Nightmares Guide

by OblivionShadow

3: Conquest

Cameron looked ahead as they went up the many stairs. Behind him, Luna's hooves thudded dully on the carpeted stairs.

“So do you think they ever end?” Cameron asked her.

She chuckled in reply and nodded. “I would hope they would eventually end.”

“That wasn’t an answer.” He said to her, his tone light and joking.

The mare nodded. “I sincerely hope they end soon.” She said to him.

He opened his mouth to speak when a voice caught his attention. He looked over his shoulder as Luna's ears flicked forward.

“That’s Eris.” She whispered.

“Great.” He muttered under his breath as they reached the top of the stairway and kept to the side to avoid being spotted.

He looked around and his eyes went wide at the sight of Capper standing with her. He looked at the mare and her eyes were sad as she watched them. He looked at the strange creature that was Eris and he decided that the only difference between her and Discord was the gender. She had the head of an owl with dragon’s wings with a pair of ram’s horns that came from the side of her face where ears would have been. She carried a staff that looked like a gnarled branch with a large ball on the end of it.

“Capper no,” Luna whispered.

“Yeah. This is gonna be a problem.” Cameron said to her.

“So I already have your friend with the broken horn. Who else do I need to worry about?” Eris questioned the tall feline in front of her.

“Well there’s Luna, but she’s powerless, and she is after the staff your carrying,” Capper informed her.

“Horrid feline,” Cameron growled under his breath.

“There’s a strange creature that walks on two legs that Luna got to guide her around the casino. Goes by the name Cameron, but he’s walking around your casino with Luna, so he’s not around here.” Capper went on. “Oh, and there is Trixie. She’s downstairs causing a distraction so we were able to sneak past the guards and get up here.”

“Well let’s get her under control and then we can wait for the powerless Princess and the two-legged thing with her to make a move,” Eris said to him.

“Sounds good,” Capper said to her with a snap of his fingers. “What about Stygian here?”

“I made him the same offer I made you and he turned me down. So he gets to stay in his own nightmare. Do you have any issue with that?” Eris questioned.

“Not at all. These Equestria ponies just have no sense of self-preservation.” Capper said to her as they walked away from a sleeping Stygian.

Once they were out of earshot Cameron held back the outrage that boiled under his skin. “Creature?” He snarled. “Next time I see that cat I’m gonna throw him in a rushing river.”

Luna looked sadly at the sleeping Stygian as she approached him. Cameron caught up with her in a couple of strides and the mare was solemnly looking at the smaller pony.

“So what do we do with him?” He asked her.

“WE find a way to wake him.” She said and he knelt down to shake the ponies shoulder.

“I don’t think shaking him is working.” He said to her.

“I swear! I just want to be one of you! Please don’t turn your backs on me.” Stygian mumbled as he dreamed.

“Poor Stygian. You must be in so much pain. Forced to live your worst nightmare over and over again.” Luna said, her voice sorrowful.

“What can we do?” Cameron asked her.

“Even if I had Celestia’s power I could awaken him. If I had my powers I could get him out of it no problem. But this dream is unnatural so we can’t shake him awake.” She explained.

“Great.” Cameron nearly cursed but held back in her presence.

She looked away from the prone pony to the human with her and Cameron tilted his head slightly as she seemed to perk up suddenly. “I think I have an idea.”

“Oh?”

“I think I can still enter his dream. I’ve been able to do that since I was a filly. If I can break the cycle maybe I can get him out.” She explained and Cameron nodded for her to go on. “I couldn’t control dreams until my magic was stronger and I might end up stuck there forever.”

“Okay bad idea,” Cameron said to her. “You get stuck in a dream with him forever then Eris wins. And we are all screwed.”

“I cannot leave him like this Cameron.” She argued. “We have to do something.”

“Can I just pour water on him?” He asked and she gave him a withering look as he gave an awkward grin. “Kidding. But I still think this is a terrible idea.”

