoof over, laying it over the other mares hoof. "I'm sure he'll do what he can to help her too, and you if you ask him. If you need it, you can always come here. Everyone is welcome at the Temple of the Shadows."

"Even dragons?" Scootaloo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Look around you. We have changelings and gnolls, both creatures that ponies tell horror stories about, living here with us and the worst thing that happens is fights breaking out. There's no enslavement, no hypnotism. The only times I've seen changelings use those pods of theirs is to either help heal someone or to keep a prisoner contained." Blur explained. "We actually had a dragon from Zarris, Sahkest show up for a party we had. Father said we needed one, that it was our reward for making it so far. I think he wants to make it a yearly thing too, a founding party. No one said a word, no one panicked when he showed up. Sure there was some nervousness, but he was here with something for Father, said he was dropping something off." she smiled fondly at the memory. "I would have bet bits that Father would have claimed the queen that night, considering how smashed both were, but even drunk he isn't like that. Watch for them, Miss Scootaloo. If you see ponies or griffons, or thestrals or any creature that is lost or without hope, send them here. We wont turn away someone who needs help."
Blur gestured across the room, where Cadance was leaning against the larger alicorn even as Amare leaned into her own side. "He spent so much time watching Cadance, making sure she felt safe. I know that he'd do the same for anyone who asked for his help."



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"What do you mean we still have him?" Ted shouted at the queen as they walked outside.

"He's in the storage tunnels down below. Grift said the pony he talked to paid him to keep Pivot Pelt here, said that it was the quietest month they've had since the pest was transferred to this area." Din said, fishing for the information even as she spoke. "Grift also says that they're interested in purchasing changeling honey if we ever end up with enough to sell, and he said he picked up the form for the trade caravan."

The alicorn glared at the queen, as if attempting to send his anger down the link at the drone. "And he didn't mention this earlier, why?"

"What do you mean you forgot?" Pandinus yelled, forgetting she was using the link. "I don't care if you told us now, you should have told us a week ago!"
"He had one job." The queen huffed, dropping her connection to the lazy changeling. "One job and he managed to fuck it up."

"Hey now," Ted said with a grin, shoving her "I'm the only one allowed to use those expletives, they're mine. You're stuck with buzz and buck and the pony swears."

"Just because the followers don't use them around you doesn't mean they don't use your words." She retorted. Several seconds later, she smiled. "Ten seconds, and I can tell you I heard at least twenty uses of either shit, fuck, damn, bitch, or hell. Only four of those were from changelings."

Cimmerian blinked, looking at the queen in confusion. "You can get sort through that much information? Wouldn't you need to, I don't know, listen to every conversation going on around the temple for that kinda thing?"

"It's simpler than that, actually. I just tell them to ping me when they hear the words being used. Much easier than trying to sort through all that noise." She explained. She nodded to the griffons, most of their gear packed up. "It looks like they're just about ready to go."

"Herrick!" The alicorn shouted, drawing the attention of the Talon leader. "It was a pleasure to have you and your band. I'm sorry I was unavailable yesterday, something important drew me away."

"Yes, Eloise told us of that. I don't know what you two found, but I've never seen that mare so happy while at the same time depressed before." The griffon said as he approached. "I can't thank you enough for the rune. The mad queen's achieved victory after victory against us, and to be able to rub this in her face? I'll let you know when I get in touch with the minotaurs, I'm certain that they'll want to thank you for a way to defend themselves."

"Just give me plenty of warning. That's quite the trip, and I don't want to leave the Temple for too long, not when I'm providing both shelter and food for so many creatures here." The alicorn said with a smile. "Tell your guys to be careful, Herrick. The Mad Queen's not herself, and these victories may provoke her."

"What do you mean she's not herself?" The griffon asked in confusion.

"Do your people know of Luna's fall?" the alicorn asked. At the griffons nod, he continued. "Twilight fell to the same demon, or at the least the same type of demon. It really shouldn't surprise anyone, honestly. Alicorns are some of the strongest creatures on the planet. If one is caught in a moment of mental weakness, they make tempting targets. I don't know much about the creature, but it seems to be attempting to drive the world into the ground, so to speak. Destroying all the countries around it. That's why I don't think it will stop with the griffon and minotaur lands; it wants to make sure there's nothing out there to challenge it."
"Just do what you can to make the parasite miserable, Herrick. Celestia and Luna are still out there, and I know you all saw Cadance while you were here. If nothing else, give hope to your people. Let them know the Mad Queen's reign is not going to last much longer. Her power-base is a carefully constructed deck of cards. Pull one or two pieces, and it all falls apart. The drones were the first piece, and I have an idea of how to break a second. I just need some time to build up here, to make sure my people can make do without me for a while."

