Blueblood's Ascension Part III; or, Even Alicorns Have Dreams

Chapters

A Much Expected Gathering
Precious Gems
Aliconversation
Rendezvous in the Plural
Boot the Messenger
One of a Million
Get Lost
Boogeymen in the Forest
Partake of the Party
Understandings and the Missing Thereof
Lost and Found and Lost Again
She Can Say "No"
Signs and Wonders
Cloudsdale's Nice This Time of Year
Neverdead
Storms in the Wild
The Headaches Have Been Tripled
Hospitable Hospital
Accursed Oaths
The Unencumbered Unconscious
The Lost Recipe of an Everfree Hermit
Watch the Title Drop
Zen and the Art of Dreamhopping
Standing Tall Like a Stone Wall
The Answer is Not "Discord"
It's Been Decided
Porridge and Madness
Gruel and Sadness; or, Scoop, Slop, Plop
It's a Start
Best Flight Ever
Lies and Slander
The Day the Nightmares Came to Visit
Dreaming of You
Awake, O Sleeper
Dream's Deep
Reality's Collapsing
In Which Much is Wrapped Up
Chapter the Very Last; or, a Short Epilogue
A Dreamy Prince
Friendship and Other Ailments
Begging Your Pardon
The Space Lattice of a Crystal King

A Much Expected Gathering

Ponyville General wasn’t the largest hospital in Equestria. It didn’t have the latest equipment, or the most skilled surgeons, or any real specialization. General, it’s in the name.

What it did have was the absolute best team of emergency responders on the entire planet. The weekly crises in Ponyville added up to a lot of emergencies, which led to a lot of responding. It was said that they were able to bring an injured pony to the hospital before the timberwolf had finished licking its lips.

Thankfully, the timberwolf attack statistics were at an all-time low.

Ponyville General also shared fairly close proximity to Winsome Falls, where Blueblood had found himself in a pickle following his adventure to another world. It was their emergency response team that responded, and it was there that Blueblood went for subsequent checkups. When asked why he went there instead of Canterlot Health, he mentioned something about convenience.

So it was he found himself sitting in a small examination room, being examined by one Nurse Redheart, Princess of Hospice.

Blueblood didn’t want to, but he couldn’t help but wince as the bandages around his middle came unwrapped.

“You’re fine, the healing process is almost finished,” Nurse Redheart said.

Blueblood shifted his butt cheeks and listened to the crinkle of the paper-thingy-whatchamacallit placed upon the sterile examination table. He felt even more naked than usual, sitting in the confines of Dr. Fine’s examination room. He had not even a bowtie to grace his muscular, alabaster form.

In contrast to his nudity, Nurse Redheart had a red-cross-bedecked hat set upon her pink mane. Her own porcelain coat ruffled as she tossed the used bandages into the disposal. “The bruises are gone, it looks like.”

It was there that the author ran out of words to use instead of “white.”

She raised her horn and levitated not only the thermometer, but the devices to examine his ears, hooves, and blood-pressure as well. “You know the drill. I take your temperature, you decide how.”

Blueblood begrudgingly opened his mouth.

“It sounds like Dr. Fine is going to X-ray your ribs,” Redheart said with a smile. The band wrapped around his foreleg, and she started to pump it full of air. “You are very possibly going home with a clean slate”

An unexpected bark of laughter parted his lips and sent the thermometer flying. Redheart stared after it with a frown. “You’d better not have done that on purpose. Again.”

“I swear I didn’t! I just…” Blueblood bowed his head under her glare. “Sorry. Won’t happen again.”

Redheart blinked at his submissive expression. “Okay, something’s eating you, and this time it isn’t the possibility of a thermometer… elsewhere. You wanna talk about it?”

A swift and brief pursing of his lips followed. “Maybe…” He shook his head. “Maybe later. I’ll let you do your job.”

She peeked through an instrument into his ear as she inflated the blood-pressure thingamabob. “Does that mean you’re stopping by the Keen Bean later?”

“Yy—” Blueblood sighed. “I suppose I owe that to myself, at the very least.” He raised his eyes to her. “Will everypony be there, do you think?”

The blood-pressure-sensor-reader-doohickey reached its goal and deflated. Redheart looked at the gauge, then jotted down the number on her floating notepad. “I’m sure I can round up a few of the regulars. Do you have some sort of announcement?”

“You might say that,” he muttered. He paused as a clean thermometer was plopped into his mouth. He held silent until it had done its irony, metallically tangy work. “Redheart, what do you do when you are comman—asked—to do something that you have absolutely no desire to do, nor even the skill?”

