//------------------------------// // A Nightmare in Violet // Story: Edge of the Ponyverse // by TopWanted //------------------------------// “Rarity you’re designs are simply marvelous!” “Astonishing!” “They seem to pop!” “Beautiful!” Rarity had never felt happier. She stood before the Canterlot elite with her new signature line of dresses, bathed in accolades. She was the most famous designer in all of Equestria. Truly, she had everything she could ever want. “Thank you! Thank you! You have no idea the depth of which I appreciate your kind words. I just wanted to say that-” “Fraud!” Rarity’s ears perked up as she heard a pony in the back of crowd speak up. “Fraud! Liar! Fiend!” The crowd parted in confusion as an old mare in tattered clothes and hood approached her. Rarity frowned. “I’m sorry?” “You’re nothing but a charlatan!” the pony shouted. “You have everything you could ever want and yet you stay here! For what? To listen to the applause of ghosts?” As if on cue the crowd’s faces changed from confused to joyous as they began to applaud no one. Rarity looked around in confusion before a realization hitting her. “Enough,” she muttered, staring at the floor. The crowd continued. “I said enough!” With a loud stomp from her hooves the crowd vanished in a wisp of mist. She turned to the dresses beside her and swung a hoof through them, dissolving them into mist as well. The scene around her went dark and all that was left was her and the old mare. “I know it’s a lie. But it’s the only respite I have from the nightmare.” The old mare smirked and walked up to her until they were mere inches away. “You want to be free of the nightmare? Fine.” She lowered her hood to reveal an angry dark blue unicorn with glowing eyes and tiara. “Just give me control!!” ~`(\/)’~ Rarity awoke with a start. She clutched her chest as she breathed heavily. She was in her bed in her castle that dominated over the Everfree forest. She looked down at her body. Still black as night. She had been able to do so much with this power but for some reason she could not change her appearance. What once had been white and pure was black and tainted. She could feel it inside every day, struggling for control. Tonight was no different. “You will not get out that easily, beast,” she whispered to herself. She laid her head back down but could not get back to sleep. All she could think about was the image of the Nightmare’s face. She got out of bed and strolled over to the balcony doors. A cool night breeze greeted her when she opened them. It was always night. That was another thing she couldn’t stop. Two months ago she had won her personal battle with her demon. Driving it down into the depths of her subconscious. However, without its guidance, many of the spells it enacted went unchecked. Rarity tried to undo such curses but nothing worked. She let out a long sigh as she looked out over her kingdom. Ponyville stood a few miles away, a large statue of her rising above the tree line. It depicted her as powerful and regal in nature, but Rarity did not feel that way. She would always be a small town pony pretending to be something bigger than what she was. This past year had just cemented that fact. “Rarity?” came a small voice from behind her. Rarity turned to see a familiar face. Fluttershy walked in with her placid smile and a cup of water. “I heard you walking about. I figured you would like a glass of water.” “Thank you, Fluttershy. But please, you don’t need to get up in the middle of the night for that.” She took a trembling breath as she looked down at her friend’s neck. The diamond collar still attached. “You… you can go to bed.” The collar glowed for a moment and Fluttershy’s eyes along with it. “Yes, Rarity.” Fluttershy nodded and left the glass of water on her nightstand before heading out the door. Rarity bit her lip and cursed herself for being so powerless. She had been free for months and yet one of her dearest friends was still cursed to obey every order of her. Just like the other curses she had tried to undo it, but any attempts came close to causing Fluttershy near fatal pain. Her anguish brought back memories of how it all started. ~`(\/)’~ “Rarity don’t do this!” Twilight shouted. “We’re your friends! You can fight Nightmare Moon’s influence!” The five mares stood before their friend turned super villain as dark magic cascaded around them. After a bunch of nightmare creatures foalnapped Rarity and dragged her to the moon, she returned as Nightmare Rarity. Brandishing an army of nightmares made real the newly resurrected evil used her body to commit unspeakable acts of evil. She even succeeded where Luna had failed and managed to imprison Celestia in the sun and Luna back in the moon. All that stood between