Dreams and Nightmares
Twilight sat, as she always did, between Day and Night. To her left sat the princess whom she adored. Her white coat radiated warmth and love, and filled Twilight with peace. To her right sat the princess whom she barely knew, yet intrigued her so. Her black coat blanketed the room with the peace of a still, starlit sky. The three sat at the formal dining table, the princesses opposing each other, balancing each other, as they always did. The sisters talked, joked, teased. Their banter was loving, though Twilight could not bring herself to share in it.
“You must choose one of us, Twilight,” one of the alicorns said. Twilight looked around wildly, trying to determine which. Neither princess had broken their laughter.
“Being pulled between Light and Dark will destroy you.” The other spoke this time. Again, Twilight tried to discern which. Yet again, both princesses simply continued their banter.
With a scream, Twilight felt each princess begin to pull on her. At once she was pulled towards both of them, towards Light and Dark. Their pull grew stronger. Twilight felt like she was going to be ripped in half. She could feel her shoulders begin to give. Her eyes grew wide in horror, wondering which would give out first. Like bad stitching, her shoulders began to unravel, began to rip. With a final screech, Twilight’s leg came off and-
“Twilight, it is time to go,” a soft voice whispered behind her. Twilight collapsed to the ground, panting. Frantically, she checked each of her legs, confirming each was still attached. Still panicked she spun to face the pony who had spoken to her.
A smile spread across Twilight’s face as she locked eyes with the night princess. The smile faded the moment she remembered what was happening. “Is Princess Celestia okay?” Worry tinged her voice, and she barely kept it from cracking.
Luna shook her head. “No, she very much is not.” Twilight’s eyes grew wide in fear. “Calm thyself, Twilight. She will be.” Placing a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder, Luna smiled. “With thy help, she will be just fine.”
Taking her hoof back, the princess turned and strode away, beckoning for Twilight to follow. She hesitated; the mare walking away from her had a coat as black as ink, with a mane and tail made of some nebulous mass of smoke and stars. Blinking, she shook her head, and once again it was Princess Luna leading her away. She galloped to catch up, falling in step behind the princess.
The fog that had surrounded them, unnoticed by Twilight until then, slowly began to change. It faded from gray to a light blue, slowly filling with motes of light. Filled with wonder, Twilight looked around the star filled landscape. She noticed the pathway of stars beneath her hooves and marveled at the explosions of color that shaped the world surrounding her.
“Dreams are a strange thing, Twilight. Born of the mind, yet existing in this realm.” Luna voice was inviting as she gestured around. Twilight gasped in awe as the thousands of doors floating around them became known to her. “Each door leads to a different dream, a different dreamer, pony or otherwise, resting soundly somewhere in Equestria.”
“There are so many!” Twilight exclaimed, turning to take in as much as she could. “Wait, what do you mean, ‘or otherwise’?” Luna was on the path ahead of her again, facing her with a smile.
Motioning the young mare onward, she continued, a musical laugh leaving her lips. “There are more than just ponies in Equestria, Twilight” she answered with a grin. “Take thy little assistant, for instance.” Luna waved her hoof once and a purple door with green trim floated to the forefront.
A grin borne of learning something new spread across Twilight’s young face. Embarrassment quickly reared its head as Twilight recalled some of her more private dreams. “And a door for me?” she asked quietly, a little scared of the answer.
Luna turned, her smile faltering at the fear etched on Twilight’s face. “Indeed, Twilight. Tis behind you.” Luna pointed a hoof past Twilight. Turning, the young unicorn found a mulberry door with a dark purple trim floating at the end of the path. “We just left from it.”
Twilight bit her lip. She didn’t want to question a princess, but she felt like her privacy had been violated. “What if I don’t want you in my dreams?” The words slipped quietly from her mouth before she could change her mind.
The musical chuckle left Luna’s lips again. She gently placed a wing on Twilight’s back, holding her gently. “Twilight, I swear to you upon the moon I shepherd, I would never violate your privacy in the way you fear.” She sat and turned Twilight to face her with a gentle nudge of her wing. Twilight sat, still chewing on her lip. “There are two times I will enter a dream. One is when I am invited from the waking world. When I do, I bring my dreamer to a lucid state so they may hide anything they wish from me. But that is a rare thing indeed.”