The dance of the medical instruments held in Redheart’s grasp paused. Her eyebrows arched as she turned to him, her lips small as she pondered just what to say.

“Hypothetically speaking, of course,” Blueblood insisted.

“Okay then,” Redheart said with a roll of her eyes. “Hypothetically.” She took a step closer to him and tilted her head. “Hypothetically, the only thing I could do is… get help?”

He sneered before the contempt fully entered his mind. “Get help?”

“Well, what do you want me to say?” Redheart asked. She waved a hoof in the air as she gathered up her various tools. “‘Well, your Highness, I saved face and just did everything myself! It ended horribly, but I kept my pride!’”

He snickered mirthlessly. “I think you’re more of a ‘Highness’ here than I am, Princess of Hospice.”

“Well, then.” Redheart raised her snout into the air. “By the power invested in my by wont of being an alicorn princess, I command you to hypothetically seek out help for your hypothetical problem!”

A smirk found its way onto his visage. “I think that’s ‘the power vested in me,’ but I shall renege my nitpick.”

Redheart’s wry smile accompanied her to the exit. “Anyway, Dr. Fine will be along soon to check your ribs. See you at the Bean?”

He nodded. “I’ll be there, no worries.” He licked his lips as she shut the door. “No worries at all.”

***

Spike the Dragon opened the door and admitted the soggy alicorn prince standing outside. “Hurry in, before the wind decides to reorganize the library!”

Blueblood resisted the deeply-rooted urge to shake himself off. He doffed his overcoat and hung it up beside the fire burning in the library’s small hearth. He once again mused at the oddness of a fire inside a library inside a tree, but the answer was, as always, “magic.”

He straightened his beloved blue bowtie and nodded to Spike. “Good day, how are you?”

“Fine,” Spike replied. “Twilight hasn’t turned me into a potted plant recently, at least.”

“Hmm, sometimes I wouldn’t put it past her,” Blueblood muttered.

“But hey, have a seat,” Spike said as he walked to the kitchen. “I’ll get you some hot cocoa until Twilight gets back.”

“Thank you, I’d be much obliged.” Blueblood settled into a comfy armchair and levitated a nearby book to himself. “Hmm, Luna Loved? Sounds like a cruddy romance novel.” He examined the cover further and raised an eyebrow. “Written by Hobby Horse? I do like his work…”

By the time Spike returned with the drinks, Blueblood was holding back little sniffles. The dragon peeked at the cover of the book and nodded. “Decent, but I’m not too sure if it’s all that accurate about dreamhopping.”

“Search me,” Blueblood said, closing the book as he did so. “I’ve only hopped once, and I hardly think it was an exemplary trip.”

“Yeah?” Spike asked. He took a mug for himself and sat opposite the prince. “What happened?”

Blueblood took a small sip as his brow wrinkled. “Luna and I fought a Nightmare.”

“Whoa,” Spike said. He cradled his cup closer. “Like, Nightmare Moon kinda Nightmare?”

“Similar, but not quite.” Blueblood levitated another book to his side. “Night Terrors aren’t so much possessive as they are concerned with keeping their victim locked up in an eternal bad dream.”

Spike nodded, turning his attention back to his mug of cocoa. “Whose dream was it?”

“Lady Rarity of Pony—” Blueblood was cut off by a deluge of brown liquid as it coursed across the space between himself and Spike. A shield of brilliant purple caught the displaced cocoa before it could ruin the books, the varnished table, or Blueblood’s pristine coat.

Twilight Sparkle stood soaking in the entryway, her horn sparkling as she lowered the sprayed cocoa into Spike’s mug. Her recently-ineffectual umbrella folded itself up and tipped over into the cylindrical holder beside the door with one motion. She fluffed out her feathers and giggled. “Boy, when the pegasi say a storm’s brewing, they don’t mess around.”

She trotted over and gave Spike a pat on the back. “So, is it alright if I ask what caused Spike here to spew chocolate in shock?”

“Rarity got attacked by a Night Terror,” the dragon whispered. His eyes narrowed. “Where is it? Where’d it go?”

“It’s well in hoof,” Blueblood said. “Princess Luna blasted it to ethereal little bits. It was carted back to…”—he swallowed—“to Tartarus the following day.”

“Good,” Spike said. A dark cloud hovered metaphorically over his head. He stood and took Blueblood’s empty cup. “I’ll get the cups washed.”

“Is Rarity alright?” Twilight danced a little on her hooves, looking expectantly at Blueblood.

“I think she’ll be fine after a visit from her friends.” He shifted his eyes upwards. “Must be difficult, having come so soon after her rebirth as Nightmare Rarity.”

