Dreams that Bind

I trotted towards my parents house with my beloved cat walking beside me and some luggage in tow. For the most part, if one somepony where to look at it, it would look like just another house in the humble town. But to me, it was a reminder of my roots. I walked up  to the door and knocked.

"I got it honey." a stallion's voice called from within.

The door opened to reveal my father.

"Rarity!" Magnum cheered, and wrapped his hooves around me.

"Nice to see you again Dad." I replied.

"Prepared as always I see." Dad replied.

"Yeah, I when I travel I carry alot luggage, but in my defense, I usually carry all of it myself, and I have to unpack and repack myself."

"Of course, come in."

I followed my father into the living room. Mom and Sweetie Belle where watching the television, a new device giving out by order of Celestia herself. Its primary purpose is to get news out nationwide, but it also has the auxiliary purpose of entertainment. The show "Dr. Whooves" was currently on.

"Rarity!" Sweetie Belle said excitedly and ran up to me and hugged me. I returned it. I looked over at Cookie Crumbles, who also hugged me the only way a mother knew how when Sweetie had finished.

"Oh, my poor baby, I can't imagine what you had to go through." Mom said.

"Mother, if I can unpack my things."

"Of course"

I went up to the guest bedroom, and unpacked. Opal had settled down in a corner and went to sleep. Leaving her there, I rejoin me family in the living room.

"How did it happen? What was it like?  What..?" Sweetie Belle began asking a lot of questions, but mom gave her a look.

"It's okay mom, I don't mind." I said. Dad turned off the TV. I started with  Sweetie Belle's questions. "It started with nightmares I've been having for a week. I learned that my friends have been having them too, so we got together at Sugarcube Corner for a sleep over. I was having my usually nightmares when something woke me up, a black  cloud which turned out to be the nightmare forces. They foalnapped me and took me to the moon. The Nightmare forces then used the fear of being abandoned by my friends, the subject of my nightmares, and assured me that they would never abandon me, so I..." I paused. Did I really let them corrupt me? Or was I tricked. Nightmare's words replayed in my head.

"It was YOU who allowed my minions to "corrupt" you. It was YOUR choice to allow your body to be my vessel. And now, it's YOU who'll have to deal with the consequences."

Was it my fault? Princess Luna did say that they had tricked me, but is it on my that I believe they would stay by my side?

"Rarity?" I shook my head, coming back to reality."You don't have to tell us if you don't want to." Sweetie continued.

I didn't replied, I only nodded. The clock at town hall struck six.

"Well, it's dinner time," Mom said getting up,"I'll make some salad."

"Let me help you." I said.

"Thank you dear." Mom smiled.

We went into the kitchen and mom started to pull out vegetables from the fridge, humming to herself a song had a somewhat gruff tone to it. I knew we were both ignoring the elephant in the room, but it was clear somepony wanted an explanation later. Dinner was uneventful and we soon went to bed.

***

Rather than a black empty void, I found myself in a throne room. The walls were painted midnight blue with stain glass windows depicting various tributes to the night. At the end of the room was a throne, upon sat Nightmare Moon with her armor.

"Why aren't you Nightmare Rarity?" I asked.

"You see, this is the body I told you about. I figured I would use it this time."

"That's it? That's the body you made for yourself Nightmare? I though you would have taken a more original approach." I sneered.

"Shut up! I liked being Nightmare Moon. However, we aren't here to discuss me. Let's talk about you darling." Nightmare said.

"What's there to talk about." I asked nervously.

"That moment of doubt for one. what happened to "A choice I made under the influence of your minions!" I'd say it was your choice all along. You know, it's been said a pony is as good as the choices they make. I told you that you where going to have  to face the consequences for your actions, and it seem you have more baggage from you past that you have to deal with."

As much as I hate to admit it, she was right. Even if I was influence into making that fateful decision, I still had the option to refuse. What does that say about me?

"Your weak," Nightmare continued, apparently able to read my mind, "It says your weak. I gave Rainbow Dash a stronger temptation than loyalty, I gave her a chance to be superior to her heroes by being captain of a rival flight team, and she turned me down, yet your start to fear your friends leaving you and jump on the opportunity for sworn loyalty. Oh ye of little faith."

"There is one thing you overlooked though."

Nightmare looked at me. "What?"

"I'm not weak, I have WEAKNESSES. Was I scared my friends would take my generosity for grant and ditch me for somepony else. It's that fear of dismiss and toss aside, that weakness of mine, mixed the nightmares your forces gave me that led me to make a poor choice. But ponies have strengths too. There was a time I was captured by Diamond Dogs, but I was able to keep a hold on the situation. Thanks to my eye for details, I noticed that the Diamond dogs aren't the smartest being around, and thus was able to control the situation without the need for violence. Despite..."

Then I realized I may have said to much. My fears were put to rest when Nightmare only laughed.

"You escape that situation by being annoying, anypony could have though of it. Fine Rarity, you're not weak, you have weaknesses, but I know what they are," she said over-confidently,"have a good morning, and don't worry about a repeat of that last time in public, I have better thing to do than bug you during the day."

With that, everything disappeared with a flash of light.