A few weeks earlier...
The Moon peaked over the horizon. Princess Luna steadily raised it into the evening sky. She watched the sky change colors until the moon was high up in its proper place.
Complete with her daily routine, she entered her room from the balcony, ready to commence her night duties. She trotted through the halls of the palace on her way to the throne room. She finished the night court, filed some paperwork, and completed most of her duties for the time being.
The clock struck twelve. At this point, the majority of the ponies in Equestria were asleep. All but one was dreaming peacefully.
Luna paced back and forth in the throne room, deep in thought. She's always dealt with ponies that experienced nightmares but had never dealt with a nightmare quite like this.
Suddenly, the doors opened, revealing her slight drowsy sister, Princess Celestia.
"Are you still having trouble sister?"
"How could you tell?" Luna asked.
"Well, you've been pacing around the room like this for weeks now, and by the looks of it, it seems you haven't made any progress with her."
Luna grimaced while biting her lip. "Tis true, our dear friend Twilight is having nightmares, and it's been worrying me a lot,"
"Have you tried helping her?"
"Of course, I have, but no matter what I do, they still seem to come back. She must really be traumatized by what happened to her."
Celestia slowly approached her sister. "Can you blame her, though, after all the turmoil she went through? She went on an enormous time jump, and not only that, but she still feels guilty over what had happened."
"That's why she worries me so much. I want to help her live a better life, but these nightmares are the only thing standing in the way from that." Luna said gloomily.
"And that's why she has a close friend like you to help her get through this. Whatever it is that's troubling her from having a restful night's sleep, I'm confident you'll be able to help," Celestia wrapped her wing around her sister, comforting her. She replied by hugging her.
"Thank you, sister."
"Just don't strain yourself," Celestia winked before leaving Luna on her way to bed.
As soon as she left the throne room, Luna sighed. Most of what she told her elder sister were true, but she held back certain details from her.
Did you really keep that from her? A voice mocked the night princess. It was a voice Luna dreaded to hear.
Deep in the recesses of her mind sat a dark pony, an alicorn to be exact. Her hooves were in shackles to keep her imprisoned. Her body dripped with black oily goo, ever so slowly withering her away. She looked up and watched the outside world through Luna's eyes.
"I beg your pardon?" Luna asked.
You know there's more to the situation with your friend, and you didn't tell your own sister, pity.
It was true. Luna didn't mention the fact that every time she tried to intervene, she would be blocked out. As if something was preventing her from intervening.
"I didn't want to worry her. She's already stressed as it is."
Oh yes, and if I recall, those were the exact words you said thousands of moons ago.
Luna grunted in frustration.
"Why all of a sudden do you care about what it is that I'm doing? This has nothing to do with you!"
Nightmare Moon chuckled. She enjoyed frustrating her host. Oh, but it does.
"And how so?"
Let me answer your question with a question. Why are you so determined to help her?
Luna furrowed her eyes, not wanting to respond to her inner nuisance, but decided to go ahead and play along.
"Why do you ask?"
Well, considering the fact that your so-called friend returned after a thousand years, overthrew this pathetic kingdom, and managed to return to her former self, it all just seems very familiar.
"It's just... I don't want her to live with the guilt of being some pony that would harm others. I don't want her to go through what I've been through."
It may be too late for that now.
"What do you mean?"
Think about it, why is it that every time you go into your friend's dream, you're always blocked out.
Luna hated the fact that she was talking with one of the worst ponies to ever listen to, but she was on to something.
Do you honestly believe she purged the bad side of her? Look at me, every pony believes that I was completely vanquished by the wretched elements, and here I am talking to you.
Nightmare Moon recalled of the night she was supposedly defeated. As soon as the elements struck her, she made one last ditch effort. Using what little of magic she had left, she fell deep into Luna's mind while the elements purged her from Luna physically. Ever since that faithful day, She became a prisoner of her former host's mind and body, forced to do nothing more than to watch the world through Luna's eyes, or watch her memories of days past.
What are the odds that she may be under the same circumstances?
Luna hated to admit it, but she did have a point. But then again, Nightmare Moon was a master of deception, so she took everything her former self said to her with a grain of salt.