“You’ve got that right,” Twilight murmured.

“So,” Blueblood said with some degree of hesitance. He bit his lower lip. “Do you mind if I ask what kept you? I thought we had an appointment.”

Twilight’s eyes widened. “Huh? How late is it?” A quick glance at a nearby grandfather clock sent her moaning. “Ooh, horseapples. I’m sorry, Blueblood, I lost track of time.”

She removed her dripping poncho and placed it on a rack to dry. “I was… in the middle of testing my new invention. That magic mirror network I told you about?”

Blueblood nodded. “The ones that are geared towards communication, rather than transportation?”

“Yup. I guess I was so focused on, um, my invention that…” She shrugged. “You know. I’m sorry.”

“It’s quite alright, Twilight.” He stood and made his way over to her. “I was just concerned. In my own way.”

Twilight brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Well, thanks. I just managed to get the connection to the Crystal Empire working before I left.”

He blew a puff of air between his lips. “Speaking with your beau, I presume.”

“Ahuh!” she cheerfully replied. “I think we’ll be ready to start production on the mirrors next week.”

A smile dinged its way onto his face. “And the week after that, we can sell our first batch of Automated Servants, am I correct?”

“I think we’ve worked out the bugs!” Twilight chuckled. “Friendship reports loaded, Come to Life spell reinvented, materials purchased. All we need is to ship off the blueprint.”

“Perfect,” Blueblood muttered. “Perfect time for me to leave the business.”

“What.” Twilight’s face, for a brief moment, was devoid of any sort of emotion. That didn’t last long, as it was then overtaken by a rolling storm cloud of rage. “WHAT!?”

Her wings flared as she pressed a hoof into his chest, pushing him backwards. “There is no way, no way, that you’re pulling out of the business now! Not now that we’ve invested so much time and effort into getting Bluelight Special off of the ground! Not after all the money we’ve spent on these robots! Not—”

“Twilight! Let me explain!” Blueblood screeched. “I’m not pulling out! I’m giving my half to you!”

Rage became confusion. “What?”

“Twilight, I’m…” He sighed. “I’m… going away. Very soon. I am taking on a yoke that is, honestly, not in the public knowledge just yet, so I would appreciate it if you kept it secret.”

Twilight nodded and motioned for him to continue.

“An old family promise—oath, really—has called me to Tartarus to become its new warden.” He moved to the comfy armchair and sat upon it.

“But… but this whole thing started because of your idea.” Twilight sat in the chair next to his and fidgeted with her hooves. “You can’t just give it up now.”

“I’m not going to be requiring my half of the business while I’m there.” He gave her a grin, which on a scale of one to ten was about a point five in sincerity. “I want you to have it.”

Her eyes darted between her hooves and his face. “When will you be back?”

“I…” he sighed. “I’m going to be the warden. I’m not coming back.”

Twilight fell quiet. To an outside observer, there was no sign of life anywhere in the purple alicorn’s body. But within, there was a rolling cauldron of thoughts, schemes, machinations…

“So, is this goodbye?” she asked, her voice level.

“It’s certainly, ah—” Blueblood rubbed his eyes with a fetlock. “It’s very nearly one.”

She ran a hoof over her foreleg, her eyes downcast. “It doesn’t quite seem fair.”

“N—” The agreement died a deathly death on his lips. A fire lit inside his heart. His mouth scrunched up and he nodded swiftly to himself. “Twilight, before I must leave, I want you to know that I lo—”

The final word was but a sigh. As Twilight looked intently at him, giving him her full attention, he caught sight of a flash of orange over her shoulder. A small picture frame held the image of Twilight Sparkle and an orange-coated, blue-maned pegasus stallion embracing. The fire flickered out and his shoulders slumped.

“I want you to know that I will cherish our friendship forever.”

He let out a gasp of surprise as she wrapped her forelegs around his neck. He quite slowly and hesitantly returned the hug, a smile begging to make an appearance on his face. His heavy heart said otherwise.

“I will, too,” she said. “But I’m gonna cherish it by not letting it go away. I’m gonna find out what’s behind this, Blueblood. I’m gonna help you fix it.”

Blueblood pulled away, his eyebrows knitting. “Twilight, it’s an oath. There’s nothing you can help me with.”

A shiver went down his spine as he watched her eyes narrow. “Try me.”

A tense moment slipped by, before Spike returned with a question. “Hey, weren’t you guys gonna see that robot tonight?”

“Ladies first,” Blueblood chuckled weakly.

