A Return to Sibling Rivalry

by dracolord85

Interlude 1: A Dream of Mine, Revenge Divine?

Disclaimer – I own none of the cannon characters, settings, or locations contained herein. All ownership credit goes to Hasbro/Lauren Faust respectively.

Interlude 1: A Dream of Mine, Revenge Divine?

Nightmare Moon was not a happy camper, and she was making sure that anypony who interacted with her knew it. A scowl was leveled at whatever stood in her path for more than a moment, although, at this time of day its effect was somewhat diminished. The midday sun streamed in through the many windows of the castle, causing the hallways to practically glow as the light diffused throughout them. Birds sang their happy songs as they flitted about outside, their tunes carrying through the opened windows. This combined with the large goggles that Nightmare wore over her light sensitive eyes made her come across as not anypony to fear really, just somepony that was best avoided.

It had finally reached a tipping point with her cutie mark quest and she was ready to swallow her pride to ask for help, not that she had to be happy about that exactly. Although Luna had been very accommodating in letting her try her hoof at all kinds of night related magic, she could not move the moon, darken the sky, or shift the stars. She knew the spells to do all of these things, but the connection just wasn’t there like it had been when she was one with Luna. She had to know for certain if it was not just the limitations on her current body or if it was something that was truly beyond her grasp. To find out what she wanted to know, she would have to go to her ‘creator’ so to speak, Luna’s brother Terra. As far as she knew, the only one who could contact him was his daughter, Cadence.

Currently the pink alicorn was adding to Nightmare Moon’s frustrations, since she was seemingly nowhere to be found. How in the world did something that garishly pink hide in the first place? It was illogical how she was eluding Nightmare so well. Admittedly she may have had slightly better luck had she taken the time to ask somepony instead of frightening them away with her visage. Just as she was ready to give up however, she was suddenly struck by the desire to poke her head into one of the side rooms, where she hit the jackpot. There Cadence and her coltfriend, Shining Armor, sat facing each other. Just as they were leaning in to exchange a kiss Nightmare decided to announce her presence.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” Nightmare slowly drawled out as she sauntered forward.

“Bwuh!?” Shining Armor sputtered as he reeled backwards.

“Eep!” Cadence squeaked before backpedaling.

“And now I know why it was so difficult finding you Cadence. Sneaking off to make out with your coltfriend like that, how simply scandalous such behavior is.” Nightmare leered at the furiously blushing couple with a predatory grin.

“Nightmare Moon, what are you doing out alone? Princess Luna is supposed to be watching you all the time.” Shining attempted to turn the tables and go on the offensive.

“Luna is not my keeper Captain Armor, I am my own mare now and I will do as I please.” Nightmare leveled a caustic glare up at the Captain.

“Er, well, what I meant was, um…” Shining sputtered, once again on the defensive and trying to avoid the diminutive Nightmare’s wrath.

“Nightmare? Please don’t tell my aunts that we snuck away?” Cadence adopted a hopeful look as she pleaded with the dark filly.

“Oh? So you are both shirking your duties for this little rendezvous then? I was unaware of that juicy little tid-bit.” Nightmare’s predatory grin could not have stretched further.

“Gah! Stupid, stupid!” Cadence’s hoof met her face and proceeded to slowly drag downward.

“Hehehe! Don’t despair my little ponies, not yet anyway, I believe you have the means to keep this quiet.”

“Oh great, here comes the blackmail.” Shining groaned.

“My goodness, blackmail is such an ugly word Captain. Simply think of this as exchanging a favor for a dear friend.” Nightmare batted her eyelashes in faux innocence at the stallion.

“Okay Nightmare, I have no problems doing favors for my friends. What is it you need us to do for you?” Cadence adopted her diplomatic foal-sitting voice.

“It’s really very simple my dear, I only ask of one little favor from each of you. First you Cadence, I want to speak with your father.” Nightmare stared resolutely at the larger pink alicorn.

“My dad? Is that all? That’s easy, we can do that now if you want, but may I ask why?” A slightly confused Cadence tilted her head at the smaller mare.

“…You’ll see when we get to it I suppose. It’s a bit of a personal issue.” Nightmare could not meet Cadence’s gaze.

“Okay, then I won’t press you. Like I said, we can go now and give him a call if you want. Now what did you want from Shining?”

“Ah yes, the good Captain. You have it even easier; all you have to do is display a bit of chivalry for me.” Nightmare looked up innocently at the Captain.

“Huh?” Shining deadpanned at the dark filly.

“I seem to have become dreadfully tired in my search for you today, and my hooves are now sore from all that walking. Would the big strong knight give me a ride to our destination?” Nightmare’s voice was dripping with saccharin.

“What!? No way! I know for a fact that you don’t get tired, and I am pretty sure that artificial hooves can’t get sore either.” Shining steeled his defenses with his retort.

“That was just hateful. Oh well, I’m sure Celestia will be interested to hear where her vaunted guard Captain has been spending his on duty time.” Nightmare’s fanged grin provoked Cadence into action as she leaned in to whisper in the captain’s ear.

“Come on Shiny, let’s just do this. If you think about it she could have really made some outrageous demands compared to this.”

“Alright fine, let’s just get this over with so we can put this whole thing behind us.”

Shining lowered himself onto the ground so that Nightmare could easily climb onto him. What he hadn’t expected was for her to take a running leap and land squarely in the saddle of his armor. As Shining Armor recovered some of the breath that was knocked from him, Nightmare took the opportunity to situate herself by sitting upright with her hind legs dangling to either side, and her fore hooves gripped onto the base of his helmet. Slowly, he stood up and bore the extra weight of the dark alicorn atop his back.

“Now, let us be off. YAH MULE!” Nightmare hollered, as she gave a sharp tap to her mount’s sides with her rear hooves.

“Excuse me?” Shining turned his head to become face to face with the grinning Nightmare Moon.

“Don’t make me break out the bit and bridle my little pony, we wouldn’t want to make your fillyfriend jealous now would we?” Nightmare leered directly into the flustered stallion’s face.

“Come on my handsome mule, let’s go.” Cadence had the good humor to giggle at Shining’s predicament before making her way back into the castle hallways.

===== One egregiously long and embarrassing parade through the castle later =====

“You made us take the long way on purpose Nightmare!” Shining Armor groused at his charge.

“That is not true.” Nightmare retorted.

“You insisted we pass by the guard barracks for no apparent reason!”

“How rude, I thought you would want to tell your subordinates that you would be busy for a while.”

“Hehe, it may be a while before they forget the sight of Nightmare leading you around.” Cadence giggled.

“Not helping! And why was it necessary to pass through the throne room?”

“I wanted to say hello to Celestia, is that a crime?”

“The look on auntie’s face was pretty funny, although the way she stayed all frozen up like that even as we were leaving makes me think we broke her somehow.” Cadence mused.

