Within The Nightmare: Side Stories from the Living Nightmare universe

by Autum Breeze

Time Troubles part 8 Nightmareverse: Rainboom Redux

Part 2

Rainboom Redux

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“Twilight, what do we do?” Spike asked in a panic, staring at the window Stellar and Nightmare Moon had flown out of. “We can’t just leave Stellar to fight Nightmare Moon all by herself.”

“I know, but I’ve kinda got my hooves full here, Spike,” the purple Alicorn grunted as she used her magic to hold the guards, including sadly, Rainbow Dash, back.

The spell was blocking all the doorways and windows, making it so nopony could get to them. Not that it stopped Rainbow and the other bat-winged pegasi from slamming against the magical barrier, trying to get to the mare who’d brought the filly that dared to attack their princess.

Twilight did note with a little bit of joy that Rainbow was not actually one of the ponies pounding on the shield. She was, in fact, by Rarity, who’d back off at the first sign of danger, and the buzz-cut mare was now standing protectively in front of the unicorn.

Maybe I was wrong, at least in part, she thought, seeing this and giving the smallest of smiles. Dash seems to care about Rarity enough to stand protectively over her, at least. That means she isn’t too far gone from the Rainbow Dash I know... I hope.

“Twilight!”

The Alicorn looked back over her shoulder to see Stellar soar through the smashed-open window and land firmly on the carpeted floor, skidding for a second, before looking to her.

“Get everypony out of the castle, NOW!”

“Huh?” purple Alicorn and dragon asked, looking confused.

“I don’t know what’s about to happen, and I’d rather not risk anypony’s lives!” the black Alicorn said, before giving a piercing gaze, made all the more intimating by the way her eyes looked in general.

Realizing this clearly wasn’t up for debate, Twilight increased the charge of her horn, stretching her magical senses out all across the castle, sensing every living creature held within.

Once she’d gotten them all, she began to cast the teleport, but not before she saw a sight that would remain ingrained in her memory for a very long while.

As her horn’s charge increased to begin the teleport, Nightmare Moon slammed through the window, halting in front of Stellar, who whirled around to face her, Nightmare Moon’s face set between a snarl and malicious grin.

At that moment, however, Stellar shouted something odd, which caused Nightmare Moon to falter with confusion, whilst Twilight, the teleport already have been cast and starting, could only watch.

“Two now become one!” the filly screamed, her eyes shining completely white. "One mind, one soul, in perfect harmony!"

Suddenly, there was a pulse of magic that spread out from Stellar in and spherical pattern, before the filly lifted into the air and became surrounded by a sphere of black light, the filly silhouetted in white outlines within the darkness.

That was as face as Twilight got to see, however, before the teleport whisked her and all connected in her magic out of the castle.

___________________________________________________________

Deep within the Everfree, the pair of Timber Wolves sniffed around, following the scent of the three meals that had recently come into their domain.

While two of them made their mouths eager to chomp down, the third one put them slightly on edge.

They knew its scent, but at the same time, it was different. The third one’s scent was one all creatures of the forest feared and prayed they would never come across the being it belonged to.

However, something was off about the scent. It was so subtle, it was hard to place. The fear the scent inspired was still nerve-racking for the wooden beasts, but the oddity in the scent also made them curious.

It was this curiosity that led them to the castle where the scent was strongest.

Every fiber of their wooden bodies told them to flee, to get away before the owner of the scent found and killed them, as she had done to so many of their kind foolish enough to come even to the edges of the trees boarding her castle in the past.

But, somehow, the oddity of the scent was confusion enough that they were ignoring their survival instincts, something guaranteed to get any creature killed.

A third had joined them, though, unlike they, it was being far more cautious. Not having been close when the group of three had been found by the duo wolves, it was far more wary due to the familiar scent, despite its oddness.

Whilst the other two were daring to get far closer to the castle than any creature of the forest knew was safe, it remained on the other side of the bridge, watching, whimpering as it continued to smell the oddness in the scent.

It filled it, not with curiosity, but fear stronger than the scent normally would. It could not place a paw on why, but the presence of the oddness in its scent felt wrong, like something was off.

The third found its precautions were not in vain as, suddenly, there was a flash of purple light in front of it, followed by a countless number of food.

However, the number of food told it it was too much for it alone and it began backing away, only to freeze at what it saw.