her and total victory were the elements of harmony, of which she was one of them. In that moment, struggling with her desires and her fears, Rarity faltered. She simply did not have the strength to overcome her weaknesses. And in that moment, Nightmare Rarity struck back. She shouted as power began to envelop her and she blasted a ray of magic into Twilight’s chest. The alicorn shouted in surprise before her entire body was frozen in blue crystal. The others gasped as Nightmare turned her attention to the rest. “Long live the conquering heroes, hmm?” she laughed viciously. Rainbow Dash flew at her to deliver a punch but Nightmare turned into ethereal smoke and she passed through. Rainbow landed on the other side with a swirling mass of black smoke around her face. She began to shout in fear as the smoke obscured her vision causing her to see nightmarish beings where her friends had once been. “What did you do!?” she shouted as she flew back into her friends and tackled Pinkie Pie. “Where are my friends?!” Applejack tried to pull her off her but Rainbow simply elbowed her in the face causing a cut above her left eye. Fluttershy was too scared to move. Nightmare simply laughed as she flew into the air and pulled the veil of smoke from Rainbow’s eyes. Rainbow shook her head in confusion before looking down at what she’d done. “No. No! I… I didn’t! I…” “What you thought you were doing and what you did are two entirely different things,” Nightmare smiled down at them. “In fact, that worked out better than I thought. Maybe I’ll just do that to the whole town!” “No!!!” Applejack shouted as she grabbed a nearby barrel and bucked it at Nightmare. But she was too late as Nightmare raised her hooves and let the aura around her grow until it spread across the whole of Ponyville. Nopony was spared from the effects. Brother fought brother. Sister fought sister. The only pony not affected was Rainbow Dash who still couldn’t take her eyes off Pinkie’s still body. She watched as Applejack and Fluttershy fought each other and laughed as the rest of the town gradually joined in. Nothing stopped it. The fighting went on all night. When it was all over half the town was close to death, many dying in the days to come. Applejack lay battered and bruised on the street, her left eye bleeding profusely. Rainbow Dash had seemed to slip into a catatonic state of fear and guilt while Pinkie Pie hadn’t moved all night. Fluttershy was the only one still standing with many broken bones and a fractured wing. Nightmare floated down to the street and gave the pony a slow clap. “Bravo,” she said. “I have to say, out of all the ponies here I never expected you to be the one to come out on top.” Fluttershy tried to back away in fear but stumbled from her broken leg and fell. “Please, don’t try to get back up on my account.” She began to cry to herself as she surveyed the damage around her and her friends. “Why?” she asked with a pleading look. “Please, Rarity. Please come back.” Nightmare grinned and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Rarity was too weak to help. But you can.” With a swift motion she snapped a collar over Fluttershy’s chest. Fluttershy twitched with a start but was surprised to find that most of her wounds were healed. “Rise,” Nightmare commanded. The collar glowed and Fluttershy obeyed instinctually. She began to panic as Nightmare beckoned her to come with her. “I’ll need a vassal if I’m going to be Queen once more. I see no problem with you.” With her magic she grabbed the Twilight crystal and flew into the air with Fluttershy in tow. Applejack struggled to get back up and held out a feeble hoof in desperate hopes to stop her. “Don’t… do this,” she barely whispered. Nightmare smiled cruelly down at her. “Come try again when you have an army,” she joked. “In the meantime, everypony of this town will swear their loyalty to me at the Castle of the Two Sisters. Failure to do so will result in… unwanted events.” With one last laugh of triumph she flew off to the castle. ~`(\/)’~ And that was it. Everypony left in Ponyville came over later and was forced to rebuild her castle brick by brick. Nightmare reigned over the land for two years until Rarity was finally able to wrest control from her. She was a small town mare in the disguise of one of the most feared and despised ponies in all of Equestria. She hadn’t even seen hide nor hair of Applejack, Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie after that. Thought some of her soldiers reported raids on several food storage units and farms, perhaps indicating a small insurgency. She hoped it was her friends. A knock came at the door. “My queen,” the porter said as he peeked his head in. “Breakfast is ready.” “Thank you,” Rarity replied. “I’ll