“Okay, here we are, Luna’s workshop. Time for all passengers to disembark.” Shining gave a slight buck and dislodged Nightmare from her perch.

"Doesn't auntie Luna call it something different?" Cadence queried as Nightmare landed lightly on her hooves.

"You mean when she says 'atelier'?" Nightmare looked up at the pink alicorn.

"What's the difference?" Shining wondered aloud.

"Nothing really, they are just different words for the same thing. The word 'atelier' is just what they called a magical laboratory back a thousand years ago, and I think we all know how dearly Luna sticks to the old ways." Nightmare explained as she led the other two ponies into the workshop.

“That’s another thing that has kind of bothered me. How is it that you speak modern Equestrian, but she doesn’t?” Shining Armor looked quizzically at Nightmare.

“That’s an easy one. While we were imprisoned in the moon, and not in a blind rage, I was usually in control of our body. I spent that time observing the evolution of pony culture through a window of sorts in our cell.”

"Yeah, I have heard aunt Celestia say that Luna needs speech therapy to adopt the modern tongue. I am not sure if she already mentioned that to her sister though." Cadence expounded as she walked up to the large, flat crystal embedded into one of the walls.

"Doubtful, Luna would probably attempt to beat the stuffing out of her if she had. Is this it? I had been wondering what this thing was." Nightmare slowly moved forward to examine the crystal.

"Yes, this device will let us talk to my dad. Just watch."

Cadence sat on her haunches before the crystal and focused her magic on it for a brief moment. The dark grey stone started to pulse slowly, causing Nightmare and Shining to tilt their heads in curiosity. After a few more moments of waiting, the stone changed to a blue color and a pony shaped image developed on the surface, which soon resolved into the image of Terra, Cadence's father. Seeing his daughter over on his side of the crystal communications device he smiled widely before greeting her.

"Cadenza my little filly! How are you doing over there? Not being spoiled rotten by those sisters of mine I hope?"

"Hi daddy! No, they are putting me to work so I don't get bored around here. Actually, the reason I called is that somepony else wants to talk to you." Cadence stepped aside and nudged Nightmare forward.

"Well if it isn't Nightmare Moon. What can I help you with, is there a problem with your body?" Terra looked on as the faux filly stared back at him.

"I should say so you great big buffoon! This thing is defective! You gave this body a cutie mark and I have no idea what it means or what I am supposed to do with it!" Nightmare unleashed her frustration on the now bewildered stallion.

"Okay, let’s correct the record here. First off, there is nothing wrong with that body. Second, I didn't give it a cutie mark of any kind. The mark you now bear on your flank is the same mark that is displayed within your Soul Gem. Since all alicorns are already born with their cutie marks you just have to figure out what yours means." Terra snorted in frustration as he finished.

"That's just it though! I have tried everything that I can think of that would relate to the moon and clouds displayed on my backside. I can’t for the life of me figure out what this stupid thing is trying to tell me." Nightmare fumed.

"Hmm, it would make sense that since you were born from my sister's essence that you would have probably taken over one her talents when you were separated. Are you sure you have tried everything that Luna does involving the night?"

"Yes, I have! And now I am getting frustrated because none of them seem to fit! Not a single part of the night sky will bend to my will!"

“Oh you poor thing, it sounds to me like you have a textbook case of Cutie Mark Compulsive Control Disorder.” Terra said with a sympathetic lilt to his voice.

“What?” Both Shining and Nightmare chimed at the same time.

“Hmm, not surprised you haven’t heard of it. After all, you Equestrians don’t consider it a legitimate medical condition.”

“That explained nothing you fool!” Nightmare growled at the crystal image.

“Allow me daddy.” Cadence stepped up and smiled down at the fuming Nightmare.

“We all know that Cutie Marks are unique to the pony culture and that every pony gets one eventually. Alicorns on the other hoof are born with them since we inherit control over one of the natural forces of the universe. In Equestria, when a pony gets their cutie mark it guides them to their destiny and puts them on a path for their life. When ponies don’t or can’t follow that path it can cause mental trauma and result in deep emotional instability. The same is true for alicorns like us. The magic of Cutie Marks is an ancient and powerful one that is deeply rooted in the pony psyche.”

“However, I saw an inherent flaw in the system of Cutie Marks for two reasons.” Terra interjected before allowing Cadence to continue.

"The first was that a they actually come with a whole host of medical problems that crop up from time to time. Cutie Pox being one good example." Cadence continued before hoofing the baton back to her father.

"Secondly, every few centuries or so, some blithering idiot of a unicorn manages to stumble upon a spell that either alters or swaps the cutie marks of other ponies. This seems to rewire the affected pony’s brain and causes them to make drastic lifestyle changes despite knowing full well their own past. Seeing something like that overriding the rational thoughts of a pony just did not sit right with me."

"So what did you do?" Shining Armor piped up, genuinely curious.

“I created a very special type of mineral compound using my geomancy. When a newborn foal is exposed to the unique radiation that it gives off, their body chemistry is altered to suppress the control that a cutie mark usually exerts on them later in life.”

“That doesn’t sound natural.” Shining said with a frown.

“Maybe not, but its loads more ethical than allowing a cutie mark to basically enslave a pony. I can offer them a choice in life, and the ability to follow their hearts desires rather than a preset path that may not provide true happiness.” Terra said with a lifted snout.

“Yes, yes, as fascinating as this all has been what does it have to do with my problem? Or have you already forgotten why I even contacted you?” Nightmare spoke up with a snarl and narrowing of her draconic eyes.

"Hmm, I suppose I did get a little side tracked. Oh well, as you should know Nightmare, my sister’s talents extend beyond just the night sky. Actually, now that I am thinking about it, I know that both of my sisters kept diaries when they were coming of age and discovering their talents. I bet if you could find Luna's diary you could gain some insight on her other abilities." Terra was now smiling at his own brilliance.

"Hmm, yes, steal Luna’s diary." Nightmare pondered with a hoof scratching her chin.

“Huh? But I didn’t-”

“Subterfuge and espionage, yes...” Nightmare was now rubbing her fore hooves together conspiratorially.

“I really wouldn’t rec-”

“Cloak and dagger tactics, that’s brilliant! I knew there was a reason I liked you more than Celestia! Thanks for the advice, but I must be quick while Luna is still asleep!” Nightmare bounded off, leaving a confused Terra staring at the space she had just occupied.

“She does know that she is probably the one pony in the entire world that could just ask Luna for her diary straight up right?” Terra deadpanned.

“Sometimes it’s just best to let ponies learn their own lessons.” Shining quipped as he watched Nightmare slip out of the room.

