Time Heals All Wounds

by Brony4Ever1992

Chapter 13

It was another day in Ponyville, there Mane 7 where all at Carousel Boutique taking part in a pet grooming day that Rarity put together. Alas, a lack of sleep led the Mane 7 to be more tired than usual. Well, Pinkie Pie was her energetic self. A tired Rarity poked Opal with her comb.

"Oh, my! Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't get my normal beauty sleep last night." said Rarity.

Opal hissed at her owner.

"You know, I didn't sleep well either." noted Twilight.

"Same." sighed Sunset.

The others agreed with this.

"I'm totally beat too!" declared Pinkie, doing a cartwheel.

Winona let out a bark.

"Alright Winona, time for your brushing." said Applejack.

Applejack picked Gummy up by mistake who bit Winona's ear. Winona shook Gummy off and he landed on Owlowiscious who began flaying around.

"Oops. I guess I'm too plum tuckered out to do this right." said Applejack.

"I even went to bed early last night...but then I had a really strange nightmare." said Fluttershy.

"Me too!" declared the others.

"Uh, only, you know, I didn't think mine was that scary." said Rainbow, trying to hide it.

"Well, mine sure was." began Twilight, "There was this blue smoke monster..."

"And it caused Princess Luna to turn back into Nightmare Moon." said Sunset surprised.

"Exactly!" cried Twilight shocked.

"I dreamed about a blue smoke monster too." noted Fluttershy.

"Me too!" exclaimed Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rarity in unison.

"So what? Probably just a coincidence." replied Rainbow.

"Somehow I seriously doubt that." said Sunset worried.

"I wonder why I didn't have that nightmare. I slept great!" declared Spike.

This got the baby dragon dirty looks from the others.

"So then, what could have given us all the same nightmare?" asked Rarity.

"I don't know, but I do know who might." answered Twilight.

Twilight turned to Spike.

"Spike, could you send a scroll to Princess Luna?" asked Twilight.

"Sure!" declared Spike.

Spike pulled out a scroll and quill.

"All set!" declared Spike.

"Dear Princess Luna, last night my friends and I all dreamed of a creature made of blue smoke. I'm sure your busy, but when you have the chance, please let me know if you have any idea what it could mean. Yours, Princess Twilight Sparkle." dictated Twilight yawing a few times.

Spike finished.

"You can leave out the yawns." said Twilight.

Spike scratched out the yawns and sent the letter.

"I wonder how long it will take for Princess Luna to get back to us." mused Sunset.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Princess Luna came in.

"Which of you saw the creature of blue smoke?" asked Luna worried.

"Wow. That was fast." said Fluttershy.

"We all did." answered Twilight.

"Not me!" declared Spike.

"We know!" exclaimed Rainbow, Rarity and Applejack annoyed.

"So you've encountered the smoke monster too?" asked Twilight.

"The Tantabus is a creature of my nightmares. It escaped from my slumbers yesterday." answered Luna, entering the boutique.

"But, how did it get into our?" asked Fluttershy worried.

"The Tantabus is like a parasite. My dreams must no longer be enough for it. Now it seeks others to infect and corrupt. If must have learned of you seven from seeing you in my dreams." explained Luna.

"So what you're saying is...you dreamed about all of them and not me." whimpered Spike.

"Ooh!" cried Sunset, hoping up and down.

The others gave her a confused look.

"Sorry. Lack of sleep." said Sunset embarrassed.

"So, Smoky gave us bad dreams. No biggie." shrugged Rainbow.

"I saw that Tantabus had grown more powerful, I did not realize that power was enough to enable it to escape my dreams." admitted Luna.

Luna felt her guilt growing.

"If its power grows, it could very well find a way to escape into the real world. It could turn all of Equestria into a living nightmare!" revealed Luna worried.

"Okay, okay, okay. I take it back! That sounds bad! Really bad!" exclaimed Rainbow horrified.