They trotted down the stairs, Spike in tow, and soon came upon the robot; the very same that had been the cause of Blueblood’s ascension so long ago. The woodwork legs gleamed with polish, the ruby heart beat softly, and the emerald eyes gazed searchingly for command.

“We never did teach it to burp,” Spike lamented.

“Heh!” Blueblood tapped the robot’s chest with his horn. “Artificial Servant number one, are you capable of rude noises and gestures?”

“Anything for you, baby,” the robot said in a low voice.

“Ack!” Twilight Sparkle leapt between Blueblood and the robot and tapped her horn against its chest. “Sorry. Just a little leftover programming. Nothing to worry about. Still testing. Won’t be on the blueprint. I swear.”

Blueblood only just managed to hold back a snicker, while Spike held back a gag. “Fair enough,” the prince said. “Though it might be worth it just to hear the talk around Canterlot about ‘Blueblood’s salacious new robots: hot, hot, hot off the assembly line…’”

His mouth moved quietly. “Well, worth it for you to hear, I suppose.”

“You know what?” Twilight Sparkle spoke before another word could leave Blueblood’s throat. “Even if you’re leaving for just a little while, which you will be, we need some sort of shindig. Some sort of ‘going away’ party.”

“I was actually planning on going to the Keen Bean one last time.” Blueblood shrugged. “Would you accompany me?”

“Of course,” Twilight replied. “It’ll be a great place to plan out your real party!”

Blueblood blinked. “Real party?”

“And, what do you know?” Twilight asked. “It just so happens that I know a certain somepony that’s coming tonight who can help us out with that!”

***

Pinkie Pie sat under the Ponyville train station’s awning, humming a wordless song to herself. Well, actually, it was just a song she hadn’t written lyrics for, so it was only technically wordless. If she really put her mind to it, she was certain that she could think up a few stanzas, but her thoughts found themselves occupied elsewhere.

The ticket master trotted out of his office, keen on finding his way home for the night. He spotted the pink-on-pink-on-pink mare sitting inside the station, apparently keeping her eyes on the horizon. He scratched beneath his hat and made his way over.

His moustache wiggled as he spoke. “Miss Pie? The last train to Canterlot left an hour ago. There ain’t no more trains.”

“That’s okay,” she replied without looking at him. “I’m not going anywhere.”

His moustache bristled with confusion, and maybe a little irritation. “There aren’t any trains coming in. At all. There’s nopony to wait for.”

She giggled in a not-quite-condescending way. “That’s what yo-o-ou think!”

He was about to calmly explain that he was the ticket master, of course it was what he thought, when the air before her shimmered. He found himself bodily moved a few feet away, carried aloft in the mare’s surprisingly strong limbs. She returned to her position and waited.

Ear-splitting humming filled the air, though whether it came from the astral distortion or the pink mare, it was impossible to tell. It reached a pinnacle of auditory annihilation at the same moment the distortion became a full-on black hole.

The black hole folded in on itself, divided by zero, and spat forth a sandy-coated alicorn stallion.

“Hoo-ee!” the stallion said. “Now that’s what I call a teleport!”

The ticket master looked the stallion up and down in bemusement. The new arrival’s coat was stained with soot, and his mane trailed smoke. His vest was frayed at the ends, and at least two distinct patches were on fire. The only thing that escaped damage was the stylish cowpony hat atop his head.

Pinkie Pie flicked her tail and sent the hat tumbling onto her own head. “Hi, honey buns!”

“Honey buns” took her forehooves in his own and grinned. “Darlin’, it’s been too long!”

The ticket master tilted his head to the side. “Huh? What just happened here?”

“Just a nice little reunion with Braeburn, my hubby.” Pinkie Pie shot him a friendly smirk. “Oh, by the by, it’s Missus Pie now.”

“Just a nice little reunion, huh?” Braeburn chuckled. “Ah must not be tryin’ hard ’nuff!”

Pinkie whooped as Braeburn flipped her over and held her by a single foreleg. She shot the ticket master a grumpy look. “Do you mind?”

She reached into the air and pulled down a window shade, separating the ticket master from the happy couple. The loudest, most obnoxious smooch imaginable sounded out from behind the shade. The ticket master rolled his eyes, straightened out his moustache, and turned towards the doors.

He yelped and leapt into the air as he came face-to-face with both Pinkie Pie and her husband. “Okay, we’ll get out of your hair now!” she said.

He spun back around to look for the shade, which was nowhere to be found. His moustache frizzed as he twirled around in place. He stopped and glared at Pinkie. “Would you two move along?”

