All Hail, Midnight Sparkle!

by MisterEdd

Nightmareland

The room had significantly decreased inside Midnight's mind since she transported Twilight's friends into the Dreamscape. Balancing on her forelegs, Twilight shoved her hindlegs up against the wall, feeling it slowly inch closer and closer, her front hooves lightly scraping along the floor. The ceiling gradually dropped, lowering to the point that it nearly caused Twilight to bump the tip of her horn along the craggy stonework. There was a soft rumbling as the walls closed in, their vicinity to Twilight meant that she could barely open her wings all the way. Globules of sweat trickled down the alicorn's brow, her teeth gritted together with the vain effort of keeping the wall back from its trajectory.

Meanwhile, Midnight was peering into a floating orb and watching with immense delight as Fluttershy fled through a dark forest of dead, grotesque trees away from a multitude of shadowy, cackling beings. The oneiromancer's grin widened when Fluttershy collapsed against a rotten tree and curled into a ball, her chest wracked with small sobs. It was actually a stroke of both genius and malice to trap each of the Element Bearers and Spike in their own personal nightmare, torturing them with their fears and inhibitions. Princesses Celestia and Luna, on the other hoof, were prisoners of the dream-world, fully conscious of both their defeat and the dark alicorn's true identity. Sombra's fate was possibly the cruelest of the unconscious prisoners, surpassing even Twilight's expectations of malignity, given the villains that she'd faced before.

"Midnight, you, ugh, s-said you wouldn't hurt them!"

"Twilight, Twilight, Twilight," Midnight replied in a condescending tone. "Our agreement was that I was forbidden from killing them and, true to my word, they're all still breathing. You never said I couldn't torture them a little."

"But why?!"

"Why not? After all, if I am to reign unopposed, I must quell any notions of rebellion. Examples MUST be made."

"Please, haven't they suffered enough?"

Midnight's haughty grin evaporated. "Suffer? You have no right to use that word!"

Tossing away the sphere, she ripped away a space in the Dreamscape and entered the waking world, appearing atop Ponyville Town Hall. Down below, the citizens were in a panic from earlier events, debating amongst themselves the next course of action. The princesses and the Element Bearers were missing and a brand new villain was the culprit, so who could they turn to next?

"What do you or any of these peons know about suffering?" Midnight inquired bitterly, sweeping a foreleg out in front of her. "About pain? Of crushing loneliness and soul-rendering despair? No, none of you could even fathom such a concept."

Twilight put her struggling on hold. "Midnight, it's not too late. Stop what you're doing and I'm sure everypony will forgive you. Let me help you. You don't have to be alone any-..."

"Enough! What, you think if you prattle on about friendship or sing a little song, everything will be fine? Such a naive filly. Some things can't be so easily fixed."

The ceiling lowered half an inch with a sonorous screech.

"What's happening?!"

Midnight snorted, "Since you gave me control, your consciousness has slowly been taken over by my own. Within a few hours, there'll be nothing left of Twilight Sparkle but a distant memory."

Slamming both forehooves on the window, Twilight frantically pressed her face against the glass, the tiniest sliver of hope forming that she could make one last appeal.

"Midnight, please, don't do this!"

"Hush now, Twilight. You're giving me a headache."

~*~

Another blue streak smacked against the wall of the castle, which rippled like water before settling back into its solid form. Releasing a sigh, Princess Luna seated herself on her rump and stared down at the floor, uncertain of what to do or what to think. So far, her magic hadn't even made a dent. She and the others had been so secure in their victory that they never stopped to consider that Nightmare Moon had not truly been destroyed. And while everypony went on with their lives, Nightmare, or Midnight, had been waiting, gathering her strength and then, like a rapid chimera, she attacked.

How could this have happened?

"We've failed. I failed."

Startled, Luna turned to find Celestia staring off into the distance.

"W-what?"

Celestia sighed and shook her head. "How could I have been so foolish?! Of course the Elements of Harmony didn't destroy Nightmare; their function is to keep balance not to take life. And yet, I was just so...blinded by pride in my student. No, pride in myself, in my role as a teacher. It was my ego, Luna. It was always my ego."

"Sister, I..."

"No, there's no point in denying it. The fault is mine."

"...really think you should shut up now."

The elder alicorn's bewildered gaze snapped to her sister. "What?"

"I mean, here were are," Luna began as she rose to her hooves. "Trapped in the Dreamscape by my psychotic unborn twin sister who, by the way, hates us and everything we stand for, and is probably wreaking havoc on innocent ponies and yet, all you can think about is yourself. Some things never change."

"Luna, I'm admitting my culpability in all of this-..."