Luna’s smile faltered again, this time failing entirely, before she continued. “The only other time I enter is when a dreamer under my charge is having a nightmare beyond their control. I work to end the terror from outside, but there are times when I must enter. Again, I bring the dreamer to a lucid state, though in that instance I do so to help them face their fears.
“There is one exception to that, though.” Luna stood again. Twilight jumped up and fell in step with the princess as she spoke. “As princess, I tend the dreams of my subjects, the citizens of Equestria. My sister is, quite simply, not one of my subjects.” Twilight couldn’t help but share a laugh with the dream princess, not that she didn’t want to. “Out of respect for her and her privacy, I do not tend to her dreams.”
Twilight looked around, expecting more doors. Instead, she found a field of grass, stretching in every direction, going on for what seemed forever. “To that end I have moved her door, so that I do not accidentally invade her dreams.”
“Where are we now, princess?” Twilight questioned, fighting to not get lost in the beauty of the field around her.
Luna’s voice was full of mirth as she replied. “This is my dream, Twilight!” Seeing Twilight enjoying the peace of her own dream had filled Luna with cheer. “I’ve long been a lucid dreamer, with full control over my dreams.” Waving her hoof, the ground beside them caved in and flooded. In moments there was a vast watering hole, full of crystal clear water. Twilight giggled and ran in, splashing around in the cool water. “Most days I retire here to relax. Though, I will admit,” here Luna lowered her voice and leaned in close to Twilight, whispering conspiratorially. “Sometimes I do conjure fantastical adventures to enjoy.”
Twilight’s face exploded with barely contained glee. “Really?” she asked. Turning she found Luna in resplendent armor, standing proud.
“I’ve many times slain the fiercest of hydra to rescue the charming prince,” Luna said with a straight face, a blade of magic floating at her side.
Twilight barely tried to contain her laughter. It came in great guffaws and raucous roars. She fell into the water with a splash, rolling around in mirth.
“Vile knave!” Luna challenged, kicking a spray of water at Twilight. In turn, Twilight only laughed harder, simply rolling out of the way. Though she fought to keep her stoic face, Twilight’s infectious laughter quickly brought Luna to the ground as well, joining the young mare in her boisterous belly laughs.
For what felt like hours the two played in the water, splashing each other, swimming, diving, and simply floating. “Tis been a long time since I’ve enjoyed myself like this, Twilight,” Luna mumbled, lazily drifting on her back.
“This is amazing, Luna,” Twilight replied, curled up in the shallows.
A rumbling sigh left Luna’s lips as she stood. “Unfortunately, we have a task at hoof.”
An equally unhappy sigh left Twilight. She stood to meet the princess as she exited the water, a sad smile on her face. “Is it okay that we spent so much time playing?” she asked meekly.
Luna shook out her mane, spraying Twilight with water, causing the young unicorn to eep in surprise. “Time is meaningless in dreams, Twilight. I’ve lived entire lives in a matter of minutes, and stretched seconds out over hours.” Closing her eyes, Luna restored the tranquility of the field and dried the pair. “But it does not do to dawdle and forget one’s purpose.”
Twilight nodded. Her face was set with determination. “So, what do you need from me?”
What little mirth remained in Luna’s face drained away. “Her dream is mired in pain. Pain forced upon her a thousand years ago and left to fester.” When she turned to face Twilight, her emotions were hid behind an expressionless mask. “The two of you care deeply for each other. She is like a mother to you, and she loves you as her own. I need you to focus on that bond you share.” Suddenly serious, a hint of determination crept into Luna’s mask. “No matter what happens, whatever you may see, however horrible it may be, do not forget that love you hold for her.”
Twilight nodded. She was not shaken by the intensity with which Luna spoke. “Okay.” A thought came unbidden to her then, and passed her lips before she could stop it. “Where do we go?”