“It’s not really a choice to be made. I would never leave anypony like this, he is a victim of my power.” She argued back as Cameron sighed and put his hands on his hips.

“I can’t stop you, can I?” Cameron asked her and she shook her head as she lowered her horn to tap the other ponies.

Cameron yelped as the mare suddenly went limp and fell to the ground. Her eyes were closed and she appeared to be asleep. He groaned and scrubbed his face with his hands.

“Great. Now, what do I do?” He grumbled and knelt down to look at the two ponies at his feet. “Both out cold.”

He stood up and he walked several feet away to look back down the stairway. Minutes ticked past him as he waited for Luna to snap Stygian out of whatever trance he was in. He looked down the stairway and he could see a bright light coming up them, shadows danced on the walls as the light moved. “Oh shit.” He jumped back the way he had come and he ran back to the two ponies. He looked around him and he could see the doorway that Eris and Capper had left through.

“Okay, Cameron think.” He whispered as he opened the doorway and it was another hallway. “This will have to work.”

He ran back to the ponies and he reached down to grip Luna’s cloak as the light in the stairway grew brighter. He leaned back and began to drag the mare toward the hallway. She was heavier than he recalled her being and his eyes fell onto the heavy armor she was wearing. “Of all the times to be wearing armor.” He growled as he struggled to drag her away from Stygian. As much as he was growing to kind of like the little pony he knew that hiding Luna was more important.

“Come on.” He said as he strained to move her.

“You can stop that.”

He paused as a voice that was familiar caught his attention. He looked up to see Daybreaker standing close by, her mane a mess of fire and her body covered in armor. From her side, Tempest stepped out and Trixie came from her other side. He blinked as he slowly let go of the cloak in his hands.

“What the hell?” He said as Tempest gave a cocky smile in response to his baffled expression.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Tempest assured him. “She’s on our side.”

“You’re kidding me,” Cameron replied and he looked down at Luna as she began to stir.

“Cameron?” Luna said to him as her eyes locked with his.

“Hi.” He replied and he pointed away from himself for her to look behind them. Her eyes went wide as she saw the other mare.

“Hello, sister. We need to talk.” Daybreaker said to her.

---

Luna slowly got to her hooves and Cameron moved to stand beside her. “Celestia?”

“No,” Daybreaker replied. “This was our issue before. I do not know that name. My name is and always has been Daybreaker.”

“Oh,” Luna responded.

“But… I did have a sister… Once.” Daybreaker explained. “Her name was Nightmare Moon. She was the fiercest and most loyal of sisters, and I am afraid I failed her when it mattered most. Does that name mean anything to you?”

Cameron grinned as Luna looked at Stygian who was standing beside her. “Stygian do you mind? I would do it myself but I am a bit low on magic at the moment. You recall the armor correct?”

“Coming right up,” Stygian replied as his horn lit and the mare was covered in a veil of magic.

“Did she look like this?” Luna asked her as the image of Nightmare Moon stood before her.

Daybreakers face went slack for a moment as she stared at the image in front of her. Cameron felt a twinge of sorrow come over him at the look on her face. He could see the regret and some sorrow that flowed over her.

“You look just like her,” Daybreaker said.

“Told you,” Tempest said to her, and Cameron bit back a chuckle at the cocky look from the pony.

“I was her… Once.” Luna said as she walked out of the illusion and Stygian’s horn went dormant. “Then Celestia, my sister, sent a group of young ponies to help save me from the darkness.”

Daybreaker seemed to break out of her shock and her gaze fell on Luna as she stood muzzle to muzzle with her. “We don’t have much time. She has eyes everywhere. IF she sees us talking… I have to get you out of here.”

“Daybreaker,” Luna said to her. “I’m sorry to ask you this. I know it might cause you pain. However, we need to get to Eris’s suite before we leave. We have to retrieve something.”