"Take this with you as well." Pandinus said, a drone arriving with a jar of pink glowing liquid. "I'd pick up some magical shielding for it while in Zarris, but most of the local drones that you'd attract with this around here have joined my hive. It's concentrated love, and it is extremely potent; a sapient drone could live off of a single drop for a week."

"You could use it for bait, if needed. Set it nearby in a strong container, destroy a crystal, and the drones would swarm it, trying to break into the container to get at it. I wouldn't use the whole jar for bait, but it's up to you."

The griffon eyed the glowing jar suspiciously for a moment, before turning back to the pair. "Why are you so hell bent on giving away this kind of stuff? First the rune, then liquid love. Surely you get something out of this."

"I'm doing this to help Luna and Celestia. Luna's been teaching me magic and providing a lot of insight into leading." Ted told the griffon.

The queen was silent for a moment, looking between the two as she planned her answer. "The Mad Queen has my mother. Anything that brings me closer to seeing my mother again, be it to free her, or to end her torment, is worth any price."
"Those drones you see attacking griffon settlements? Any of them could have been of my mothers brood, but from what I've learned from the injured alicorn she is a shadow of her former self. A mindless broodmare that exists for the sole purpose of laying eggs. I will not leave her to that fate. Even if I need to end her life myself." She finished, her voice cracking somewhat at the end.

Cimmerian placed a wing over her comfortingly and nuzzling her gently. "We'll get her out of there, Din. I'm sure she'd be proud of your hive, as well as your physical appearance."

Herrick was silent at the news. He watched as Scootaloo passed him by, picking up her gear and signaling her readiness. After seeing the same signal coming from all of his soldiers, he turned back to the pair.

"Thank you for your efforts against her, Cimmerian, and for opening your home to my people when they lost theirs. I know we're supposed to be mercenaries, but the Talons are griffons first and foremost, and a griffon without his honor is nothing. When the minotaurs finally do ask for you, I'll send some mercenaries to escort you to our base of operations for the area."
The old griffon gave him a knowing smile. "After all, the world isn't as large as most would assume if you have access to the right gear."

With that the mercenaries left, leaving the two large rulers pondering his words. Their thoughts were interrupted by a poke to Ted's side.

"Father?" Blur spoke, attempting to get his attention. "Scootaloo told me to let you know, when she left, that she'd be letting Applebloom have the good news in three days, so don't ruin it for her."

The alicorn blinked at the time-table, his mind attempting to wrap around the possibility. Getting to Equestria in three days should have been impossible, much less so far into the country. Then the words of the griffon leader hit him, causing him to burst into laughter.

Even as the queen stared at him like he was going insane, he wiped a merry tear from his eye.
'You cheeky little bastard, you have a teleport grid or something like that squirreled away at your base, don't you?'

That the two of them would even so much as hint at some sort of fast-travel system for travel between their bases, much less give such an obvious helping of information, it was impressive. In fact, he'd guess that under normal circumstances such information would be guarded jealously.

"What's so funny? Did I miss something?" Din asked, still as confused as he'd been a few moments ago.

"I'll explain tonight in the dream realm, I'd rather not break the trust he's put in me." Ted told her, hugging her with a wing. "Now come on, I want to see how the mine's coming along."

Pandinus rolled her eyes. "I could show you in the my dream, you know. Having so many drones lets me paint a fairly accurate picture."

"I know, but if I start relying on you for that, I don't get out as much. I just spent the last day sleeping, I need to catch up." Turning to the pegasus, he frowned. "Is there something wrong, Blur?"

The mare just watched the departing griffons for a momemt. "I asked her to watch for anyone who needs help, and to send them to Zarris. Father, is there any way I could stay in Zarris, or travel to other ports? You've done so much for me, given me so much, I want to share this. I want to share what we have here."

Cimmerian bit his lip. He wanted to do something like this, and Blur was the most vocal about her faith, but he couldn't just let her wander off on her own. It was a recipe for disaster.
"I'd love to let you do that, Blur, but there's no way I'll let you go by yourself."