Cadence and Shining Armor stayed a bit longer to chat with Terra before ending the call and wandering out towards the rest of the castle. Since they had heard no shrieking, explosions, or the Royal Canterlot Voice, it was assumed by the duo that either Nightmare had not been caught, or she had yet to make her move. Although they both sympathized with her frustration over her cutie mark, they wanted no part in any activity that had the slightest chance to earn the Moon Princess’s wrath. Besides, Shining Armor already knew from experience with his own sister that a mare and her diary were best left well alone. Doubly so when that mare was a talented mage, and who could be more talented than a bonafide princess?

===== Princess Luna’s chambers =====

Nightmare Moon slunk along the floor as low as she could go, creeping across the floor of Luna’s chambers on her belly. The darkened room was almost devoid of light, although her predatory eyes amplified what little there was so that she was able to make out her surroundings halfway decently. Sleeping soundly in the center of the large, plush bed, Luna was oblivious to the waking world. Edging closer to the bedside, Nightmare pumped magic into her eyes to enhance her vision and scan the area for traps. She noticed a fair number of wards placed on her first destination and the most obvious spot to look for a diary, the nightstand.

Over the next ten minutes all of the traps had been neutralized, except for the few that she had botched and managed to trip. It must have been a lucky day since she was only set on fire twice and struck by lightning once! Miraculously, none of the tripped spells had awakened the sleeping princess, leaving Nightmare to wonder what their purpose was when their creator slept like the dead anyway. Dismissing the idle wonder, Nightmare slowly pried the drawer of the nightstand open while furtively shooting glances at the sleeping alicorn next to her. Just as she got the drawer open wide enough to peek inside however, her expression settled into a frown. Inside was a single tome, and she didn’t need to be a genius to tell that the new looking book before her was the latest in the series of Luna’s diaries. One this new had probably only been in use since their escape from the moon, the volumes she sought were far older than that. Silently cursing, Nightmare closed the drawer and began re-applying the wards once more. Looking across the room once she finished, the long row of shelves stuffed full of books caught her eyes.

Wandering over, her magically enhanced vision picked up on the enchantments and wards placed throughout the books shelves. With a deep sigh, Nightmare began the arduous task of sifting through the books before her. Not a single one had the look of a diary, but perhaps they had been disguised to look like any normal book. Time drifted by, and as midday approached, Nightmare had still not found anything even remotely promising. Just as she was pulling another book out in frustration, something behind it caught her eye, barely noticeable in the limited light of the room. There was a small emblem etched into the back of the shelf only fully visible after clearing all of the books concealing it. Curiosity getting the best of her, Nightmare pressed her hoof to the strange emblem to hear a clicking noise followed by the entire panel shifting backwards before sliding aside to reveal a hidden alcove beyond, filled with books, ancient looking books. Nightmare grinned at the ingenuity of the security; a mechanical device would not show up under a magical scan and would require a physical search just like she had done.

Reaching into the recess, Nightmare carefully lifted out one of the ancient tomes. She noticed that it had what appeared to be a date on the spine, although there were no other makings on the cover. Quickly scanning through the dates arrayed before her, she noticed that they stopped shortly before a thousand years ago. Before they had been exiled to the moon. With a shudder, Nightmare began taking volumes that displayed dates before her earliest conscious memories, before she herself had gained sentience in the back of Luna's mind. As she covered her trail and prepared to leave Luna's chambers she spared a glance at her former host. With a groan, Luna turned in her sleep and revealed an ancient and raggedy looking doll clutched firmly in her fore hooves. Smiling warmly, Nightmare crept out of the room, she had much to do, but taking the moment to observe the innocent happiness of her alter ego did much to lift the weight that had born down on her the past few weeks.

Stealing into a side room, Nightmare opened the first of the books that she had 'borrowed' and set to reading the innermost thoughts of Princess Luna. Many of the first entries that she skimmed through were what she expected, rather inane rambling about nothing of much consequence. There was the occasional entry about some pony that had caught her eye for one reason or another. Most were simply about everyday life and growing up with her sister. Quick skimming soon brought Nightmare to what she had been searching for, entries about Luna discovering her abilities with magic. After carefully reading through another stack of entries, Nightmare finally found one that made her heart race with new hope. Taking her time to translate back the ancient Equestrian script with precise detail, Nightmare knew what she had not yet tried, dream walking. How had she not tried this yet? Had it been simply because Luna had not really done any dream walking herself since her return? Now that she thought about it, the one time that she had seen Luna try it, she had struggled to complete the spell. Where she had chalked that incident up to a lack of practice, she saw now that perhaps the struggle had more to do with a loss of natural ability for the spell.

Reading further for any details of the process that Luna imparted to the diary, Nightmare gleaned several important details of dream walking that Luna had discovered. Firstly, she would have access to the dreams of anypony who was not conscious while she was performing her spell. Second, even if they were not actually having a dream then she could not make contact with them. Next, while she interacted with a dreamer, they would be entirely lucid during her interaction with them. Perhaps the biggest restriction that she read stated that she would not be able to alter their dream in any way; she was merely going to be an observer and possibly counselor, if she felt like it that is.

Settling into a cushion on the floor after setting aside the diary, Nightmare channeled as much magic into her spell as she could, ready to try and make the spell work by force like she had with all of Luna's other abilities. What she did not expect however was the sudden activation of the spell as soon as she applied the slightest hint of power to it, and what she could not see with her eyes closed in focus was the slight shimmer that passed over the full moon and clouds displayed on her flanks. Her mind was taken from the waking world as the spell easily spooled up and took her to the border realm of dreams.

Opening her eyes, Nightmare immediately noticed that she appeared to be in the same room as she had been when attempting her spell. The only difference was that now everything was somewhat translucent and indistinct, almost like looking at a heat mirage. It was only after attempting to stand however that she noticed a rather large and immediate difference. Quickly summoning a mirror to her side she stared at a reflection that was both her and not her at the same time. The mare in the mirror was now a fully grown, midnight black alicorn, tall and slender, with wide ebony wings. Her long mane and tail of silver hair setting apart a stark yet elegant appearance. The teal, draconic eyes stared back as they slowly roved over her now adult body. This was exactly how she had pictured she should look in real life, not stuck in the diminutive body that Luna's brother had fashioned for her.

There was only one thing that needed changing, and if this was the dream world, then she was only limited by her imagination. Closing her eyes and imagining what she wanted, her ears flicked as an audible snapping sound was heard before she opened her eyes again. Now she was clad in a newer, deep purple and silver, version of the armor that she had worn all those years ago. A familiar helmet graced her head and ran down her neck, her silver mane spilling out of the top, unimpeded. Her old boots were now heavier and sported greaves that covered each of her four legs. The thin chest piece that she had worn was now replaced with a harness the size of Celestia's, although Nightmare's bore sharp angles that made it look like an exploding star, with her cutie mark of a full moon resting on a bed of clouds set into the middle. Nightmare sent the mirror before her a fanged smile as she admired her new look, letting herself be lost in the moment of indulgent vanity.

