Chapter 11: Do Princess Dream of Magic Sheep?
Chapter 11:
Do Princess Dream of Magic Sheep
One night when Twilight is sleeping in her castle she is sound asleep in her bed at least until she started groaning uncomfortably.
Inside her dream she is currently dreaming of her in her library happily reading her books inside as random books fly from their shelf placements to her table and back when is ready to begin reading them and when is later done reading them. Then suddenly a cloud of blue smoke appears from one of the books she was just pulling out catching Twilight’s attention in the process.
Her confusion turned into shock and surprise when the creature then took the form of Midnight Sparkle as she evilly cackles as she transforms multiple books into bats trying to move in and attack her. Twilight was able to dodge and avoid every incoming back as Midnight evilly laughs as she flees from the bat-like attack on her. She effortlessly was able to out-fly them until she gets cornered by Midnight herself who then catches her by the wings and then teleports them to the Crystal Empire where she holds up the Crystal Heart with everypony in attendance.
“Gotcha.” Midnight exclaimed as she caught Twilight. “Trust me.” She said as she used her magic to shatter the Crystal Heart.
“NOOO.” Twilight screamed out in horror as a winter snow storm starts pouring in on everypony at the stadium who all start to succumb to hypothermia and start slowly dying from the freezing weather especially the princesses and her friends.
“Let me go!” Twilight demanded as Midnight still grasps onto her while evilly laughing again as she summons her magic to make a live quesadilla appear in front of her.
“No! Anything but that! Please they’re too cheesy!” She struggled to break free as the quesadilla approaches her trying to get into her mouth.
Midnight using her magic forces Twilight’s mouth open as she screams for the inevitable to come as it is now inches away from her mouth.
At that moment, Twilight immediately woke up with sweat dripping from her face with panicked deep breaths as she awakens from the shock from her nightmare.
Seeing that she isn’t going to be able to sleep well tonight she just gives up and heads down to the kitchen to get herself some coffee so she can stay awake for the night as she sits down to read a book on her desk.
The next morning she went over to Rarity’s boutique so she can groom Owlowiscious along with the rest of her friends who are also grooming their pets as well.
“Ooh, this is amazing!” Pinkie Pie said as she hoped around the shop.
“Yeah, Rarity. Thanks for setting all this up.” Rainbow Dash happily added.
“A grooming day for our pets really was a great idea.” Fluttershy added in the same tone as Twilight tries to act like everything is fine.
Her friends were able to sleep fine last night although Twilight was the only who clearly didn’t get enough sleep last night as she is the only one with dark circles and bags under her eyes but had enough control over her magic to gently comb Owlowiscious.
But during her daze she ended up stumbling backwards a little and accidentally fell into the bathtub where Tank is taking his bath in. Rainbow Dash quickly caught Tank as he flew out of the tub from the splash Twilight accidentally made. She groaned as she poked her head up and out of the tub as she tries to wake herself up a bit as her friends run up to her to make sure she is okay.
“You okay, sugarcube?” Applejack asked her in concern.
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” Twilight told Applejack while half-awake. “Sorry, Rainbow Dash.” She turned to face Rainbow Dash with an apologetic look. “I just didn't quite sleep well last night.” She then explained herself followed by a yawn.
“It’s all right, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash reassured her it’s no biggie. “Did you have a nightmare or something keeping you up last night?”
“Well, maybe one.” Twilight tried to recall off of the top of her head as she placed a hoof on her chin as she yawned again.
“Like what darling?” Rarity asked her wanting to get an idea of what she dreamed about.
“Well…” Twilight started hesitatingly as if she doesn’t want to talk about it.
“It’s all right, you can tell us.” Fluttershy reassured they won’t judge her.
“Well for starters it was definitely scary.” Twilight then started to explain. “I was reading my books until this blue smoke monster appeared in one of them and...” she then stopped when her friends all stared at her with shock "...what?"
“A blue smoke monster?” Pinkie exclaimed in shock.
“That doesn’t sound good.” Applejack noted with concern as she helped her out of the bathtub. “Has this happened here before?”
“No it hasn’t.” Twilight replied as Spike hands her a towel to dry herself off with.
“I wonder what could have given you this kind of a frightful nightmare.” Rarity wondered seeing that this very alarming.