"I may have a solution to that." Din cut in. She zoned out for a moment, obviously talking to a drone, before turning her attention back to the mare. "I want you to speak with Sleight. She will give you some basic survival training over the next week or two, and she will also be going with you. I want you to also find a griffon who would like to accompany you as well. Having one of their own to speak to will let them know we aren't just blowing hot air about accepting all species. Once Sleight believes you're ready, you may go. Is this acceptable, Cimmer?"

The alicorn watched the two a moment, his heart melting at the excitement in Blur's eyes. "Sure, Din. That will work fine. I want you hanging on every word that Sleight teaches you, alright Blur? I need you three to come back to us. We'll make sure you have supplies for your journey, as well. If it goes well, we may send out more groups for recruitment."

The pegasus squeaked in joy, rushing up to him and hugging him. "Oh thank you Father! I promise I won't let you down!"

"I know you won't Blur." He said, pulling her closer with his forelegs. "Just be careful."



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"What do you mean we've been attacked?" The mare said, glaring at the soldier. "The drones attack anypony not wearing an array, I've made certain of it myself. Nothing should be getting close enough to pose a threat, much less be capable of taking out a supply caravan. You're trying to tell me we've lost seven in the last week?" She yelled, several hairs springing up to poke at odd angles from her mane.

"Y-yes your highness. We've lost contact with seven supply caravans, and as I was leaving to hoof off this report, we were having trouble contacting one of our smaller outposts. The array crystal isn't responding either." The cowering soldier told his ruler. "W-we're currently preparing to send a team to physically make contact with the outpost from a nearby base, but it will be several hours before we can get eyes on the location, as it's in a remote location, and they don't have m-mobile communication crystals out there. The recon squad will need to bring the report back to the base to be passed back to us."

The mare paced the hall just outside her room, fury in her eyes. Suddenly she screamed, a nearby changeling drone being slammed against the wall as a vent for her rage.

"I want this figured out now! Do you hear me?" She screamed, sending the guard scampering back down the hall. The moment he was gone, the mare walked back into her royal suite, slamming the door as she started muttering to herself with her forelegs wrapped around her head.

"No no no no no, no, this can't be happening! I finally started feeding! The whole point of the drones was they were absolutely loyal, they can't be turned!" She stopped, staring at a mirror. Her fearful expression immediately turned to anger. "No! This isn't over! Do you hear me! I'm in control now! No one believes in you anymore! No one loves you! They all hate you, they all think you're a monster. Your dear foal sitter is dead, dead because of your research! Hahaha, and you saw her eyes when we threw her out, do you think she'd have ever forgiven you? You betrayed your friends, you betrayed your teacher, they'll all want you dead!
"Not just them either, oh no-no-no! They entire country, no, the entire planet will want you dead!" She said with a manic giggle. "There's no escaping it, Twilight. You're going to die, be it by my hooves or by those of your loving subjects! Oh, I wonder how they'd do it? Would you be beaten to death by an angry mob? Or maybe your beloved mentor herself would cast you into the sun? Idea! Let's go see Tia, shall we? Let's tell her Cadance is dead! Oh I can't wait to see the sweet despair on her face! And it's all because of you!" She tittered as she accessed the teleport grid Twilight had painstakingly created.



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Celestia was drawn to consciousness by the sounds of her cell being unlocked. It was strange, as normally the Mad Queen kept to a strict schedule. The ex-princess checked her aura, being certain her last visit from the other alicorns wasn't showing on her aura as the door was opened. Perhaps it was a good thing they'd not visited her lately?

"Hello there, Nag! I had the most wondrous news, and I wanted to share it with you. I would have been by earlier, but as I'm sure you know, running a kingdom is a very demanding job." The purple alicorn said with a cheerful smile.

Something was wrong. Celestia spent enough time around nobles to recognize an attempt to draw a specific reaction from her. Truly, the fact that she'd needed an outsider to bring the possibility of a second Nightmare to her attention was almost insulting. Instead of learning from the incident, she and her sister had put it out of their minds, doing their best to forget such a painful time.
'Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, I suppose that old nut-ball was onto something with that.' She thought to herself.

"So, I had this special tracking array in my room to allow me to watch a very important project I had set up." The mare happily explained. "Namely, the impact of a changeling link being forced on a pony! Oh, but this was a special pony. Most of the ones I tried this on snapped pretty fast, but this old girl? No sir, she was tough! In fact, she was so tough, it was only recently that she finally snapped! Such a shame too. The array kept track of her link to some changelings I let her leave with. With it down, either she killed that poor little nymph, the only daughter of her husband, or something killed her! Poor Cadance, I had hoped she'd last at least a few more months. Such high hopes, just dashed into nothingness. As it stands though, she's either dead, or a gibbering mess wandering the world with the blood of a foal on her hooves. Such a sad fate for a foalsitter, don't you agree?"