"You may perhaps be right, but I really shouldn't be listening to you. You're just a part of me that doesn't mean anything anymore. In all honesty, I am surprised you've remained a prisoner of my mind for this long. Nobody remembers you, and nobody knows who you are other than an old mare's tale."
Nightmare Moon gritted her teeth. She was literally dripping away. It won't be long until she completely disappears from existence.
Fine then, but don't say I didn't warn you. She retreated far back into the dark recesses of her mind. Luna rolled her eyes at that. She went on to continue her royal duties but yet couldn't stop thinking of what the wicked one was telling her. She knew she had to get to the root of the problem, and the sooner the better.
•••
Ever since her conversation with the nightmare within her, Princess Luna spent the next few weeks in the library. She went through all the books, scrolls, and tombs that related to magic and dreams. She wasn't surprised to find little to no knowledge beyond that of her own about the dream realm. She was, in fact, the very few who had power over the realm of sleep.
Going through every single library, from the ones in the palace to the city library where all ponies attended to gain knowledge.
After hours of studying day after day, she made little progress. Out of options, she decided to resort to a different approach, one that she dreaded to resort to.
Standing outside of an iron door, Luna pressed several buttons in a certain combination on a keypad lock. A minute passed with the sound of air being released from the air locks. Slowly, the metal door opened, revealing a room with shelves filled to the brim with scrolls. In the center was a large hourglass.
Luna slowly entered the Starswirl the Bearded wing, one of the most secured sections of the Canterlot archives.
She trotted passed the many scroll-filled shelves, until reaching the very back of the large library. Before her stood an empty wall, but after casting a spell only she and her sister knew, the wall opened, revealing a hidden passage, followed by torches lining the stone walls being lit one by one.
Slowly she stepped into the tunnel carved into the mountain while the opening in the wall closed behind her. It didn't take long for her to reach a small room at the end of the tunnel, which it too was filled with scrolls and spell books.
"Alright, there's bound to be a spell here to suit my needs," Luna said to herself as she trotted further into the room.
"She felt uncomfortable being in a room filled with an abundance of magical spells. She didn't like having to resort to more powerful, darker methods to solve her problems. This room was filled with spells that were made and confiscated from ponies with ill intentions long ago. Luna didn't want to use such powerful spells, only to have them backfire on her in some way. Once was bad enough, a second time would be shameful. Just the thought of having these spells fall into the wrong hoofs could lead to serious consequences.
But at this point, Luna was out of options. She was desperate to help her friend. She refused to let another pony suffer the way she has suffered
She rummaged through the countless number of scrolls looking for a certain spell in mind. It would prove to be a great challenge trying to find the right one.
What seemed like hours of searching, Luna found the spell she was looking for. Unrolling it, she read out loud the description of the spell
Nightmare Expel
Expels nightmares from the subject’s dreams. Has the ability to rid the body of all dark magic and other evil entities that may linger in the subject's body and soul.
There were so many possibilities running through the alicorn's mind. She was worried about what the outcome would be like, nevertheless, desperate times called for desperate measures. With any luck, both her friend and her sister will thank her for this.
•••
As the weeks passed, the night princess bided her time, gathering several materials here and there for the spell to work. She did all this in secrecy as to keep her sister from worrying and doing something she would regret.
The materials were ready; the moon was slowly rising. The time had come.
Standing in the middle of the throne room, using a piece of chalk, Luna drew a circle around her with her in the center. Next, she drew lines from one side of the circle to the other, forming a star with five points. She placed five bowls, one next to each point on the floor filled with special herbs that helped when some pony has trouble falling asleep.
Another bowl sat underneath Luna in the center. In order for the spell to work, it needed the blood of a living pony. With no one else around, Luna took it upon herself to make such contributions. Amongst her items used for the spell, she pulled out a small white dagger made from pure moonlight. She brought it up close to one of her legs. She bit her lip as she slowly made contact with the dagger and her left foreleg. Blood began to trickle down from her leg and into the bowl. She let her blood drip for a few seconds before putting the weapon down and quickly healing her injured leg.
