Legends of Equestria: The Tale of Two Sisters

by Luna Sapphire

Pitch

Celestia woke up relieved. For the first time since her parents' death she had a good night's sleep, which was a surprise considering where she was. Maybe it was the protection of the place, that not only keep the Nightmares away, with a capital N and also known as the Shadow Ponies, but internal nightmares that terrorized sleep, since both were powered by bad memories and feelings.

She looked around for her sister, but there was no sign of Luna anywhere. On the other hoof, there was a little unicorn filly that wasn't with the group before.

She had the Cutie Mark a fire lily, like the flower that rested between her hooves, which was a surprise since nothing else seemed to grow in that desolation.

Then Luna came, from somewhere in the city.

"Good morning, Celestia! Had a good night?" Luna welcomed.

"Very quiet. It is bad to wake up and realize that everything good was just a dream and we continue in darkness. Who is she?"

"Lily Hearts. She lived in the city before the attack, her mother managed to hide her and she is surviving here alone since then. Lady Sapphire wants to send her to the Circle of Hope, but we cannot send anyone with her."

"We cannot carry a little filly on a dangerous journey like this." Celestia replied.

"I don't like the idea, so I thought better let to discuss this with everypony... But the place where we find her is full of flowers."

"And you think it is she who makes the flowers grow?"

"I don't know, but Sapphire Sky think so."

"Still, we cannot take her with us."

"We cannot leave her here alone? But let's wait a general decision. Meanwhile, help me to prepare breakfast."

Celestia muttered to herself, wondering why her sister insisted on taking care of things by herself, but decided it was best to help her. Maybe she had to learn to do it by herself from now on, and perhaps Luna was more prepared for it than herself.

Moreover, Luna not feel any prepared. She was there because she was sure it was the right thing to do, not because she really thought able to go through that world and facing what seemed to be the most powerful of all pony.

It did not matter at that moment. Celestia thought. Maybe Sapphire Sky was right and the journey reveal them something they did not know or gave them something they had not.

Lily managed to escape and survive the Nightmares alone in the ruined city, apparently undergoing a much better time than the princesses from the same day. They had lost their parents in the same day, and struggled to get through this and survive on their own, had faced attacks and other risks, even in a protected place, except that Lily did not need to maintain the protections of her place or looking for other ponies, but otherwise, she was a little filly struggling to survive alone in a place where there was not much to survive.

And at least Celestia and Luna had each other, Lily had no one.

The breakfast was well quieter and with a climate somewhat heavy, other than dinner. Somepony asked about Lily, but most ignored her presence, as if accustomed to little ponies appearing in their camps at night. No Nightmare seen around outside, but it didn't mean anything to their way through the forest, where the Nightmares were more dangerous in dark and enclosed spaces. Nobody said it would be an easy trip.

Lily ended up having to go with them, first because there was no one to take her back to the Circle of Hope (not that Luna hadn't offered to go back and forth to reach them), and because Lily herself refused to go and let them. It was as if she was not afraid of anything, except to be left alone again.

So they set out, with all the strength and courage they had to face one of the toughest stages of their journey, the forest of forgetfulness.

"They say that everypony who pass through that forest forget who they are and what they are doing. Many end up lost and never come back." Ice commented.

"You've been hearing many stories about these lands, Ice!" Flame protested. "These stories are not true, are they, princess?" He asked Luna.

"I don't know." She had to admit. "I just let the Circle of Hope twice with my parents in one we flew over the forest. But they also said that the nightmare ponies were only legends, so Nightmare appeared. It is hard to say, but one way or another we will have to cross it."

It was not very helpfull, but still they continued, the constant feeling that something was watching them, but the first part of the journey was uneventful.

They were already some time in the forest, when the first Nightmares began to emerge there. An ambush? Could be, or just a simple attack. They even chose places or moments where they were stronger.

"Stay calm and try to open the way!" Jasmine comanded. "And block your minds, or they'll get you!"

"No spell of protection that we can use?" Celestia asked.

"There's no point. They would just surround us and wait until we were too weak to maintain the spell."

"Are they poisonous?" Flame Storm asked, in his dragon-pony form, casting a fireball at a group of Nightmares advancing against them.

Luna protected Lily. For the little unicorn, was the first time she really felt scared. This time her mother wasn't there to protect her and, as much as the others were trying, this time there was no place to hide. It could only get worse.

The fireballs could keep them apart, but there was always the danger of seting the forest on fire. Celestia's power could destroy them, but within minutes they regenerated. Luna was the one who could destroy them definitelly.

Whenever they found a way they tried to get away from the nightmares, but never went very far before being surrounded again, making slow progress.

But the Nightmares seemed to be using not even half of their power against the ponies and deer crossing the forest. But only Lily noticed that something was wrong there.

"Stop it, it's a trap!" She shouted suddenly.

Luna and Sapphire, who accompanied her, stopped, Celestia and Jasmine stopped little ahead, the rest of the group finally noticed the lack of the four leaders and stopped in a small clearing, where pink flower grew everywhere.

"Do not breathe! They are lotus flowers!" Lily cried desperately.

Celestia and Jasmine ran to where she was, away from the flowers, but it was a little too late to others.

"You know these flowers, little one?" Jasmine asked.

"I know them all. Lotus flowers have a toxin that causes euphoria and amnesia."

"Also in large amounts can induce a deep sleep." A dark voice behind them said. "But this does not affect the Nightmares, and all these conditions are favorable for a feast to them." The voice laughed.

They took a time to locate the owner of the voice, a gray unicorn, black mane and golden eyes, his Cutie Mark was a black sand cloud.

"So you're the filly of the magic vines, isn't you? Should I imagine that you would interfere. Did not know the place of children is in their home, not in the middle of the forest?" He teased.

"Sure. Because thanks to these things," she indicated the nightmares behind him "I no longer have a home."

The mysterious pony ignored this last comment.

"But what I'm talking about? Both princesses here... So young, so many responsability..."

"Who are you?" Celestia stepped forward, threatening.

"I'm one of those who comes from the nightmares brought up by Nightmare, the lady of darkness. But you can call me Pitch, commander of nightmares. And when I say 'nightmares', I do not mean the Nightmares who serve the Lady, but literal nightmares. But you should know that, princess Luna, as your magic seems to oppose mine. Or did not know that too?"

Luna had no idea what he was talking about, but maybe it had something to do with why she was the only one able to definitively destroy the Nightmares.

"But it will make no difference. Soon you will not remember any of it." Pitch laughed.