“That’s where Eris is,” Daybreaker commented. “And now that she has you’re… Oh. She has your powers and that’s what you are here to get back.”

“I can’t let those powers fall into the hands of any of these villains,” Luna replied.

“She wants me to bring you to her. Getting you there would be easy, but after that…” Daybreaker explained.

“Leave that to us,” Luna assured her.

Cameron stood in silence for several seconds before he looked at each of the ones with them and they nodded sagely. He stood in silence hoping he would be clued into the scheme before he was expected to act.

---

Cameron looked at the shackles around his wrists and he looked as sad as the others with him. Ahead of him, Daybreaker walked steadily and her hooves thudded dully on the carpeted walkway. He felt apprehension welling up within him but he managed to keep it from showing on his face.

“I have captured the last of the invaders,” Daybreaker announced as they walked into the suite at the top of the casino.

“There is something to this cats and luck thing. Perhaps you will have a chance to redeem yourself.” Eris crowed to the feline behind her.

“Yes, Princess,” Capper replied to her, looking contrite.

Eris walked away from her throne and headed down the steps to the group of them. “Princess Luna. You have been an interesting conundrum for me. I’ve stolen plenty from powerful ponies, even auctioned most of them off… but I have never met a pony who was fool enough to come here to my realm to try to steal it back. It’s almost enough to make me like you.” She said as she cupped the mare's jaw in her talons. “Almost.”

She walked several feet away and looked at each of the captives. Her eyes fell on Cameron and he simply watched her. She scanned him and he watched her, his gaze almost bland as she came to stand in front of him. She came to stand in front of him and she reached out to touch him. He pulled back and she lashed out to grab him by the jaw.

“So you’re the one called Cameron.” She growled. “I have to admit I haven’t seen something like you before. Might be worth keeping you just for the novelty.”

Cameron nearly snarled in reply but his thoughts fell on Discord and what he had been told. A smile fell across his mouth and the Princess lost her grip on his jaw as he slowly pulled back from her grip.

“Discord says hi.” He said to her and he could see her mind almost short circuit as she heard him.

“Excuse me?”

“Discord sent me to say hi to you.” He smirked in reply. “I have to admit he’s a much more unique creature compared to you.”

She righted herself and he watched as she nearly raised her hand to strike him but seemed to pause in the motion. She spun on her heel and walked a few feet away from him and he felt a gentle kick to his lower leg from Luna who was standing right next to him. He glanced at her and she was giving him a side-eye in reprimand. He gave her a gentle grin and went back to looking bland.

“A poorer creature you will never meet than my cousin. Chaos should be used for much more than making clouds rain chocolate milk.” She sneered.

Cameron didn’t say anything in reply to her and simply kept his mouth shut now that he had said his piece. He wasn’t surprised when he wasn’t sent back but he had to admit he had wondered if he would be sent back upon giving her the message.

“Now that is out of the way I think I will punish you with them. Your mouth is more than I want to deal with.” She growled and Cameron said nothing in response. “Now I can’t have every two-bit Princess from every world showing up and demanding their magic or their stuff back from me. So I am faced with a dilemma of how best to make an example out of you.”

She started to say more when Tempest gave out a loud sigh. “Oh come on!” She nearly shouted and gained Eris’s attention for her effort. “Listen take it from a former villain a long monologue just wastes everyone’s time. If you’re going to do something nefarious, let’s skip to that.”

Eris stared at her for several seconds before she replied. “You know what, the surly purple pony is right. Daybreaker, burn them all.”

“No,” Daybreaker replied her face bland and expressionless.

“What do you mean no?” Eris asked as a shock went over her face.

“The pony of shadows already made me betray my sister once. I won’t do it again for you.” She explained.

“Oh, this. Gooey sentimentality. I was pretty sure you didn’t recognize her. She is not the pony she once was. Come on Daybreaker, you’re a weapon. You’re meant to destroy weak ponies like this one. Not to get all sappy about them.” Eris griped.