With everything in place, it was time to do the last step, and that was to simply enter the dream realm. Inside her mind, the dark alicorn snickered quietly to herself, knowing exactly what the outcome of the spell would bring.
Her horn began to glow. The chalk lines on the floor glowed as well while the contents of the bowls erupted in a blue flame. In no time, Luna found herself in the dream realm.
•••
"Behold every pony, for I, Princess Twilight Sparkle, have brought before you the mare that troubled and destroyed your lives in over a thousand years. Behold, Princess Black Iron!"
Twilight was shocked at hearing that. When she looked down at herself, she saw that she wore armor as dark as night. It was in very bad shape. It had dents, scorch marks, and was torn to shreds with blood trickling out.
She refused to believe this was happening. She wasn't the mare she used to be, the mare that was standing right next to her taking her place.
Or was she?
Suddenly, several stallions came to pick her up, holding her underneath her shoulders. She bit her lip, trying to hold back the pain that was going through her. Her head dangled as she stared at the wooden floorboards.
"We shall be relieved of this burden. Let her blood fall upon you and your foals!" The double announced as she brought her hoof to Twilight, lifting her head at eye level so that the ponies below could see her face.
Twilight stared out at the angry faces staring back. It horrified her seeing the faces that wanted her dead. Amongst the crowd, she did notice one particular pony that stood out slightly from the rest. She was wearing a black cloak. Her blue eyes shimmered within, and her flowing mane was peeking out.
Before she could make out whom it was; her imposter spun her around, meeting face to face.
"Are you ready to pay for those crimes you've committed?"
"But it wasn't-"
"SILENCE!"
Twilight was cut off, unable to finish her sentence. She saw her double form a magical dagger and levitated it closer to her neck.
She stared back with horror as death loomed over her. The dagger touched her neck and began to dig into her skin.
"Say goodbye, princess."
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!"
"ENOUGH!!!" Luna cried in the royal Canterlot voice. As soon as she flew up to approach them, the world around her began to melt away into dark nothingness. As she approached the pair, she found her one obstacle that prevented her from helping her friend.
A barrier encompassed the two ponies like a bubble. They were unaware of what was happening on the outside. Now was the time for Luna to make her move. Calling on the magic of the spell, she used her horn to tear through the barrier. Both Twilights looked up and noticed the tear being made.
"What in the world is going on?" the other Twilight was shocked to see something tearing its way towards them. The two watched as Luna squeezed through the tear. Tears were flowing from her eyes, gritting her teeth in pain.
"Now... I have you... right where... I want you..." Luna struggled through the pain. The other Twilight realized what was going on as she stepped away from her counterpart on the ground.
"Princess Luna, I amazed you were capable of penetrating my little dream bubble. But it seems you are still too weak to deal with me."
"That's what you think!" Luna cried as she poured the last bit of magic she had into her horn, glowing with a blinding white light before a ray of it shot at the other Twilight. The force of the magic caught her off guard, causing her to stumble back.
"You think... you can stop me... without putting up a fight?!" The other Twilight yelled as she shot a beam of magic that was as dark as night, contrasting Luna's white light.
The two were at a stalemate until Luna slowly grew weaker with each passing minute, forcing her to use less and less magic. The darker Twilight noticed this and grinned as she slowly made her advance.
The real Twilight watched as the two fought each other in an inverse tug-of-war. She tried to get up and aid her friend but found it much too difficult to even get up.
Luna struggled to keep her magic up, but the exhaustion was slowly weakening her. In no time, the dark magic from the other Twilight was overwhelming her. Black slimy tendrils slowly wrapped around her hooves, slowly moving up her legs. Luna watched them climb up her body, unaware of what was happening.
In her mind, Nightmare Moon watched with anticipation at was happening to her host, for she knew exactly what was going on. She was not alone, though, as the evil Twilight watched with slight astonishment at what was happening.
"Now what have we here? It looks like you're getting weaker while I'm getting stronger, and my magic seems to be... contagious. You thought you could easily come into my realm and destroy me once and for all? Well, by the looks of it, soon you will be sharing the same gifts I posses, soon you will be striving to achieve the same goals, soon you will be just like me." She grinned evilly, watching the black tendrils wrapping around Luna's neck.
