The True Nightmare

Shining Armor surveyed where Sun Drop village once stood proudly. The smoldering ruins had long been put out, but the damage was done. The whole squad prepared for something like a seige of the city or a random camp but this was beyond words. All around them was carnage on an unexpected scale.

"By Celestia... What happened here?" Shining Armor could not believe what his brain was trying to comprehend. The devastation was unlike anything seen before. Nightmare Moon wanted love of her subjects, Discord never meant psychical harm, and the changelings were desperate for food. But this was something different altogether.

"SIR! I found the villagers!" A random guard called to his captain.

"How are they?!" Shining ran to his soldier who called out. Catching his breath as he came to a stop, his eyes widening at the sight before him. There were four soldiers puking like some civilians. "Act like guards! We gotta a job to do!" Secretly his mind wandered to what they saw to make them react in such away. A guard pointed a hoof in the way Shining's he'd should have been aimed. "Oh dear sweet plot of Luna..." The entire population of the village, it seemed to the guards, were piled up and still burned but only slightly. Small bits of fire could be seen trying to escape, only to be put out. This proved to much for the young captain as vomit threatened to spew forth from his mouth. Whatever did this had to be born straight from the pits of Tartarus. When Shining looked away from the bodies did the horror set in his mind. They were slaughtered like animals.

"Sir, we have found unidentified tracks moving away from the village." Flash called out. "Also we found what looks like a massive sword in the rubble."

"Good... good... good job lieutenant." Shining Armor gagged as the last of his breakfast was on display for all to see. "Ugh... Let's get back to the palace... the Princesses need to know what happened here, somepony get that sword."

"Come on Fluttershy, whatever you heard can't be as scary as a dragon, not that I was scared." Rainbow Dash tried her best to get the timid yellow pegasus out of her home. So far it wasn't working at all. Rainbow Dash couldn't say she heard what ever the noise was. She was at the club trying to sway a mare or stallion into a good time.

"Y- you weren't there to- hear it." Came the soft voice of Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy you are one of the Elements of Harmony, guaranteed whatever it was couldn't hurt you." Rainbow Dash assured her meek friend.

"BLOOD, DARKNESS, COME ONTO ME!" Both squeaked in surprise. The once mighty Rainbow Dash never heard anything like that, Fluttershy again felt her bladder release itself again. Both looked for where the sound came from; Rainbow Dash bolted upwards to scan the area while Fluttershy looked out the peephole in her door.

"Hey uh Fluttershy? Could I come inside for a bit?" Rainbow Dash spoke low to make sure whatever made that noise couldn't hear her.

"Get inside!" Fluttershy ordered to her cyan friend. And with perfect time as the owner of the voice came into sight not a minute after.

"I smell souls! Terror, anger, and a power saturate the air."

Nightmare had come down upon these foolish mortals.

Luna shrieked in agony as a nearly black cloud seeped from her skin. Nightmare Moon had come. With a wicked laugh she disappeared as quick as she came to be. Luna gasped as the pain shoot throughout her body to every nerve and muscle.

"Luna!" A voice called out as Luna's vision became murky. Slowly the world shifted into a black mass.

"Halt beast! By order of Princesses Celestia and Luna we place you under arrest!"

"Give me souls!" Nightmare howled. His massive foot caught the chin of the guard, to all the bystanders horror, a sick crack was heard. The guard lay dead before the monster. "I will kill you all!"

With no warning Nightmare rammed into the group, his shoulder breaking into the face of cream colored pony with a red mane and tail. The sick looking right hand smashed onto a cart as guards shot spells and wards onto Nightmare's form. His sword cleaved the head of one on looker. Panic was far too set in as the guards fought with the creature.

A crack of lighting stopped the fighting. A tall Alicorn shape rose from the smoke. The guards became too confused to do anything at this point.

The rest of the mane six, minus Twilight, fled the town with anypony they could help. A crowd of at least twenty made it safely to the train. The girls couldn't help but look at the battlefield that was their home not long ago. Tears fell freely as they stole one last glance back.

"Who dares to attack my subjects?" Nightmare Moon questioned the biped before her.

"I can feel your MADNESS!"

"Answer me abomination!" Her voice dripped with venom of one hundred snakes. "Answer me or face my wrath!"

"You dare to attack me?! I am Nightmare! And soon your soul will become apart of me!" Nightmare flew into city hall, the building trembled in the wake of the attack. Nightmare Moon stood triumphantly with a wide grin of victory.

"I will not allow any harm come to my subjects---"

"Pathetic."

"What?! That should have killed you!"

"You cannot kill destruction!" Nightmare charged at Nightmare Moon with his glowing eyes showing his path as he dashed at her. Her reaction wasn't quick enough as the hilt of the massive blade caught her square in the face. "Give your soul to me. I can promise a quick death."

"Never foul creature!" The blast of magic hit Nightmare's face sending him back five feet. Her next shot of magic blasted the terrible monster back into city hall, the large building collapsed now. Three tons of wood, brick, and concrete settled upon the beast. Nightmare Moon stood proudly over the wrecked building in full pride of her victory. "Faithful subjects! Rejoice, I, your loving princess has saved you! I only request your love!"

Those present gave in and bowed deeply. Nightmare Moon smiled with a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"Pitifully weak creatures. The blood I will spill from your fragile frame!" The dual voice ripped from the rubble.