Nightmare Ponyville

by Super Ponyman

Chapter 19: I Don't Want to Be Alone...

Author's Note:

This Chapter has a feels warning. Since fighting didn't work, Eclipsio will use the best weapon in his arsenal, his words.

But can simple words beat Sunset Shimmer?

(Canterlot Castle, Main Throne Room)

Prince Eclipsio stood against Sunset Shimmer, his horn ignited as he stared her down.

Sunset returned the stare and said, "You will not beat me you Demonic Alicorn scum. You couldn't beat Celestia and Luna, and I am stronger than the both of them. No pony can best me, not even you."

She roared out, "You can hurl any attack against me! It will do you no good, I have been preparing for this battle for 8 months... I will not be denied my revenge! Not even King Sombra is as strong as me now!"

She paused and said in a mocking tone, "But he is dead now isn't he? And no one can stop me now! Not even your sisters! Face it Eclipsio, you've lost!"

Burning Star and the group rushed into the room, but were instantly stopped by Sunset's barrier spell.

Burning Star unleashed a massive fire blast on it, it didn't budge. Many of the other ponies tried to break it as well...

But nope, the barrier was solid as a rock.

Eclipsio and Sunset were trapped inside the barrier, staring each other down.

Burning Star heard a hissing noise as the entirety of the Nightmare Tribe flew in and passed through the barrier.

He cursed under his breath, "Damn, that's not good."

Sunset saw that her Nightmare Tribe minions were here to help her destroy this kingdom, and then this world entirely!

Eclipsio gasped as the ENTIRE Nightmare Tribe began to envelop Sunset Shimmer. They swirled and dashed around her like winds in a raging tornado.

Sunset began to laugh as the negative energy of the tribe began to fill her, she began to grow and transform into the Nightmare Tribe's greatest creation, Terror Demon Sunset Shimmer!

When the smoke cleared, Prince Eclipsio saw a pony even he feared a little... but not much.

Sunset Shimmer was now slightly taller than Burning Star, her fur was pitch black and had blood red glowing lines running up and down her legs. Her eyes were bright red and emitted a purple aura of dark magic smoke. Her horn became twisted and gnarled. Her mane and tail grew and turned into black and red smoke. Her Magitek wings gained serrated feathers and the Alicorn Amulet was now attached to the blood red armor she wore on her chest and back. She had a five pointed crown with a black sun at the peak and her cutie mark became a spiky golden and black sun.

She felt as if she could take on any pony in the world and win.

Even Starswirl The Bearded...

Demon Sunset screeched out, her loud scream shattering the window and causing everypony to cover their ears.

"I am reborn!

"I AM INVINCIBLE!"

"AND NO PONY CAN BEAT ME, TERROR DEMON SUNSET SHIMMER!"

Prince Eclipsio closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn't going to let this... monster win. He had to do Something!

But, he didn't know what to do...

A magic duel between the two would rage on forever, and he doesn't want to prove Celestia and Luna's point that he is a "Evil, Destructive Pony"

So, he played his ace in the hole.

He would talk her out of this destructive mindset, by using his own feelings as his weapon.

Somepony once said, "The Pen is mightier than the Sword."

Eclipsio thought to himself, "Well let's see if that is true."

Prince Eclipsio began to speak, his tone pleading at first. "Sunset, please. You know this isn't right, deep in your heart I know their is a part of you who believes that destruction is not the way to make yourself a real leader... all it would do would make other ponies fear you."

He put a hoof on his chest, "Believe me, I'm speaking from personal experience here, rule by fear doesn't end well. Ponies may follow your commands, but they won't respect you because fear isn't a way to earn respect..."

Demon Sunset snarled at Eclipsio, "I don't need respect from them. I want everypony to fear me! I want them to cower and grovel before me!"

Eclipsio interrupted her, speaking in a soft tone, "And that makes you feel good? Instilling fear and destroying things gives makes you happy? Somehow I don't believe that is the case, Sunset."

He changed his tone to be more firm, "I should know... I was in the exact same mindset 1,500 years ago. I thought because I was strong that ponies would fear me, and that would make me happy... but it didn't."

Prince Eclipsio put a hoof where his heart was, "All it made me feel was cold and empty. No matter what I did to try and earn respect from them, ponies would see it as me trying to instill fear."

Demon Sunset roared, "So, that's what I'm trying to do, you insufferable cur! I don't need respect, I want FEAR!"

He started to speak in a more authoritative tone, "I wanted their respect! I was so angry that they feared me that I let my own power consume me... I became jealous of my sisters. Eventually, that jealousy and greed got the better of me and I was banished..."

Demon Sunset attacked Eclipsio, he deflected it with a shield. It flew upwards and destroyed the ceiling.

Eclipsio knew that he was getting to her good side, he needed to push on.

Prince Eclipsio began to speak again, in his speech voice. "I know what it is like to feel so much jealousy for somepony that it blinds you to the bigger goal. My goal was to prove I was stronger than my sisters... when I already was!"

Demon Sunset scowled, "How is this relevant to me in any way? You were banished for your power, I was imprisoned!"

Eclipsio clenched his teeth, "Don't interrupt me!"

He took a breath, then said "My main point is that I know what this much jealousy feels like. I know how much it hurts... and I know that it is possible to overcome it. Sunset, look at yourself... you have become a nightmarish monster. Yes, you are powerful beyond belief right now, but how do you feel on the inside?"