“Okie-dokie-lokie!” Braeburn said with a smile. He put a wing around Pinkie Pie’s shoulders and lead her into the town. “Madam-moe-zell Pie, would you accompany me for a night on the town?”

“Why, Sir Apple,” she replied, “I thought you’d never ask!”

The ticket master’s eyes grew wide as he watched them leave. His pulse pounded and his moustache wriggled. “Celestia’s Sun-kissed Butt, there’s two of them now!”

***

Doreen Bean, proprietor and head barista of the Keen Bean Coffee Shoppe, was on her seventeenth cup that evening. Due in no small part to this, she had perfected the art of speaking without punctuation.

“Can I take your order would you like your usual maybe you’d like to try the new fall flavors would you two please stop snacking on the ingredients!?”

Blueblood allowed his eyebrow to twitch ever-so-minusculely upwards. Doreen’s attention was not on him, however. Her ire was turned upon two colts who sat behind the bar beside her.

Snips looked up at Doreen Bean and blinked blankly. “What?”

Doreen sucked in a deep breath, stopped vibrating in place, gave Blueblood an energetic and apologetic smile, and then pointed to the pile of chocolate chips nestled in Snips’ hoof. “I said ‘stop eating the ingredients!’ Those are for paying customers!”

Snips self-consciously adjusted his paper hat with a pale-blue hoof. The hat only barely contained his mop of orange mane. “Sorry, boss. I just got—”

“We’re hungry!” Snails whined. Snips planted a hoof to his face as his partner went on. “We haven’t gotten a break in hours.”

Doreen Bean split her gaze between the tall Snails and the stocky Snips. “You two have only been working for two hours!”

“Well, yeah…” Snails’ brow furrowed as he pondered the great ponderings of the universe. “But I’m still hungry.”

“Snails”—Snips gulped—“Snails, she’s getting that twitch in her eye again.”

“You two pipe down and brew up a mocha! Pronto!” Doreen heaved in a breath as her employees scurried about on their appointed tasks. “I shoulda hired the Crusaders.”

She all but vaulted onto the counter as she returned to her post at the register. “May I take your order!?”

Blueblood’s eyes roamed over the menu. “Do you have anything without milk? Sensitive stomach, you see.”

Doreen’s patent-pending retail smile faltered. “Yes. Yes we do. Care to be more specific?”

Blueblood smiled politely. “Ah, yes. Perhaps a coffee?”

Twilight Sparkle’s head swiveled as she scanned the crowd. Her ears perked up as she noted the presence of both a green-coated and a white-coated alicorn princess. She trotted over to them, levitating her cup of coffee behind her.

Redheart saw her first. “Princess Sparkle! You’re just in time!”

“It’s Twilight,” the pony suffering from Lavender Unicorn Syndrome replied. “Just in time for what?”

The green alicorn, Lyra Heartstrings to be more precise, lifted her head and gave a weary smile. “Blueblood’s making some sort of announcement. A bunch of our friends are gonna be here.”

A flare of dragon’s flame shot through the shop, coming to a stop beside Lyra’s ear. It transmogrified itself into a roll of parchment, which Lyra then began to read aloud.

“‘Vinyl Scratch, Princess of Electronic Music and Epic Remixes, extends her regrets that she must decline your invitation. She has a previous engagement in the form of a “gig” that she absolutely must attend. She hopes that you will be willing to “fill her in” on the goings on of the previously described soirée. She hopes to visit with you in the near future. Sincerely, Octavia.’”

Lyra laid her head on the table. “Okay, a few of our friends are gonna be here.”

Redheart nodded. “So it’s basically going to be the team from our expedition; plus Lyra and minus Flash, that is.”

Twilight pulled up a chair as Blueblood joined them. He nodded his thanks and set his mug on the table. “So, that means we’re waiting for Rainbow Dash?”

“And Braeburn,” Redheart said.

Blueblood’s muzzle scrunched up. “But there weren’t any trains in from Appleoosa today…”

“Who needs trains when yah got a horn!?” an enthusiastic voice sounded out from across the room. Braeburn and Pinkie Pie all but galloped up to the table. Braeburn tipped his hat. “Ah just perfected mah teleport spell, what’d y’all think?”

Four sets of eyes trailed up and down his soot-stained body. “Keep practicing,” Blueblood said.

The princes exchanged a hoof-bump as the Apple-Pies sat. Pinkie leaned forward with a maniacal grin. “So what’s the big surprise? Is it a fun surprise!? Or is it sad? I hope it’s not a sad surprise, because fun surprises are waaay better than sad surprises!”

