Star Trek: Equestria: Starfleet Academy Season 1

by Captain_Cosmos

Episode 23: It’s a Pony Kind of Christmas: pt 5

It was night time as the citizens of Equestria began to turn in for the night. In Canterlot Castle, the princesses, as well as Sunset and Starlight, were walking towards their chambers for the night. Sunset looked up and smiled at Celestia. "Thanks again for letting us stay here over the holidays Princess Celestia."

Celestia nodded. "You will always be welcome here Sunset. You and anypony you call a friend. I kept your old room well maintained for this reason."

Sunset smiled. "Really? Wow. Thanks."

Celestia nodded. "Of course. I look forward to having you here over the next few days. I would like to hear more of how this universe's Earth compares to the Alternate Universe's earth."

Sunset nodded. "Sure thing. A lot of it is similar, but at the same time, the level of advanced technology is, it's not even close. This Universe's earth is centuries ahead."

Celestia chuckled. "Well, I cannot wait to hear about it. For now though, I bid you and Starlight a good night's rest. You look like you need it."

Starlight and sunset chuckled. "Yeah. I guess we are a little exhausted."

"But when you're defending a friend from a rage filled princess of the night, it kinda takes a lot out of you."

That got all three of them chuckling. After a few seconds, they came up to a cross hallway. Celestia turned to walk down one of them. "Anyway, let me know if there is anything either of you need."

Starlight nodded. "We will. Thanks again your majesty."

While Celestia headed off to her chambers, Sunset and Starlight turned a corner and headed off to Sunset's old room. Starlight sighed. "Whoo. What a day it's been."

Sunset nodded. "Yeah. I'm about ready to collapse in exhaustion. That brief magical outburst took more out of me than I thought."

Starlight chuckled. "At least we don't have to... actually should we be worried about Blueblood?"

Sunset chuckled. "Nah. Twilight can handle him. His magical prowess is laughable for a stallion his age."

"What if he tries to do something to Jessica?"

"Then he better hope he can outrun Twilight. He's already in hot water with Twilight from earlier So I'd imagine she's not gonna take kindly to his antics one bit."

That got both of them chuckling. "Can you imagine it?" Sunset cleared her throat and did her best to imitate Blueblood. "Oh. So you're really going to dance with that bipedal ruffian? I do hope that your reputation can survive such an inevitable disaster."

Starlight chuckled and put on her best Twilight voice. "For your information Blueblood, she's a much better dancer than you'll ever be, because she's actually looking forward to it."

Their chuckling turned into full blown laughter. They laughed for a few moments before being interrupted by a newcomer. "Pray tell, what is all this racket about Sunset Shimmer? Starlight Glimmer?"

Sunset and Starlight turned to see Princess Luna standing there, with a confused look on her face. They both instantly shut up. "Oh, Princess Luna. We, didn't realize you were there."

Luna nodded. "That is apparent. If my nephew Blueblood was here, he would be going on about how he can have you two thrown in the dungeon." Luna smiled. "Fortunately for you, I am not him. And personally, I do agree with you. Blueblood would do well to remember that he is no match for Twilight Sparkle. As such he should not try anything against her, or Jessica."

Starlight nodded. "Speaking of Jessica. Princes Luna. That containment spell we cast earlier, I trust what Celestia said that it grows in power the more casters..."

Sunset continued. "But we're worried that it won't last as long as we think."

Luna sighed. "I am uncertain as to how long our enchantment will hold. Because Jessica is lacking proficiency in the art of magic, the necklace is our best defense against the demon until a more permanent solution presents itself."

Starlight had a thought. "Wait, what if we cast a dream sharing spell? It worked with the Tantabus, surely it would work now?"

Luna shook her head. "The tantabus was one thing. But at least it did not have the same magical abilities I do. Nightmare Moon would just cancel the spell, at the very least."

Starlight deflated. "Well it was worth a shot."