The castle shuddered, before the ground itself began to shake, followed by the castle taking on a black appearance, the castle itself being outlined in white.

All at once, the black shot like a beam into the sky, smashing through the heavens, spreading out until the whole castle was within the beam, its fellow pack members being consumed by the blast.

The Timber Wolf watched, its wooden jaw hanging agape at the sight. Whilst Timber Wolves were not like food, they could feel magic in other ways and the amount of energies pouring out from the castle were terrifying.

Whatever was happening, it wanted no part in it, no matter how much food it could get.

Turning tail, it ran, not daring to even look back. Whatever was happening, it had to warn the pack. The castle was no longer just a place of danger, it was a place where death would come to any of them should they tred near.

___________________________________________________________

As the energy crackles around me, I heave heavy breathes. My memories are solidifying, fitting into place. Over a thousand years of experiences are running through my mind, but I only pay specific ones any mind.

I do not pay attention to the memories of feelings of isolation on the moon, nor rage long puttered out at the ponies of Equestria for ignoring the night, the fear as the rainbow energy of the Elements of Harmony rushed towards me that try to force themselves to the front of my mind. I focus only on what matters.

For the moment, those are my memories of combat and spell craft. If I am to survive this, those must be my priority for the moment.

I shuffle all other memories away to the back of my mind, allowing over a thousand years worth of combat and spell crafting knowledge to solidify at the forefront of my mind.

My memories are important, but I must focus on what matters to me most. And, right now, that means using everything at my disposal to end this tyranny that has corrupted my home.

Once all my memories have emblazoned themselves in my mind, the energies around me died down, lowering me onto the ground once more.

As the last ebbs of magical energy crackle and flicker off my body, I turn my eyes, the irises of white are brightly lit, on the taller mare, staring at me with confusion and slight uncertainty.

“This ends now, Nightmare,” I say, feeling the confidence I hear in my voice. Moonie and I are now one. Our thoughts are one, our goals are one. We are the same pony and will forever be that way. The only pony holding the title of Nightmare Moon stands before me. But even she won’t hold that title for long.

Nightmare shakes her head as her magical barrier dissipates, before looking around with a mixed of shock, awe, horror and rage.

The castle has been returned to a ruined state due to the energy flux that occurred when Moonie and I became one completely. Whilst there are no vines or any signs that were in the castle I’d first awoken in, it is a stark contrast to what Nightmare had turned this place into.

Upon hearing my voice, Nightmare turns to me, her eyes filled with rage.

I smirk. “Let’s dance, pretty mare.”

I turn into a cloud of star and shoot out the window, Nightmare following suit with a scream of rage.

___________________________________________________________

Twilight, Spike and everypony the Alicorn had teleported out of the castle just stare, open mouthed at the ruin that was once the Castle of the Two Pony Sisters, or as several ponies murmured in shock, Nightmare Castle.

However, everypony’s stupor did not last for long. Mere moments after the castle was revealed in its now ruined state, two stream of star-filed clouds shot out from the area of the throne room and into the sky.

This snapped the ponies from the castle, specifically the guards whom witnessed Nightmare and Twilight’s confrontation, to turn their attention to the purple Alicorn.

Twilight reacted by teleporting Spike to the edge of the forest, her magic erecting a barrier around him, preventing anypony from touching the young reptile, before she moved on with the attack.

Having experience fighting thanks to the Changeling Invasion, Tirek and, most recently, her battle against Starlight Glimmer which had inevitably led to this present, she was no slouch when it came to fighting.

This seemed to catch most of the guards off-guard, causing them to be taken out quickly due to their holding back, thinking she wouldn’t require much effort and was an easy target, despite being an Alicorn (Seriously? Even in this alternate timeline her being an Alicorn was still so overlookable?). Several others proved a challenge as Twilight had to duck, teleport and shield in quick succession, just to keep on her hooves. She could only hope Stellar was faring better.

___________________________________________________________

I manage to avoid another blast of magic are Nightmare and I clash in the skies.

I’m not sure how long we’ve been at this. It’s hard to keep track of time when the sky is a perpetual night; another reason Night Eternal is just so stupid an idea.

I’m caught off-guard when Nightmare suddenly teleports in front of me, grabbing me with her mane, her eyes boaring into my own. “I was considering sparing you, as you seem worthy of perhaps becoming my student or something of the like,” she snarls, her fangs bared. “But, after what you did to my castle, you will now di—AHH!”