“All of that is done. I’m done working for you. I’m my own pony from now on.” Daybreaker said to her, her expression set and determined.

“A pretty sentiment.” Eris agreed with a malicious smile. “I wonder how long I will need to shock you for you to realize how wrong you are.” She said as she pulled a contraption out of the air and pushed a red button that sat in the middle of it.

Cameron managed not to laugh at the comical expression that went over the Chaos Princess's face. Daybreaker’s mane swirled as flames brimmed and she flared her wings.

“Pathetic,” Daybreaker said to her as she took a step forward.

“Come on you wretched contraption! Why won’t you work?!” Eris shrieked.

Daybreaker lowered her horn slightly and pointed it at the embodiment of Chaos and spoke further. “You know for a creature so versed in deception, you’re quite bad at spotting it.”

Daybreaker spoke as the locks around their necks and wrists all vanished from the illusion Trixie had cast. Cameron nearly rubbed his wrists but managed to stop before doing it. Beside him, Luna and the others all prepared to fight further.

“My collar! How?!” Eris cried out.

“Well I knew if the collar got hot enough the metal would melt but your spells kept me from using my own magic on it. So I needed a pony with extremely strong offensive magic who could melt it for me.” Daybreaker explained.

Cameron opened his mouth to speak but one look from Luna silenced him and he instead leaned against her shoulder to listen to Daybreaker further. The Mare had earned her time to shine he supposed.

“I hadn’t intended to do anything about it. But then I interrogated Tempest she told me that in her world I was a Princess and Luna was my sister. Even then I knew you would see my every move when I left the security room. So I couldn’t think of a way to get the collar off and get to you without you seeing it. Until you dropped a powerful illusionist right…” Daybreaker explained.

“That’s great and powerful. It’s about branding. You see the great and powerful Trixie just has a… Mmph.” Trixie interrupted.

Cameron had jumped behind her and put his hands over her mouth to silence her as everyone stared at her. He smiled and took one hand and waved it at the pair of powerful entities who were now staring at him.

“My apologies, please go on.” He said as he dragged Trixie backward to put her back in line with Luna and the others.

Daybreaker looked back at Eris who was now looking at her as well. “So I had the Illusionist make me a fake collar. Just so I could get close enough to do…” Daybreaker leaned her horn down and pointed it squarely at the Princess of Chaos. “This!” She shouted as magic poured from her horn.

Eris erected a shield in front of her to deflect the magic coming from Daybreaker. Magic skimmed over the surface of the shield and Eris yawned from underneath it.

“She’s too strong!” Daybreaker shouted.

“This must be so disappointing for you. All of these years of plotting your treachery, only to fall short due to your own weakness.” Eris taunted.

“Except she has something you don’t.” Luna cried out. The group was suddenly shoulder to shoulder with Daybreaker and they stood strong before the shield. “She has friends on her side!”

Cameron stepped back to avoid getting in the way as he didn’t have the magic to fight with the Goddess. He looked over his shoulder to see Capper flipping a poker chip in his paw. He nearly walked back to drag the feline off the throne but chose to remain where he was.

“You really think your troop of broken and deranged ponies can defeat a Goddess of Chaos?” Eris shouted and her hand moved as their streams of magic were turned into flower petals and leaves. “But that’s all right. You don’t have to understand right now.”

Cameron felt shock race through him but he knew that he would only be in the way if he stepped forward. The shield evaporated as Eris approached the group of stunned ponies.

“You’ll have an eternity of nightmares to figure it out!” Eris yelled as she leveled the staff at Daybreaker.

He watched as the orb on the end of the staff began to glow and Luna jumped to stand in front of Daybreaker.

“Daybreaker NO!” Luna shouted as she stood in front of her.