be right down.” “You’re sister awaits,” he said as he left. Rarity smiled. At least Sweetie Belle was here. After finally getting control back the only thing she wanted to do was see her sister. She found Sweetie working in one her fields and took her from there, explaining everything to her. At first Sweetie seemed suspicious and untrusting but after a couple of weeks it seemed like she was coming around. Rarity left her room to go downstairs. She always hated going down this way in the halls of the castle but it was the only way to the dining room. She paused in front of the giant crystal statue that held one of her close friends inside. She placed a hoof on the hard surface and looked into Twilight’s frozen terrified eyes. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I promise I’ll fix this.” She let go hesitantly and continued her walk into the dining room. Sweetie was waiting for her when she entered. She gave her friendly nod but said nothing else. Rarity was still happy to see her. “I’m glad to see your exploring the castle a bit more,” Rarity said. “I really do want you to be comfortable.” Sweetie didn’t respond as she stopped eating her breakfast. “Is everything okay?” Sweetie returned her attention to Rarity. “Oh! Um, yeah… everything’s fine. I had a weird dream last night that kept me up a bit is all. Anyway I… was just wondering if maybe I could invite over Scootaloo?” Rarity saw the apprehension and fear in her sister’s eyes. She sighed. “Sweetie, I’ve told you before that you don’t need to ask anything of me. I’m your sister again. Though I know I don’t quite look it.” She tried to give her a smile that Sweetie might remember but the filly still had a hard time looking her in the eye. “You could probably convince a lot more ponies if you lowered the moon or freed the princesses,” Sweetie mumbled. Rarity frowned as she sat down at the table. “I’m trying!” Her words came out louder than she intended. Most of the castle staff froze in place as the felt saw the chandelier shake from her outburst. Rarity shrank back at her own words. “I’m sorry. I just want this to be over as quickly as you do.” Sweetie nodded her head and went back to her breakfast. “Yes, sister.” After breakfast Rarity went back to her special room. It was formerly a dungeon but after regaining control Rarity freed any prisoners in it and converted it to an area where she could study her powers. Rarity stood on a large hay covered floor with several nooks in the walls outfitted with bars. She took a deep breath and focused her attention on a set of bars across from her. She wanted to rip them out of the wall. Rarity focused her horn on the bars and squinted. She gritted her teeth but no power flowed from her horn. When she finally gave up she let out a long breath and slumped to the ground. “Damn it,” she murmured. She grabbed a bunch of hay from the floor and tossed it at a wall. “Damn it!” Rarity stomped back up the stairs, passing by all the staff without notice. She paused only briefly to give a sideways glance at Twilight’s crystal. Then she burst into her room. She walked over to her mirror and grabbed the sides of it, looking into her own eyes. “Alright,” she demanded. “I’ve had enough of this. This is my body. You are not in control anymore! Time we settled this!” She waited for a moment angrily glaring into her reflection before her reflection changed. It gave a whistle and pulled away from its side of the mirror. “Well, look at the big bad mare,” it chuckled. “Hope you don’t turn me to stone or banish me to the moon. Hmm, wait, I think the moon is occupied right now.” Rarity smacked the side of the mirror. “Stop fighting me!” The mirror pushed her head forward threateningly. “Did you stop fighting when I was in control? No? Then why the hay should I?” Rarity’s face fell and she bit her lip. “I’m never going to be free of you am I?” The mirror went over to its bed and sat down on it. “Not with your friends missing and everypony hating you.” Rarity gave the mirror a glare. “Tell me, why haven’t you just announced to the world that you defeated the great Nightmare? Why keep it a secret?” “You know exactly why!” Rarity shouted. The mirror raised an eyebrow. “Indulge me.” Rarity sighed. “I tried telling Sweetie and she didn’t believe me. I practically had to command her to come to the castle. I told the castle staff and they thought it was some weird joke I was pulling. Everypony I tell wants me to fix what I’ve done and I can’t do that so they won’t believe me. I fear that…” Rarity stopped before she could say anything else, but it was too late. The mirror grinned viciously. “You FEAR that if everypony knew, while you still looked like that, that they would come after you. Attack you. END