The chuckle that passed from Luna’s mouth refreshed Twilight like a cool summer night’s breeze while stargazing with her father. The corners of her mouth twitched upwards as the joy in that laugh filled her. “Tell me, Twilight, if you stood at the south pole and began to walk, which direction would you be going?”
Furrowing her brow, Twilight thought. “I’d be going north,” she replied after a fashion, unable to spot any trick in the question.
“Correct.” Luna spun, gesturing at the field around them. “Think of my dream as the pole. From here, we go ‘north’ to reach the dreamscape.” Returning to face Twilight, she smiled. “But Celestia’s door is not north of us. It is outside my dream, but separate from the rest of the dreamscape. So tell me, where should we go?”
Twilight bit her lip and furrowed her brow. Shortly she began to pace, walking in circles around Luna, trying to puzzle out the riddle. It wasn’t long before she admitted defeat. “I don’t know. Where do we go?”
Pointing a hoof skyward, Luna smirked. “We go up, of course.” Stepping aside, Luna revealed a silver staircase which spiraled up into the clouds and out of sight. “Come, young Twilight.” As her hoof landed on the first step, the princess of the night turned back to the unicorn, her face hard. She spoke with force, both reassuring, and reminding. “Remember, Twilight. We go to a dream of pain and terror, a nightmare the likes of which you have never seen. You will dream with her and share her pain. You must endure whatever horror she suffers and never lose yourself. Only through sharing her pain can we save her.”
Twilight set her face, determined. “I will do anything to help Princess Celestia.” She spoke with a conviction borne of love and duty.
“Do not forget that she loves you, Twilight. No matter what you see, hear, or say yourself, keep hold of that love. Our love for her will pull her from the darkness, and her love for us will guide our way. We need only keep it alive.” With that, Luna turned and began up the stairs.
Faster. Twilight had to keep running.
Faster. She couldn’t let herself be caught.
Faster. A chill ran down Twilight’s spine. She could hear the breathing. It was getting closer.
Her hooves scrambled on the hard, slick floor as she turned the corner. The walls here were the same. All the walls were.
“♪Twi-liiight!” Her eyes went wide; she feared that voice. It was too musical, too cheerful. It was fake. It had to be.
Faster. Her hooves beat out a faster rhythm as she sped up. No time to worry, no time to-
A T junction. Twilight knew the rule, pick a wall and keep it. Right. Always the right wall. She turned, leg twisting to push her in a new direction. She hit ice. One, two, four legs slipped. Her yelp of pain rent the air as she slid into the wall.
FASTER. She couldn’t stop she had to keep-
Black smoke oozed down the hall. It cracked open, the insides bright purple.
“♪Twi-liiight!”
Her neck cracked as she turned back. There she was. Walking. Slower, slower. Closer, closer. Her onyx slippers clacked with each step.
Can’t go back. Can’t go Right. Faster. Left. FASTER!
Twilight dug her hooves into the slick floor, turning around. She had a new wall to keep. Her hooves found purchase. Don’t look back. Keep going.
More corners. No junctions. No options. Just walls. Floors. Turns.
She had to look. Had to check. Had to know. She was there. Still there. Always there. Always a turn behind. Twilight had to keep-
Wall. Three walls. No turns. Dead end. Wide eyed, Twilight slowly turned around.
“♪There you a-re.♪” Still musical. Still cheerful. Still fake.
Twilight fell to her rump, shaking. Each clack of the slippers rippled through her spine. Frantically she pushed back. She had to get away.
Her flank met open air. Twilight stopped. A cliff. A drop. She sprang to her hooves, spinning around. Not a cliff. A chasm. A void. A hole. Black, deep, empty.
A hoof on her back. No. A slipper. Twilight froze. She could feel the warm breath on her back. Up her neck. “Twilight,” the voice whispered.
Falling. The wind in her hair.
Falling. The ground rushing to meet her.
Falling. Twilight snapped her wings open.
Pain. Agony. Her wings were going to be ripped off. Her feathers pulled out.
