//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Living Nightmare // by Autum Breeze //------------------------------// Chapter 7 ___________________________________________________________ Twilight stood outside the house, watching the skies. She glanced behind her and saw Granny Smith walking slowly past the window, look out at the sky with a solemn expression, then moved away. Twilight returned her eyes to skies, hoping to see her soon. Things had spiraled out of control in ways the Princess of Friendship never would have thought possible. She’d gotten up that morning with the intent to go speak with Celestia about Stellar and what she’d seen so far from the small time she’d been with the young Alicorn, when a guard had knocked on her door and told her Big Mac had come to speak with her about something urgent. Twilight had teleported down and found him looking flustered and panicked. When asked why he just said one word. “Stellar.” At once Twilight’s mind went into a panic and she teleported straight to the Apple family farm, fearing the worst... but even her worst hadn’t seen this coming. As soon as she appeared in the living room of the Apple family’s house she’d called out, only to be met by the sound of frantic hoofsteps coming down the stairs and being barreled over by and frantic Applejack. “What’s going on? What happened to Stellar?” Twilight asked as the two untangled themselves from each other. “Ah... Ah dunno,” Applejack said, the terror apparent in her voice. “Ah went t’ get her up this mornin’ and... Just come an’ look. Ya’ll see.” And see she did. When she entered the room Stellar had stayed in for the night she felt her heart clench. Stellar was just sitting on the bed, her eyes unfocused, staring at nothing, even her mane and tail weren't moving. She’d hurried over and put her hooves on the filly’s shoulders. “Stellar? Stellar! What’s wrong? Stellar, look at me, please!” But she didn’t. Stellar didn’t respond at all, didn’t even blink. It was like she couldn’t hear Twilight’s voice, feel her hooves on her shoulder. The child was still and unresponsive, like a doll. “What happened?” Twilight had rounded on Applejack, her voice tight. “Why is she like this?” Applejack had then explained what she could about what had happened after Stellar had come over after school. It was not good. Somehow, Stellar had learned that she wouldn’t be going back to her world and, worst of all, she’d learned that, not only was she now a living prison for Nightmare Moon, but that, as Michael, she had died and only by becoming Nightmare’s prison had she been able to live. She would never see any of her family ever again, and was dead to them. No child, no matter the circumstances, should have to know that and all at once. True, Stellar would have found out at some point, but so soon and so young? It wasn’t fair. It was like the universe, or multiverse was tormenting her, forcing her to suffer for no good reason. Stellar had done nothing wrong, she had been an innocent little boy who had already been dealt a hard blow from life by getting a brain tumour and now all this? It was too much for one filly to take and now, they were dealing with the results. Stellar was still unresponsive and it had been an hour since Twilight had arrived and learned all this. It frightened her to no end. She’d never seen a pony in that kind of state, even Pinkie at most saddest had never gone this far. Then again, Pinkie had never been ripped from her own world, trapped in the body of a creature completely different to what she’d been born as, become the living prison for one of the worst entities to ever exist or learned that she could never see her family again, but that she had died. Actually, Pinkie might have been able to handle all that, but not Stellar. It was too much to put on such a young soul. They needed help. They needed the closest thing Stellar had left to family. The mare who had given life to the form she now inhabited. Twilight sighed, rubbing her eyes with a forehooves, then returned her gaze to the sky. After that, the others had come and they’d all tried to snap Stellar out of the trance she was in, yet nothing worked. Even Fluttershy hadn’t been able to comfort the child. She’d just remained the same as when Twilight first saw her that morning, non-responsive and seemingly dead to everything around her. Suddenly, Twilight noticed a small dot in the distance. Within minutes, the dot had revealed itself as Princess Luna and she landed in front of Twilight, looking tired and disheveled. “Twilight Sparkle,” she said in a voice that said her night had been taxing and she hadn’t gotten any rest afterwards, “why have you called me here?” Twilight looked down, feeling a little uncertain how to say it. In the end, she decided to be blunt. “It’s Stellar.” Luna twitched, causing Twilight to step back. A new look had entered Luna’s tired eyes: fear, mixed with worry. “Wh-what...? What’s wrong?” Twilight looked away again. “She... well...” Twilight sighed. “You should see for yourself.” ___________________________________________________________ Luna’s heart felt like a claw of ice had wrapped around it at the sight of Stellar sitting on the bed. She seemed dead to the world, not even acknowledging anything around her. She hurried over and wrapped the filly in her forelegs. “Stellar? Stellar, please, answer.” The filly didn’t even respond at the sudden movement, or being grabbed and held in the bigger Alicorn’s grasp. Her head to lobbed to the side as Luna pulled her close. Her breathing was steady, but that was the only thing to indicate that she was alive. “St-Stellar?” she whispered, fear apparent in her voice now. The