“I don't know. I couldn't tell." Twilight said unsure herself "But I do know who might. Spike, could you send a scroll to Princess Luna?"
"Sure!" Spike happily replied as he placed the towels down and grabbed a paper and quill as Twilight finishes drying herself off. "All set!"
Twilight spoke up as Spike writes down every word, "Dear Princess Luna, last night my friends and I all dreamt of a creature made of blue smoke. I'm sure you're very busy, but" she briefly stopped to yawn, "when you have the chance, please let me know if you have any idea what it could mean. Yours," she yawned again before continuing, "Princess Twilight Sparkle. You can leave out the yawns."
Spike scratched off the 'yawns' he had written with a “heh-heh” grin before rolling up the scroll and breathing fire to magically send it to Princess Luna.
The door immediately flew open as Princess Luna arrived…in just two seconds flat as she immediately burst through inside.
"Which of you saw the creature of blue smoke in your nightmare?!" Princess Luna immediately asked with worry and concern in her voice.
"Wow. That was fast." Fluttershy said in amazement of her quick arrival.
“I did, Princess Luna.” Twilight spoke up as she stepped forward. "So you've encountered the smoke monster too?" Twilight asked wondering if this is very familiar to her too.
Princess Luna walked into the boutique, looking at them all with a face of pure regret as she looks aside ashamed that this happened to her. "The Tantabus is a creature of my nightmares. It escaped from my slumbers yesterday."
"But how did it get Twilight’s?" Fluttershy asked with worry and concern. “Just how serious is this?”
"The Tantabus is like a parasite. My dreams must no longer be enough for it. Now it seeks others to infect and corrupt. It must have learned of you from seeing you in my dream."
“Whoa-whoa-whoa. So what you're saying is... you dreamt about her, and not the rest of the girls and including me.” Spike asked and then sadly whimpered.
“Uh, so Smokey gave her bad dreams. No biggie.” Rainbow Dash said as she points a hoof at Twilight in the tone saying that she is immediately blowing the concern out to the sky to which Luna sadly nods it is in fact a very big deal as she continues to explain.
“I saw that the Tantabus had grown more powerful, but I did not realize that power was enough to enable it to escape my dreams. 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!” She fearfully spoke as she turned around to look out the window leaving all of the girls threatened by the danger it possesses.
“Okay, okay, okay, I take it back! That does sound bad! Really bad!” Rainbow Dash immediately spoke now fully grasping the severity of the situation.
“The only way for me to stop the Tantabus is if I enter your dreams Twilight Sparkle.” Luna spoke as her friends eye Twilight who is now looking uneasy at the thought of her dreams being visited.
“Okay.” Twilight accepted as she sweated a little sounding nervous of all this while emitting a small nervous gulp. “I’ll have everything ready by nighttime.” She then said as she quickly masked her discomfort.
“Good.” Luna nodded in approval of Twilight’s corporation as she turned to leave. “We’ll meet at your castle in your bedroom at night.”
As soon as Luna flies off, Twilight quickly fetches Owlowiscious as she makes her way out the door as well in her haste to immediately leave.
“Wait, Twilight! What about your dream?” Rainbow asked her as she is leaving in a hurry.
“Sorry, can’t talk, gotta go, must get things ready for tonight! Bye!” Twilight quickly and rapidly responded with a forced smile as she hastily ran out of the boutique and flew off back to her castle leaving her friends surprised by her sudden departure.
“Twilight! Wait up!” Spike called out to her as he ran after her wanting to be able to catch up with her.
“Ok. What the hey was that all about?” Rainbow Dash spoke flabbergasted by Twilight's quick departure.
“Maybe there was something more to that dream that Twilight doesn’t want to talk to us about.” Fluttershy voiced her thoughts on what could be the reason.
“But we’re her friends!” Pinkie exclaimed finding it off that she didn't want to talk to them about it. “Twilight always tells us what’s bugging her deep down.”
“You’re right darling that is strange.” Rarity spoke unable to make out Twilight’s deepest fear and secret she is hiding.
“Yeah!” Applejack agreed as she nodded in her head. “And tonight we’re gonna find out what in tarnation is bugging her.”
As Twilight makes her way back to her castle in flight with Owlowiscious in tow she immediately closes the castle doors and retreats to her room as she quickly preps her room up for Luna’s visit as she watches over her dream with a forced smile on her face. Once she has everything all prepped up she drops her forced smile as she sighs in relief.