you.” She got up and sauntered over to the mirror again with a skip in her step. “And let me tell you your fear is delicious!” “Stop twisting my words!” Rarity shouted. “But twisting is what I do!” the mirror spat back. “It’s who I am. I am Nightmare. Corruption incarnate. If I had a cutie mark it’d probably be something quite twisted, wouldn’t you agree?” Rarity covered her ears and tried to hold back her panic. The mirror continued to talk. “There’s nothing wrong with being afraid, you know? Fear is an appropriate response for somepony in your position. Everything stolen from you. Everypony you ever cared about hurt or dead all because of a moment of weakness.” The mirror stopped as it tilted its head and cocked its ears. It grinned as it turned back to her. “Tell you what. I’ll give you that power you so desperately wanted. Out of the kindness of my heart.” Rarity turned to the mirror and frowned. “What are you playing at?” Rarity asked. “Nothing,” the mirror replied. “In fact, if you feel like getting rid of me while you’ve got all that power, I’ll go quietly.” Rarity was stunned. She didn’t want to believe it but it was true. She knew it inside because the Nightmare was inside. It was telling the truth. “Deal,” Rarity said hastily. “Now give it to me.” The mirror grinned again and began to fade. “It’s already done.” Rarity watched the reflection fade from the mirror. Hesitantly she brought up a hoof to the mirror and lowered her horn at it. Her horn glowed with ethereal power and she fired a blast into it. The mirror shattered into a million pieces. Rarity looked around at the broken shards and laughed. A joyous laugh that she hadn’t had in quite a long time. She lifted a shard of the mirror in the air with magic and took a deep breath as she took one last look at her Nightmare form. With a little concentration, right before her eyes Rarity began to transform. She shrank a little but it was worth it. She saw her curly violet mane and brilliant white coat. It almost brought tears to her eyes. It was time for this nightmare to end. The first thing she would do was free Twilight. With her help she could set the others free and maybe even cast out the last of whatever was left of the Nightmare. Rarity opened the door to her room with a joyful heart, but was shocked by a loud explosion she could hear from downstairs. The castle shook and Rarity lost her footing. She fell to the ground with her head on the floor. She tried to get up but stopped when she heard voices and shouts from the floor beneath. “Storm the castle!” came a familiar voice. “Find that monster and bring her to me! She’s weak!” “Applejack?” Rarity whispered. She got back up and ran down the hall now hearing screams and the sounds of battle. She came to the edge of the grand hall and peered out tentatively. About twenty ponies decked out in camo suits and swords were storming the hall. A few staff and guards fought back. Most of them under a spell that she couldn’t remove. She didn’t want them to die. Rarity ran out onto the stairs revealing herself. “Stop!!” For a brief moment the fighting stopped and everypony looked to her. Another pony at the other end of the hall stopped her fighting and stood atop the collapsed entry way. Rarity gasped as she saw her friend standing there. Applejack was decked out in a tan jacket with knives in sleeves all along it. On her hooves were muddied leather boots. But what surprised her the most was an eyepatch strung across her left eye. Applejack’s eyes widened as she saw her. “Rarity?” she whispered in disbelief. Rarity wanted to smile after seeing her friend after so long but Applejack’s mood changed within a second. Her expression turned to anger and she pulled out a crossbow that was strapped to her back. She took aim and fired, the bolt embedding itself right next to Rarity’s head. “No more games, monster!” Rarity was struck dumb by the shot and fumbled her words. “Please! Applejack I- I- can fix this! Just g-give me a moment to-” “You don’t get that luxury,” Applejack hissed. She sprinted forward, getting extremely close to Rarity within seconds. Instinctively her fight or flight response kicked in. Rarity ran. Why am I running, she thought to herself. I just need to focus and all this will be over. As she ran Rarity began to screw her eyes and focus her energy into her horn. Just find the right spell. Her horn began to glow, but another bolt whizzing past her halted her concentration again. She looked over her shoulder to see Applejack just a few paces away. The look on her face wasn’t something Rarity ever wanted to see from one of her friends. She only had one choice. Rarity turned a corner and slammed against a book shelf the shelf spun around and landed her in another room while