filly made no response what so ever. Tears slid down Luna’s muzzle and onto Stellar’s forehead. “I’m... I’m sorry, Stellar,” she sobbed. “I’m so, so sorry.” She looked to Twilight. “When did this happen to her?” Applejack explained what had happened after Luna left the two of them the previous night. She had gotten Stellar back to the farm, but the filly had refused to eat anything. When Applejack checked on her the next morning, she’d seen that the food on the tray she’d left hadn’t been touch and found her like this. “What do we do now?” Applejack asked, looking distraught. “Ah haven’t told Apple Bloom yet. She went to school, thinkin’ Stellar was jus’ sleepin’ in an’ Ah was le’n’ her ’ecause o’ what happened at school between her and Diamond Tiara. But, now...” Luna held the filly closer, took a deep breath, then let it out, closing her eyes. “It is the knowledge of this all that has brought her to this state.” “Well, that’s obvious,” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “But, if she were to forget, she would return to as she was before,” Luna continued, not paying attention to Rainbow’s comment. Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Um, forgive me, princess, but, how exactly would she just forget something as traumatizing as learning she died and can never see her family again and is now the soul being keeping Nightmare Moon imprisoned?” Luna looked to Twilight, her expression grim. Twilight’s eyes widened. “Luna, you’re... you’re not serious, are you? You want to erase her memories?” There were gasps from all mares in the room, all eyes staring at Luna. Luna looked back to the filly in her grasp, leaned down and placed her chin on the top of her head. “I do not wish to do so anymore than the rest of you, but I cannot bear to leave this child suffering.” A few new tears slid down her muzzle and onto Stellar’s head. “She’s suffered enough at my hooves as it is.” “Now, Princess,” Applejack started, her tone scoldly, “ya’ll can’t keep blamin’ yerself. Ya’ll had nothin’ t’ do with—” “I had everything to do with Stellar’s suffering,” Luna snapped, turning her head and glaring at the farm mare. “It was my actions over a thousand years ago that led to Nightmare’s birth. It is my fault she still remained after you all purged her from me.” She returned to rest her head on Stellar’s. “It is my fault this child lost everything she had and became a living prison.” Twilight shook her head, walked up to Luna and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Luna, you told me about the battle you and your sister had with Sombra. You told me how you don’t remember what happened after he hit you with the same spell he did Celestia.” She looked away, then back again. “I think that was the day Nightmare came into being. It wasn’t your fault; Sombra created her. His spell amplified your fears about ponies not appreciating your night and Celestia dominating you in power and it created her as an alternate personality and, as time went on, you became able to connect with her inside of you both being separate personas of one pony. You were never at fault, so stop blaming yourself for what’s happened to Stellar.” Luna was silent for several moments. “Thank you, Twilight,” she said quietly. “Your words are comforting.” Even if I cannot believe them, she said to herself. I am the only one to truly blame for Stellar’s suffering. “S-so, you’re really going to do it?” Fluttershy quivered. “You’re going to e-e-erase all of Stellar’s memory?” Luna shook her head. “No, not all of it. Only her memories from after she fell asleep yesterday afternoon. It was after that she was pulled into the nightmare Nightmare had created and then met Nightmare deep within herself. Remove those memories and she will be the same as she was before.” Twilight looked away, as did all the others. Erasing Stellar’s memories was morally wrong, they were her memories and nopony had the right to take them away. But, with those memories, she suffered, without them, she could be happy for a little bit longer. As much as they all hated the idea, it was the only thing they had been given to help her. Reluctantly, each mare slowly nodded their head. Luna gave the smallest of smiles and nodded. “Thank you. Twilight, we should do this as soon as possible.” Twilight nodded, though she still looked uncertain. Luna released Stellar, who flopped onto the bed like a rag doll the moment she was out of Luna’s grasp and merely lay there. Luna’s horn glowed and Stellar was enveloped in her night-blue magical aura. Stellar’s eyes slowly closed and, within moments, her gentle breathing told them that she was asleep. Twilight came up and stood next to Luna stood, facing Stellar and their horns aglow with their magic. Twilight allowed Luna to lead her into Stellar’s memories, her being the guard and Twilight being the power to ensure they were successful. Within moments the memories were located and rounded up into a sphere of purple magic and, with a grimace, Twilight destroyed the memories, cutting them off from Stellar. Soon as the memories were gone, they pulled out and Twilight fell onto her flanks. That had been more exhausting than she’d expected, but she was already tired from worry, so that might had attributed to it as well. “Is... is it done?” Fluttershy asked hesitantly, looking unwell. Luna nodded, her mouth turned down in a grim frown. “Yes. Stellar no longer remembers the dream. At least, not entirely.” “Not entirely?” Rarity arched an eyebrow. “Memories are a very delicate thing, Rarity,” Twilight said, rubbing her head with a hoof. “We couldn’t really get rid of the memories. All we could do was disconnect the pathways