Rise and Fall of Nightmare Star

by sykko

Meeting Harmony part 1

Sci-Twi looked a bit perplexed at the two royal sisters after they had pointed out the two places on the map. "Dream Valley? Nightmare Castle? What exactly are they?"

Celestia and Luna looked at each other, a silent conversation played out between the two of the. "We'll wait for everypony to be here so we don't have to tell the history of the pony folk multiple times.", the elder sister replied.

A couple of hours later, the former human-turned-ponies and natural born ponies had gathered at the Castle of Friendship. Celestia began to recount the ancient story of dream Valley. "I was a foal and had barely seen my third summer, Luna was barely a yearling at the time, when the windigos had started to devour all life in Dream Valley. I had accompanied my father, known today as Chancellor Puddinghead, across the mountains and into the land we now know as Equestria. Sadly mother didn't survive the trip. Most ponies remember my father as an imbecile, but he was far from it, at least before mother died, in reality he was quite sharp and an astute leader, if a bit stubborn. After mother's passing, grief slowly consumed him and took his mind, until he was just a shadow of of the stallion he used to be. Of course this was long before Luna and I ascended."

She blew out a weary sigh and blinked away few misty tears the bitter memories had brought.

"Back on topic, as I am the only pony alive who still remembers the old home country. Though I was born many years after it happened, both mother and grandmother used to recount the stories about a great hero who strode upon two legs, had a mane the color of the sun and wielded a powerful weapon. With the powerful weapon, she struck down the great enslaver and the terrible emperor. By the ruins of Dream Valley, a single pegasus' day's flight from Dream Castle stands the ruins of the of the terrible keep now known to all pony-folk as Nightmare Caste, but in the days of the great champion it was called a different name. Midnight Castle."

The uttering of the name Midnight Castle made the natural born ponies and humans-turned-ponies fur bristle and the air feel like it had dropped a few degrees. The humans-turned-ponies cocked their heads in confusion.

"What in the heck is Nightmare Castle an' why does saying its name make th' air feel cold?", Jackie asked.

"It was the home to the great enslaver. Though his name has been lost to time, all that remains of him is a description in ancient writings.", Luna replied, "It is said he was a centaur with black fur and red skin, who enslaved ponies and turned them into terrible beasts spawned from nightmares to pull his chariot. Even to this day explorers, archaeologists and treasure hunters stay from that place. If that is where the nightmare that has taken possession of Twilight Sparkle has taken the stolen foals, it makes sense, as it's the one place nopony would venture as it would appear as a fool's journey."

"So why don't we just get an army up, storm the place and take the babies back by force?", Mabel asked.

"Not only would an army be easily spotted by the nightmare, the changelings live somewhere in the badlands. If they saw that a massive force of the EUP was sent into their territory, they would launch a full scale invasion of Equestria.", Celestia replied.

"I say let 'em try!", Mabel retorted, "You have two literal god-like rulers who could nuke 'em off the--mmmmmmppppphhh!" She found her words cut off when Rainbow Dash and Applejack clamped her mouth shut with their hooves.

"Dude! Everypony knows that if an alicorn marches to war, we're in deep doo-doo up to our withers!", Rainbow hissed into Mabel's ear, "Equestria is still recovering from Twilight's brawl with Tirek, and that barely lasted two minutes."

"Verily.", Luna replied to the statement, "The last time Sister and I marched to war, a great and terrible sorcerer ram that hailed from neighboring Tambelon, declared himself emperor and had unleashed all sorts of nightmare beasts upon the ponies."

"What happened to Tambelon?", Sci-Twi asked.

"The bones of the kingdom are now buried under the sands of the Too Dry Desert.", Celestia answered.

This sent a visible shiver through the gathered ponies and former humans. A palpable silence descended onto the room.

The chiming from the Friendship Map broke the silence and the glowing of fifteen flanks drew the attention of the two princesses, seven natural born ponies and six humans-turned ponies. Making their way to the map room, they saw sixteen cutie marks circling a ravine in the Everfree Forest, adjacent to the ruins of the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters.