The pain grew. Grew. Spread. Filled her.
No more. Her wings caught the wind. She was soaring. Flying. The breath left her chest in a whoop of joy. She circled. Downward. Tighter, smaller, faster circles.
There. The balcony. Her destination. Long royal purple legs folded out beneath her, gently landing on the stone. With a ruffle of her wings, she drew them in, folding them against her body. She was here on a mission. The purple obsidian slippers wrapping her hooves in vicious looking spikes clacked with each step. They echoed in the stillness.
“Where are you, Celestia?” she cried out. Her hooves beat a gentle rhythm as she galloped down the hall. “Come and face me!”
“Please Twilight!” Celestia’s voice echoed down the long hallways of the castle. “This isn’t you! You’re a kind, loving mare!”
The laugh that left Twilight was high and cold. “Kind? Loving?” She threw her head back and cackled as she slowed to a trot. “I’ve never been those things, Celestia. I faked it so you’d give me power!” Twilight let loose a blast of magic with a roar, tearing a massive hole through the castle. “And you did! You gave me all the power I could want!”
“Twilight, please. Don’t do this.” Celestia slid to the floor, her back against a wall. Tears streamed down her face. “I already failed once. I can’t bear failing again.”
“Again?” Twilight whispered into Celestia’s ear. Screeching in panic, Celestia leapt to her hooves and backed away. The grin plastered across Twilight’s face was sinnister, sadistic. “Who were they, Celestia?” Her once gentle voice now dripped with cruelty.
“She was my student before you,” Celestia stammered. She had to keep talking, had to keep Twilight talking. Had to come up with a plan, but she needed time to do so. “Her name is Sunset Shimmer. She was arrogant, vain, power hungry. Demanded I make her a princess.”
Twilight barked out a laugh. “Sounds like my kind of girl!” Orbs of deep pink energy formed around Twilight, crackling with power. “She’d make a great student of my own! Where is she?” Her voice sharply turned harsher, sparks of magic flying from her lips.
“I don’t know!” Celestia cried out. “After I refused to make her a princess she ran away!” The tears streaming down her face blurred her vision. With a panicked cry she let loose a beam of magic at her student. She had no idea if it struck true.
“Liar!” Twilight roared back, flinging her orbs towards Celestia.
The ancient alicorn met each orb with more beams, shattering them into sparks. “Twilight, please! Stop!” As reply, Twilight spread her wings and took to the air, sending blasts of magic raining down at her former teacher.
Still sobbing, Celestia took to the air herself. She had to direct Twilight’s attacks away from the city. As she passed the tops of the castle towers, another blast from Twilight rocketed towards her. A shaky breath left her as Celestia let her years of experience take over. Tilting, she wove around the blast from Twilight, spiraling around it.
Twilight let loose a screech of frustration, stopping her attack to let out a pulse of energy. Instinctively, Celestia teleported beyond the pulse, reappearing just above the new alicorn. Twisting, she flipped to face away from Twilight, pooled her magic in her back legs, and bucked. She felt bones crack as her hooves made contact with soft pony flesh.
A second later Equestria shook as Twilight’s body crashed into the plains at the foot of Mount Canterhorn. “I’m so sorry Twilight,” Celestia whispered, gathering magic to her horn. The tears that streamed from her cheeks burnt away from the crackling energy as it was released. Equestria would have a new lake, and she would name it for her fallen student.
Falling. Twilight was falling again. All around her was black. She had no wings to catch herself this time. She twisted, facing down. The wind pulled her hair back. Moving her legs, she found it felt like running.
She was running. Running through the air. She closed her eyes. She could hear her hooves on the ground, feel her heart pound in her chest. She could just keep-
“♪Twi-liiight!” the voice was back. That dreaded voice. Twilight’s eyes flew open. Her hooves pounded on the stone floor, racing her past high walls of stone. She had to escape that voice. A turn. She skidded around it. A junction ahead. She knew this one. Right was full of that smoke. She couldn’t go Right. But left was an end. There was no Left to go.
