Recalling the Nightmare

by Juu50x

Chapter 8 - Into the Forest!

I don’t own MLP: FiM or its characters. They belong to Lauren Faust and Hasbro.

A/N: Just to make sure in case someone didn't notice it from previous chapter, these “dark creatures” are suppose to look like the Heartless from Kingdom Hearts.

Recalling the Nightmare

Chapter 8
Into the Forest!

There was small echo when Applejack's hooves connected with the nightmarish creature. It let out a small howl before disintegrating into a pile of smoke, which quickly vanished. But that still wasn't enough. Every time they took out one, it looked like three more appeared out of nowhere. “This isn't getting us anywhere Applejack!” she heard her rainbow maned friend call over the fight.

Very few stallions and mares had joined the Bearers of Elements in the fight, the majority had tried to flee to safety. But they didn't know where exactly to flee to. So most of, if not everypony, ran towards the town hall. Hoping to find some kind of safety in the government building.

“Ya think ah haven't noticed!?” Applejack yelled back as her hind legs made contact with another of the nightmarish creatures causing it to vanish. “But ah don't hear any suggestions from ya!”

“Whoa!” she heard Rainbow Dash exclaim as just barely dodged another creature's claws. The situation was just going to keep getting worse and worse if they didn't do something!

“Applejack watch out!” She suddenly heard Rarity scream. The next thing she knew was being thrown away, while her body was covered with a white magical aura. She then heard as somepony's hooves hit the creature that seemed to have sneaked up behind her. “Thanks Rarity...” She breathed. “Ah own you one...” Applejack then gave Rarity a small appreciating smile.

“You are quite welcome.” Rarity smiled, but her smile quickly vanished when she looked right past Applejack. “What's wrong sugarcube?” Applejack asked as she slowly turned to look behind her. What she saw, shocked her as much as it had Rarity. Before her, there was a swarm of these things, crawling around the buildings, sloppily, and still dangerously walking towards them. With a hunger like glee in their eyes.

“That!” Rarity said in distress, as she started slowly back away.

But the problems didn't stop there. “Look up!” They heard Pinkie Pie screaming while pointing at the sky. The two mare's looked up, but whatever Pinkie Pie was pointing at, was moving bit too fast for their eyes and before they knew it, it landed right between them and the creatures. The landing was quite hard as the ground seemed to shook beneath their hooves and before them was a giant cloud of dust.

And they could see through the dust, a large figure. From what Rarity and Applejack could tell, the new arrival had a dark coat and a long horn. But what shocked them most, was the fact that it had also wings! But it didn't stop there, as the new arrivals eyes suddenly started glowing as did her horn.

“NIGHTMARE MOON!” Rarity screamed, backing away fast from pure fright.

Applejack on the other hoof just stood there and watched in shock and fear. She watched as the figure, who she also guessed was Nightmare Moon, rising to her full height. Eyes and horn glowing even brighter. Then she made her move. Applejack watched as wall of hundreds, if not thousands of stars came out from the horn.

“BEGONE, YOU FOUL CREATURES OF DARKNESS!” A familiar voice roared, majestic and loud. “RETURN TO THE ETERNALDARKNESS WHERE YOUR DARK MISTRESS HAS CALLED YOU FROM!” Applejack and others watched in awe as Princess Luna's spell literally burned down every creature that it came contact with, but left the buildings unscratched.

“Prin... Princess Luna?” Applejack asked, sounding somewhat shocked.

“Are you all alright?” Princess turned to them with concern look.

“Y-yeah, yah could say so...” Applejack said, finding herself stuttering for some reason. “What... what the hay were those... those... things?” Applejack then asked.

“Applejack!” She heard Rarity's scolding voice behind her and she couldn't help but roll her eyes. “Show some respect! The Princess just saved us.”