Luna giggled. "Your idea is not without merit Starlight Glimmer. It is just that Nightmare Moon is not to be underestimated.

Sunset nodded. "Well we'll think of something. Always have. Always will."

Luna nodded. "Indeed. In the meantime though, it is late, and I would imagine that you have an eventful day planned tomorrow."

Sunset nodded. "Yeah. A hop skip and a portal jump into the Alternate Dimension to catch up with the gang there will be eventful alright, if Pinkie's involved." They all chuckled.

Luna nodded. "In which case, I bid you two goodnight, and pleasant dreams."

Starlight and Sunset nodded. "Goodnight Princess."

"You have a good night too."

Luna nodded. "Let us hope so, but with a certain bringer of eternal night back from the dead, there is no telling what I will find tonight in the dream realm."

"Will you even be able to see into Jessica's dream?"

Luna shook her head. "We shall find out soon."

Soon, after returning to her chambers. Luna lit her horn and a glowing portal materialized. The portal that would take her to the dream realm. 'Now for the moment of truth.' she entered the portal and disappeared into the light.

Luna appeared surrounded by glowing orbs of light. Each orb representing a dream from a pony. Luna looked around, until she saw a particular orb glowing pulsing red, the indication of a nightmare. Luna noted that she sensed no influence of Nightmare Moon within this one. "No demon influence, but this nightmare is still high on the intensity scale, and it is coming from Twilight Sparkle. I should see what is up, and perhaps she could be useful in preventing Nightmare Moon from torturing young Jessica Cosmos tonight." Luna nodded, deciding that she would employ the help of Twilight if and when Nightmare Moon struck. She swiftly flew up to Twilight's orb and touched it with her horn. The orb expanded into a door of light. When the door was done growing, Luna entered.

Twilight was flapping her wings harder than ever, frantically flying well past the aerial speed limit around Starfleet Academy in an effort to find her girlfriend. "Jessica! Jessica are you here? Jessica if you can hear me tell me where you are!" She was looking frantically over anywhere she could see. Finally, she saw Jessica on a rooftop of the academy, struggling to get up. "Jessica!" Twilight dove down and landed on the rooftop. Once all four hooves touches the roof, she took off in a full gallop towards Jessica. "Jessica!"

Jessica looked up and saw twilight galloping towards her. "Twilight—ngh!" Jessica clutched her side in pain and collapsed on the rooftop.

Twilight skidded to a halt next to Jessica and dropped down on her haunches, with worry clearly visible in her face. "Jessica! Are you Ok?"

Jessica nodded. "I'm alive. That's more than I've been allowing myself hope for all night."

Twilight spread her wings and wrapped them around Jessica protectively. "Don't worry Jess, we'll get you to Starfleet medical, everything will be alright."

"THINK AGAIN!!!" All of a sudden, a dark aura surrounded Jessica and ripped her out of Twilight's grasp, and right into the bone crushing grasp of Nightmare Moon, in her original Equine form. Nightmare Moon wrapped her legs around Jessica, trapping her in her bone crushing grip, causing Jeeeica to scream in pain. Nightmare Moon laughed. "You will PAY for ruining my plans!"

Twilight gasped in horror. "Let her go you demon! It's over! You've lost!"

NM laughed. "Have I? You may have prevented me from destroying the sun, but I can still make you PAY for that!" NM tightened her grip on Jessica, soliciting another painful scream from the girl. "I wonder how broken a human body can become after a drop from this height."

Twilight gasped. "Please, I'm begging you, don't do this! She won't survive the fall!"

NM smiled. "That is the idea! You have taken everything from me, TWICE! Now I take everything from you." NM began to loosen her grip on Jessica.

"Jessica!" Twilight immediately took off in an effort to catch Jessica, but she felt her tail get pulled back, preventing her from moving. "No, JESSICA!!"