Once her fun was over though, she recalled why she was here in the first place. It seemed that her talent had to do with the dream world, but the whole point of dream walking was to interact with the ponies of Equestria as they slept. Recalling Luna's notes about being able to see other ponies as bright lights if she sought them, Nightmare cast out her thoughts in search of a sleeping pony only to immediately realize her error. She had cast the dream walking spell in the middle of the afternoon! There were few if any ponies who were asleep right now. Casting aside her feelings of stupidity, Nightmare realized that there were still a few ponies nearby who were asleep at this time of day, with a grin she turned her body into mist and drifted through several walls to reappear back in Luna's chambers.

Sure enough, there was the sleeping princess, still in her bed, although now she sported a bright blue, spherical aura around her that was emblazoned with her cutie mark. Nightmare pranced in place happily with the anticipation of showing off her discovery to Luna. Doing as she had read in Luna's diary, Nightmare brought her horn in contact with the aura barrier only to have it all go wrong. There was a huge pulse of energy that sharply rejected the contact and sent Nightmare straight to her backside and all the way across the room. Rubbing her horn with a scowl, Nightmare looked back at Luna to see her aura now sporting a large kite shield emblem behind the cutie mark symbol. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that she was denied access to Luna's dreams, but there was still one more pony to try, Trixie Lulamoon.

Once again drifting through the dream world as a mist, Nightmare proceeded directly into the young unicorn's bedroom. Once she reappeared, she spent the next few minutes laughing at the sight before her. It would appear as if Trixie had been reading in bed as she fell asleep, tucked in as she was with the open book now resting on her face with her soft snores coming from under it. As she approached however she noticed something that gave her a moment of pause, Trixie’s aura had a slight red tint to it, and Luna’s notes never mentioned anything about specific colors on an aura. Approaching Trixie cautiously, Nightmare bent her head low and contacted her horn to Trixie’s reddish aura, causing a bright pulse of light before pulling her into the young mare’s dreams.

===== Trixie’s dream =====

Opening her eyes, Nightmare Moon looked out on the mostly darkened world and realized that she was suspended above it. A small village was beneath her, and reminded her vaguely of the small village of Ponyville near the base of Mount Canterlot. A bright light flooded down from behind her but she could not determine its source, until she looked down on a lake near the village and saw the reflection of the full moon, complete with the alicorn shaped scar that signified her imprisonment within it. With a panicked rush, Nightmare leapt away in a random direction away from the moon, causing her dream body to materialize as she looked back at the moon, now lacking her visage. Slowing her breathing, Nightmare felt drawn to the village below her, as though something that she sought was down there. Spreading her dark wings, Nightmare began to spiral down to the village, taking enjoyment in the simple act of flight.

Once on the ground, Nightmare realized that the village was abuzz with activity, all of which was coming from the center of town. Making her way towards the commotion coming from a gathered crowd of ponies, who were strangely indistinct, not facial features beyond the structural differences indicating gender, no cutie marks could be seen on these dream ponies either. Since the dream ponies did not react to her presence, Nightmare continued to make her way through the crowds until she saw a stage that they had gathered around. Since she was now at her full grown height she was easily able to see what was upon the stage even from a distance, but the sight before her caused a bit of confusion in the dream walking alicorn.

Four ponies stood on stage, one was Trixie, although she was wearing a cape and conical hat of purple, covered in stars and crescent moons, she was cringing away from the other three who surrounded her. The first, was an earth pony mare, with an orange coat and blonde mane and tail topped with a stetson, a trio of red apples on her flank. The second was a light blue pegasus mare, mane and tail composed of vivid rainbow colors, a lightning bolt descending from a cloud adorning her flank. The third was a white coated unicorn mare, her deep purple mane and tail intricately curled in an ornate manner, triplicate diamonds graced her flank. Strangely, all three of the other ponies were hurling insults at Trixie, their voices full of venom and spite as they cowed the trembling showmare. Nightmare could only look on in a quizzical fashion as she wondered if this was a memory being relived or if it was an active dream.

Suddenly, a yell of rage exploded from Trixie as she had apparently reached her limit of absorbing insults and degradation. Her magic flaring to life, Trixie rounded on her aggressors and proceeded to deal with them. The white unicorn reared back in fright as a wave of corrosive magic washed over her, her styled mane and tail slowly eroding away as her coat was stained a splotchy green and brown color. The earth pony was magically bound and gagged like a hog before being tossed into and suspended from a nearby apple tree. Finally, the pegasus was consumed in a vortex of wind, causing her to tumble helplessly within as lightning clouds formed outside before repeatedly shocking the trapped mare followed by dropping her on her flank before the crowd. Just as Trixie stood triumphantly on stage, huffing with the effort of her magical assault, Nightmare noticed something else, a purple unicorn mare had materialized on stage. Trixie spun around to face the newcomer with fire in her eyes once she had appeared.

"YOU! HOW DARE YOU STAND BEFORE ME!" Trixie bellowed at the mare.

"What's wrong you great big blowhard? Afraid I will make a fool of you again?" The purple mare sneered.

"SHUT YOUR TRAP! I will destroy you this time! Revenge will be mine!" Trixie seethed at her challenger as her horn lit up.

"Like you could ever beat me you fraud. Your power is nothing compared to mine." The haughty unicorn retorted with her muzzle raised high.

Letting loose an inarticulate growl, Trixie blasted the other unicorn with a wave of concussive force, knocking her down and sending her skidding across the stage. Nightmare watched on as Trixie pummeled the other unicorn with her magic, never causing serious injury, but making it obvious who had the upper hoof in this contest. It became clear to Nightmare what she was witnessing. Through the clarity of an unfiltered mind, she was witnessing Trixie's desire for revenge against the mares that were antagonizing her. Knowing full well the corruption that the desire for revenge could bring about, the dark alicorn found herself longing to guide the young showmare away from it. It was almost as if her nonexistent heart yearned for the mares salvation. The only thing stopping her was the note she had read in Luna's diary that explained that while she could interact with the dreaming pony, she could not alter the dream world.

Up on stage, the purple unicorn had been knocked off of her hooves again and struggled gamely upward once more only to be crushed back down by a gravity alteration spell from Trixie. The showmare's eyes were now a burning red with faint purple ribbons of energy drifting from the corners. The downed mare refused to yield despite never once landing a blow on Trixie.

"Does it sting to know that I am better than you, you foal." The trapped mare jabbed at her captor.

"Now who are you calling a foal? You should really look in a mirror before saying something careless like that." Trixie hissed at her tormentor before engulfing her in a swirling mass of sickly looking magic.