Cameron stepped forward as the Moon Princess braced to be sent into a nightmare. Cameron opened his mouth to shout but when nothing happened he paused. Golden bubbles danced in the air around them and he felt his head tilt at the sight of them. Luna made a surprised noise as she saw the bubbles dancing in the air around her.

Eris raised the staff to look at the orb and shock went over her face. “Bubble spray?! What are you doing? Come on you…” She said as she waved the staff for a moment.

“You know it really is disappointing when it falls a bit flat like this,” Capper said from behind them as he stretched on the throne. “I thought this was going to be the highlight of the whole adventure.”

Cameron felt his head tilt a bit further as the cat got to his paws.

“What are you talking about?” Eris questioned.

“The loveable rogue turns on his friends when the chips are down. Everypony doubts his loyalty and questions it. Blah, blah, blah, good strong story stuff.” He explained as he came to stand close by Eris.

‘What is he going on about? Oh… You sneaky cat.’ Cameron thought to himself as a smile played over his mouth. ‘I take back wanting to throw him in a rushing river.’

“Then when all is lost, the villain tries to use her staff and it doesn’t work. So she removes the sphere to see what could possibly be wrong with it. Go ahead, this is the best part.” Capper cajoled.

Cameron watched as Eris scowled but did as he instructed. She rolled the sphere in her claws and on the bottom of it was a poker chip. Her face fell into shock and dismay as she gave a rather un-princess-like squawk. Capper, on the other hand, held out his hands.

“Ta-da!” He said and Cameron found himself chuckling as the group did the same. “Except you guys had to go and do what you always do and redeem a villain. I don’t even know why I’m surprised you did it. Then you march in here with the literal power of the sun so suddenly a bit of sleight of hand doesn’t seem so impressive.” He said as he reached into the bag at his hip and pulled out the real sphere and approached Luna. “Anyway, here’s the sphere with your magic. I picked up that one in the mess downstairs and switched it when she thought I was on her side.”

He held out the sphere, let it fall from his paw to the ground and it shattered on impact, magic swirled around Luna as her power was returned to her.

“Oh yes. This is much better.” She said as she leveled her horn at the Goddess of Chaos.

The Moon Princess advanced on Eris and the raw magic crackling off her shattered the gnarled stick in her hand. Eris began to back up slowly as she tried to reason with the mare in front of her.

“Please Princess, you don’t want to hurt me,” Eris said to her as she backed up.

“You summoned me here by invading the dreams of my friend. You pretended to be the pony of shadows.”

“I’m just a Goddess of Chaos. I’m just doing what’s in my nature.” Eris tried to explain.

“You tried to destroy my friends and my sister.” Luna snarled.

“Please I’ve learned my lesson. See, I’m a victim too. The pony of shadows locked me up for centuries. It drove me mad.” She explained frantically.

“Hmmm.” Cameron didn’t believe a word out of her beak and he opened his mouth to speak when Daybreaker moved ahead of him. He followed behind her a bit but still stayed far enough back to avoid getting caught up in the burning tail.

“Please. Oh, merciful Princess.” Eris begged.

“Eris. I do not want to hurt you.” Luna began.

From behind her flames and magic tore around the Moon Princess as they collided violently with Eris. The impact sent the Chaos Goddess flying out the window and out past the realm's barriers. Cameron stared at the mare for a moment before he moved a bit further away from her. Luna was too stunned to move as he walked up to her and patted her shoulder to get her back to focus on what had happened.

“I do,” Daybreaker said, her voice triumphant.

Cameron looked back and all of them were too stunned to move, he was the only one who had moved after the magic was released. Daybreaker held her head high and a smile was on her muzzle.

“Do you know that collar kept me from accessing the power to control the sun? It takes a while to raise it when you haven’t done it in centuries, but it's dawn now.” She crowed.

Luna finally snapped out of her shock and she turned to the flaming Alicorn. “Sister, are you okay?”