She then goes to and through the castle hallways as she looks out the window to see Ponyville from afar before retreating to her room and sitting at her desk as she hangs her head feeling scared deep down that her deepest fears are coming up the surface and unable to talk to anypony about them.
By nighttime, Princess Luna arrived just as she promised.
“I’ve prepared everything exactly as you requested.” Twilight told Luna as they make their way through the halls and into her bedroom.
“Good. As you slumber here, I will pursue the creature into whichever of your dreams it infests.” Luna spoke as she hovered over the room, ready to act the first sign of trouble.
“Ooh! It'll be like a princess sleepover!” Pinkie excitably spoke as she and the other entered the room.
“Girls?!” Twilight exclaimed in surprise. “What are you all doing here?”
“Wondering why you are acting like this, sugarcube.” Applejack firmly answered. “You’d been avoiding talking about this faster than a vampire bat going in for the kill.”
“What are you talking about?” Twilight asked wondering why they are making a big deal out of this as if she is being interrogated. “It’s just a nightmare.”
“But from the way you’ve been dodging talking about your nightmare tells us there is something more about it which you are not telling us.” Rainbow Dash told her as she crossed her arms having none of Twilight’s excuses to talk her way out of this.
“Look as much as I want to argue about this, I already arranged for Princess Luna to handle things from here so if you all want to watch to find out why then be my guest.” Twilight irritably told them she is in no mood to argue right now while letting them watch over them as she makes her way to her bed.
“Fine by us as along as we learn the truth about all this.” Rainbow Dash agreed while still firmly crossing her arms.
“Speaking of princesses, aren't you gonna ask Celestia for her help as well?” Twilight asked Luna as she turned her attention back at her.
“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 nopony can help me tonight.” Luna answered as she turned away.
"Even us?" Applejack asked.
“Especially you. For I do not want this creature infesting any other pony’s dreams and risk the Tantabus escaping and I already have caused Twilight to suffer so much because of me. She needs only slumber while I hunt the Tantabus in her dreams." Luna explained as Twilight gave a mixed expression towards her of why she feels she is to blame for her own actions as Midnight
At that moment she felt someone tug on her mane and saw it was Spike as she turned her head in his direction.
“I know you said nopony can help, but I'm no pony! I'm gonna stay up and watch over her just in case!” Spike said as she crawled up onto Twilight’s night stand as he used his claws to keep his eyes open.
“Aw, thank you, Spike!” Twilight said with a warm smile as she fully tucked herself in her bed and fell asleep.
Seeing Twilight is now asleep the Mane Five and Spike all watch as Princess Luna spreads out her wings and activates her magic. The lines of her horn glowed to reach the very tip. One glowing neon white stream appeared, attaching to Twilight’s forehead of the ones deep in slumber. A soft wind surrounded Luna as she began traveling into Twilight’s dream.
There she sees Twilight touring Ponyville with the Yaks from Yakyakistan where a nervous Twilight is trying to keep the Yaks from destroying Ponyville by using her magic to freeze them so they could stop.
“Yaks demand meaning of this?!” Prince Rutherford yelled at Twilight. “Yaks want to know why pony princess is doing all of this?!”
“Prince Rutherford, please I’m sorry for doing this but this is not the way to treat other ponies who have done nothing but being good to you for this entire visit.” Twilight apologetically told the Yaks as she unfroze them with her magic.
“Yaks not satisfied with visit. Yaks declare war!” Prince Rutherford declared as prepared to charge at Twilight.
Just before Prince Rutherford could approach her the dark blue smoke appeared in the sky with Midnight Sparkle appeared before them bellowing them.
“Not on my watch!” Midnight yelled out to the yaks with a stern expression on her face as the Yaks are now horrified to see her but had no time to react as Midnight uses her magic to grasp them in the air and then roared fire at them sending flying back into the mountains leaving them potentially burned and killed from the fall and impact.
Twilight could only look on just as horrified seeing Midnight destroy the Yaks as she flies down to her.
“Join me Twilight!” Midnight told her terrified counterpart with an offering hoof. “Together we can destroy the threat of those ungrateful yaks before they can even attack first.”