As the magic faded away, the purple unicorn was revealed having been age regressed to the point of a tiny foal, clad in a diaper and a pacifier. She began to cry and flail about on the stage as Trixie stepped back and reared onto her hind hooves only, maniacal laughter belting out of her. As her laughter faded, Trixie again dropped to all fours and turned to face two unicorns that had appeared on stage with her. One a lanky orange colt, and the other a shorter grey colt, each cheering as they approached her, which strangely caused her to back away from them.

"Oh great and powerful Trixie, show us more amazing magic!" The lanky orange colt exclaimed.

"Yeah, show us how you dealt with the ursa major! We brought you one so we could see your amazing magic!" The shorter colt bounded in place as a monstrous roar was heard behind the stage.

Casting her draconic eyes up over the stage, Nightmare Moon saw a blurry shape that seemed to meld directly out of the starry night sky. Once the form became distinct, it was revealed to be a towering ursa minor, not quite as deadly as the adult, but still plenty more than enough to destroy the entire village. Trixie backed away from the beast as it loomed over her stage at first before she stopped and held her ground. Growling a return challenge at the beast, her eyes once again went red, the purple energy ribbons at the corners lengthening and becoming more distinct. Nightmare narrowed her own eyes at the changes in the young unicorn, it was something she had seen before, something that happened many years ago when a once great king gave himself to anger and revenge. She had to do something before Trixie's anger led her down a dark path.

"Watch in awe, as the great and powerful Trixie tames the savage beast!" Trixie exclaimed while rearing up and flourishing her cape.

More of the young unicorn's corrupted magic lanced forth and struck the great star bear square in the chest. The beast stumbled back with a roar as it clutched at the spot that Trixie had struck, shaking its head back and forth as though trying to rid its vision of something. The ursa went still for a moment before opening its eyes, revealing them to be tinged with red, similarly to Trixie's. The young showmare laughed once more as she rose to stand and twirl on a single hind hoof before landing on all fours again and leering at the purple unicorn who she had turned into a foal.

"Do you see now you miserable insect? Do you see who has the power? You may have surprised me before but you will never truly best me!" Trixie hissed at the crying foal before turning to the patiently waiting ursa.

"Go my servant! Destroy this hideous little town for your master, leave nothing standing! Teach these fools what happens to those who try to ruin my career!"

The ursa nodded in understanding before raising both forepaws and bringing them down on the nearest house, shattering the entire structure into so many splinters. Trixie resumed her laughter as the ursa moved on to the next buildings to resume its command. Nightmare had seen enough, the scene before her may have only been a dream, but she was also seeing the desires of the young unicorn having the dream. Acting on instinct Nightmare willed the entire scene to come to a halt, hoping against hope that she may be able to counsel the disturbed dreamer as was the job of a dream walker. To her surprise, the dreamscape bent to her will, with no complaint whatsoever.

The world froze suddenly, the bawling purple foal on stage in mid flail, the ursa in mid swing through another building. All color had drained from the world, the vibrant colors replaced with stark black and white, grayscale filling in the remainder. All sound had ceased only to replaced with a deafening silence, broken only by the bewildered sound of Trixie as she struggled to process what had happened. Nightmare was astonished that she had been able to alter the dream of another pony, all of Luna's notes had said specifically that she was merely an observer in other ponies dreams. Could it be that she had been able to take things a step further because dream walking was her special talent? In the back of her mind she knew that this ability was nothing to scoff at, and that there was tremendous power in dreams. Now she needed to use her power to save the clearly troubled mare on stage.

"What is this? This can't be happening! Nothing can stop my revenge! Please! Just let me have my revenge!" Trixie whined and pleaded at the world from her stage.

"Neigh Trixie. Revenge will not come in the form you desire." Nightmare's voice was deafening in the void of silence.

Trixie spun around to finally see what appeared to be a fully grown Nightmare Moon standing amidst the frozen crowd of ponies. She could only stutter incoherently as Nightmare began her approach to the stage. For her part Trixie found herself rooted her spot as in the worst of nightmares, the dark alicorn that she barely recognized approached with agonizing slowness. Nightmare came to a stop before the young mare, towering over her with her natural height, and giving off a commanding aura in her new armor set. Trixie finally seemed to find her voice to squeak out the question with the obvious answer.

"N-nightmare? Is t-that you?"

"Indeed it is my little pony." Nightmare flashed her now much more intimidating fangs, smiling at the young mare.

"But h-h-how are y-you here? What is g-going on?" Trixie asked as she sunk down to lay on her belly, submissively.

"It would seem as though I have discovered what my special talent is today. I am Nightmare Moon, the mistress of dreams, and my cutie mark is telling me that it is my job to set right the hearts of those who have gone astray. You, my dear, have gone astray." Nightmare craned her head and neck downward to meet Trixie's eyes.

"What are you going to do to me?" Trixie's frightened whisper was barely audible.

“To be honest, I know what I should do, but I am conflicted. Tell me, is what I have seen here in your dreams accurate to real life?” Nightmare shifted to sit on her haunches before the smaller mare.

“Yes ma’am, mostly.” Trixie sighed as she spoke.

“Tell me about it, and I will make my decision based on your testimony.”

“Before I met either you or the princess, I was a solo traveling performer. I would go from town to town, putting on my show for a few days before packing up and moving on again. It was a difficult life, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Everything was going fine until I came to perform in the town of Ponyville a little while ago. I had performed there in the past and never had a problem, but something was different this last time.”

“Was it the mares that you fought against here in your dream?”

“Yes, for some reason they banded together shortly after I started my opening performance and began to aggressively heckle me. I was starting out simple, performing easy conjuring spells and rope tricks because they are always a hit for the fillies and colts in the audience, which there were quite a few of up front as I recall. They got to be so disruptive that I had to call them out and use my magic to try and convince them to either behave or leave. In the end I used more force than I probably should have.”

Trixie’s eyes went wide before she clamped her fore hooves over her muzzle, the suggestion of using too much force not being something she wanted to reveal. Nightmare however, just grinned downward at the young mare.

“Don't be surprised Ms. Lulamoon. In the world of dreams, the mind does not filter the heart, so you can't lie. Now, let your heart’s truth finish what you have to tell me.” Trixie looked to the ground in misery before continuing her story.

"Sorry, ma'am. After I had dealt with the ponies that had tried to disrupt my show I recovered as best I could. The show went on even though I could tell that the mood was different after those brutish mares had acted up and I had been forced to deal with them. I closed up my act with a crowd favorite, telling tall tales of bravery and heroism, things that young ponies tend to enjoy. What I didn't count on was my stories being taken for truth by a particularly slow witted pair of colts in the crowd. It was later that evening after I had retired to my caravan that everything truly went downhill."

"The ursa minor?"