That was it. It was hoping to draw a reaction out of her by telling her Cadance was gone. Thanks to Cimmerian, she knew it was false; her niece was alive, if not well. The question was why was it fishing for a reaction now of all times? Had something happened? Despite her situation, the white alicorn felt her old smile gracing her lips as a plan formed in her head. It would put her, possibly her sister as well, at risk, but she had to know. She needed a definitive answer, not all of these guesses and clues. She took a cleansing breath through her nose, eyes never leaving the gaze of the mare before her. Luna had told her that she was aware of everything that occurred while she was possessed, so Twilight was likely watching the meeting right now.

"I don't believe you, Nightmare."

"W-what?" The mare asked in confusion. "I'm not, I'm Twilight Sparkle, one time princess and now queen of Equestria."

"No." The white mare replied. "You're a parasite, and I'm a fool for needing somepony to point out to me that my ex student and fellow princess wouldn't just fly off the deep end. I can only hope and pray that she forgives me for not noticing sooner."

"No." The Mad Queen whispered. "No. No, no no no, no!" Before Celestia could blink, the mare had her pinned against the back wall with magic. The purple mare then charged her, slamming her hooves into her barrel. "No, I don't forgive you! Luna's mine, you're mine, Equestria is mine, soon this whole planet will be mine! Nothing will stop me, do you hear me? I, Twilight Sparkle, will rule this mud-ball of a planet! Do you hear me?"

It was the first time she'd ever seen the Mad Queen react so violently to her, but it still wasn't an admission. She steadied herself and pressed harder. "She's alive, Twilight! Cadance is alive, and he's helping her. He told me he was, and he's going to help you too! Stars and sun, I don't care if you forgive me, just don't give up! I love you, Twilight, we all do!"

"No, she's mine! Do you hear me? Twilight is mine, and you'll never see her again!" Suddenly the mare's hair flickered, an illusion spell finally failing as the Nightmare let it drop. The white alicorn gasped in shock at the sight of her one-time student. Once-lustrous hair was now ragged and patchy, some clumps having fallen out completely and exposing bare skin. Her eyes were foggy, her snout cracked and caked in blood. Her hooves, even as she used them to press Celestia against the wall, were chipped and withered, looking like they belonged to a corpse more than an alicorn.
"Do you see this? This is your fault! You couldn't save her, you didn't notice in time! It's your fault she's in so much pain, and it's your fault I'm still trapped in her. Give up, just give up on her and it will all be over! Everyone will forget her, and I'll finally be able to feed properly!" It said, glazed eyes staring daggers at the choking princess.

For her part Celestia was torn between horror and shame. She'd ignored it for too long, letting the parasite do this to her student.
"I'm so sorry Twilight, I-I didn't watch, I didn't want to think about them after they took Luna from me."

The Nightmare slammed a hoof into the white mare's barrel, winding her. "Who is he?! Who is it that told you Cadance is alive? Where is he?!? How did he contact you? Tell me! I've come too far, I've come too close to lose it all! Answer me, you whorse!"

"Don't despair, Twilight. Help is coming. He'll stop her, he'll save you, I know he will!" The princess shouted to the mare. She knew Twilight could hear her, that was why the Nightmare was reacting so forcefully; it was panicking. Her host was awakening, her host was being brought back from the pits of despair. Her host caught a glimmer of hope, and the Nightmare could do nothing about that.

With a scream of rage, the Nightmare launched the beaten mare across the room, rushing her and bringing down both forehooves on her wing in a brutal stomp. The fear in the demon's eyes would have been enjoyable had they not been the stolen eyes of her student. It knew something was wrong, and there was nothing it could do to act against her newest foe. In fact, without the changelings, perhaps Cimmerian could overpower her even now? Maybe that was why it had come in the first place. It needed reassurance. A smile graced the white mare's lips for a moment in spite of the pain; she'd done the exact opposite, ruining any chance the Nightmare had of breaking either of them. 
"Tell me where he is! Tell me who he is! Tell me!" The mad-mare shrieked, bringing her hooves down again and again upon her limp victim.

Even as the pain overcame her, Celestia managed to find the strength to wheeze out a few more words.
"I'm sorry Twilight, by the Maker, I'm so sorry. Forgive me, I luh-love you.
"Please forgive me."