Panic set in. Twilight skidded to a halt, stuck. Can’t go Left. Have to keep going.
“TWILIGHT!” a voice cried out from the roiling smoke. Celestia! Her head snapped around, staring into the creeping smoke.
“♪Where a-re yo-u?” The voice was closer. No time to worry. Have to go. NOW!
Full speed, Twilight sprinted towards the smoke. It split, revealing an endless pool of swirling purple light. Without hesitating, Twilight leapt into it.
Pain. Every nerve hurt. Every muscle hurt. Her horn screamed at her. The noise around her was deafening. The taste in her mouth made her gag.
With a start, Twilight bolted upright, breathing deep. It was okay. She had drifted off. Smiling she looked down. A test! Yes! Twilight liked tests. She was good at them. Picking up her quill, she read the first question.
Calculate the expected friendship differential if two friends meet again after thirty seven days during which one went on vacation while the other worked.
Twilight blinked. What? She shook her head and read the next question.
If seven friends, A-G, order a pizza, which comes in eight slices, based on the following, who gets the extra slice?
A,B,D have each had two more slices over the past year than the others
C,E,G have had one more slice
B,F,G each declare they only want one
C owes A a favor
F owes G a favor
D and E are dating
A and F are dating
Panicking, Twilight looked up at the header of the test. CSGU Friendship 317, Ordinary Friendship Equations. I’m not in that class. Am I?Twilight looked around. She didn’t recognize anyone else taking the test. Her eyes darted to the front of the room where Celestia sat behind a desk. She had a stack of papers in front of her, a red quill scratching through them. I can’t disappoint her!
She was breathing faster now. The colt next to her got up and turned in his test. Then the mare to her left. A filly from behind her. A stallion from the other side of the room. They were leaving. The room was emptying.
It was just Twilight and Celestia. Sweat poured down Twilight’s face. She didn’t have any answers. She didn’t know where to begin. I’m going to fail. Magic Kindergarten. She was going to be sent back. She’d be an adult in a room of foals. She could hear them laughing at her. Laughing and pointing.
I’ll never see my friends again.
I won’t be Princess Celestia’s student anymore.
A deep shiver ran through Twilight. Tears mixed with the sweat pouring down her face. Twilight put down her quill. The only thing on her test was her name. Shaking, Twilight rose from her seat. She would not run from her failure. Celestia had taught her better than that. She took a step towards Celestia. Another. A third. The distance to the desk seemed to stretch on forever. Darkness fell over the room; only Celestia was lit in a puddle of light, flickering from a single candle.
Twilight was running. She had to reach Celestia. She had to tell her. Tell her.... Tell her something. Nightmare. A single word. A name. Twilight had to warn Celestia. Had to apologize to her. Had to get to her before She did. Twilight dropped the test. It wasn’t important anymore.
No sound. Only panting. Never closer. Always far. Why was Celestia always so far away? So unreachable? So untouchable?
The light went out. Darkness. Only darkness.
Light. Pale, cold light. Twilight looked up. Moonlight. A sliver of silver moonlight fell upon her. All else was dark. Where is-
A teal beam, marbled with black, sliced across the world in front of her. Noise erupted from around her. A rush of air blew through her mane. A scream for help shattered the stillness.
The star-filled sky twinkled above her. The grass waved around her hooves. Screams erupted behind her. Hundred meter high flames roared to her left, casting long shadows. Pounding hooves echoed around her.
Twilight’s eyes fixed upon the sky above her. Teal blasts met orange jets, exploding into millions of sparks. Celestia and Nightmare Moon. Twilight was too late. They warred. Soon, one would die.
“Monster!” Celestia’s voice cut through the cacophony. “Give me back my sister!”
They traded blows again. “I am your sister, moron!” Each blast sent shockwaves blasting through the air.
How do I stop them?
A high, shrill scream reached Twilight’s ears. EVIL. Every nerve in her screamed that the noise was wrong. She could feel it in her bones.
A blast of teal collided with Celestia. The noise stopped. A burning husk crashed into the ground. The body dug out a deep trench in the ground.