"Yes, somehow the pair of colts that you saw in my dream found an ursa living in the nearby forest. They woke it up and led it into town to have me deal with it like I had done in my stories. Needless to say, the beast was enraged and started to destroy the town. There was nothing I could do to stop it, and it would have probably destroyed the entire town had that purple unicorn not shown up and handled it. The only problem afterwards was the fact that her actions combined with the unbelievable naivety of the young colts soon had the entire town rallying against me. The ursa had destroyed my home during its rampage and I was forced to flee the town before they formed a mob to apprehend me. I ran into the forest and eventually stumbled on the old castle where you and Luna found me."

"Where you were attempting to gain the knowledge of Luna's library. Tell me, what would you have used that knowledge for had you been able to access it?"

"I wanted revenge, and I still do. Those ponies destroyed my life and humiliated me! I want them to suffer for what they did."

“Hmm, your story leaves me with a difficult choice to make, but one I must make anyway. Your desire for revenge is one born of righteousness, you were wronged after having done very little wrong yourself. However, revenge is a caustic thing, no matter the reason. A true desire to demean and destroy those who slighted you will always lead down a dangerous and repetitive road. I can tell you first hoof that this is true.” Nightmare calmly delivered her short sermon to her one pony audience.

“But, but…” Trixie trailed off, crestfallen as she realized she would not escape unpunished.

“Therefore, Ms. Lulamoon, I will alter your dreams. You will not have nightmares, because you are not a bad pony. Instead you will be shown the end results of the drive for revenge. Once you awaken, find me, and tell me what you have learned.”

“Y-yes ma’am.” Trixie whispered as her head drooped low, unable to meet Nightmare’s gaze.

“Please, my little pony, do not think of me as the heartless mare of eternal darkness like Celestia’s stories portray me. Let me save you from the fate that revenge will drive you towards.” Nightmare lifted Trixie’s head with a massive hoof to meet her gaze again.

“Besides, I never said that you weren’t deserving of justice. If you can leave your revenge by the wayside, then I can help you get that justice.”

“R-really? Do you promise?” Trixie looked up hopefully at the dark alicorn.

“If you have learned the proper lesson then yes. Now, pay close attention to the dreams that you will have tonight, and remember to seek me out when you know what it all means.”

Seeing the young unicorn steel herself, Nightmare stood tall, closed her eyes, and channeled her magic into the construct of the dream world. Feeling its flow and sensing the elements to alter, her dark magic seemed to spread across the night sky and the ground beneath their hooves. The world dimmed and blurred around them as Nightmare’s magic seized control of the dreamscape and bent it to her will. Trixie gave her a thin smile before the dreamscape blurred completely and she was guided into the new dream. Nightmare herself felt a lurching sensation akin to the feeling of teleportation as she was removed from Trixie’s dreamscape.

Opening her eyes and breathing deeply (oh how she missed breathing!), Nightmare stood once more in the dream over world, still in Trixie’s bedchambers. The reddish aura that had surrounded the sleeping unicorn had changed to a grey color, now seeming a bit less off-putting than it had been. More curious was the observation that the cutie mark on its surface had changed as well. Trixie’s wand and magic was still there, but was now encased in a larger version of Nightmare’s own cutie mark, held within the sphere of the full moon. Smiling, she realized that her mark had literally been left on the young unicorn before striding back to the main hallway.

===== Nighttime in Canterlot Castle =====

The night had long since fallen, yet Nightmare Moon waited patiently for her prey to make its appearance. It seemed as though she could maintain the dream walking spell indefinitely seeing as how she was not feeling even the slightest ache of magical fatigue. She had been waiting patiently in the dream realm of Celestia's bedchambers for a few hours now for the elder princess to retire for the day and fall asleep. Her eyes flashed with excitement as a spherical aura suddenly grew from the bed she sat next to. This aura was a calming and light sky blue color, and just being near it Nightmare could feel the positivity radiating from the aura. Naturally it was emblazoned with Celestia's cutie mark, making its owner readily identifiable, what differed from the aura that Luna had sported however, was the distinct lack of a shield symbol around the cutie mark.

Nightmare's grin widened as her suspicions were validated, Celestia had no defenses against dream magic since she could not perform it. This cleared the way for the next part of her plan and a new test of her abilities. Focusing on the image that she had stored in her memory of a very specific pony, Nightmare was rewarded with a tone much like a distant bell being rung. Turning her eyes in the direction of the tone Nightmare saw a pinprick of bright light shining through the haze of the dream world. Focusing on the point of light, her body dissolved, only to reassemble itself at her intended target. Looking around to gather her bearings, the environment soon came back to her as the tiny town of Ponyville, situated near the base of Mount Canterlot. Flowing towards the now bigger beacon of light, Nightmare found herself standing before a building that resembled a massive gingerbread house. There were three auras that she could see within the structure but the one at the very top was the one that she sought.

Flowing through the dreamscape as a mist, Nightmare entered the top room of the residence and wasted no time before entering the dreams of the young pink mare sprawled out on the bed she found there. It barely registered in her mind that this mare's aura was also a bright and happy blue, or the trio of balloons that graced its surface. The only thing that Nightmare was concerned about was entering the dream of the Element of Laughter, Pinkie Pie.

===== Pinkie's dream =====

Nightmare came to immediately and almost completely regret her decision to dive headfirst into the dream of this mare. It seemed as though the entire dreamscape was the antithesis to everything she was. A bright and cheerful sun hung overhead that bore a bright, grinning face as it bobbed about in the sky, swaying to the beat of the pulsing, rhythmic music that seemed to be coming from nowhere yet filled the atmosphere. The town itself was weighted down in bright banners and party streamers, confetti seemed to rain down from no specific source in a perpetual, multicolored drizzle. The airspace above the buildings was awash with bright balloons that swayed in a gentle breeze but never seemed to float away. At the epicenter of all of the cheer was of course, Pinkie Pie. Nightmare observed the energetic young mare laughing and playing with the faceless dream ponies that frolicked around her and knew what she needed to do to get the party pony's attention.

Focusing her power, Nightmare changed the dream from bright day to deep night, watching as the dream reacted by grinding the party to a halt with the distinct sound of a record needle being dragged out of place. Nightmare once again froze the dream into the black, white, and gray that heralded her dominance of the dream. For her part Pinkie Looked on with concern as the color suddenly left her happy world.

"Hey! Who turned out all of the lights?"

"That would be me, my little pony." Nightmare said silkily as the wandered through the frozen partiers towards the pink mare.

"*gasp* Queen Meanie!? I thought you turned back into the nice princess!" Pinkie said as her mane began to go straighten out from its chaotic curls.

"Oh, Princess Luna is still back to who she was, but I am here now as well." Nightmare now sat before the distressed young mare.

"You aren’t gonna try and throw my friends off a cliff again are you?"