***

"But Cady, you're still injured!", Shining Armor snapped, seeing his wife's cutie mark glowing and pulsing. As soon as it started glowing, she had insisted going to Twilight's castle. "I nearly lost it when I thought you had died." His voice cracked as he choked back a sob. "If I lose you for real this time, I-I don't know what I would do." He clenched his eyes shut and turned his face away to fight his tears.

Cadance placed her hoof under Shining's chin, turned his face to face hers and gave his cheek a nuzzle. "Do you remember when I along with aunties Celestia and Luna gave Twilight our magic?"

Shining nodded.

"When I told you to stay here to protect the empire, what did you say?"

"That I was a captain of the guard first and it was my duty to to protect the ponies of Equestria."

"Now when Tirek found out that Twilight had the magic of four alicorns and went to confront her, she chose to stand and fight him. After he had been defeated, returned to Tartarus and restored our magic back to us, auntie Tia asked her why she chose to stand and fight instead of running and hiding, like she was commanded to. You wanna know what she answered?"

"That as a princess, it is her duty to protect the ponies of Equestria?"

"That and as long as she had one gasp left to breath and one drop left to bleed, she'd fight for for her friends and family as well. I know you Shiny. If the map had summoned you, you'd charge out there to to bring Twily back to us, even if it took your last gasp of breath and last drop of blood to do so." Cadance gave Shining a quick peck on the lips. "Now what kind of example would I be setting for my daughter if I ran and hid when the call to action came?"

***

For the moment the nightmare slumbered and Twilight was in control of her body, though she knew it would only be for a couple of minutes, maybe a little bit longer if she was lucky. She stood in a cave in the badlands, staring at a painting on the wall depicting a two-legged creature, with a blonde mane, holding a rainbow in its outstretched hands. She knew from her short time in the world on the other side of the mirror portal that this was a depiction of a human, but unlike the humans on the other side of the portal, this one had an unusual coloring to its skin.

Knowing that she didn't have the time to ponder why this human wasn't turned into a pony when coming to this world, Twilight lit her horn and carved out a series of patterns on the wall, ceiling and floor that to a pony standing in the right position, would show a hidden message.

To all whom may read this. My name is Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship. Every day the nightmare consumes me a little more and it's getting harder and harder to retain control. Please know that I did everything I could to stop this world from being consumed by the fires of a meteor storm. To princess Celestia, I'm sorry that I failed you. To Princess Luna, I'm sorry I wasn't a better friend to you. To Sunset and her human friends, I'm sorry I couldn't stop myself from destroying the portal, dooming you all to the firestorm. To Shining Armor, I regret not spending more time hanging out with you. To Cadance, I'm sorry I couldn't be the princess you taught me to be. To my friends, I'm sorry I didn't make more time to be with you all. To Starlight, I forgive you. When the next time I am able to break free of the nightmare's hold, I will hurl myself onto the rocks below the ruins of Nightmare Castle. I don't ask for your forgiveness, I only ask that you take my remains to the valley below the Canterhorn and bury them where Ponyville once stood. I have left a series of maps covertly carved into several caves and buttes.

"NGGH!" Twilight put a hoof to her temple as she felt the nightmare waking up. She quickly ran out of the cave and down a disused trail, making turns that would seem erratic and panicky, in the hopes that they would fool the nightmare and disguise her true intent.

Twilight came to a stop in front of a weather worn statue, depicting a human girl, holding her hand over head in a heroic stance.

"Ngh! NNNGH! NNNNNNGGGGGHHHHHH!", Twilight cried out in agony, throwing both forehooves to her temples, as she struggled with all of her might to hold back the nightmare. "Gah!" An agonized gasp escaped her as she collapsed into the dust. Nightmare Star rose to her hooves, looking first up to the statue, the behind her at the seemingly random hoofprints in the dust. "My my my Twilight Sparkle, what have you been up to clever mare?" She considered following the tracks to see where the lavender alicorn had come from and what she may have been up to, but decided against it as she didn't want to play into the hoof of Twilight. Besides she knew it would only be a matter of time before the princesses figured out her plan, and send the remaining element bearers, along with those blasted humans after her. In a blink of dark light, she teleported back to the ruined castle atop the butte.

