The True Nightmare

Nightmare consumed every soul within his world, yet Soul Edge demanded more. Was nothing able to sate the demonic blade? It had tasted the blood of every human, beast, and malfested. Yet it hungered for more. Nightmare cursed the blade as it cursed him.

"No more souls to feed my blade!" He roared to no one. His dual voices echoed through the wasteland he created. "Worthless world."

Soul Edge was plunged into the dirt. The earth forced itself over the symbol of destruction as he put himself into a deep sleep. He waited for when the world would be populated by many pure souls he could feed the cursed sword. The world would fear the Azure Knight once more. With that the earth closed itself upon his form locking him away for untold millenia. When the world would be filled with life once more the Nightmare would begin it's reign of terror.

Three million years later.

"The legend say that one creature became so fed up with the world that it set the world aflame ending the pain and corruption that the world had. And with it's powerful sword of souls it plunged the great blade deep into the earth, giving life back to the world as we know it." Cheerliee spoke with the lecture ending at the joy of her students.

"Wait, so this knight killed everypony only to start again?" Sweetie Belle asked with much confusion.

"Well the legend says it grew sick of the corruption of it's world and sought a more pure one." Cheerliee stated matter-of-factly. Her students looked both puzzled and tired.

"So it did all that for us? That's cool, not as cool as Rainbow Dash but still pretty cool." Scootaloo said with a grin.

"I bet it isn't as cool as Trixe was though!" Snips and Snails both claimed defending their idol.

"Wow these losers are still giving me a headache, and it hasn't been a whole day yet." Diamond Tiara groaned, earning a snicker of agreement from Silver Spoon.

"Yeah." Silver Spoon nodded.

Little did they know the noble knight was just a old mare's tale. The truth was far more gruesome than what the legends would ever say.

Deep beneath Sun drop village an ancient evil stirred. The dual voice ripping from it's helm.

"The souls are pure and ready to harvest. They will feel my darkness soon." Nightmare laughed darkly at the thought of all the innocent souls falling before Soul Edge. The feeling of the slaughter to come gave wicked being a sense of anticipation.

"Alright children your homework is why the knight recreated the world and it better be at least one hundred words long." Cheerliee called to her students as they filed out of the school house.

"Hey you guys, what if we found the knight and bring him to class? We'd get A's for sure." Scootaloo whispered to her friends.

"We don't even know where the knight is buried, so how would we find it?" Sweetie Belle dismissed quickly.

"Ah gotta agree with Sweetie one this one, we ain't got a map ta find it." Applebloom chimed in.

"I guess you guys are right." Scootaloo sighed in defeat as they continued their trek to their club house.

Sun Drop Village

"Aww come on, what's the matter Blue Bell? This spot is sooo cool! The ground like has a heart beat or whatever."

"Soda Pop I don't know about this. A lot of the grown ups say we should stay away from the hill."

"Blue Bell are you a chicken?"

"No i'm not!"

"Then let's go!"

The two children ran chasing each other to the hill in question, Soda Pop leading the way. The hill laid barren of all life, no trees could or even would grow. The bright green grass made a large circle around the hill. Many of the town's ponies said this spot was holy. The soil though was far from holy, the soil itself became dead as the evil being beneath it slept. It's evil staining the very earth.

"Soda Pop we made and its getting late maybe we should head back." Blue Bell panted.

"Aww come on chicken. The night sky is so cool from up here." Soda Pop ushered on. Blue Bell sat next to her best friend with a small smile on her face.

"Hey Soda Pop."

"Yeah Bell?"

"I... um... wanted... to ask you... if you wouldliketogooitwithmesometime?" Blue Bell gasped for air. She blushed like mad, in return earning a blush from Soda Pop as well. "If you want to that is."

Her answer came as a kiss on the cheek. Realizing what happened her smile grew bigger. Her head found it's way to his shoulder and rested there. "This spot is really pretty."

"I told yo-"

The ground exploded around them, Showering them with dirt and dust. The two kids were flipped backwards as they were hit with the force propelling upwards. Blue Bell rubbed her eyes free of the debris only to see a huge figure towering over them. She screamed as loud as her lungs could possibly allow her. The figure looked down upon the shrieking filly. It's deep red eyes pricing her very soul.

Soda Pop shot in front of the beast and took a heroic stance. "You will not harm this fair maiden foul beast!" Soda Pop's voice cracked at the volume he had to speak. The dull red eyes turned down to him.

"Innocence souls for my sword." Nightmare's voice shook the child's mind. As Soda Pop began to back away Nightmare's disfigured right hand shot forward, holding the colt's head. With a sickening crunch the colt fell to the floor. Blue Bell ran, she ran as fast as she could to the safety of her home. Behind her she could hear the deep laugh of the beast that killed her crush.

"Run to where you will never be safe little one. Your soul will become apart of the Nightmare!" Nightmare called into the night. His heavy feet smashed large amounts of rock as he followed the terrified filly.

Blue Bell never thought that tonight would be the night she would die, the thought never entered her mind. Yet here she was running full speed away from some monster who just killed Soda Pop. The village was just in her sight, soon she would be safe, soon she would wake up from this nightmare. Her tiny legs were growing tired as she had been running for what seemed like hours, but her mind told her to go on. There was the promised land; home. She sped faster, her body would soon collapse from fatigue. She was too close to give up now.

She quickly opened the door, shutting it and locking it. Her parents quickly came down to see what made all the noise.

"Blue Bell?! You are in big trouble missy."

"Dad... Thing... Soda Pop... dead..." Blue Bell gasped for air. Her mother and father both shared looks of concern. "It GOT SODA POP!"

"What got him? Where have you been? Your father and I have been worried sick about you!"

"That thing! It killed Soda Pop! And it chased after me!" These were the only words her father needed to hear. He stepped over to the fire place to un sheath his sword. As he turned to his family the glass window shattered as a body flew inside. Blue Bell began to weep at the sight of Soda Pop's crushed head. Her father stormed outside with righteous anger.

"Oh Sweet Celestiaaaaghhhhh!"

Silence. The silence was the most chilling noise. No bats could be heard, no bugs flew around, nothing dared to move.

The side of the house was torn asunder as the hulking form of the monster responsible for the deaths stepped inside. The red eyes flashed with pure malice, slowly it brought up its wicked weapon.

"The shackles that held me are broken. Once more I shall harvest your pathetic souls!" Nightmare's blade came down.