This was bad; there was no backing out now. The light from Luna's magic was growing dimmer and dimmer before suddenly, it too began to spew the same magic her adversary was throwing at her.
With tears flowing from her clenched eyes, she thought of the one last thing she could do.
"HELP! SOMEPONY!" she cried in hopes someone would hear her.
"It's too late for that now princess," the other Twilight teased.
Nightmare Moon could feel herself becoming stronger as she was coming in contact with her magic. She regained much of her physique while the shackles around her hooves were braking away.
Nothing could possibly ruin this for her.
•••
Outside in the real world, Celestia was already making her way to her bedchambers, exhausted after a long day, but as she was trotting by some windows, she noticed something rather peculiar.
Looking out, she saw bright flashing lights coming from the throne room. Something wasn't right.
After doing a complete turnaround, Celestia galloped through the halls of the palace, reaching the throne room in a matter of minutes. When she opened the doors, she saw the most shocking thing she had not seen in a long time.
Standing in the middle of the room was her sister slowly being engulfed by a cloud of darkness. Celestia knew exactly what was going on.
"HELP! SOMEPONY!" she cried. Celestia’s mind was racing. She had to do something.
Without thinking, she knelt her head down with her hooves firmly in place and fired a large, strong beam of magic at her sister.
•••
In the dream world, Luna was close to finally transforming into her nightmare counterpart, of course, that would have been the case had not a strong warm, magical surge washed over her entire body, burning away the black tendrils. Both Twilights shielded their eyes from the bright golden light radiating from Luna.
Luna felt stronger and almost at peace, until the spell she was still performing kicked in, combining with the magic Celestia provided from the outside. Strangely, however, it felt as if something was being ripped away from her. She screamed at the top of her lungs from the pain she was feeling.
From her horn, a beam of magic struck both Twilights, wrapping them in the same magic before yelling in pain from being torn apart.
•••
Outside, Celestia saw her magic breaking apart the cloud of magic that engulfed her sister. She could hear the screaming coming from within.
With her head pounding, Celestia continued pouring her magic at her sister in hopes of stopping whatever it is that wanted to claim her again.
The magic from Luna was weakening. However, as soon as the last shred of the dark magic was vanquished, the inside was overloading with magic.
It wasn't until the cloud finally blew out all of the magic from within, sending ripples of magic everywhere.
The magic from the blast threw Celestia at a nearby wall, falling to the floor afterward.
All of the golden magic rippled across Equestria, flooding all stretches of life in a curtain of light.
Back at the Crystal Empire, Twilight jumped out of bed screaming. She breathed heavily as sweat dripped from her forehead.
Her mind was going everywhere. She wasn't sure what she had dreamt of, which then reminded her of Princess Luna.
"Luna! She must be in trouble," but before she could do anything else, the curtain of magic had washed over her, enveloping her in a sphere of light. She felt the same tearing feeling from her dream as if some pony was ripping away a tumor from her soul.
As quick as it started, the magical curtain faded away, which sent Twilight flying across the room, hitting the wall and falling to the floor.
Everything hurt as if she was run over by a locomotive. She felt hollow inside like she was missing something.
In her blurred vision, she saw a pony shaped figure stumble its way towards the window. Upon reaching it, it stood there for a few seconds. Twilight could hear faint chuckling and a voice talking to her before the figure jumped out the window, vanishing into the darkness.
•••
Celestia slowly raised her head up from the ground, rubbing away at her headache. When her eyes lied upon her sister, she quickly got up and hurried over to her body on the ground.
"Luna, are you okay? Speak to me!" she pleaded, holding her sister's head in her hooves. While getting no response from her sister, she placed her ear up against her chest, hearing her steady breathing and heartbeat.
Celestia sighed with relief. Her sister was alive, unconscious, but alive. Before she could do anything else, Celestia heard moaning on the other side of the room. Turning to see where it was coming from, she couldn't believe her eyes.
Slowly rising up from the ground, Nightmare Moon threw her head up into the air, laughing maniacally into the night sky.
•••
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