“That is alright, miss Rarity.” Luna said. Which seemed to make Rarity bit embarrassed about her previous comment. “And to answer your question...” Luna stayed quiet for a moment as thousand years old memories... nightmares came back to her. “Those were Dark Spawn. Dark creatures that destroy anything they or their Master, or in this case, Mistress sees fit.” She explained.

“Ho... how do you... know that?” Fluttershy asked. Applejack, Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked bit surprised seeing their shy friend outside even though it probably wasn't still save yet.

Luna sighed. She hoped that the Bearers of the Elements would trust her with the information. “I know of them because I, as Nightmare Moon, created them...” She said, her voice full of shame. “They were meant to be my, her, main army that took care of...” Luna couldn't help but stop herself as a lump suddenly jumped in her throat. “... of the... unworthy.”

Everypony just started at the Moon Princess with expressions of shock. That was something none of them expected. “B- but...” Rarity then broke the tense silence between them. But she couldn't stop the stuttering from her voice. “... you aren't Nightmare Moon anymore, are you?” She felt really stupid saying that. Of course she wasn't. And if she was, she surely wouldn't reveal something like that. But she, for some reason, knew that this was Princess Luna before her and she hadn't turned against them.

“No.” Luna replied curtly.

“But how do we know you aren't just pulling something nasty on us?” Rainbow asked, glaring at the Princess, not afraid of showing her distrust. That made Luna visibly flinch. It still hurt her. And she knew that while other didn't show it, they also had doubts of their own about her. But she would prove them wrong, that she wasn't going to turn on anypony anymore!

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity exclaimed shockingly. “How can you say something like? It's quite obv-”

“It is alright miss Rarity.” Luna interrupted Rarity. “She, as well as all of you, have good reason not to trust me.” she said, with some shame in her voice. “But, let me assure all of you that I'm-” Luna interrupted herself when she felt something familiar. It was like small bolt of lighting had struck her right in the back of the head. But with it came a dark, chilling feeling that made her skin crawl. And from the expression of the Bearers, she could tell that they had felt it too.

“Wha' in the hay was that?!” Applejack asked, while turning her head around. Sounding all confused, and maybe even bit frightened.

“Could it be...” Luna wondered aloud, her voice filled with dread.

But before she could say anything, a terrifying sound, almost like a banshee's screech, but not loud enough to deafen, emanated from the Everfree Forest. And after that what felt like a small shock wave.

“An' what in tarnation was that?” Applejack asked, her voice tinged with surprise.

“Our worst fears coming true...” Luna said quietly in reply.

“What... what are you saying Princess?” Fluttershy asked. She had never felt this afraid before. Everything felt like one big, terrible nightmare.

Luna stayed quiet for a moment. Wondering how to explain this impossible revelation to the young mares. The situation was much more worse than she had originally thought. And now she understood that the Dark Spawns were only a distraction! “This 'attack' was just an distraction.” Luna said. “And what you seem to have also felt a bit earlier,” All five of them gave Luna a surprised look. “Was the Elements being taken...” She finished grimly.

“WHAT!” All five of them exclaimed loudly. “Bu- but how is that possible!?” Rarity asked.

“I have no idea.” Luna simply said. “But, whatever answers we seek, may lay in the Everfree Forest.” Everypony shuttered at thought of entering the bizarre forest again. Especially now that it seemed to have changed into a more darker, and scarier place. Like something out of a nightmare.

“Ar-are you saying that... we must ent- enter the- the...” Fluttershy didn't finish her sentence as she was too afraid to mention the forest, afraid that something suddenly jump out of its dark shadows.

“Yes.” Luna replied. “I don't see any other options here. We must venture deep into the forest itself.”

“But where the heck would we go?” Rainbow asked impatiently.

Luna found herself bit surprised by the question. The pegasi was right, where would they go? There wasn't that many place's in the Everfree Forest. Not at least one thousand years ago, but she had been told by her sister that the forest hadn't changed in the years, which meant that the only place they could go was: “The Ancient Castle.” Luna answered.