Her little monologue is cut off when my mane lashes out, striking her in the eyes, the shock and pain causing her to release me, giving me a chance to back away and prepare another assault.

“That’s the problem with beings like you, Nightmare!” I shout, shooting towards her, spinning like a top, my magical mane surging around me. “You never shut up!”

I puncture my statement with a slam to Nightmare’s chest, sending her rocketing down and slamming through the now grumbling roof of her castle.

I use this moment of reprieve to catch my breath. This is a lot harder than I’d thought it would be, and I’d already known it would be hard, even now that I am whole.

The problem I face is that I’m not simply facing Nightmare Moon. I’m facing Nightmare Moon as she possesses Mama’s body. She has access to all of Mama’s power, which is so powerful thanks to the moon.

With all my memories now in place, I understand my own power far better. Auntie Tia gains her power from the sun, Mama gets hers from the moon, Cadance the love of those around her and Twilight the power of friendship itself.

But I get my power from the very night. True, Mama’s domain is the night, but it is what gives me my power, due to how my original existence, the Nightmare Moon of my own time, as a pony was born.

You would think, therefore, that I should have the complete advantage against this Nightmare Moon, but she is gaining her power from both the night and syphoning Mama’s power gained from the moon.

This gives Nightmare the clear advantage and the only reason I am yet to be brought down is thanks to my own knowledge of modern times and how I can mix it with my accident memories.

Without those, I’m certain Nightmare would have finished me off a long time ago.

But, I can’t keep this up. Even with the night currently lasting forever, Nightmare still has more power than me. I need something, or somepony, who could throw her off. I need something that can weaken her, but the only thing to ever stop her were the Elements of Harmony, which won’t even work because the Rainboom that connected Twilight and the others never happened.

If only Auntie Tia were here, she might be able to call out to Mama still trapped within Nightmare and Mama might be able to do something from within that might make it harder for Nightmare to fight.

But, how could I even do that? Nightmare Moon has trapped Celestia in the moon and the only way Nightmare had escaped from it after the Element sealed her inside were four stars, which are nowhere in sight in the sky.

Nightmare might have been able to break a spell created by the Elements, but how could I, a young filly, Alicorn or not, break a spell crated... by the...

Wait a minute. Nightmare said she’d trapped Auntie Tia in the moon. But, she couldn’t have used the Elements to do that. The Elements were about the balance of harmony in the world, which was why Auntie Tia had been able to seal Nightmare Moon in the moon with them a little over a thousand years ago. Locking Auntie Tia in the moon wouldn’t do anything to help the balance.

So, the Elements wouldn’t have helped Nightmare do it, meaning she couldn’t have used the Elements to seal Tia in the moon.

I can’t help grinning. If Nightmare didn’t use the Elements to seal Tia in the moon, the spell is far weaker than the one Tia used on her. It can be broken.

At once, my spirits drop. How can I break the spell? I may now be whole, but I’m still just a filly. Twilight won’t be able to help me, what with her handling Nightmare Moon’s guards and, even if we stopped her guards, there’s the problem of Nightmare herself.

We’d need a miracle, like the Rainboom is, to pull something like that off.

...

Hang on. The Rainboom. It was pure, harmonic energy. Maybe, if the Rainboom happened, it would release enough harmonic energy to break the spell all on its own, or at least give Twilight enough of a magical boast to give her the chance whilst I hold of Nightmare...

That joy drops as I realize something. I’m the only one of the two of us who knows how such a spell can work. I’d need hours just to try and explain the basics of it to Twilight, time we do not have.

ARGH! This is so frustrating! This would be so much easier if we had all the Element Bearers and, whilst Rainbow and Rarity are here, neither, from what I can gather, represent their Elements enough to even be able to connect with them, not to mention I’ve no idea where to find AJ, Pinkie or Fluttershy. Sure, they might be in Ponyville, but, then again, they could have fled to get away from Nightmare long ago and it’s not like we have anything that holds a connection to any of them. No blood relatives, no...

I blink. Blood?

No.

Could... could it really be that easy? It... it seems beyond foolish to think the answer could be so simple could work, but... it’s not like we have a lot of options and we need any hope we can of stopping Nightmare’s reign now.