---

Princess Luna went into action. She gave the girls a set of instructions to follow and they carried them out. As they did, Luna got herself ready. That night, it was a time. The Mane 7 gathered for a sleepover at the castle. The most serious sleepover they'd ever had. The Mane 7 where all ready.

"We've prepared everything exactly as you as requested." noted Twilight.

"Good. As you seven slumber here, I will pursue the creature in two whichever of your dreams it infests." explained Luna.

The girls got into their beds.

"Ooh! It'll be like a princess sleepover!" cried Pinkie.

"Speaking of princesses, aren't you going to ask Princess Celestia for help?" asked Twilight.

"There is nothing my sister can do. She has no power in the realm of sleep. Only I can move from dream to dream. I am afraid no pony can help me tonight." said Luna mournfully.

Even us?" asked Applejack.

"Especially you. You have all suffered so much because of me. You only need to slumber while I hunt the Tantabus in your dreams." answered Luna.

Spike tugged on Luna's mane.

"I know you said no pony could help you, but I'm no pony! I'm going to stay up and watch over you guys just in case!" declared Spike.

The baby dragon hoped onto his bed.

"One good thing about not sleepin' last night - shouldn't be hard to fall asleep now." said Applejack.

Pinkie suddenly appeared in her bed.

"Are you kidding? This is so exciting I don't know how I'm ever going to-!" began Pinkie.

---

Pinkie suddenly conked out and Sunset moved her to her own bed with her magic. The girls soon fell asleep and Luna entered their dreams. First was Rarity's dreamed where Tantabus caused fabric to come alive and attack. Luna saved her and Tantabus fled. Next was Pinkie's dream where Tantabus caused cake to attack. Luna made the saved and continued following Tantabus. Next was Fluttershy's dream where Luna saved her from a giant Angel Bunny. The Applejack's dream where it ruined her harvest. Rainbow was next battling changelings, but that was usual. Tantabus then turned her dream into a field of happy, singing flowers which was the nightmare. Luna followed it again.

"Where am I now?" asked Luna.

Luna looked around and saw Ponyville gray and dreary.

"I can only fear what horrors Tantabus has unleashed." said Luna worried.

Luna heard sobbing and found Sunset weeping over a grave.

"Are you okay?" asked Luna.

"I...just...wish...I...could...have...helped...her." wept Sunset.

Luna looked at the tombstone which born the name Twilight Sparkle.

"Oh my." gasped Luna shaken.

Luna spotted Tantabus and followed it into the dreams of Twilight. She was a gallows before her.

"What madness is this?" asked Luna worried.

Luna saw Twilight standing on the gallows with a noose around her neck.

"Goodbye." said Twilight softly.

The door opened and Twilight fell. Luna fired a volley of magic which cut the rope and then caught Twilight.

"Are you okay?" asked Luna worried.

"I don't know." answered Twilight softly.

The Mane 7 awoke.

"What happened? Are you okay?" asked Spike worried.

"That...that was terrible! I - I never want to have that nightmare again!" declared Fluttershy horrified.

"Me either!" exclaimed Rainbow shivering.

"Neither do I." agreed Sunset somberly.

"But Luna caught it, didn't she?" asked Spike.

"I'm sorry, my friends. I failed." answered Luna as she returned, "It will be back to infect your dreams next time you sleep."

"Oh, no!" gasped Fluttershy.

"Yeah. I reckon I could go without seeing that thing ever again." said Applejack.

"But you will. Again and again, every night, until it grows powerful enough to infect the waking world." said Luna.

Luna looked mournfully out the window.

"It'll be okay! Every pony makes mistakes!" declared Pinkie.

"Can confirm." said Sunset dryly.

"As long as none of you dreamed about another pony, the Tantabus remains confined to your dreams. I still have a chance to catch it before it's too late.'" mused Luna.

"Phew, that's good to hear! Although, after you left, I did happen to dream that I was eating a giant ice cream cone with all of Ponyville while taking a test we didn't study for." revealed Pinkie.