“I’m afraid, um, I’m afraid that it is not entirely a pleasant surprise.” Blueblood flipped back his flowing blond mane and raised a hoof. “I’m afraid, friends, that I am—”

“Totally forgetting somepony.” Rainbow Dash settled down beside Twilight with a smirk. “Hope you don’t mind that I brought a friend.”

Half of the table held back indiscriminate shrieks as a black-carapaced changeling walked up to the table. He sat in the seat beside Lyra and huffed. “I told you I didn’t need to come.”

Rainbow Dash punched him in the shoulder. “What good is a ‘social-integration program’ if you don’t integrate socially?”

She indicated the changeling with a smirk. “Everypony, Mandible. Mandible, everypony.”

Lyra Heartstring’s expression of pure horror had her mouth stretched downwards all the way to Neighpan. Figurativly. “Meep.”

Mandible narrowed his multifaceted eyes at her and scooched his chair away. Lyra did the same, but in the opposite direction.

Blueblood squinted. “Aren’t you that changeling that impersonated me?”

“Yeah, but only ’cause the face was convenient,” Mandible mumbled.

Blueblood raised an eyebrow, but held his tongue.

Twilight chewed her lower lip. “When you said ‘going to the Keen Bean one last time,’ I had no idea you were planning something this big.”

“I wasn’t, really,” Blueblood said. “It was Redheart’s idea to get us together.” He turned his blue eyes towards the nurse. “For which I am infinitely grateful.”

She blushed and fiddled with a lock of her mane.

Blueblood sat up higher in his chair, giving each pony seated at the table a gander. “My friends, and Mandible, it has come time for me to take my rightful place as a cog in the great machine that is Equestria.” He bowed his head. “I am to become the warden of Tartarus.”

“Wait… ‘Tartarus’ Tartarus?” Braeburn asked. “Like, ‘evil Nightmare creatures’ Tartarus?”

“Yes,” Blueblood sighed. “An old family oath, older than Ponyville, I believe, has been passed onto my shoulders. My great-grandfather, the old warden of Tartarus, is dying. I am the next heir in line for the position.”

Silence descended upon the table. The predominate expression held was that of disbelief and mild rebellion. Rainbow Dash lead the charge in the latter. “What? Aren’t oaths only binding, like, for the pony that made them? Even magic oaths?”

Redheart stood tall within the ranks of the former. “But… But you can’t go! This is… that… Why now!?”

“Because without a strong warden,” Blueblood stated, “there is nopony to hold back the tides of nightmarish monsters within. It is my duty as a Blueblood.”

Silence returned, until it was bucked into submission by Mandible. “What gives? Can’t you guys just visit him or something?”

Twilight Sparkle shook her head. “There’s this little matter of a clear and present danger to Equestria living deep inside Tartarus. There’s a mighty good reason it’s forbidden by law to enter its gates without precautions.” Her lip twitched as a spark flashed in her eyes. “Heavy precautions.”

The entire table seemed to shiver as an unhinged smile decorated her face. “Which is why we need to make sure his sendoff is very, very memorable! Pinkie, how does a going-away party grab you?”

“Well…” Pinkie hesitated. “Going-away parties are always the saddest parties… But they’re some of the most important parties, too.” She smiled at Blueblood. “I can make it real nice, if you want. Like the parties up in Canterlot! There can be dancing, nice music, and really great, totally-not-deep-fried food!”

A chorus of agreement joined her, circling the table with nods and “ahuhs.” Blueblood’s chin dipped downward. “You would all do this for me?”

Twilight Sparkle sniffed, her eyes narrowing nearly imperceptibly. “You’re our friend, Blueblood. By golly, that counts for something!”

***

Blueblood nodded to the guards as he walked through Canterlot Castle’s gates. His eyes stung a bit, though he told himself it was due to the harsh winds blowing across the space between Canterlot and Ponyville. He was absently counting the tiles he trod upon when he bumped face-first into something.

Or someone.

“Do you mind!?” Discord, wrapped in a towel, exited the bathroom with a huff. The eclectically-limbed creature of chaos hiked up the cloth with a growl. “Some people are getting in their late-mid-afternoon soaking in for the day.”

“Pardon me…” Blueblood thought for a moment, unsure of how to address the be-toweled draconequus. “Sir?”

Spectacles materialized on Discord’s snout, just so that he had something to glare over. “Pardon you, indeed. If you’ll excuse me, I must prepare for my pre-early-evening nap.” He floated away, carrying his ire with him. “It’s all I seem to be good for around here, anyway! That and crowning idiots!”

“Indeed,” Blueblood said with some degree of discretion. He continued on his not-so-merry way, until he came upon the Blueblood suite. He pushed open the door with a sigh and headed for the couch.