"Oh stop it!" Celestia winced at the tone. "'It's all my fault. I should've done more.' Do you even have a head large enough to contain all of that ego? Nightmare tricked us all, played us all for fools. Now, are you going to help me get out of here and stop that madmare or are you going to order some tea to go along with your little pity party?"

Surprise gave way to pride and Celestia nodded, "Yes, let us get out of here." Golden tendrils coursed through the bindings holding her in place, snapping the chains like pretzel sticks, allowing the Solar Princess to unfurl her wings. "And for the record, we're going to resume this discussion when we get home."

Facing the barrier, the two shared a nod before Luna blasted it with a cerulean beam, carving out a sizable chunk. As it began to mend itself, Celestia poured her own magic into the hole, wrenching it open while Luna joined it, their combined magic ripping open an opening large enough to fit a pony through. Or more specifically, a full-grown alicorn.

"Now!"

Luna launched herself through the opening and then spun around, summoning a two-fingered claw to keep it open long enough for Celestia to pass. Once they were both outside, Luna released her magic and wiped her brow. Giving each other an approving grin, they raced towards the Hall of Dreams, searching each and every sphere for the dreams belonging to their friends. If they had any chance of stopping Midnight and freeing Twilight Sparkle, they were going to need the Elements of Harmony but first, they needed their bearers.

Locating Applejack's, Celestia held it up, discovering the farm mare galloping through some kind of swamp, pursued by shadowy figures with burning red eyes. "I've found one!"

"Excellent. Wait for me. I'm going in."

~*~

Applejack pushed herself further than she'd ever gone, her legs propelling herself so hard and fast that they began to ache from the effort. Passing branches smacked her in the face but she ignored the stinging, her focus on evading her pursuers overwriting any and all pain. Her lungs burned, her chest ready to combust. The woods appeared to stretch on for miles, every tree resembling the last, something that bothered Applejack minutely. It didn't matter; escape was on the forefront of her mind and she was in desperate need of a miracle.

Just gotta keep ahead o' them. Can't slow down. Not now...

She twisted her head back to gauge the status of her pursuers and was dismayed to find them keeping up with her. Pony-shaped masses of pure, semi-solid blackness sped towards the farm mare, their eyes burning red, faces twisted into mocking smirks. Gliding soundlessly just over the ground, they darted through the air like black arrows and Applejack was unsure if she was truly outrunning them or they were purposefully allowing her to take the lead just to prolong the chase. Their cackles tore through the open air, sending spasming shivers down Applejack's spine and into every fiber of her being. She turned back just in time to meet with a low-hanging tree branch, knocking her off of her hooves, sending her tumbling down a hill and face-first into a small pond.

Once the stars subsided, Applejack groggily lifted her head up and spat up the musky water, dry heaving air back into her lungs. She now found herself in a swamp, a small bog of claw-like trees and multitudes of glittering eyes. Staggering to her strained limbs, she peered around, finding no trace of the shadow-things and this put her on edge. Her ears swiveled around, only to find there was nothing: no wind, no birds, no living creatures of any kind. The only sound she could hear was the sound of her labored breathing.

Pivoting on her hind legs, Applejack spun to find the shadow-things right in front of her. She wanted to run, tried to run, but her body was petrified, either from fear or exhaustion, she couldn't tell. The shadows drew nearer, their silhouettes like those of a mare and stallion respectively, the mare being short but extremely fair, the stallion bulky with a stetson atop his head. The first shadow giggled, a sound Applejack once found sweet and comforting but was twisted into something eerily cruel. She leaned in close and let out a sigh.

"Aw, why did'ya run, sugarcube? We jus' wanted t' talk t' ya."

"She's right, li'l lady," the stallion agreed sardonically. "Tha's no way t' treat yer parents."

"Y-yer not mah parents! Y-ya monsters!"

"It was all yer fault," the mare grinned. "Ya shouldn't have lied. We wanted t' spend time with ya but y'all wanted t' to goof off with yer friends."

"Stop it..."

The stallion began circling her. "Fer how much ya talk 'bout responsibility, ya sure were an unruly rascal. If ya weren't so selfish, we'd still be alive. Yer a liar an' uh coward."

Tears stung Applejack's eyes. "No...no Ah'm not..."

"Liar an' uh coward," the mare agreed.

"Enough!"

Princess Luna descended, her wings flapping furiously at the shadows.

"Begone!"

The shadows screeched, their forms bending and contorting beneath the force of Luna's wings.

"Liiiiiiar!"

"Cowwwward!"

Unearthly shrieks escaped the shadows' jaws before they were swept away, reduced to obsidian dust in the wind.

Princess Luna placed a hoof on Applejack's shoulder. "Applejack? Applejack, are you alright?"