“Insolent foal!” I glance down to see Nightmare soaring up at me, her eyes filled with bloody murder.

Thinking fast, I split a piece of myself apart, using the spell used to try and trick Rainbow Dash abandon her friends and send my clone soaring down to join Twilight.

I put that out of my mind, knowing the clone will do as I wish and turn my attention to Nightmare. I’ll have to keep holding her off until the plan works... if it works.

___________________________________________________________

Twilight uses her magic to deflect another attack from a bat-winged guard.

Celestia, they just wouldn’t give up, would they?

She knew it would be so much easier to just use her magic to fight that all off, but she couldn’t bring herself to hurt these ponies. Sure, only Rarity and Rainbow had shown themselves as this reality’s versions of ponies she knew, but she hadn’t seen any of the other ponies under their helmets. For all she knew, she could be fighting some of her other friends from Ponyville, even Canterlot.

“Twilight!”

The Alicorn turned in time to see another guard being knocked aside by a whip of star-dotted mane, before Stellar landed next to her.

“Stellar?” she gasp in confusion. Had she beaten Nightmare Moon already?

Wait. Glancing up, she could still make out Nightmare Moon battling a small filly version of herself, both manoeuvring and trading blows, the smaller gaining the upper hand several times.

Looking back to the filly fighting next to her, Twilight frowned. “Clone?”

“Like the spell used to try and trick Dash back during the Summer Sun Celebration, yes,” the filly replied, lashing her mane out at another guard who chose to come too close to the little black Alicorn. “Anyway, I’m here to tell you the plan to stop Nightmare, or, the very least, free Celestia so we can work with her to stop Nightmare.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “How could you have figured out how to do that?”

“Stellar and Nightmare are now one,” the filly said firmly, turning into a small cloud of star and whipping around like a tornado, knocking several more guards aside. “That was the big explosion. Our memories our now one and the same.”

Twilight felt a small pit of worry at that thought. Nightmare and Stellar had chosen to become of one mind and body. That sounded like a Nightmare Moon idea to take control of Stellar.

However, the look in the filly’s eyes held no hesitation in the statement. This was not a clone of Nightmare Moon having tricked Stellar into giving her full control and pretending to be the younger filly. Whilst she now saw a wisdom within those eyes Stellar never possessed, she still saw the filly she knew within them.

This had been an agreement by both, with no hidden agendas. She would have to believe that for now, at least, until things were settled.

“Okay,” Twilight nodded, using her magic to push several more guards away. “What do we do?”

“We need the Raindoom!”

Twilight whipped her head, glaring at the black Alicorn. “Don’t you think I know that?! If it had happened, we wouldn’t even be in this situation in the first place.”

“No!” the Stellar clone cried, her eyes shining as all the guards were pushed back, giving them a few moments of peace before the fight began anew. “We need it now. If the Rainboom happens now, its harmonic energy release will be enough to free Celestia and possibly even stop Nightmare Moon.”

“How do I get the Rainboom to happen?!” Twilight asked incredulously.

The filly smirked. “Get Dash to race you, of course.”

With that the filly released another blast of magic, knocking out all be two ponies, even the non-guards, before turning into a cloud of star and shooting back towards where two night Alicorns were duking it out.

Twilight just stared up in confusion as the cloud moved higher and higher.

Get Dash to race her? How? She hadn’t even been able to convince filly Rainbow Dash to race her, how was she meant to get the adult Rainbow Dash to?

The only way she could maybe trick Dash into going fast enough to make a Rainboom would be if Dash had a drive. What kind of drive could she give to a mare who didn’t seem loyal like...?

Twilight glanced back to see Rainbow flying over to check on a very faint looking Rarity.

It came to her. It was underhoofed and wrong, and went against everything she believed in and stood for as the Princess of Friendship, but she had to do it if she was going to trick Dash into doing a Rainbom.

“Wow. And here I thought nopony would want to be friends with the lame Rainbow Crash,” she called out.

At once, the cyan mare’s ears twitched and she turned to glare at the Alicorn. “What was that?”

“I bet Rarity’s the only thing you’ve ever had close to a friend, am I right?” Twilight jeered, flapping her wings to get airborne. “I bet you’ve never had a read friend to be loyal to your whole life. That’s why you were so willing to betrayed Princess Celestia for Nightmare Moon.”