"Do not fear Twilight Sparkle. This is not reality." All of a sudden, Nightmare Moon and Jessica disappeared, and the scene around Twilight changed from the rooftop of Starfleet Academy to a green field with a cloudless sky and a bright sun. Twilight looked around to see Luna appear in her dream. Twilight calmed down from the adrenaline. "This was all a dream?" Twilight shivered. "It felt so real."

Luna nodded. "Indeed. Nightmares can sometimes seem like reality. Have you been having these nightmares often?"

Twilight slowly nodded. "I've been having them more frequently lately, usually I can just brush it off. But this was the first time she...she..." Twilight did not want to finish her sentence.

Luna reached out and wrapped her forelegs around the smaller Alicorn, pulling her into a comforting embrace. "It is alright Twilight. Nightmare Moon is still a long ways away from the capability to do something like that. And she shall never get the chance."

Twilight sighed. "I hope you're right Luna." Twilight and Luna fell into silence for a moment, before Twilight realized something. "Luna, shouldn't you be keeping an eye on Jessica rather than me?"

Luna nodded. "Nightmare Moon has so far not caused any nightmares for our human friend tonight. So I am still uncertain as to whether or not I can..." Luna trailed off as something within her kicked in, a sense that something was occurring, and she knew what that meant. "Speak of the devil..."

Twilight lifted an eyebrow. "Princess Luna?"

Luna lit her horn and a doorway revealed itself. "Nightmare Moon is making her move. Come along Twilight."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "You want me to come with you?"

Luna nodded. "I believe that a more familiar presence would be beneficial in helping our human friend with her situation."

Twilight smiled and nodded. "Lead the way your majesty."

Meanwhile, in Jessica's nightmare, she was backed into a corner by a man, one with an angry look on his face. Jessica was crying and pleading from behind the pillow she was trying to use to protect herself. "No, please! Just leave me alone!"

The man snarled. "Leave you alone? You really expect me to let this slide!" He swung his fist and struck Jessica in the gut, soliciting a grunt in pain from the little girl. "First you disgrace this family by falling for a gay pointy horse, but you also have the tenacity to run off to that retched Starfleet Academy against my wishes!" He took another swing at Jessica, who managed to block some of the impact with her pillow. "Let me explain a few things to you you little runt! Firstly, you will never be a Starfleet officer. They'll never accept a piece of trash like you. Secondly, love is NOT a same sex situation. It only happens between a boy and a girl. And it CERTAINLY doesn't happen between a human and a horse!"

Jessica blocked another swing from the man. "Y-you're wrong! She's so much more than just a horse. I love her with all my heart, and I KNOW she loves me!" She managed to choke out in between sobs.

The man swung at her again and nailed her in the stomach. "So that little defective heart of yours thinks she loves you? Then why isn't she here to save you? Huh?"

Just outside the room, Luna and Twilight exited the door of light and looked around, taking in their surroundings. "It would appear Nightmare Moon has set her latest production in a house."

Twilight nodded. "A house Jessica may have been in before."

At that moment. Both Luna and Twilight heard a single word in a high pitched scream. "TWILIGHT!" Twilight wasted no time in tracking the source of the scream and turned the corner to stop in horror to see a beefy man beating up a child, this child having midnight blue hair, and midnight blue eyes, the exact eyes of her girlfriend.

Twilight lit her horn. "Get away from her!" She took one shot at the man and in an instant, he disappeared in a cloud of atoms.

The sudden bang caused by the attack spooked Jessica as she curled up behind the pillow in fear. She didn't dare peak out for fear of what would happen. Almost immediately, she heard a voice that she always longed to hear. "Jessica?"

Hesitantly, Jessica slowly peaked out from behind her pillow shield and saw what looked to be Twilight, the one she loved the most. "T-Tw-Twilight?" She squeaked out shakily, afraid to believe it was really her.

Twilight nodded. "It's ok Jessica. He's gone. You're safe now."

That was all the assurance Jessica needed. She dropped the pillow and dashed forward straight into Twilight, clinging to her like her life depended on it, and crying her eyes out. Twilight held her close, wrapping both wings around Jessica protectively. "Shh, it's ok." She soothed Jessica. "Just let it out, everything will be fine."