Applejack stared past her and gulped, swallowing away the hurt. "Ah...Ah think so. Thank ya, princess."

"My pleasure. Now then, let's go find your friends."

~*~

In Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie was slumped against the wall of the monochromatic establishment, facing a group of ponies that looked like her friends. She glanced out from her veil of hair to peer weakly at them.

"Please," she sniffled. "Leave me alone."

"Why would we do that?" Twilight smirked maliciously. "It's sooooo much fun."

"Remember that little party she threw for herself?" Fluttershy tittered. "Now that's hilarious!"

"Guys, please stop..." Pinkie begged.

"Darling, why can't you just be normal like the rest of us?" Rarity chimed in cruelly.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Duh, because her weirdness makes us look even better! Why else would we keep her around?"

Pinkie tried and failed to stop the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Aw, ya gonna cry now? Look at th' li'l filly cryin'," Applejack mocked.

"Pinkie Pie!"

Pinkie's head shot up. "Princess Luna?"

The Princess of the Night came charging in through the window, a volley of magic beams popping the evil duplicates like balloons.

"This is just a nightmare, Pinkie. Your friends love you and are worried sick."

"They are?"

"Of course! Now come on, they need you."

~*~

Spike's footsteps thundered throughout Ponyville, his rapidly growing body casting a titanic shadow over the crowds of distraught citizens. No matter how hard he pleaded, no one wanted to be near him out, instead screaming their heads off and fleeing in mortal terror. To them, he was just another dragon. Didn't they know that he'd never do anything to hurt them? He soon spotted a familiar white unicorn and carefully made his way over to her, slowly reaching a claw out.

"Rarity, please it's me-..."

"Get away, you monster!"

"But...I'm not a monster! It's me, your Spikey-Wikey!"

In lieu of a response, she let out an ear-splitting shriek and galloped away as fast as she could.

"Don't go....Please, don't leave me..."

"Spike!"

"Huh?"

Princess Luna soared up to the behemoth and landed on his snout. "My, talk about dreaming big. Spike, this isn't real. You know and I both know this."

Spike couldn't meet her gaze. "It...it could be..."

She smiled maternally. "I promise you, this would never come to pass. You're kind, gentle and thoughtful. Besides, everyone knows you're too cute and dorky to be intimidating."

"Hey! Wait..."

"Let's go. You're needed elsewhere."

~*~

"What do you mean, 'too slow'?!"

Spitfire rolled her eyes. "Exactly what it sounds like! You're...too...slow!"

Rainbow Dash couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Please, just let me try again..."

"What, are you deaf? You didn't make the cut. Now scram, loser!" Spitfire callously spat.

"This has got to be a mistake!"

"We don't make mistakes. We make winners. And you'll never be one of us."

The cloud beneath Rainbow opened up and she was sent plummeting through the air, descending down, down, down the endless drop to the ground. She tried to flap her wings but they refused to obey her. Why was this happening? She was the best, wasn't she? She worked hard, followed the rules. It wasn't fair!

A dark blue shape managed to pluck her out of the air and to Rainbow's relief, it was Princess Luna.

"Need a lift?" she grinned.

"So this is all a dream?" Rainbow wiped her brow. "Whew, this was intense!"

"It's going to become more intense out in the waking world if we don't stop my sister."

"What, Princess Celestia?"

"No, the one who calls herself 'Midnight Sparkle.'"

There was a pause until:

"Wait, what?!"

~*~

Inside the Carousel Boutique, Rarity was panicking, searching each and every room, tearing the building apart and completely disregarding the destruction she was wreaking on her workplace. The latest fashion line didn't matter right now, not when there were more important things-important ponies-to worry about. Dashing down the stairs at break-neck speed, she skidded to a stop when she caught sight of the filly she'd been looking for. Sweetie Belle sat on her haunches, staring at the standing mirror, completely ignoring the world around her. Rarity released a sigh of relief.

"Sweetie Belle, where have you been? You scared me half to death! I was tearing this place apart looking for you and all this time you were right here-..."

"Oh, so you do care?" Sweetie Belle turned from the mirror, green eyes full of anger and disappointment. "That's a relief."

Rarity's jaw dropped. "Of...of course I care, Sweetie. Why would you ever say such a thing?"

"Why? Why?!" The filly strode furiously up to Rarity. "Admit it, you don't care about me!"

"That's not true! I love you so much-..."

"Suuuure you do!" Sweetie said mockingly. "If you love me so much, how come you ignore me? It took latching onto Applejack for you to finally acknowledge me! You say you love me, so how come you ditch me whenever Mom and Dad ask you to babysit? You're never around when I need you."