Twilight sweated as she gulped and backed away in fear of her as Midnight menacingly approaches her.
“No, I won’t. I’m not like you.” Twilight retorted.
“Aren’t you.” Midnight replied with a smirk as she held up the princess’s crowns to remind her of the extreme lengths she was willing to go to secure her power on all of Equestria.”
Just before Midnight could use her magic to force the transformation Princess Luna flew in between them glaring down at the evil alicorn as she uses her magic to try to hold her at bay.
“Luna.” Twilight expressed in relief to see her come to her rescue.
Princess Luna tried her hardest to try to crystallize the Tantabus in Midnight’s form but Midnight had proven herself too powerful for her to handle as she manages to break free from her crystal prison.
Midnight evilly laughs as she swoops down towards Twilight who screams in horror as she is facing darkness and defeat consuming her again.
At that moment Twilight woke up gasping in deep breaths as sweat drips from her face.
“What happened? What’s wrong?” Spike asked her as she brought her a towel to wipe the sweat off of her face as she was still breathing heavily to borderline hyperventilating still shaken up from her nightmare.
“Can’t talk about it! Too terrifying!” Twilight spoke in between breaths with tears forming around her eyes.
“But did Luna at least catch it. Didn’t she?” Spike asked.
"I am so sorry, Twilight. I failed. It will be back to infect your dreams the next time you sleep." Luna regretfully told everyone as she floated down from the ceiling as Twilight eye twitches hearing this development.
“Oh, no!” Fluttershy trembled as she placed her hooves over her mouth seeing that it’s only going to get worse from here.
"Yeah. I reckon I could live without seeing that thing if it’s as terrifying as what Twilight says it is." Applejack said sounding relieved that she is not in Twilight’s hoof steps right now as she hands her a glass of water to which Twilight graciously accepts as starts drinking from it.
“Thanks.” Twilight told Applejack with a warm smile.
“But poor Twilight will again and again, every night, until it grows powerful enough to infect the waking world! All thanks to me!” Luna said as she looked out the window with deep regret. “After what I did as Nightmare Moon, the fact that I am once again responsible for harming others is more than I can bear.”
“You’re not the only one.” Twilight spoke as she confessed as she hung her head with deep regret. “After what I did as Midnight Sparkle she’s been haunting me ever since I’ve reformed and ever since then I can still feel her evil spirit creeping back inside of my heart.”
“So that’s why you’ve been avoiding talking about all of this?” Applejack first asked with surprise while being sympathetic to her plight.
“Yeah.” Twilight sadly answered still unable to look at anypony at the moment. “But even so, I always still feel that I’ll never be able to escape her shadow especially after learning of how much I have truly hurt every pony like I just did to Moon Dancer, the Yaks, and all of you for what I have done as Midnight. For a pony who’s brought on so much pain and suffering to everypony because of the actions of few what kind of a princess does that make me?” She added as she started tearing up. “Just seeing what I allowed myself to become even scares me.”
Everyone in room was completely stunned seeing Twilight this vulnerable for the first time since she had reformed as even when everypony is forgiving her she is really learning of how much damage she truly has caused as a result of her actions leaving her feeling very remorseful and guilt ridden as she cries.
“Aw, Twilight.” Fluttershy said as she climbed onto her bed and wrapped her hoof around her shoulder as she hugged her. “We’re so sorry that to hear that. But it will be okay.”
“Yeah Twilight! It'll be okay! Everypony makes mistakes!” Pinkie also reassured her.
“Even us darling.” Rarity sincerely added. “For we walked out on you in a time of need which lead to this domino effect to happen in the first place.”
“Yeah. Loyal friends like us should have had your back all the way through back then.” Rainbow Dash added to tell Twilight that she is not to blame entirely for what she did as Midnight Sparkle.
“Especially since this is really my fault.” Luna regretfully spoke seeing that she contributed to Twilight’s increased suffering.
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked in confusion of what she is talking about. “You weren’t there when my friends walked out on me at the wedding rehearsal.”
“I mean it’s because I created the Tantabus to give myself the same nightmare every night...“ Luna clarified as she started to tear up too. ”...to punish myself for the evil I caused as Nightmare Moon!”
“Say what now?!” Applejack asked in surprise.
“But why would you do that?!” Fluttershy asked just as surprised.