Applejack turned the corner and froze at the sight of an empty hall way. Rarity bit her lip and fought back her tears as went into a fetal position and waited for Applejack to leave. Instead she roared with anger, making Rarity hug herself a little tighter. Applejack stood there for a moment before walking forward again very slowly. “Ya know why ah hate you?” she shouted into the empty hall way. “It aint cause of this here eye. And It aint cause of what you did to the princesses. It’s cause you took everything from me. Pinkie Pie has been on a respirator for close to a year now. Dash? She hasn’t stopped muttering to herself while she curls into a ball in her room. You took Fluttershy and Twilight. All ah had left was mah family! But you took that too! I’m endin’ it today, monster! Mark mah words!” With that last word she left the hallway. Rarity sat there for the longest time crying into her mane as she waited for somepony that might just come and kill her. A small voice in her head started speaking. “You see how strong fear can be? How it warps what we see right in front of us? They were never going to believe you were free.” Rarity shook her head of the depressing thought and stood back up. There was still one pony that would believe her. Even if she had a little trouble before, Sweetie would not abandon her. Rarity rushed through the castle still hearing fighting going on and working to avoid it. She finally stopped in front of an ornate door, Sweetie’s room. She took a deep breath and prepared to see her sister. She opened it slowly and saw Sweetie standing at the window looking down at the battle below, her back turned to her. “Sweetie,” Rarity said softly. Sweetie turned with a start and gasped at Rarity. She stumbled back and grabbed at the wall. Rarity walked forward to try to comfort her. “Sweetie please, just listen to me I-” “Stay back!” Sweetie shouted, finally grabbing and brandishing a fireplace poker. “Stay back or I swear I’ll… I’ll…” Tears began to fall from her eyes and her lip began to tremble. “Sweetie,” Rarity croaked out through tears. “It’s really me. I-” “Enough!” Sweetie shouted and close her eyes trying to block out the image of her sister before her. “Stop pretending to be her!” “But I am-” Sweetie screamed and lunged at Rarity before she could complete her statement. Rarity gasped in surprise as she felt the poker go through her shoulder. She took a deep breath and looked to her right where the weapon stuck out. Sweetie backed away with a fearful look on her face and Rarity knew exactly why. There was no blood. Rarity grabbed the poker and slowly began to pull it out. She felt no pain and the wound closed almost immediately as the poker left her body. She tossed it to the side, her face a deathly pallor of fear. She turned to Sweetie who still looked on shocked. “I… I…” Sweetie fell to her knees and began to sob. “I know she’s gone. I’ve known for so long.” She looked up and choked back her sobs to deliver a hateful stare. “But you’ll be gone soon too, monster. Who do you think called them?” Rarity took a step back. Even her own sister had not believed her. “You see?” said that little voice in her head. “Rarity is dead. At least in the minds of everypony here.” Rarity shakily turned her head to the mirror in Sweetie’s room. Her reflection stood there with a look of victory in its face. “Now it’s time for Rarity to do the only thing she can do. Accept that she’s beaten.” Rarity’s lips trembled for a moment and she fought back tears as lowered her head in defeat. The mirror began to laugh triumphantly as its voice and form changed, the mare in real life changing with it. Nightmare Rarity rose again. She grinned as she checked herself in the mirror. “Ah, it does feel good to be back in my body even if I wasn’t gone for long.” Sweetie looked up at her in horror and curiosity. “Wait, you mean-” Nightmare chuckled. “That’s right, little one. Your sister was free of my control. She had beaten me. Who knew that I didn’t even need to lift a finger for you and your pony friends to beat her back down for me? Tell me, does stupidity run in your family?” Sweetie let her mouth hang open as she dropped to the ground and curled up in a heap of tears. Nightmare laughed and looked out the window. “It seems to be getting pretty dicey out there. Better go put a stop to it before somepony gets hurt, eh?” She disappeared with another grin. ~`(\/)’~ Nightmare rematerialized back in the grand hall. Ponies were still fighting but her appearance seemed to turn the tide of battle in the brainwashed’s favor. The insurgents were surprised by her appearance and took a lot of attacks from the mind controlled servants and guards. “Now this is what I call a party!” Nightmare shouted. “All it