***

The high speed Crystal Express, its brakes squealing loudly, came to a stop at Ponyville station. Cadance had ordered the engineers to stoke the fire high and hot, and as such, the ride took less than two hours. With a flick of her uninjured wing, the Princess of Love gave the silent order for her guards to stay on the train. Slowly, with much care as to not unnecessarily aggravate her injuries, she strode out of the car and onto the platform with as much poise and grace as she could muster. Once clear of the train, she gave a quick nod to the engineers, who quickly switched the tracks and backed the train onto an unused spur.

Standing on the platform to greet her was Celestia and Luna. The three princesses dipped their head in small bows.

"Niece, you should have stayed home and allow your injuries to better heal.", Luna said, "Though time and disease may not touch us, death can still claim us."

"And if you were the one injured by the nightmare while trying to free Twilight from its grasp and the tree summoned you, would you stay in bed or would you be standing here on this platform before me?", Cadance asked.

Luna nodded her head and cast her eyes downwards.

Cadance put put a hoof under Luna's chine, lifted her face and nuzzled her cheek. "I know you're scared auntie. Nopony knows the horrors that a nightmare can bring better than you."

"Is everypony else gathered at the castle?" , Cadance asked.

"They are.", Celestia replied, "And Cadance? You might want to brace yourself. The doppelgangers from the other side of the mirror came across with Sunset. It seems that they refused to stay behind when their friend came across to face the nightmare."

As the three made their way off the platform, Luna extended a wing. "Here dearest niece, lean thine weight onto me."

***

Though it had been a few days since the girls had gone through the portal into Equestria, Spike the dog refused to be more than a few feet from the journal in case Twilight, his Twilight, wrote again, only leaving to relieve himself or eat. Principal Celestia and Vice-principal Luna decided that they've adopted a dog until the day that Twilight, their Twilight, could return.

The purple and green dog stared out the window at the bright blue afternoon sky wistfully, at the same time, his dragon counterpart was doing the same thing.

***

The group of sixteen ponies trekked through the dark shadows and dense undergrowth of the Everfree Forest following the trail that lead to the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sister, with Celestia at the lead, her horn glowing bright, banishing the shadows and scaring off any creatures that may impede their path, while Luna took up the rear of the column.

It was early in the evening when the sun began to dip close to the horizon. The group made their way to the edge of the chasm that held the cave where the Tree of Harmony stood and descended the stairs. They made camp to rest and recoup as the sisters prepared to lower the sun and raise the moon respectively.

Once the sun was down and the moon up, the group made their way to where the tree stood. The ponies and former humans gasped in awe at the gems and crystalline structures in the cave, and at the crystalline tree that glowed with light from within.

"Ah caint tell ya how many time's Ah've been here an' seen the tree, an' ev'ry time Ah'm still amazed by it.", Applejack said, her eyes sparkling with wonder.

"You and I both sister.", Rarity replied.

There was a swirl of energy and what looked like a see through, glittering Twilight Sparkle walked out from the shadows from behind the tree. The see through, sparkling alicorn looked over the gathered ponies and former humans.

The former humans looked on in stunned silence as Celestia, Luna, Cadance, the five element bearers and Starlight bowed low. "Oh great Spirit of Harmony, we hast heard thy summon and came of one accord to hear thine wisdom.", celestia said, her voice full of reverence.

"Celly Celly Celly!", Discord's voice cackled from the moth of the cave, "There's no need to show off to everypony your shapely flank."

The Spirit of Harmony turned its attention to the mouth of the cave as the ponies and former humans looked over their withers at the Spirit of Chaos standing on the ceiling, leaning his serpentine form against the wall.

"Discord, why are you here?", Celestia snapped as she rose to her hooves and turned to face the Spirit of Chaos.

"I just came to see if the stories were true that there were two Fluttershys.", he said walking down the wall and draping a mismatched limb over Fluttershy's neck. "Don't worry, you're the only mare for me." A Discord clone appeared by Moonchild. "Why don't you come by my place Wednesday for a tea part--OW!" He rubbed his head where Fluttershy had smacked him.