“No, I-”

“Or cut off another poor dragon’s mustache?”

“That was-”

“Or rile up another innocent manticore?”

“Hoenstly? I never-”

“Or trick my friends into betraying each other?”

“ENOUGH!” Nightmare bellowed as her rage boiled over.

“Eep!” Pinkie promptly shut her mouth and cowered before the massive alicorn.

“Miss Pie, I am not here to antagonize you or your friends. I am actually working on turning over a new leaf you might say.”

“You mean you aren’t gonna be a meanie anymore? You are gonna be a nice happy pony?” Pinkie perked up along with her mane as she questioned Nightmare.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here Miss Pie. I was aiming more towards neutral really. As for happy and nice? Maybe, but probably not within your lifetime. Anyway, I am here for a different reason, I need your help with something. Something that I believe you would be perfect for.”

“Really?” Pinkie leaned towards the alicorn with her eyes shimmering with glee.

“Yes. You see, Princess Celestia is a very busy and overworked pony. She never has any time for fun and games, or even much time to enjoy all of the things that life has to offer!”

“That’s no good! We have to help her!” Pinkie said with resolve in her voice.

“I agree Miss Pie. And that is why I have come to you in your dreams tonight to ask for your help in making this situation right. Now what I want you to do is…”

===== Princess Celestia’s dreams =====

Celestia lounged on a large fluffy cloud amidst the boundless, bright blue skies. The sun shone brightly above, pleasantly warming everything it touched and lending a soothing and relaxing aura to the world. There was no ground beneath the princess, the world consisted only of clouds, sky, and sunshine. What could be heard by the sensitive ears of the princess was the bustle of a happy city full of ponies, as soothing to her as a babbling brook to any other pony. Rolling onto her back and stretching her wings to her sides she gave a contented sigh and stared up aimlessly at the sky above. Just as she was thinking that things could not get any better, Nightmare Moon’s grinning face appeared right above her, blocking out the sun. With a shriek the princess flailed and fell off of her cloud. Spreading her wings to stop her fall, Celestia rose back up to the level of her former perch and stared incredulously at the sight of Nightmare Moon’s little filly form before her.

“Nightmare? Is that you? No, this isn’t possible!” Celestia queried the pony before her before backing away from the dark filly.

“You wound me Princess, backing away like that. Especially when I come all the way into your dreams bringing such great news.” Nightmare flashed her little fangs at the faltering Celestia.

“My dreams? That isn’t possible Nightmare, Dream Walking is my sister’s ability, the magics involved are far to advanced for you to be able to use.”

“Normally you would be right Princess, but you see, I have finally broken the puzzle of what my cutie mark is telling me. Allow me show you.” Nightmare faded away as she finished her statement, her body seeming to dissolve on its own.

The mist that was Nightmare’s body surged forth to violently seize the bright blue skies, spreading across them like ink poured into water. The cloud that Celestia and Nightmare had been using turned a dull grey and expanded in size, smoothing itself as it went until it resembled the polished marble floor of the castle. Faceless ponies of every variety rose up from the surface of the once cloud and stood at attention as the skies finished turning black. From the edges of the horizon, stars began to twinkle into view, spreading uniformly as the converged on the still shining, but ineffectual sun hanging in the sky. As the stars reached the sun it dimmed until its glare was reduced to the point where distinctive splotches could be seen along its once bright surface. The sun had been replaced with a massive moon, and what’s worse was that it bore the darkened scar in the shape of an alicorn head.

Celestia instantly felt old yet familiar pangs of guilt, sorrow, and grief as the scarred moon seemed to glare down at her. She had folded her wings as the gray surface had extended below her and sat before the faceless horde of ponies. Just as she felt that she could no longer bear the judging gaze of the moon, the scar disappeared from its surface with a brief pulse. Before her relief could be appreciated however, the air before her shimmered like a mirage, which resolved into the new form of Nightmare Moon. As tall as Celestia herself, darker than the midnight sky, sporting even heavier and bulkier silver and purple armor, and with a luxurious mane and tail of long silver hair, Nightmare Moon fixed her with those piercing, predatory eyes and smiled at Celestia’s shocked visage.

“While I appreciate you ogling my new body, I must advise you to close your mouth unless you are trying to catch flies.” Nightmare sauntered closer to the Sun Princess with a smirk adorning her muzzle.

“B-but, how is, when did, Bwuh?” Celestia babbled incoherently.

“Where are my manners! Allow me to introduce myself, I am Nightmare Moon, Mistress of Dreams!” Nightmare spoke as she came almost nose to nose with Celestia, never breaking eye contact.

Celestia almost toppled backwards as she leaned away from the proximity of the other mare, causing Nightmare to laugh while she recovered herself.

“I see, so you have taken over my sister’s Dream Walking abilities.” Celestia attempted to will calmness to her voice.

“Not so much taken over really, but as you can see, I have certainly taken it to another level.”

“Indeed you have Nightmare, I am happy for you.” Celestia adopted her regal façade again as she realized she was safe from harm in the dream world.

“Why thank you Princess, but I still have one thing that is bothering me. You see, I have been observing you since my return, and it seems to me that you are carrying far too much stress for such an old mare.” Nightmare nodded her head as though agreeing with herself.

“Hey! I am not that-” Celestia began her indignant rebuttal before being cut off as Nightmare continued.

“So to that end I want to demonstrate another of my abilities that I just discovered this very evening. Pinkie Pie dear, would you please join me?”

No sooner had her words been spoken than a tear in the dream fabric opened at Nightmare’s side. A distinct smell of bubble gum and freshly baked brownies flowed from the tear as the aforementioned Element of Harmony hopped forth. Still hopping in place as the tear closed behind her, Pinkie’s eyes darted every which way with barely contained glee.

“Hello again Ms. Pie, do you remember what we discussed?” Nightmare craned her neck downwards to be closer to the smaller pony’s eye level.

“Yuppers! I sure do Nightie! Let’s get this Cheer-The-Princess-Up-Because-All-She-Ever-Does-Is-Work-And-That- Is-Super-Boring party started!” Pinkie bounded higher and higher as she spoke before landing and pulling her party cannon from behind herself.

“That’s the spirit Ms. Pie, but allow me to help you. That little cannon just won’t do for a proper princess party.”

With a flash of her horn, Nightmare Moon replaced the small yet intimidating party cannon with a massive recreation of itself. Pinkie now a sat in the control seat of a hulking, trapezoid shaped turret which sported three enormous thirty foot long barrels that were leveled at a completely speechless Celestia. Pinkie gave a whoop of excitement as she pumped a forehoof into the air before reaching to pull the trigger of the massive artillery piece before Celestia could mount any type of defense. A near apocalyptic boom shook the dream to its foundations as the converted war machine went off. Tables laden with sweets and drinks appeared as confetti, balloons, and streamers rained down on the dull grey platform. Cheerful torches lined the sides of the area as lanterns floated lazily overhead. Celestia herself was covered up to her neck as a massive cake fell over her, her eyes rotating opposite each other as her head swayed in dizziness.