“To make sure I never forgave myself for how much Equestria suffered because of me! But it seems I have not learned my lesson, for now I have only made you suffer more!” Luna further explained as she cried as Twilight gets an idea of how to deal with it but it also involves doing something she doesn’t want to do as well.
“But that means you might just be the key to stopping all this!” Twilight spoke up of her solution while sounding just as uncertain as Luna.
“How?” Luna asked wondering what Twilight is thinking of.
“Well I didn’t dream of any other pony other than Midnight so that means the Tantabus is only in my dream.” Twilight said to explain that the Tantabus is only amplifying her nightmares. “So you can still catch in my dream again as long I don’t dream of any other pony.”
“That’s true.” Luna agreed with Twilight’s point there. “As long as you didn’t dream of any other pony the Tantabus can’t get any stronger. So I should be able to catch as long as I focus on just one dream.” She added as she flew up to the ceiling again. “All right. I am now willing to do anything to end this, including accept your help. I cannot allow the Tantabus to escape into the real world. So Twilight must now go back to sleep and hope that I can stop it there.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” Twilight spoke as she tucked herself back in her bed ready to face her Midnight Sparkle nightmare again even when she deep down doesn’t really want to do again.
“We’re coming too.” Rarity spoke up vouching to sleep alongside with Twilight.
“No, girls.” Twilight firmly but politely declined. “This is something I have to do alone.”
“But Twilight…” Rarity tried to speak not to be cut off by Twilight who raises her hoof to stop her from talking.
“Sorry, Rarity.” Twilight again declined her input. “The Tantabus is only in my dreams right now and if let the rest of you join in then we risk it escaping form the dream real and into the mortal realm which could put all of Equestria at stake.” She explained her reasons why she can’t have the others dream alongside with her.
“I’m afraid Twilight is right.” Luna agreed with the younger alicorn. “I have already caused Twilight to suffer more than she deserves and I can’t afford to allow any other pony to suffer because of mistakes. This is something that I must stop alone before it gets any worse.”
“Who says you have face this alone, sister?” Princess Celestia spoke her input as she flew inside the room much to the others especially Luna’s surprise.
“Sister? What are you doing here?!” Luna asked in surprise of seeing her here.
“I’m here to help you and Twilight.” Celestia calmly answered. “I sensed you feeling troubled when you flew off in a hurry so I followed you shortly after you left tonight and listened in on your conversation. I’m sorry for spying on you but it was the only way I could find out what’s troubling you.” She then approached Luna as she continues. “And I thought by now you would tell me when these things happen.”
"I'm sorry, sister.” Luna apologized to her big sister. “But I couldn't let you get involved. This was my mistake, something that I have to do alone, You and everypony else have already suffered enough because of me."
Hearing this has Twilight really see that she is going through the same course of action she is currently taking after hearing her words echo from Luna’s mouth.
“Luna, if this creature is as powerful as you say it is, something like this requires all the help you can get even from your family and friends.” Celestia somberly said. “And if it means helping you my sister and Twilight my most faithful student then I’m all in for catching him with you. You’re not alone now and you don’t need to face this alone.” Celestia calmly assured her as she places a hoof on her shoulder as she turns to Twilight. “And that applies to you and your friends, Twilight. You don’t have to face Midnight in your own dreams alone.”
Twilight initially hesitant on allowing her friends to join her in her dreams with her until Applejack spoke up.
“Come on, Twi.” Applejack encouraged her let them help her. “It’s the least we can do for you. After all, we walked out on you when you needed us the most which lead to this all happening. But now things here are different and we’re here for you now.”
After seeing her friends giving her the pleading puppy dog eyed looks Twilight relented after she sighs.
“All right fine.” Twilight said as she used her magic to make separate beds for each and one of them to appear in. Immediately every pony got in their beds ready to sleep alongside Twilight including Spike.
Even though she is encouraged to accept help from her friends deep down she feels she is going to regret this.
Once everypony was all tucked in bed and getting to sleep Princess Celestia and Princess Luna both activate their magic to recreate Luna’s ability to access dreams of other ponies. Even though this is something Celestia has had little to no experience in she was able to quickly pick up and follow her sister's lead and be able to use the same magic Luna is using as a bright light flashes around them.
In Twilight’s dream, Twilight is walking around Ponyville at night getting a good look at her surroundings.