"Oh you have got to be KIDDING me!" Jessica and Twilight froze as the scene around them vanished and was replaced with a void, with the very demon responsible for this standing there, with an annoyed look on her face. "I was watching that thank you very much! Why did you have to ruin that brats' father Franklins' fun? And by extension my fun? How about you mind your own business!"

Jessica pressed herself into Twilight as much as she could in fear of the menacingly tall pony glaring at them. "Don't let it hurt me!" She cried.

Twilight nodded as she turned to the demon. "Mind my own business? Your the one tormenting her with her own memories. If anypony should mind their own business it's YOU!"

NM growled. "How did you even get in here! You cannot dream walk!"

Jessica heard a third voice shout at the demon. "But I can." Jessica watched as the demon suddenly got blasted back by a pony equal in size to the demon. This one was more chambray than black, and her mane was more wavy then firry. She looked like a kinder version of the demon that had been tormenting her not ten minutes ago.

Luna glared at Nightmare Moon as the demon got up. "Did you really think I would sit idly by while you tormented a being within my range? It is about time Jessica Cosmos had a few good nights sleep."

NM growled. "Luna. Of course you would interfere."

Luna nodded. "For as long as Jessica Cosmos is within my reach I shall protect her from your advances. So if I were you, I would not even try."

NM chuckled. "You realize that this will only be for a few days. You will not be able to protect her once we leave Equuis."

"Come what May. But know this you demon. Your stay here is not indefinite. No matter what you do, mo matter who you possess, there will always be something standing in your way. Be it myself and my sister, the Elements of Harmony, or the whole of the United Federation of Planets. You will always encounter resistance. Face it, you will never succeed."

NM chuckled. "We shall see you pest." NM continued chuckling as she faded. "We shall see."

Back over to Twilight and Jessica, twilight had managed to calm Jessica down from her panic attack, though Jessica still tensed up when the second pony turned to look directly at her, but the look was softer than the demon's. The second pony walked over and laid down on her haunches to be more in line with Jessica's level. "Are you alright Jessica?"

Jessica didn't meet the pony's eyes, but nodded from her feathery barrier that Twilight had her in. Luna smiled, and then frowned. "It would appear the demon cast an age regression spell on you. I can reverse it. If you will allow me." Luna lit her horn.

Jessica shrunk into Twilight's grasp when Luna lit her horn, still a little scared. Twilight leaned down and nuzzled the top of her head. "It's ok Jessica. She's not gonna hurt you."

Jessica looked up into Twilight's eyes. "Promise?" She squeaked out.

Luna nodded. "I promise little one. No harm will come to you." She gave Jessica a reassuring smile.

Jessica looked up to Twilight one more time, twilight gave her a reassuring nod. Jessica nodded in return. Twilight turned to Luna and nodded, signaling that Jessica was ready. Luna nodded and touched her horn to Jessica's forehead. Jessica felt the magic encompass her and she started to grow in size. In a few seconds, Jessica had grown back into the adult she had been before the demon regressed her. She opened her eyes to see Luna and Twilight smiling at her.

Jessica returned the smile. "Twilight? Princess Luna? You're really here."

Twilight chuckled and nodded. "Of course we are."

Luna nodded. "As I have told you in the waking world, I have the ability to dream walk and enter the dreams of any being within my sight, as well as share dreams. And I am relieved that that includes the dreams of humans. Does that demon subject you to such horrible nightmares every night?"

Jessica nodded. "Lately I've been able to brush it off, but tonight..." Jessica shivered in Twilight's embrace, which she was still in. "She never regressed me to my childhood years before. That was new."

Twilight squeezed Jessica gently. "It's alright Jessica. She'll leave you alone so long as she remembers that who can come to your rescue."

Jessica nodded. "Thank you Princess Luna."