"Discord! Don't tease Moonchild!" Fluttershy scolded the draconequis.

Discord grumbled under his breath for a moment before his mood changed and he turned his attention to the see through replica of Twilight. "Dearest sister, why do you hide and only send out a cheap illusion? I'm sure mommy and daddy-dearest would have something to say about that, if they ever get back from vacation to that dreadful two-dimensional plane populated by circles, squares and triangles...two dimensions. Ha! Such a bore."

"Discord, what in th' tarnation are ya yammerin' on about?", Applejack asked.

"Stole th' words right outa my mouth.", Jackie replied.

"If the words were stole out of my mouth, I would be like..." Pinkie D said as she began to silently mouth words.

The ponies and former humans chose to answer it as it was a Pinkie being a Pinkie.

Discord walked over to the Tree of Harmony and rapped the knuckles on his eagle's talon on it. "Come on out sis! I know you can hear me. You can't ignore me! You want to be that way, fine! Then I guess I'm coming in!"

The ponies and former humans stared in dumbfounded shock as the spirit of chaos pulled a large suit case from nowhere, plopped it down, flipped it open and started saying "Nope nope nope!" as he flung cream pies, bottles containing oddly colored light, roped of handkerchiefs, strange tube-shaped metallic devices that emitted strange glowing cylinders of every color that burned holes in the ceiling and floor, six dozen butterflies, one very confused looking blue hedgehog and a chilidog cart. He recoiled from the suit case, a baseball bat appearing in his hand, a strange gurgling, warbling snarl came from it. "Get. Back. In. There. You!", he shouted, hitting something unseen with the bat. "I told Cthulhu to not let his star spawn near my luggage!", he grumbled to no one in particular, "But no! He was all like *incomprehensible and madness-inducing gurgling*!"

"Discord, we don't have time for your games.", Celestia said crossly.

"Aha! I remember where I put it!", Discord said as he snapped his fingers, making the suitcase and the things that had been pulled out of it vanish. Stepping over to Celestia, he reached up to her ear, and with a flourish of his lion's paw, he pulled out a doorknob.

Celestia blinked in indignation as Luna giggled at her, that devolved into rolling on the ground and belly laughing. "Ah-ha-ha-ha! Sister! Hee-hee-hee-hee! How many times have We told thee to wash thine ears?!" The elder sister looked down at her laughing sibling nonplussed.

Discord walked over to the Tree of Harmony, doorknob in hand."I'm giving you one last chance. Come out of your own accord."

"Discord, if I've told you once, I've told you at least a billion times in at least a dozen alternate universes and timelines that I don't have an Accord, I have a Miata.", a pale white female draconequis said as she stepped out of the trunk of the tree.

Author's Note:

My original plans for this chapter were different, but as I started writing, things just kinda went a different way, so to avoid making the chapter be between 6000 and 8000 words long, I'm going to split it into 2 parts.

Thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoy.

Like the story? Hate the story? Spot any typos or misspellings? Have any questions? Whanna throw shade or pure bane? Leave it in the comments below.

Comments

[stag the story teller]

So... Light sabers, sonic, cthulhthu and a Toyota joke all cramed in this story alongside with some poking at sibling rivalry and OG mlp.
I'd say this is a complete win! Great chapter btw.

[sykko]

10970477
Thanks.

[nightshroud96]

It was cool in seeing more lore from the sisters past.

Though its really disappointing Spike missed out on the lore and meeting Harmony there.
In fact why didn't the tree call on him too? It just feels so wrong since he's Twilight's little brother who has been with her side. And the fact him not being by her side is where she got infected by the Nightmare. Why did he get excluded so hard?

[Aleck_Ultimate]

Is this story dead ?

I waiting for update really hard.

[sykko]

11186571
No, I just haven't gotten around to writing the next chapter.

[Aleck_Ultimate]

11186726
Thank you for reassuring me.

I know what it's like to have trouble writing (even if I don't have the level to write other than in French), but as you published a lot of other text since the last chapter...

Well, I totally understand.