“So far so good.” Twilight said to herself as she comes across her friends who approach her. “Girls! You’re here!”
“Of course we are sugarcube!” Applejack happily responded. “So we can have your back this time around just like we promised.”
As Twilight smiles at their gesture she is then called out to by a familiar voice.
“Ponies.” Luna called out as she and her sister hovered over the Ponyville dream with their horns glowing individually in a forcefield.
“There’s not much time.” Luna warned the six ponies and young dragon. Then she reacts in horror when she sees what’s in front of her. “No! It is already here.”
The Tantabus appeared in front of everypony which has now gotten bigger in size leaving the Mane Six, the alicorn sisters, and Spike surprised to see its massive size.
The Mane Six, the alicorn sisters, and Spike also get a much bigger and horrified surprise as Midnight Sparkle appears overhead chuckling evilly as she looks down at every pony below her.
All eight ponies could only show mixed reactions of horror of seeing Twilight’s villainous counterpart take a separate form on her own as Midnight swoops in and grabs Spike with her hooves as she flies back up in the air.
“Spike!” Twilight exclaimed in worry with a raised hoof.
“Twilight! Help!” Spike cried out as he raised a reaching hand to Twilight's direction as Luna watches in distress feeling worse at what she had done to Twilight.
“I am so sorry! I brought this upon you!” Princess Luna apologized as her regretful face turned into a much more determined expression. “But I will end it now!”
"Luna, wait!" Princess Celestia called out with a raised hoof to stop her from what she was going to do but it was too late as Luna went ahead as she shot a white beam at both the Tantabus and Midnight in hopes of destroying them once and for all but to no avail as her magic did no damage to either of them as Midnight easily shrugs off the attack like it was nothing. Luna was left exhausted from the attempted attack as sweat dripped from her forehead as the Tantabus began terrorizing Ponyville while Midnight continued to hold Spike hostage in her magical grasp.
“Is that all you got, Princess?” Midnight laughed off. “Your sister can throw better punches than you and she's Equestria's biggest joke of a princess.”
Hearing these insults get to Luna as she looks on in despair has Celestia looking on at Midnight fierce determination and with slow-burning anger boiling up inside of her.
“Don’t you dare insult my sister, Midnight!” Celestia defiantly told off the alicorn as she used her magic to take a shot at Midnight. But even when landing a more powerful attack on Midnight it is still not enough to have her let go of Spike as she able to endure the attack and be able resist being blasted off.
“Hmm.” Midnight thought to herself as she pondered sadistic ideas to torture him. “What to do with you little dragon?”
Twilight watching this wants badly to help him and is sweating and looking on in fear of Midnight again.
“Don’t let her strike fear into your heart, Twilight!” Luna called out to her.
“But how?!” Twilight asked as she trembled still unable to face off against Midnight who is torturing Spike with his worst nightmares by replaying his memory of seeing the duplicate Twilight die in the train explosion. “I can’t even face her head on!”
“No, don’t make me look!” Spike cried out as he shielded his eyes from the flashback.
“Yes you can!” Luna firmly replied. “In a dream anything can happen. And in real life as long as prove yourself you are the stronger pony nothing can stand in your way. You are fearless in the face of danger, Princess Twilight” She further encouraged Twilight she can face on her worst fears head on and why she is stronger than Midnight as she groans from her strains.
“Princess, what's wrong?” Twilight asked Luna.
Luna grunted as both she and her sister struggled to keep the Tantabus at bay. "It… is taking all our strength just to hold this massive dream together! You children will have to stop it! I truly wish I did not have to ask this of you!" Luna added with regret.
"Then you're in luck." Twilight with complete confidence.
“Yeah! We're already on it!” Rainbow Dash added in the same tone.
“You girls try to hold the Tantabus at bay as long as you can while I deal with Midnight.” Twilight instructed them as she spread her wing out and flew off towards Midnight with a powerful magic blast right at her face causing Midnight to struggle with shielding herself with the attack and dropping Spike after losing her grip over the young dragon.
“AAAHHH!” Spike yelled out as he fell from the sky and towards the ground.
Acting quick Twilight was able to fly down and catch Spike onto her back just before he can hit the ground.