Pinkie realized what this meant.

"See, what'd I tell ya? Everypony makes mistakes!" declared Pinkie.

Sunset Shimmer felt her right eye twitching.

"But that means Tantabus could be turning every dream in Ponyville into a nightmare!" cried Twilight.

"It is far worse than that. Infecting all of those dreams gives it more and more power. Soon it will be able to escape into the real world and infect all of Equestria with its nightmare plague!" explained Luna worried.

"Then you must let us help you stop it before that happens!" declared Rarity.

"But how? The Tantabus was able to escape Luna when it only had six dreams to get to." noted Fluttershy worried.

"It is true. With so many dreams to hide in, I do not know how I could catch it." replied Luna worried.

"What if everpony in Ponyville where having the same dream?" asked Twilight.

"Tantabus would have no where to hide." said Sunset hopeful.

"I can create shared dreams, yes, but for so many ponies at once? I've never done anything like that." said Luna, "The amount of power it would take..."

"Well, it is worth a try, isn't it?" asked Fluttershy.

"At this point, we've got nothing to lose." answered Sunset.

"Of course. I will do anything to end this, including accepting your help. I cannot allow Tantabus to escape into the real world." agreed Luna.

"After everything we've been through lately, I'm sure we can take Tantabus." said Sunset.

"All of you must go back to sleep and hope I can create such a dream." said Luna.

---

The girls laid back down and fell asleep. Spike had already fallen asleep. Thankfully, Luna was able to create a shared dream for all of Ponyville. This included muffins that flew and honked. A giant Derpy that meowed. Berry Punch holding her head as a balloon and a Lyra/Bon Bon fusion that caused Sunset to sing the theme song of something called CatDog. Also, unicorn Big Mac.

"Attention ponies!" cried Luna.

Luna was in a bubble of magic she was using to create this shared dream. The citizens of Ponyville gathered around her and bowed.

"There is no time for bowing, my friends! There is something coming, something terrible!" declared Luna.

To her horror, Luna spotted Tantabus.

"It is already here!" gasped Luna.

The massive Tantabus began to blanket the sky causing horror among the citizens of Ponyville.

"I am so sorry! I brought this upon you! But I will end it now!" declared Luna.

Luna fire a beam of magic, but it didn't seem to effect Tantabus who began chasing ponies.

"Princess, what's wrong?" asked Twilight worried.

"It is taking all of my strength just to hold this massive dream together! You will have to stop it! I truly wish I did not have to ask this of you!" answered Luna guilty.

"The we've got you covered!" declared Sunset.

"Yeah! We're already on it!" exclaimed Rainbow excited.

Tantabus began turning homes into monster one of which had Filthy Rich.

"Please! I'll pay you anything!" cried Filthy terrified.

Rainbow Dash kicked the monster and saved Filthy. The girls saved other ponies (including the return of Flutterbat) when Applejack spotted her brther being ganged up on. Applejack reminded him he could anything in a dream so Big Mac turned into an alicorn princess.

"There's something I wasn't expecting." noted Rainbow.

"Never running from a real fight. He's the one named Sailor Mac." sang Sunset.

The others gave her a confused look.

"I'll explain later." said Sunset.

"Come on! If that Tantabus thing turns anymore of this dream against us, we'll be too busy saving ponies to catch it! And it'll grow powerful enough to escape into the real world!" noted Rainbow urgently.

Tantabus ripped an opening between the dream world and the real world. Twilight and Sunset hit it with beams of magic forcing it back while Luna fixed the tear. Fluttershy turned to the Ponyville citizens.

"Please, we need your help too!" begged Fluttershy.

Twilight and Sunset fired beams of magic at Tantabus.

"Fluttershy's right! We've all got to work together to stop it from escaping!" declared Twilight.

"But how can we help?" asked Mr Cake, "No pony in Ponyville has your magic."

The baker pointed toward Rainbow.