Rarity couldn't believe she was hearing this. "S-sweetie Belle, you have to understand that I have responsibilities. I run a business and try to keep Equestria from falling apart on an almost weekly basis."

Sweetie Belle let out an uncharacteristically cruel chuckle. "That's your excuse? Applejack works on her family's farm, Pinkie is always throwing parties to keep everypony happy, Twilight is a princess, Fluttershy tends to all of Ponyville's animals, and Rainbow Dash is training to be a Wonderbolt and yet they all find time for their loved ones. While you're off dreaming of your precious future husband, I'm stuck here with no cutie mark and no future."

Rarity winced at every word, her eyes beginning to moisten from the spite in them.

"Deep down, you secretly wish that I didn't exist."

"Don't say that," Rarity managed through her tears. "Please don't..."

"I hate you."

"Sweetie Belle, please-..."

"I HATE YOU!"

"Sweetie..."

"YOU'RE VAIN, POMPOUS, AND USELESS! YOU JUST DRAG EVERYONE DOWN!"

"BEGONE!"

The room faded to black, replaced instead with a scintillating blue glow. In place of Sweetie Belle, Princess Luna was there, rubbing a gentle hoof on Rarity's back.

"Sh, it's okay. It's not real."

"I'm...I'm a terrible sister," Rarity sniffled.

Luna shook her head. "No you're not. That wasn't Sweetie Belle. Do not mistake her hateful bile for personal insight. Your sister loves and looks up to you. Believe me, I know a thing or two about the topic."

Rarity took a deep breath. "Could we please leave?"

"Yes, let's."

~*~

A quaint little cottage lay just outside of Ponyville, a place of happiness and warmth to all who visited it, courtesy of its owner. At least, that is the way it's supposed to be. The lush, green grass was replaced with red-brown clumps of dead foliage, the soil black and tar-like, in terms of both appearance and consistency. A ring of gnarled, claw-like trees sprouted around the cottage, giving it the impression of an old fortress comprised of wooden stakes. There was no singing, no bird chirps, or any signs of merriment.

Inside, Fluttershy was cowering with her back against the front door, a legion of glowing red eyes all trained on the terrified pegasus.

"You know me! You don't want to hurt me....right?"

She was surrounded by a semi-circle of snarling beasts, all warped versions of her beloved animals. For whatever reason, none of them seemed to be able to understand her. They all advanced, all of them, from the smallest chipmunk to the largest bear, all baring their teeth or flexing their claws, eyes full of empty savagery. Even Angel, her most beloved bunny, was not immune to the sudden spell of madness that'd overtaken the others, his ears flat against his skull, back lowered and teeth full on display in an act of aggression. Slowly, the circle contracted.

"Please don't hurt me! I love you all!"

All at once, the hordes of beasts charged. Fluttershy screamed and clamped her eyes shut, unable to witness her own demise by her cuddly friends. Seconds passed and yet, no sounds of tearing flesh. Fluttershy dared to open one eye, then the other. The animals were all frozen in mid-charge, as if petrified in time.

"Wh-...?"

Princess Luna phased through the nearby wall and placed a wing around Fluttershy.

"Are you alright?"

Fluttershy gulped and nodded. "Y-yes. I think so."

"Good." Princess Luna beamed warmly at her. "Then let us join the others."

~*~

"And here's the last one."

"Fluttershy!" Everyone cheered and gathered around the new arrival.

"Oh, hi everyone. Are you all okay?"

Each one of them traded an uncertain glance.

Applejack cleared her throat. "Ah think so. Sure was terrifyin'."

"Not for me, it wasn't!" Rainbow Dash said boisterously. "I was dreaming that I was fighting a....an endless army of super-changelings! Yeah, they were twenty feet tall and could spit acid. Oh, and they all shoot fire balls out of their eyes and had giant stingers."

"Riiiiight. A-anyway," Rarity turned to the princesses. "What's next for us?"

Princess Celestia looked uncertain. "Well, I think we should execute a plan of attack before we take on Midnight. But first, we need to find Sombra's nightmare and wake him up."

"Easier said than done, sister."

Luna was peering into a dream-orb with a mixture of both fascination and puzzlement.

"Luna, what's wrong?"

Turning to all of them, she held up the orb.

"Sombra isn't trapped in a nightmare. He's trapped inside of a dream."

Comments

[Viper Pit]

Damn dream sweetie cutting deep

[MisterEdd]

10555141
I like to think that it's actually a manifestation of Rarity's own thoughts, so she believes all this.

[Viper Pit]

10555144
I love it

[Thyrrnatf]

Turning to all of them, she held up the orb. "Sombra isn't trapped in a nightmare. He's trapped inside of a dream."

Ohh dear.... That sounds like it's gonna be triggy to get him out 😅😓