“It’s about time you got back.” Blueblood’s ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice. “It just wouldn’t do to find that you had been shirking your duties.”

Blueblood set his jaw. “When, pray tell, have I ever shirked any duties assigned to me?”

“I think your lavender friend would say something like ‘the absence of evidence does not equal the evidence of absence.’” Grey hooves clomped on the floor as a middle-aged stallion with silvery blue hair approached. “But I’m more concerned with the possibility that you will ignore the very important mandate that has been brought to your attention.”

“Of course I would not ignore it,” Blueblood said. He sat upon the couch and glared at his empty fireplace. “That would be monstrous... Father.”

The stallion walked behind Blueblood and placed a hoof on his shoulder. “Are you using a tone with me?”

“Should I be?” Blueblood turned on the pony. “Perhaps you should allow me to wallow in peace, seeing as how I shan’t have the pleasure at a later date.”

“Perhaps you should show some respect!” the elder snapped.

“Perhaps you could show some support!” Blueblood retaliated. “Give to your son a spot of slack as his life is thrown to the timberwolves!” He settled back on the couch and closed his eyes. “Instead, you’re as unfeeling as that wooden leg of yours.”

The stallion glanced back at his rear-left leg, or what was left of it. “I know what you’re thinking.”

“Oh, raw-ther.” Blueblood sniffed. “How lucky for you to be invalidated for the oath by merit of being an invalid.”

His father’s face changed from gray to beet-red. “The duty is yours, not mine! Don’t you dare suggest the accident was intentional! I’m just as susceptible to the family curse as you are!”

A deep breath in through the nose, a deep breath out through the mouth, and the father was calmed. Though not alleviated. “Cast what blame you have upon your great-grandfather and the enemies he decided to make. Upon his miserable oath. Upon the… timeless duty he performs for Equestria.”

“‘Preformed,’ you mean,” Blueblood said.

The father paced behind the couch. “I suppose I shall have to remarry, given the utter lack of heirs you have sired.”

“Ah,” Blueblood hummed. “This old song and dance.”

“Funny how it was just last month that I tried to arrange a marriage for you,” the father mused. “Her father laughed in my face.”

“I suspect it was because arranged marriages are considered out of vogue.” Blueblood stood and made his way towards the door. “And immoral.”

“I suspect it’s because my son has spent his life encouraging an image of pomposity and egotism that rivals the sun in sheer size!”

Blueblood whirled upon his father. He found himself two heads taller than the old unicorn. “As opposed to hiding it beneath a penchant for brownnosing, like some others we could mention?”

His father brought his snout up under Blueblood’s chin. “Perhaps the family name means more to me than personal pleasure!”

“Enough!”

Blueblood had heard the Royal Canterlot Voice often enough that it was instantly recognizable, even without the highly-handy bolded font. The user of the magically-amplified vocalization was none other than the Big Cheese herself, Princess Celestia.

From her rarely-seen unhappy expression, it was clear that she was in no mood to be messed with.

“Bluemane,” she said, addressing the older stallion, “may I speak with Blueblood in private?”

Author's Note

~~I suspect that since my previous stories have not returned to the front page until the third chapter is posted, most of you will be returning readers!~~ I suspect a bug is involved, but they tell me that not all insects are bugs. In any case, I hope you enjoy reading.

Edit: Then again, it's apparently fixed itself... Huh. Squeaky wheel and all that.

Sometimes I worry that I use too many italicized words to emphasize. Then I think to myself, "To heck with that," and move on.

Sometimes I worry that I fall victim to either Lavender Unicorn Syndrome or repetitive naming. Then I think to myself, "Get your pajama-clad rear end in gear, MyHobby," and keep writing.

Sometimes I worry that I lack subtility. Then I think to myself, "Let's go blow something up," and life is good.

Precious Gems

Though the weather outside howled with wind and snow, the bitter elements were unable to penetrate the warmth of the Crystal Empire. One household, sitting on the outskirts of the empire’s capitol, sat on the edge of the protective, magical dome that encompassed the land. As such, snow and ice surrounded the home, just enough that it was styled as though t’was Hearthswarming Eve.

Two young crystal pony colts, one of the brightest amethyst and the other a sparkling peridot, played underneath their mother’s hooves. Their hoopla interrupted the brewing of what was sure to be a wonderful supper… for the fifteenth time that hour. The question of whether it would ever be brewed at all was coming into sharp relief.

“I’m gonna be Spike the Dragon, and vanquish you to the dark!” one colt proclaimed.

“No way!” the other declared. “You got to be Spike the Dragon last time! It’s my turn!”