"Or your speed." noted Mr. Cake.

"That's true...in Ponyville!" declared Rainbow.

"But there here isn't Ponyville! It's a dream!" noted Applejack.

Big Mac agreed while blasting flying cupcakes.

"And not just any! Anything you can do in your dreams, you can do now!" declared Twilight.

"There's no limitations." added Sunset.

Spike snapped his claw and turned into a gallant knight.

"Well, if you're going to dream, might as well dream big right?" asked Spike.

Spike hopped onto Derpy and rode her into battle.

"That's the idea! Come on everypony!" cried Sunset.

The other citizens joined in the battle. Filthy Rich used money to fly and battle the Tantabus. Scootaloo dreamed massive wings which allowed her to fly and blow the Tantabus back. Rainbow Dash turned into a Power Pony and sucked the Tantabus into a tornado.

"It's working!" called Rainbow.

"But it's not enough!" exclaimed Twilight.

Tantabus easily escaped from the tornado.

"This thing makes the Nightmare King look like a joke. Too bad Little Nemo can't help us." mused Sunset.

"Then do more! This is a dream, remember?" said Pinkie.

Twilight brought Golden Oaks back and unleashed a swarm of book bats. Sunset summed a phoenix of pure fire and attack the Tantabus. Applejack turned into a Power Pony and would lasso Tantabus allowing Rarity to stitch together the hole it created to escape. Fluttershy rode a giant Angel Bunny into battle.

"This just keeps getting weirder and weirder." muttered Sunset.

"I cannot hold this dream together much longer! Equestria will fall because of me!" cried Luna crying.

Tantabus increased in size and easily shook off the attacks.

"Am I crazy, or did it just get bigger after Luna said that?" asked Spike.

A realization hit Twilight.

"I think it's feeding off your guilt, Princess Luna!" exclaimed Twilight.

Sunset couldn't help but notice the irony of Twilight saying that.

"If that is so, then perhaps that is how it grew strong enough to escape in the first place!" cried Luna.

"Say what know?" asked Applejack.

Tantabus ripped another hole into the fabric of the dream world.

"I created Tantabus to give myself the same nightmare every night...to punish myself for the evil I caused as Nightmare Moon!" explained Luna.

Twilight winced at hearing this.

"But why would you do that?!" asked Fluttershy.

"Because terrible deeds deserve to be punished." whispered Twilight.

Unknown to Twilight, but Sunset did hear this.

"To make sure I would never forgive myself for how much Equestria suffered because of me! But it seems that I have not learned my lesson, for now I have only made you suffer worse!" declared Luna guilty.

Tantabus grew even larger.

"Princess, hurting yourself won't do a damn thing except make yourself feel worse! We've forgiven you and you need to forgive yourself! You're not evil anymore! You aren't Nightmare Moon! I've been through this myself!" declared Sunset.

"How can I forgive myself? Am I truly any better?" asked Luna distressed, "My creation is about turn Equestria into a living nightmare!'

"But look at what you're doing. Nightmare Moon wanted to turn Equestria into a living nightmare. You're doing everything in your power to stop it!" noted Twilight.

Sunset stood by her side.

"Don't you see? That proves you're not the same pony you were then! Everypony who knows you Nightmare Moon is in the past!" exclaimed Twilight.

Tantabus was almost halfway into the real world.

"We all trust you, Luna!" declared Twilight, "Do you trust us enough to believe we're right?"

"I do!" declared Luna.

Luna defeated the Tantabus and the girls left. But, Twilight had made up her mind about what she was going to do next.

Author's Note:

A/N: That's where we'll end things for now. So, the Tantabus has been defeated and Twilight, as well as Sunset, can empathize with Luna. Next time, Twilight talks with Moon Dance and Princess Luna. Please review.

Comments

[diablo4000]

Twilight brought Golden Oaks back and unleashed a swarm of book bats. Sunset summed a fire of pure fire and attack the Tantabus........................WHAT?!!