Nightmare Moon landed next to Twilight. “What did you do!?” Twilight screamed. Her mentor, her teacher, the sun itself, was dead. “How cou-”
“Silence!” Nightmare’s voice was hard. “That is our foe.” A cold shiver ran down Twilight’s back. The flames were silent. The town was still. Only the cloud of dust filling the crater moved. “If you wish to help Celestia, save her from that.” The dream princess pointed towards the cloud.
Twilight turned. A figure was silhouetted in the dust. Moving closer. A pony. An alicorn.
No.
There was more. Tendrils. Something behind the alicorn. Thin strands of purple held the body aloft. A puppet. It’s movements were jerky. Wrong. The legs bent back with each step. The head hung, rolling side to side.
Something more. Twilight couldn’t look. It hurt. There was too much to see. She focused on the alicorn. She could understand that. It’s mouth opened. Wider.
Wider.
Wider.
Rows and rows and rows of teeth. Impossibly sharp. Dripping ichor. An acrid smell. A black miasma oozed from her mouth, rolling and roiling over the ground.
The wings. She could look-
More wings. Four. Six. Twelve. Leathery. Massive. Twenty. Fourty. Eighty meters. The stars were gone. Blocked by the wings.
Hooves. Each step cracked the ground. The legs didn’t bend. They twitched. Slithered.
Twilight stepped back. “What is that?”
“The Tantabus. A being crafted of fear itself.”
“What do we do?”
“We?” Nightmare laughed. High. Cold. Happy. Sad. Regretful. “You are nothing to it. A ant. Lower. A spec.” Twilight shivered. She looked to Nightmare. “I am the mistress of Dreams, Twilight.” The Nightmare. The original. Fear incarnate. Rows of razor teeth grinned down at her. “To me, ‘tis but an insult. Dreams are full of joy. Laughter. But also fear.” Nightmare grew. Taller. Taller. “Tis nothing more than fear. Tis a small fraction of what I am. I am so much more.” Legs. More legs. Eight. Twelve. Twenty. Jointed, segmented. Chittering. “It cannot stand against me. I will hold it.”
She looked down. A dozen dozen eyes for each of Twilight’s locked with hers. “Do you remember what I told you?” A thousand mouths spoke with a single voice. It echoed and shook around her. It came from all and from none. They spoke a thousand languages, tongues lost to time. They chattered and clicked and growled and roared and bellowed and chanted and sang. “Do not forget your task, Twilight.”
A thousand pointed legs skittered. A thousand mouths screeched. The ground shook. Twilight stared at the things as they fought. Both were horrors. She could hardly bear to look at either. But one was so much more. It was everything and nothing at once. The fear it evoked was not complete; it could not squash a feeling of calm inside Twilight. It bolstered it. She was calm and scared and happy and cowed in awe. Freedom. She knew what it was.
She was not watching two beings of fear fight. This was a horror dredged from the pain of an immortal alicorn breaking against an impervious bulwark of dreams, of freedom. The princess was right; it was nothing against her. All at once, Princess Luna returned. She stood there, massive, imposing. A literal wall between the evil and Twilight. She had not understood before. She had only seen fear, where now she saw so much more. She could not understand, but she could know what not to fear. Luna was not to be feared.
Twilight stumbled. A tentacle, severed and still twitching, thousands of meters long, crashed in front of her. It was screaming in pain. The noise, that awful noise. It made it. Twilight’s ears began to bleed. The world twisted, folded, stretched, exploded.
A shattered landscape. Islands of land, a sea of stars. Screaming. Agony. Pain. I need to help them. The cry sounded from below. Twilight tore her eyes from the battle above her. She could not understand it regardless. The things that fought were beyond her. Not mortal. Not real. Beyond comprehension.
“CELESTIA!” Twilight saw her. The alicorn writhed in pain. Dark tendrils weaved through her body. Twilight understood. She remembered. Keep hold of that love. Our love for her will pull her from the darkness. Luna’s words echoed through her mind.
She leapt from the piece of land. Flew. Tumbled. Fell.