Luna nodded. "'Tis nothing Jessica Cosmos. No one should fear going to sleep. To be honest. I am amazed that you are able to get to sleep at all."

Jessica chuckled. "It's not healthy to just not sleep. And there's the rare occasion where that psychotic old hag won't show up and give me a nightmare, so that's why I can get to sleep."

Luna smiled. "That is good." She stood up to her full height and started walking off. "I apologize for saving the day and running, but I must get back to my duties."

Jessica nodded. "I understand. Thanks again Princess."

Luna nodded and turned her attention to Twilight as a door of light appeared. "I can only keep the doorway open for a moment or two Twilight. It is time to say goodbye for tonight."

Twilight nodded. "I'll be along in a minute."

Luna nodded and proceeded through the door. Twilight and Jessica then turned to look at each other. Twilight sighed. "I knew that the nightmares the demon was giving you had to be bad, but I never imagined they'd be what I just saw. Was that really Franklin?"

Jessica nodded. "Yeah. That's what I meant when I said talking about him brought back some less than desirable memories. And unfortunately for me I've been forced into more than one father nightmare thanks to that demon."

Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Jessica in a gentle hug. "I'm so sorry Jessica." She whispered, a few tears escaping her eyes.

Jessica patted twilight on the back. "It's ok Twilight, it's not your fault. And thankfully all he is now is just a memory." Jessica noticed the door starting to slowly fade away. She let go of Twilight and gently pushed out of her grasp. "You better get going, the portal's beginning to close."

Twilight looked at the portal and noticed that it was indeed fading away. She sighed. "You gonna be ok?"

Jessica nodded. "Yeah. I will. See you in a few hours in the waking world."

Twilight nodded. "Yeah. See you." She leaned in and kissed Jessica on her cheek before turning and walking away. Jessica watched her as she disappeared into the portal.

On the other side, Twilight found Luna waiting for her. Luna smiled. "She will be ok. The demon will not attack again while we are able to enter her dreams."

Twilight nodded as she looked at Jessica's orb. Guilt washing over her. "It's not fair. She doesn't deserve any of this."

Luna nodded. "Yes. It is always a sad sight to see a father treating their child so poorly, and to see that child having to relive those moments involuntarily is heart wrenching."

Twilight nodded. "If only there was a way to extend your reach."

Luna sighed. "Alas, I am just not strong enough to extend my reach all the way to earth."

Twilight nodded, and then realized something. "Maybe you aren't strong enough, But that doesn't mean she isn't out of reach of somepony else."

Luna lifted an eyebrow. "What are you implying?"

Twilight slowly gained a smile on her face. "How hard is dream magic to learn?"

"Depends?"

"Like, just dream walking from one dream to another, and then changing said dream, nothing else."

Luna slowly caught on to what Twilight was thinking. "It would be easy enough to learn on short notice."

Twilight smiled. "Can you teach me?"

Luna shook her head. "I am afraid there is not enough time for me to teach you personally, however there are several books on the subject that a pony like you could use to conceivably teach herself."

Twilight grinned. "Great! If I could learn how to dream walk, than Jessica wouldn't have to suffer through anymore nightmares. She deserves that much from me for giving her the demon in the first place."

Luna chuckled. "One thing I will tell you is that dream magic can be rather unpredictable for a beginner. You could end up scrying something that Jessica would not want you to see. I would suggest you talk to her about this before you commit yourself to learning something that would ultimately only serve you one purpose."

Twilight nodded. "I'll talk to her first thing tomorrow." Twilight smiled as she followed Luna back to her own dream, the thought of her finally being able to do something more to help Jessica while they worked to defeat NM was enough to keep her happy for the rest of the night.

To be continued.

Author's Note:

About time we got a peek at what kind of nightmares nightmare moon is torturing our favorite Cosmic Twin with Eh?

Let me know how I did with the nightmare itself.

Also, should I include a dark tag or should I just write in a warning at the beginning? Does the nightmare scene warrant either of those?