Spike immediately hugs Twilight upon being saved by the pony he served for most of her life and who he looks up to as a mother as Twilight flies back up into the air with a determined expression as she glares down at Midnight who is ready to throw down and fight her as Spike holds on tight to her.
Midnight charges her magic up and releases another powerful blast at Twilight who counters with a magic beam of her own as the two beams make contact with each other with both ponies trying to gain the edge over one and another. Midnight then starts gaining the edge has her beam moves closer to Twilight’s horn as Twilight begins to struggle.
“Accept your destiny!” Midnight told Twilight as she is about to overwhelm her. “There is no other choice!”
But Twilight remembers Luna’s previous words echo through her mind.
“As long as you prove yourself you are the stronger pony deep down, nothing can stand in your way. You are fearless in the face of danger.”
“Of course.” Twilight said to herself just as she was about to be overwhelmed by Midnight’s magic as she looks on with a more confident and determined expression as she gives her magic a push to send Midnight’s back right at her sending her back a few feet.
Midnight recovers and she Twilight lands another blast right at her chest causing her to groan in pain.
“No, you’re wrong Midnight!” Twilight retorted as Midnight angrily glares at her for attacking her. “I do have another choice! You may be able to knock me down and strike fear into my heart but I going to get back up again and again! And as long as I am still standing I will never stop trying to defeat you for you have no power over me!”
Midnight retaliated by charging at Twilight to punch her in the face and then tries to send magic at Twilight only for her to quickly dodge the attack and hit the Tantabus instead who shrieks in pain from the attack.
Twilight then after quickly recovering uses her magic to freeze Midnight with her magic just before she attack her again just inches from her face as she then uses her magic to sending fly backwards again after delivering a punch right back at her face.
The two would continue blasting magic at each other fighting each other to a standstill until Twilight finally puts an end to it by freezing Midnight again who now struggles to break free from Twilight’s grasp while defiantly refusing to beg for mercy from her by glaring at her.
“It’s over, Midnight, you’ve lost! The nightmare is over!” Twilight firmly told Midnight as she launches a powerful golden magical light right at her which vanquishes her into nothing after she is consumed by the bright golden light.
With a single burst Midnight imploded into nothing but a cloud of gold stars that fly into the nighttime sky.
Twilight watching this smiles in satisfaction that she overcome her own nightmare as Spike watches in complete amazement at what Twilight had just did.
“Wow!” Spike expressed in amazement. “Sometimes I wonder how I keep forgetting of how amazing you are Twilight!”
Twilight smiles to show she appreciates the compliment but the compliments about her victory are interrupted when she sees the Mane Five struggle to keep the Tantabus at bay.
Rainbow Dash transforms into her Power Pony costume as she flies around the Tantabus at great speeds to form a tornado to try to subdue. But the Tantabus with little struggle was able to break free and emerge from the tornado.
Seeing that they need help Twilight immediately uses her dream magic to make her destroyed library come back to live as she sends flying books and quesadillas at the Tantabus’s way while Applejack transforming into her Power Pony costume sends her golden lasso at the same direction too.
The books and quesadillas all swarm around the Tantabus as it struggles to move around which buys Applejack time to lasso the Tantabus up to keep her with going through the portal into the mortal realm which she tore an opening through in the sky to which Rarity quickly uses her magic to sew up.
Fluttershy manages to summon and tame a giant creature to send in the Tantabus’s way to keep it at bay.
While Luna and Celestia are trying to keep the dream together, Luna is starting to struggle as tears stream from her face
“I cannot hold this dream together much longer! Equestria will fall because of me!” Luna cried out as she is straining from the excessive magic use.
The Tantabus then managed to shake off all of the attacks and grow bigger to size of a very huge giant about the size as Tirek.
“Am I crazy, or did it just get even bigger after Luna said that?” Spike asked Twilight if he just saw what he saw correctly.
“No you’re not because it did.” Twilight reassured Spike he is not only one who took notice of that.
“I think it's feeding off your guilt, Princess Luna!” Twilight told Luna as she flew down towards her.
“If that is so, then perhaps that is how it grew strong enough to escape from my control the first place!" Luna came to the conclusion as she sees the Tantabus taking the form of Luna as she slowly steps forward towards the recreated opening to the mortal realm.
“There is a way you can stop her, Luna.” Twilight told her Celestia helps Luna onto her hooves. “Which is something that only you can do to yourself.”