No. I flew.
Twilight flew. Outstretched wings caught the air. Carried her. She sailed. Uncounted voices sang to her. Willed her to surrender. To fall.
I will not. Twilight knew. She knew her mission. Celestia needs me.
The path was long. Infinite. Celestia never grew closer. Always far.
You will reach her.
Tendrils of smoke sundered the space around her, forming spears of pain.
They are nothing. Ignore them.
Twilight closed her eyes. Nothing but Celestia mattered. Think of Celestia. Only Celestia.
Her eyes opened. The smoke was gone. Celestia was below her. Twilight smiled. Her wings left; she had no need for them. Without a sound, Twilight landed next to her mentor. “I’m here Celestia. I’m here to help.” The tendrils pulled at the alicorn. Her body stretched. Sinew and muscle and bone bent. “We’re both here. To help you. Luna and I.” Twilight placed a hoof on her mentor. “We love you.”
Nightmare Moon stood facing Celestia. She couldn’t help but let a sad smile come to her lips. “Thank you, sister,” she whispered. “This will be over soon.” A ribbon of light stretched from her horn and connected with Celestia’s. All at once, the mare went still, floating helplessly. Her head slumped forward, a purple star-filled smoke pouring out of her mouth.
Twilight stepped back from the smoke. It filled her with a sense of pure dread. This was the Tantabus Luna spoke of. It was evil. It was hated. Twilight wanted at once to both destroy it, obliterate it, and to run from it, to put as much distance between her and the vile smoke as she could. Frozen to the spot in fear and indecision, Twilight could only watch as Nightmare worked.
“I apologize for doing this to you, sister.” Nightmare’s voice was little more than a whisper though it carried such weight with it. The smoke poured faster out of Celestia, as it was alive, fighting to escape. “Your only crime was not being there for me, for not saving me as I turned down a dark path. I cannot hold that against you.”
The smoke stopped spewing from Celestia’s mouth. It formed a ball of miasma between the alicorns, quivering. Twilight found she was unable to look directly at it. Every time she tried she felt as if she was falling into a deep pit, as if she was staring into eternity itself.
“You are my charge,” the night princess said, glowering at the miasma, letting the ribbon between Celestia and her fade. “I made you as a tool to punish.” A dark chuckle escaped her lips. “It is only fitting that I am your victim. Come to me, my Tantabus.”
Twilight tried to scream. She tried to say anything, to get Nightmare to stop what she was doing. She hated the mare. To Twilight, Nightmare Moon stood for everything that Twilight hated. But not even a pony as evil as Twilight saw Nightmare deserved to have that evil thing eating away at them. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t open her mouth. She could only watch in horror as the Tantabus shot a spike of darkness into Nightmare’s chest before infusing itself into her.
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...Well. Shit.
8948423
Yes?
8948773
Oh, I don't know, it might be the literal nightmares Twilight went through, the fact that Celestia hasn't slept well in a thousand years, or maybe, just maybe, it's the fact that Nightmare literally just made herself the target of the Tantabus.
Take your pick, really.
8949139
I'll take nightmares for $400!
Quick survey time!
What did you think of the nightmares?
8949149
They made sense in the way that they should have. They're dreams. They don't make sense. Nicely written and I enjoyed Twilight's uneducated and unprepared view of them, especially her own fears of turning out like Nightmare Moon, disappointing Celestia, and being unprepared in general. I especially liked when Nightmare went to face the Tantabus and Twilight finally learned to stop seeing her as fear and saw her true form. Very nice touch of character development and them becoming closer.
8949172
EEE! I was worried about how they'd come across.
Celestia doenst sleep well in 1000 years? Why she doesnt ask Luna/Nm about this?
8950472
Regret mostly.
8950485
Well, but i happy that NM still love Celestia anyway.
Great pair of chapters
Oh, what a wonderful plan, Nighty! With Tantabus you can stroke your masochistic urges without effort, and also wouldn't need to worry about Lulu - Tanty will make you miserable enough to never let Luna surface again! You're genius! The Nightmare will last forever!!!