leading to them.” “So, Stellar’s still gonna remember what happened in her dream?” Dash asked incredulously. Luna nodded. “In ways. Mostly she will remember the sadness she felt when she learned the truth. She won’t know what it was from, but she will remember it causing her great sadness and nothing more.” She sighed. “I also cannot stop Nightmare from invading her dreams.” “What?” Twilight shouted her eyes wide. “You mean Nightmare will just keep doing this to her, possibly until Stellar cracks completely and becomes a vegetable?” Luna shook her head. “Due to her having similar Dream Walking abilities as myself, Stellar unconsciously is creating a barrier around her dreams, whether they be good or bad, preventing me from entering them to aid her. Until she learns to control it, I cannot help her in the dream realm. However, I have been able to prevent Nightmare from creating a repeat from yesterday.” The other six breathed sighs of relief. “I am not, however, able to stop Nightmare from invading her dreams.” Shocked faces stared back at her. “She will, however, be unable to fully materialize herself in the dreams. She will be a phantom. Always seen, yet never seen at the same time. Always there, but unable to reveal herself.” “An’ that’s better?” Applejack asked, her voice complete skepticism. Luna nodded sadly. “It is the best we can do for her for now. And, for this time at least, her sleep will be dreamless. As for after... I do not know.” There was silence for several moments as all of them tried to figure out what to say next. “So, what do we do now?” Dash finally broke the silence. “We keep to the original routine we had planned,” Twilight said, taking a deep breath. “Now that she doesn’t remember the dream and what happened after it, Stellar will be expecting us to continue with what we told her would be happening. To divert from that path now would cause her to become suspicious, and maybe find out what she shouldn’t again.” Luna nodded, then looked away, sadness returning to her eyes. “So, who was she meant to stay with next?” “That would be myself,” Rarity said, stepping forward. “Originally she was going to come to the boutique with Sweetie Belle. Our parents are travelling again and I’m looking after her, so she was going to show Stellar the way and it would have gone from there.” Luna gave a small nod. “I... I guess you all have it under control again. I’ll... I’d best be off.” And before anypony could get another word in edgewise, Luna teleported away, leaving a slightly confused silence. ___________________________________________________________ Luna, Twilight though sadly, looking at the place the other Alicorn had been moments before. You’re still blaming yourself, I can tell. Why must you put yourself through this pain? “Well, let’s get ’er t’ yer shop, Rares,” Applejack said, her voice pulling Twilight off her train of thought. “When she wakes up, ya’ll can say she slept fer a long time and we didn’ wanna wake ’er, so we took ’er t’ yer place so she wouldn’t have to be woken up later.” Rarity huffed, looking away. “You mean I have to lie to her, Element of Honesty.” Applejack blanched and looked away. “I’m... sorry, Rare.” Rarity shook her head. “Some of that lie is truth and I will use truth. I will not tell her a direct lie, but I will work around the truth. Now, come,” her horn glowed and Stellar levitated into the air and over to Rarity, who gently lay her on her back. “Let’s get her to my boutique and I will prepare her a very late meal. After all, she hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday aside from what Twilight packed her for school. When she wakes up, I have a feeling she will be ravenous.” The other all nodded and broke up. Twilight returned to her castle while the others returned to their daily activates. Applejack followed Rarity through town towards the boutique, carrying Stellar’s saddlebags. As they walked through the town, many ponies stopped and stared at the unconscious filly on Rarity’s back. A fair few even gave dirty looks to the trio, the two mares returning the looks back tenfold. When they reached Carousel Boutique, Applejack said her goodbyes to Rarity, needing to get back to the farm and start the work she’d put off because of what happened to Stellar and left, leaving the saddlebags by Rarity’s front door. Rarity went upstairs to the room she’d made for Stellar Nova. It was a fine room, if the fashionista did say so herself. The room was themed after the night-sky. The wallpaper was of a night-blue with stars dotted all around in the many constellations of its real counterpart. The floor was carpeted with a fine woolen down that was comfortable to the touch and coloured to match how the ground would look at night. Stellar’s bed was fine and well-kept, with covers of dark-blue, blending with the theme. By the wall there was a desk made of dark sander wood for when Stellar would be studying during her stays. All in all, Rarity was pleased with the room. True, it was a little of an expense on her part, especially since Stellar would only be staying one day at a time, but she would never have forgiven herself for not being an accommodating host, even if it were to a filly that looked like Nightmare Moon. Gently, Rarity lifted the sleeping Alicorn from her back and lowered her into the bed, draping the covers over her. She had to admit, while she was asleep, Stellar looked very cute. So innocent and peaceful. She only wished it would always be that way. After brushing some of the young filly’s mane out of her eyes, Rarity turned and walked out the room, closing the door quietly behind her and allowed Stellar to enjoy a peaceful, dreamless sleep.