“How?” Luna tearfully asked.
“By forgiving yourself and coming to terms with your redemption.” Twilight explained.
“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash spoke getting the idea Twilight’s trying to send to Luna. “If it gets strong because you feel bad about what you did as Nightmare Moon, then you just gotta stop feeling bad for what you did!”
“How can I forgive myself?” Luna asked while still crying. “I am no better now than I was then. My creation is turning your life into a living nightmare and as soon all of Equestria as well!”
“My dreams were already nightmares ever since I reformed. And it is you of all ponies who gave me the courage to face off against my evil counterpart when I doubted myself and felt all hope was lost. Now it is my turn to give you the courage to make everything right again.” Twilight firmly said while trying to reach out to her heart-to-heart.
“She’s right sister!” Princess Celestia agreed as she placed one of her wings on Luna’s chin to have her look at her in the eyes. “Even when I sent you off to the moon for a thousand years I took no pleasure in having to do that even when it was necessary as I have missed you every day and night since then. And I ended up making the same mistakes again which lead to Twilight becoming Midnight Sparkle when I didn’t give her the comfort she needed.”
“We all made mistakes that we have come to regret.” Twilight added that even she, her sister, and her friends are not immune to making them. “But look at what you're doing! Nightmare Moon would've wanted the Tantabus to turn Equestria into a nightmare! You're doing everything you can to stop it! Don't you see? That proves you're not the same pony you were then!” Twilight spoke to her heart form heart. “Everypony who knows you knows that Nightmare Moon is in the past! We all trust you, Luna! Do you trust us enough to believe we're right?”
Luna looked up seeing that the Tantabus was halfway through the portal, but then she looked upon the reassuring and comforting looks and forgiving eyes of her dear friends as well as her own sister, who gently wrapped her arms around her sister holding her in an embrace.
"I'm sorry." Luna apologized as she returned the embrace.
"I'm sorry too. Can you forgive yourself now?" Celestia also apologized while asking her sister if she can forgive herself now.
"…I do!" Luna calmly replied as she smiled.
The Tantabus then was pulled back into the dream as it suddenly lost the power to escape the dream world after hearing the very power of forgiveness weaken her. To its horror, the Tantabus found itself shrinking as the portal closes up completely. Luna stood up as the unicorn-shaped Tantabus walked towards her. The creature merged back into Luna's body as it entered through her necklace.
Luna then took in a sigh of relief, smiling in gratitude to all those who believed in her as the tantabus was now finally defeated.
"Thank you. Thank you all." Luna gratefully told all of her close friends.
The next morning, Twilight found herself waking up back in her mortal realm seeing that everything is now all right.
“Luna did it!” Twilight happily told her friends who were just waking up.
“She sure did!” Applejack said although not one hundred percent sure what had just happened. “Only... I'm not exactly sure what she did.
“Luna created the Tantabus to punish herself! The worse she felt, the more power it had! But once she finally forgave herself for what Nightmare Moon did... “ Twilight explained as Spike finished with a…
“Poof!”
“Shh!” Celestia gently asked them to keep their voices down as she wrapped her wing over her sister. “Let her sleep. She really needs this.”
“Huh. Wonder what she's dreaming about now.” Spike curiously asked as she watches Luna sleep peacefully.
“Must be a very peaceful and well deserving one after everything she has been through.” Twilight answered with a warm smile.
As Twilight shifts her focus from Luna for a moment she thinks of something she could do to.
The next night before going to sleep, Twilight goes outside to her castle balcony where she goes up and looks around to make sure no pony is around and watching. Once she was certain she was alone, Twilight has her horn’s magic activated and then placed it onto her heart where she would carefully and slowly pull out the very little and remaining dark magic that was residing in there ever since she reformed from being Midnight Sparkle.
Once she got every last bit of dark magic out of her heart she stops focuses her magic as the dark magic floats away into the sky.
Twilight then wipes away the sweat that had formed on her forehead feeling a little fatigued from performing that spell on herself but is now feeling happy that Midnight is no longer haunting her dreams and is gone from her life as she trots back inside so she can go to sleep…
…Or so she thought as the dark magic that had floated into the sky has taken the form of a familiar alicorn in shape and size as it flies away from Ponyville to parts of Equestria unknown…
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