Sunset's natural eye color returned, "I...I... I feel alone... I feel as if nopony likes me. I thought by proving to myself that I'm stronger than anypony that it would fill the empty feeling."

Demon Sunset sank to the floor, "But all it did was make me feel more alone."

Eclipsio managed to walk up to Sunset and put his hooves on her chest, saying "Listen, we may not be the best ponies out there morally, we both have done some really bad things in our lives..."

Eclipsio looked right into Sunsets eyes, "But I believe that anypony deserves a chance to be good..."

He walked away and put one of his hooves out, offering his hoof for a hoofshake.

Prince Eclipsio thought he was getting to her heart, he knew in his own heart that Sunset was able to change.

Hell, if he could change, why not her?

Demon Sunset swatted his hoof away, saying "I don't need your sob stories! I want to destroy Equestria! I... don't care for anypony..."

Demon Sunset Shimmer growled in pain, almost as if her nightmare form was breaking from the internal struggle in her head.

"Does he know what he is talking about?"

"Can I trust him?"

"Is there any hope for me?"

Sunset Shimmer screamed in agony as the nightmare tribe she was being possessed by suddenly fled her body. She collapsed to the floor and Burning Star grabbed her and surrounded her in a red shield bubble.

The nightmare tribe took the shape of the Demon Sunset Shimmer, they all roared out in frustration.

Everypony heard the collective voice of the nightmare tribe, "This is impossible! We will not lose again!"

The giant construct pointed a hoof at the palace floor, "So, We will shroud this world in darkness, WITHOUT your assistance Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset smirked, "Well, tough luck! I'm still in control of your tribe. You can harm me!"

The Nightmare Tribe laughed, "Hah! We have a plan for that."

The Nightmare Tribe swarmed Sunset, she screamed in pain as her body was forcefully altered. A large cloud of smoke appeared from where Sunset was standing.

When the dust settled, Sunset was surrounded in some sort of purple bubble, and it sat at the center of a giant black and purple monster that stood as tall as the castle itself.

The monster turned red, "We have decided to kill you all first!"

Princess Celestia and Luna turned to Eclipsio, "You're right, everypony can do something good. You proved us wrong."

They both pointed to the monster, "Now go stop that monster before It swallows Equestria in darkness."

Eclipsio nodded and bolted out the hole in the ceiling. He looked at the sheer size of the monster, doing estimates on the monster's height and weight compared to his.

When he finally came to a answer, he shuddered.

The monster was approximately 230 feet tall, and weighed possibly 4,056 tons (if we went by the weight of the average pony)

The nightmare monster swung a giant claw at him, it was promptly repelled by a blast of fire from Burning Star.

He lined up next to Eclipsio and said, "Alright! Let's do this, Burning Star. You go for the head, while I go rescue Sunset... got it?"

Burning Star nodded, "Roger!" He flew up to the monsters face and began to pelt it with fire balls, then unleashed a giant stream of lava from his horn.

Eclipsio dived right for the purple bubble holding Sunset Shimmer. He smashed through the shell and grabbed her body.

But before he could fly away, something grabbed his back legs, causing him to drop Sunset.

Burning Star swan dived to catch Sunset and got her before she hit the ground. He looked up to see Eclipsio be dragged into the monsters midsection.

(???)

Eclipsio stood amidst the icy reaches of space. He looked forwards and saw his alter ego, Black Abyss, he looked miserable.

Prince Eclipsio approached him and Black Abyss lashed out with a blast of dark magic.

Prince Eclipsio blocked it and thought to himself, "Why would the nightmare monster drag me into this nightmare? I've not been Black Abyss in 1,500 years now..."

Black Abyss looked at his good counterpart, he had tears in his eyes and said in a somber tone, "This isn't your nightmare, idiot. Its mine..."

Eclipsio looked confused, "That makes no sense. How can my evil side have a nightmare? He is a part of me, so is this my nightmare or his?"

Black Abyss got up and said, "It is my nightmare, it is my greatest fear Eclipsio... you know what it is, yes?"

Prince Eclipsio nodded, and said "You don't want to be alone. You don't want to die, do you?"

Black Abyss nodded, tears in his eyes, he was terrified that if Prince Eclipsio returned to power, he would no longer exist... he then said, "I don't want to be alone..."

Eclipsio hugged his old self, "Don't cry... you will always be a part of me... no matter how much it hurts to admit that. You give me strength, Black Abyss. That's the positive thing about you. You make me want to become stronger... you may have been arrogant and destructive."

Eclipsio looked at Black Abyss, "But you will always be with me... and that will never change."

The blackness of space was suddenly cut by a bright red light, the red light was the fire blasts of Burning Star.

Black Abyss whispered to his good hearted side,

"Thank you..."

Burning Star lifted Eclipsio's weakened body and slowly flew down to the ground as the nightmare monster just... vanished.

Eclipsio looked up as the Nightmare Tribe was being blasted by Luna and Celestia right past the moon... into the icy reaches of space.

He smiled weakly, knowing that his sisters would win. This time... the nightmare tribe won't return so easily.

He said to Burning Star, "You... you saved me... why? I barely know you and you barely know me..."

Burning Star smirked, "I could tell from one glance at you, that you wouldn't harm anypony."

Eclipsio smiled, knowing that he would be in good hands.

He then lost consciousness...