“Come on Princess, its time to par-tay!” Pinkie giggled as her upgraded party cannon disappeared.

“How is this even possible?” Celestia questioned as she shook her head clear.

“Never mind that silly billy! We are gonna have so much fun! I have everything planned out so that we can keep having fun all night long!” Pinkie hopped around the Sun Princess as she spoke.

Nightmare walked over to the confused princess and caught her eyes once more. She leaned in again, invading the princess’s personal space as she whispered to her.

“Oh yes Princess, this is my gift to you. I do hope you enjoy it, because this dream, shall last…” Nightmare drifted off to increase the suspense as Celestia’s pupils shrank in fear.

“Until I release you when it is time for you to raise the sun tomorrow morning.” Nightmare finished with a wide grin.

“Come on Princess! Let’s play pin the tail on the pony!” Celestia staggered a bit as pinkie jumped to glomp onto her neck before stuffing her muzzle with a hot sauce covered cupcake.

Celestia could only plead with her now watering eyes as Nightmare Moon reared up and gave her trademark villainous cackle before she faded away and sealed the two ponies into the Princess’s dream.

===== The next morning at the royal breakfast table =====

Princess Luna, Nightmare Moon, and Trixie were already sat at the table. Though Nightmare herself rarely attended breakfast since she could not eat, this morning was a bit special. She was excitedly retelling the tale of her of her discovery on what her cutie mark meant for her. Trixie had confirmed her story where she had been involved, although what had happened afterward, Nightmare was somewhat vague about. Needless to say, Luna was overjoyed that not only had Nightmare discovered her special talent, but her purpose in her new life.

"Words cannot describe my happiness at thy discovery dear Nightmare. Thou shalt be an arbiter of justice where this age's court systems cannot reach."

"Yes, and I have already begun my mission by helping a troubled pony," Nightmare gestured towards Trixie, "as well as rewarding a good pony with pleasant dreams!"

"Oh, and pray tell who did you bestow a rewarding dream to?" Luna cocked her head at Nightmare's statement.

It was at that moment that the door to the private dining room creaked slowly open. Through the doorway, Princess Celestia dragged herself through and slowly made her way to the table. Once at her seat, she flopped limply down onto the cushion and let her head fall to the table surface with an audible thunking noise. Her normally regal mane was slightly frazzled and her crown was askew, but perhaps the most off-putting aspect was her bloodshot eyes. Conversation had ceased once the doorway had opened while both Luna and Trixie openly gawked at the sight before them. Luna was the first to recover herself as she initiated the most obvious statements.

"Sister, thou art quite late."

"Mmhmm." Came the absentminded agreement.

"Thy visage is most terrible." Celestia fixed her sister with a bloodshot glare at that.

"Your Majesty, if I may interrupt?" A waiter pony had stepped forward to inform her of her options.

"The kitchens have prepared a lovely assortment of cupcakes for breakfast this morning, is there any particular flavor you would care for?"

Suddenly turning a decidedly unhealthy looking shade of green, Celestia groaned loudly and covered her face with both fore hooves as her stomach lurched. Confusion ran rampant for each of the room's occupants except one. It was well known that Celestia loved all kinds of baked sweets with a barely contained passion, what could have caused her to react so out of character? Realization slowly dawned on Luna as she caught the maniacal grin on Nightmare's muzzle.

"Nightmare. Who didst thou claim to have bestowed good dreams to this past evening?"

"Why your sister of course. I threw a grand party for her in her dreams! Though it would seem as though she partied a bit too hard." Nightmare grinned again.

"It would seem to me that both thou and mine sister could use lessons in temperance." Luna said with a slow shake of her head, and a small smile on her muzzle.

Author's Note:

Haha! I am not dead and neither is this story! Although since work was largely to blame for the appalling lateness of this chapter and will be for subsequent chapters I feel it fair to warn that updates are gonna be slow for the foreseeable future. I swear being busy is both a blessing and a curse. Anyways, for anyone waiting patiently for new content, here you go, the largest chapter yet. Now onto the next chapter and the return of the pranks!

-dracolord85

Comments

[Tatsurou]

Now that was awesome!
First bit I loved: the bit with Shining and Cadance, where Nightmare got to act like a spoiled Princess.
Second bit I loved: Trixie's dream. Not only do we get to see the truth that Rarity, Rainbow, and AJ seriously wronged Trixie and that the whole thing was blown way out of proportion by the town, but Nightmare steers her towards a safer path and we will get to see how she will bring justice. I hope that becomes its own chapter, although nothing to vicious or intense. I'd imagine a serious apology from those three, reparations for the destruction of her trailer by Snips and Snails' families, and some sort of official apology from the whole town for chasing her out aught to do it.
Third bit I loved: Pinkie. Nuff said.

[Shadowstalker]

Celestia is going to get her back, so hard!

Or try and fail epically for our enjoyment.

[Charlie_K]

When Celestia stated that nothing would be sacred in this prank war, I thought violating Luna's plumbing to spray forth chocolate milk was already a serious example of such. Now it seems even dreams aren't out of bounds in this prank war.

If nothing is truly sacred then what major violation is going to happen next?

[joeyjumper94]

I wish you would include Discord.
If Discord broke out when the Sisters were in a prank war, he would likely have too much fun with the Prank War to cause chaos elsewhere.

[HiddenBrony4]

Well Celestia, this is what you get for declaring that "nothing is sacred" while starting a prank war with a dream walker.

Just be glad Nightmare didn't make you a mannequin for Rarity's fashion show dreams.

[Evilhumour]

Best dream prank ever!

[booman980]

I was expecting a dream prank at some point. Keep up the good work.
وكما هو الحال دائما يكون يوم جميل

[Vigriff]

3161345 Discord.

[0]

Might this have an end?

[sakuralovelight]

I really enjoy this story hope to read more soon

[The Radiance]

Like they say:"Dead man tells no tales"

[karmathe sister of torei]

is this ded?=) ... WHAT FREE LV!!!!!! thin ice... my child, sister stop fighting. but she/they started it!! and i am ending it. >='( sory sis. =( sory mom and ante=l

[Yubella]

It was smart how you used the dream walking ability for Nightmare.

[Majestic_Donut]

I’m debating whether or not to get reeled into a story I know will never be finished… on the one hand, what exists will probably be very entertaining on this several hour long bus ride! On the other hand, I will likely finish the story with a sad feeling of eternal longing for closure that shall never come…

Oh well! Eternal longing for the ending that will never be it is!!!