All five of them watched the Princess with shock and then looked at themselves questionably. “Shouldn’t we go get Twilight first Princess?” Applejack asked, tilting her head a bit.

“That is out of the question.” Luna answered.

“Why!?” Pinkie Pie then asked. “Is she being all grumpy-dumpy and doesn't want to talk to anypony at all, or is-”

“No!” Luna interrupted Pinkie Pie's rant before she could go to far. “To put it simply, she wasn't at home, and neither was her dragon assistant.” That made all five of them worried. Had Twilight somehow left the village and entered the Everfree Forest while all of this mayhem had been happening? But then, how she would have known what happened?

“Ugh! None of this makes any bucking sense!” Rainbow Dash grunted in frustration.

“Well, then I suggest we make haste, if we are to make any sense out of this whole situation.” Luna said, starting slowly walking towards the border of the Forest. As she walked, she looked at the five mares, giving them a look that asked them to follow and trust her. And soon, one at the time, they followed the Luna towards the forest.

After a short walk, they all found themselves right at the border of the forest and being this close to the forest, chilled right to the bone even though there wasn't any kind of wind. And Luna saw that the doubt was slowly crawling to their minds. “Do not falter my little ponies, for you won't be standing alone.” Luna said, trying to encourage them. And it seemed to work.

“Yeah, yer right Princess.” Appjack said. With a small, reassured smile on her lips. “We don't have to worry about anythin' while yer with us.” Applejack said, partly so her other friends would also feel a bit better.

Luna acknowledged Applejack's comment with a nod and a smile. “Thank you.” She said, a bit of warmth in her tone. Princess Luna then took the first steps, and soon disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Soon followed by Applejack with Rarity right behind her. After them, Pinkie Pie was next and soon Fluttershy joined. Followed at last by Rainbow Dash.

The forest was just as dark as they saw from the outside and only looked even creepier now. Creepy enough to sent some serious chills down to Rainbow Dash's spine. “Man this place gives me some serious creeps...” Rainbow muttered. On her right, Fluttershy wasn't doing that great as she was afraid to look anywhere.

“Hey, where's Princess Luna?” Pinkie Pie then asked, while looking around the forest.

The others then also noticed the absence of the Night Princess and the worry and the fear was slowly returning to them. The Princess had promised to be with them, why did she suddenly abandon them?

“Princess Luna?” Rainbow Dash called. “Hey! You in here?” The only answer Rainbow Dash received was silence. “Great!” Rainbow grunted really loudly. Showing her frustration. “Now what the hay do we do?”

“W... we go back...” Fluttershy asked, or rather whimpered.

“Ah don't thin' that might be possible girl.'” Applejack said, her tone worried.

Rarity and other looked at her quite confused. “Why would you say something like that dear?” She asked. Applejack didn't say anything, but pointed at the direction which they came. The rest of the gang let out a surprised cry as the tress were slowly moving, creating a wall, to prevent them from leaving.

They were now completely and totally alone in a dark forest. With no help coming for them. “An' what now?” Applejack asked, as if looking for suggestions. But before anypony could say anything, a bone chilling howl filled the forest around them. Making it all too clear to them that they weren't alone...

Sorry if this chapter isn't mind breaking/blowing like the last one. But let me reassure you that the next one is going to have some action. And so will the other chapters. In fact, we are only about five or six chapters away from the ending!

But, don't forget to comment this chapter or the story. Constructive Criticism is welcome. And let's not burn everything in our/your way.

Till next time, THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT(MARE'S)!!!

Comments

[techtwotiger]

Nice chapter, while I can't wait to get to the action, it isn't any fun if there's no suspense.
Keep up the good work.

[Juu50x]

1045963 Well thank you if you liked it

I was bit worried that this might quite boring chapter, but I guess I did OK work

[Mossflower]

great chapter! not much happened, but there was still great progress made (how that makes sense i don't know)!