needs is a little music and a-” “Nightmare!” Applejack shouted from the steps at the end of the hall. “dance partner.” Applejack shot off another bolt but Nightmare dodged it by turning into smoke once more and laughing. “Remember this little trick, Applejack?” “Everypony!” Applejack shouted a command to her forces who were still in the game and pulled out a gas mask. The rest of her insurgents did as well. “Interesting strategy,” Nightmare chuckled. “Let’s see if it does you any good.” Nightmare spread her smoke across the hall. Everypony who wore a gas mask was protected from the effects, however the guards and staff were not so lucky. They began to act even more fervent in their attack, biting and gnawing at the insurgents like scared rabid dogs. Nightmare laughed again. “I simply love fear. It’s such an easy emotion to exploit.” Applejack put her mask away and ran up the steps and grabbed the end of a rope attached to a chandelier. She cut it and the weight of the chandelier sent her flying toward Nightmare. She turned in midair to deliver a kick. Nightmare tried to dissipate once more but Applejack’s boots connected with her ethereal form and she was sent flying into a wall. She groaned as she pulled herself back up. “Looks like you found yourself some magic resistant material.” Applejack pulled out another bolt and aimed it dead center. “This one’s magic resistant too.” She bit her lip and hesitated for only a moment. “Goodbye Rarity.” Applejack let the bolt go. Nightmare close her eyes in expectation of pain. But after a moment she felt none. “NOOOOO!!!” Nightmare opened her eyes in surprise to see a yellow mare standing before her. She dropped to her knees as she turned and revealed a bold sticking out of her chest. Applejack looked dumbfounded as she dropped her crossbow in shock. Fluttershy turned to face Rarity fully and spat up a little blood before falling. Nightmare instinctively rushed over to her and held her head. “What… I didn’t command you to do that,” she stuttered. “You didn’t have too,” Fluttershy whispered weakly. “I never gave up on you, Rarity. I couldn’t let… Applejack do something she would regret.” “So you let her do something she would regret to you?” Nightmare’s voice was changing as well as her demeanor. Tears began to surface as she looked down at the Pegasus in her arms. “I didn’t know… what else to do.” Fluttershy began to cough. “Please… don’t let her blame herself. Tell her it was my choice.” “But… they...” Rarity’s eyes began to flow tears. Fluttershy smiled as she raised a hoof to her face to wipe them away. “I know… but promise me that you’ll persevere. If nopony believes you, just keep trying until you… until…” Fluttershy couldn’t complete her words. Rarity pulled her still friend close and weeped into her mane. Applejack’s eye began to twitch as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. “I didn’t mean to… I would never… No. It’s that collar. The collar! You!” She pointed at Rarity with tear filled eyes. “You ordered her to do that! You did this!” Rarity stopped her sobs enough to listen to her friend. She grit her teeth in frustration. She gently lowered Fluttershy to the ground before turning back to Applejack. “You don’t believe me that I’m your friend? Fine. I can accept that. But if you think for one moment that this pony sacrificed herself to protect something she didn’t believe in, didn’t love, even under the influence of magic. Then you don’t know Fluttershy!” “Don’t say her name!!” Applejack shouted as she grabbed her crossbow off the floor. Rarity created a flash just before AJ could get a shot off. When she reopened her eyes, Rarity was gone along with Fluttershy. Applejack shook her hoof at the sky in anger. “Damn you!!” ~`(\/)’~ Rarity rematerialized just on the outskirts of the Everfree, outside a specific cottage. She carried Fluttershy in her arm as she walked past the abandoned petting zoo her friend had once operated and loved. Without any emotion she brought her inside the cottage and up the stairs into a dusty bedroom. Rarity used her magic to remove all the traces of dust and even fix a few of the damaged pieces of furniture. Then she lay her friend down on the bed. Fluttershy looked peaceful lying on her bed back home. Rarity smiled to herself as it appeared that the mare was now where she belonged. She crossed Fluttershy’s arms and brushed back her mane to keep it out of her eyes. Rarity tried to fight back her tears but she failed. She knelt next to Fluttershy’s bed and continued to weep. When she finally felt she was done grieving Rarity left the cottage and walked for a while until she came to a lake. She looked down into the water and wasn’t surprised when she saw her reflection glare back at her. “You think you