“Shut up!” the mare with a buzz-cut shouted, launching towards Twilight.

Twilight grinned. It worked. Now all she had to do was fly fast enough the Dash would need to do the Rainboom to gain enough speed to catch her, without causing a sonic boom of her own. Something she could easily do with magic.

She’d never do this is she were genuinely racing Dash, but this time was an exception.

Shooting off into the sky, Twilight poured her magic into her wings, increasing her speed.

“Fluttershy probably sees you as a monster!” Twilight called back, trying to egg Dash on more. “You remember her, right? The pony who’s honour you raced to defend, but stopped because you saw something else you thought was cooler. She probably cries herself to sleep every night, wondering how her best friend at Flight School turned into such a selfish cow, willing to serve under a pony like Nightmare Moon just to get what she wants!”

“I said SHUT UP!” Dash’s voice screeched behind her, filled with pure rage. “You don’t know a thing about me! I don’t know how you know about that race, but you don’t know anything about what I’ve had to do to keep my friends safe! Don’t you dare question my loyalty to them!”

Twilight blinked, a bit taken aback, but shook herself and continued. She had to keep up the act if her part in Stellar’s plan was to work. “Sure. Like I’d believe that. Just tell yourself whatever you need to make yourself get to sleep at night in you comfy room at the castle whilst Fluttershy probably is living in a hovel, crowded to the brim with other ponies because Nightmare doesn’t care about her subjects!”

“I SAID SHUT UP!”

Her magic having prevented her from affecting the sound barrier, Twilight’s ears picked up the unmistakable sound of an air cone forming. Just a few more pushes to catch her and Dash would do a Rainboom.

She didn’t like the idea of what Dash would do once she’d caught up with her, which she no doubt would do with the extra speed boast performing the Rainboom gave, but she couldn’t focus on that.

Instead, the angled herself downward and headed back toward the direction of the castle, taking her wings for less wind resistance.

As she got close enough to see Rarity’s shocked eyes staring up at the two of them as they passed over the treeline, Twilight heard it. The unmistakable booming sound of a sonic boom.

She barely had time to glance behind her, before she felt Rainbow Dash slam into her, sending the two of them rocketing towards the ground.

They impacted, Dash pressing her against Twilight as they skidded through the dirt, causing a deep gouge in the ground. they skidded for several moments, before they finally stopped, Dash standing over Twilight, her hooves pressing down against the lavender mare’s chest.

The hate-filled, enraged glare within those cyan eyes turned to confusion, however, as Twilight just looked over Dash’s head, a wistful smile on her face.

Frowning in confusion now, Dash glanced over her shoulder to see what her downed target was looking at... only for her jaw to drop at the sight of the expanding rainbow ring spreading across the sky and the quickly fading rainbow trail that ended where they were.

It had happened. It was several years late, but it had happened. The Rainboom had graced Equestria's skies.

Author's Note:

Phew. Okay, that was harder to write than i'd have thought.

Now, i'm sorry about the cliffhanger, but i felt the next part needed to be in another chapter or else it would just be too much for this chapter to go through at once.

So, do you get what Stellar's plans are? Will they work? Will Nightmare Moon be defeated? Is Rainbow Dash really secretly a yack in disguise?

FInd out the answer to most of these quesitons in the concluison of the Nightmareverse,

Okay, on a serious note, i really want to get the next chapter out before christmas. it might be out on Christmas Eve, but i can't make a guarantee on that. Christmas always tends to get a bit hectic with my family and, with everything that has happened in recent months, i've no doubt it'll be more hectic than usual.

Also, on a side note, as usual, new ideas like popping into my head. Some know of this one, but, along with getitng back to a few other of my fics after Time Troubles is over with, which shouldn't be very long at all once the Nightmareverse is done with, i'll be starting on another story, featuring everyone's favoruitie Daughter of Chaos.

The tittle?

It's a Screwed Up Life

Spot the movie reference?

Anyway, hope you liked this chapter and, til next time, later everypony

Comments

[Seeking Dusk]

First knocked her friend off the city in her rashness, then abandoned the race for said friend's honour because she saw something more awesome to pay attention to. Yeah, Rainbow wouldn't have had a fun time after that....

[Kage no Brony]

In your author's note here you've got:

The tittle?

There's an extra 't'.