“Absolutely. I should have listened to you… I mean Nightmare Moon the first time. With both of our powers, we could have destroyed the pony of shadows.” Daybreaker replied.

“It's good to see you restored. Perhaps you can come home with us and meet Celestia. Or we could find your original reality and…” Luna started.

“Luna you misunderstand. I do not wish to leave this place. I rule here now.” Daybreaker clarified.

Cameron nearly rolled his eyes to the ceiling. ‘Knew it.’ He thought to himself.

“I appreciate your assistance. I could not have freed myself without you. Which is why I am allowing you to leave. All of you.” She said and her eyes went to each of them as she spoke. “But should you or any of your friends enter this world again I will not be so generous.”

“But Daybreaker. I felt like we connected. Were your feelings for your sister a lie?” Luna asked.

“I cared a great deal for my sister. She was a ruthless conqueror with a sharp wit. You Luna. Merely look like her. But you are not half the pony Nightmare Moon was. I was weak and I needed your assistance. I said what was necessary to attain it. But I am weak no longer.”

“I see,” Luna said, sadness in her voice.

Cameron came to stand with her as Daybreaker saw him and he put his hand in her collar and gently began to pull her away toward the door with the others.

“You too are not welcome here,” Daybreaker said to him as he locked eyes with her.

Cameron sighed. “I figured as much. For what it’s worth I think you’ll do better here than Eris did.” He admitted and the Alicorn seemed surprised by his tone as he dragged Luna away from her.

They moved down the stairs and into the performer's hall and he paused as Twilight came out of one of the rooms and she saw him.

“Hang on.” He said to the group. “Walk slow?”

Luna gave him a sad nod and began to slowly walk away from them. He trotted to the purple mare and surprised himself when he found himself hugging her tightly. She held onto him and nuzzled him gently as he let go of her.

“You're going with them?” She asked him.

“I’m sorry but Daybreaker might kill me if I stay.” He admitted. “Come with us?”

He had grown attached to the mare who had been at his side since he arrived and she gave him a kind smile.

“My place is here. But I won’t forget you.” She assured him and hugged him again. “Can they get you back to your world?”

“Who knows?” He admitted with a shrug as she let him go. “Take care of yourself?”

“Always. Oh.” Her horn lit and his pack appeared in her magic. “Just in case you need something from it.”

He took it from her and slung it over his shoulder. “Yeah. Thank you Twilight.”

She gave a sad smile but he could see the kindness in her eyes as he turned and left her behind. He broke into a jog and rushed to catch up with the group and he found that they had paused at the end of the hall to wait for him.

“Said your goodbyes?” Tempest asked,

“Yeah. Just needed to thank her.” He replied.

“If you wish to go back to your world perhaps we can find a way from our realm,” Luna said to him as they walked.

“Maybe.” He said to her as he patted her shoulder in thanks. “Let’s get out of here before Daybreaker barbeques us all.”

A low chuckle went out as they left the casino behind. His feet were strangely heavy as he moved but the further he got from the casino the lighter he seemed to feel. Beside him, the others were quiet as they all walked as quickly as possible without running.

---

Cameron walked out of the mirror and into the dark hallway and he found himself once more having no clue of where he was. He almost chuckled at the realization that he was again under the mercy of those around him to guide him. It bothered him a bit but at the same time he had no other choice and he would have to adjust to this place as he had with the casino. He came to stand close by Luna as Stygian removed a piece of a broken mirror, thereby cutting them off from going back to the realm they had been in unless they had the piece of the mirror.

“Now what?” He finally asked as he looked at the mare beside him.

She gave him a sympathetic look as he waited for her to reply. “Now? I have a few ponies I think you should meet.” She said to him and his head gave a slight tilt at her words. “The Elements of Harmony I think would be happy to meet you.”

Author's Note:

And the final chapter of the Collaboration with Lordofchoas. It was kinda fun to get to read through the comics again and write based on them. Let me know what you think and I hope you enjoyed reading it!