won?!” it asked angrily. “You think her death means anything? All it did was buy you time. Time before you give up again. And I know you will.” Rarity did not reply, nor show any emotion to the reflection’s taunts. “You’re weak. Tonight just proves it all the more. I will be free again!” “No,” Rarity muttered. “No, you won’t.” Rarity pulled her head back earning a confused look from the reflection before its eyes shot open at a realization. “Wait! Stop!” Rarity didn’t listen as she walked into the lake. The water gradually got deeper and deeper around her until it came up to her chin. She looked up and gave one last look at the fading sun. Then with a final resigned breath she dove under the water. Rarity continued to look up at the water’s rippling surface as she sank deeper and deeper. Soon oxygen began to leave her lungs and her vision began to tunnel. Blackness encroached and Rarity lost consciousness. For the first time in a long time, she felt at peace. Rarity awoke as she burst from the water. She drew in a large breath before spitting and coughing up a gallon of water from her lungs. She shook her head to clear her mind then saw that the lake floated just below her. She looked up with bleary eyes to see a yellowish figure pulling holding her and flying her out of the lake. It set her down just on the bank and Rarity struggled to her hooves. She wearily looked around and saw four other ponies before her, the fifth yellow one landing behind them. “Well that got dark,” one said in a familiar raspy voice. “Are you serious about this?” asked another one with a clearly disguised voice. “She was on Matterhorn’s list? She’s a total flight risk.” “Ah have to agree,” came another familiar and frightening voice. “Ah mean she tried to take her own life.” “No! Applejack!!” Rarity shouted and jumped back covering her face with her hooves. “Huh, not as fearsome as I imagined a Nightmare Moon would be,” the raspy voice joked. “Rainbow?” Rarity muttered. She lifted her hoof and finally cleared her eyes. Five familiar looking ponies came into vision. Rainbow Dash was there with a Wonderbolts uniform on. Next to her was Pinkie Pie in some kind of tacky white jumpsuit. Beside her was a pony in a full dark suit and hat with mask. Applejack stood behind these three, but she looked different. She didn’t have her eye patch and her magic resistant boots were nowhere in sight. Instead she wore some kind of black dress with white robe shirt. Then behind her was the pony that saved her. “Fluttershy!?” “Flutterbat!” the five replied all at the same time. Flutterbat smiled at their reply. True enough, it looked like Fluttershy but she had bat wings and fangs. Rarity raised a hoof to her head and tried to think clearly. “Hold on, just what is going on?” she asked them all. Pinkie Pie stepped forward. “You may know all of us, but we’re not from your world.” “We’re from other realities,” the masked mare continued. “Brought together to fight an oncoming evil that threatens all of our worlds.” “That’s why we’re here,” Rainbow continued. “Need help in fight,” Flutterbat whispered. Applejack held out a hoof to her. “Ah’m sorry we don’t have more time to explain but will you help us?” Rarity looked at the odd crew. We’re they for real? Alternate versions of her friends? She looked back at the lake. She was going to end it all just a moment ago and now some ponies wanted her to stop an interdimensional war? She could still feel the Nightmare right there inside her, fighting. It wouldn’t be long before she was overpowered. Obviously these ponies wouldn’t let her end it all… but maybe they could provide a proper place for her to be let loose. If the Nightmare reappeared in another dimension entirely then all her friends would be spared its wrath. She decided. She would help. But only until the time came to end it all. “If it gets dangerous then I can’t guarantee your safety,” she assured them. “Don’t worry,” Rainbow Dash said with wave. “I’ve already dealt with a Nightmare Moon on my world.” “Did you kill her?” asked Rarity. “Uh, no,” Rainbow replied hesitantly. “She… was already dead.” “Then you didn’t really deal with her did you?” she asked with a sneer. Rainbow gave her a stink eye. “Enough!” the masked mare shouted. “Filli-Second, get us out of here.” Pinkie Pie ushered all the ponies to grab hold of her and she began to vibrate. “Next stop, the Veloci-Source and then… we kick some world destroying butt!” Rarity took a deep breath before she and the other five vanished into thin air with a sonic boom. @#$%&(*)&%$#@ GlitchGlitchGlitchGlitchGlitchGlitchGlitchGlitchGlitchGlitchGlitchGlitchGlitchGlitchGlitchGLITchGlitchGlitchGLithcglithgGlcigGLitchGLithcGLitchGLithcGLitbcLgithcLgj’gKJdkfjsml,,.,,……………………………………………… … … 4