In an effort to settle their differences in a mature fashion, the former tackled his peridot brother to the ground. Their mother, an onyx-coated paragon of patience, tripped over the shining tail of her amethyst son. Her mixing bowl full of food flew into the air and landed upside down on the stove.

“Out! Out! Out of the kitchen!” she said, her face shining with love. “I swear, if either of you get chipped I’m going to buff it out with sandpaper!”

The boys, suitably cowed, fled the scene.

A hoof to the floor sent her innate magic flowing through the crystalline ground and to the cupboards. A drawer swooshed open and produced a washcloth. She took the cloth in her teeth and set about cleaning up the mess her darling children had wrought.

Silence entered the kitchen for the first time that day. The mother’s ears twitched. A glance around told her that she was alone in the room, though the quiet pervaded every corner of the house. She shrugged and turned back to her work.

A shriek escaped her as she found the stove covered in a thick, gray cloud of smoke. A moment’s consideration revealed that the smell of burned food was not rolling through the kitchen, and the stove had not even been lit. A closer look told her of the magic shimmering from the cloud, swaying and warping in an arcane dance.

The cloud lifted, and the food she had been cleaning up was gone.

It hung in the air, flowing around as if studying her. The cloud glowed from within, three distinct openings revealing purple light. Two of the openings shut and opened back up, as if they were blinking eyes. A crackling chuckle met her ears as the third opening oscillated.

“Thanks for the meal,” the cloud said.

The mother stuttered out a reply. “Wh-what are you?”

The cloud became angled, drawing to a point as it neared her. Its “mouth” resembled the beak of a bird, and its “eyes” squinted. “Just a bad dream,” it said.

She lowered her head and pawed at the ground. “Well… well you can just get out. We don’t have any room for… for creepy monsters!”

A loud crash blasted through the air alongside the sound of crystal shattering. The mother whirled around and screamed at the sight. Two piles of crystal shards, one purple and the other green, lay just outside the kitchen. She ran over to them, her mouth wide and her breath shaky.

She gathered the gems to her breast, hot tears collecting behind her eyes. Tiny fragments clinked to the ground as the dark cloud loomed behind her.

A window flew open, blasting the icy cold of the Northern Equestria winter through the house. The cloud swirled in the breeze, allowing itself to be sucked outside. Its shape shifted once more, into that of a large, gray, smoky bird. Cackling split the air as it disappeared into the distance, leaving the mother weeping over her sons.

“What’s wrong, Mom?” an amethyst colt asked.

The mother looked down at the shattered remains of her sons to find them alive and well. They looked up at her with wide, wet eyes that shimmered in the light that poured from the open window. Without another word, she gathered them up in her forelegs, planting a kiss on each of their heads.

“Just a bad dream, boys,” she whispered. “Just a bad dream.”

Author's Note

Yes, this chapter is pathetically short. I felt that it deserved special attention, due to its thematic separateness from adjacent sections.

I think that it'll give the story a more published feel if I only make the chapters as long as they need to be, rather than bunching four-thousand words in each chapter. More often than not, I've found myself linking scenes together that really had no connection, just so I could hit that magic four-to-five-thousand mark. No more.

Which means I should post multiple chapters at a time, if I want to actually give my readers a satisfying chunk of story to read.

Aliconversation

Celestia drew back the curtain to reveal the balcony, which overlooked the Canterlot Guardens. The moon rose into the sky, framing the horizon with a silvery glow. Blueblood stepped into the night and waited quietly.

Celestia sighed as she looked to the infant moonrise. “Would this not be an opportunity to reconcile?”

“Aunt Celestia, if there is any pony in all the world who irritates me more than he does…” Blueblood shook his head and rested his chin on the railing. “I haven’t met them.”

A gentle hoof descended on his back. He felt his muscles relaxing under the princess’ soft touch. “All the more reason to fix it now. He’s your father, Blueblood.”

“I recognize that I am the fruit of his loins,” Blueblood growled. “That doesn’t make me wish him to be sent to the moon any less.”

“Don’t you dare even joke about that!” Celestia said, quietly yet firmly. It took her a moment to get her breathing under control. “Please.”

Blueblood’s ears drooped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“I know,” she mumbled. She gave him a smile as she rubbed her hoof up and down his back. “It just brings up… strong feelings in me.”

“Understandable.” Blueblood sat there for a moment longer to savor the company. “Was small talk the point of this little rescue party, or was there something specific?”

Celestia stopped rubbing his back. She set her chin on the railing next to his. “I need a reason to talk to my nephew?”

“Not really,” he chuckled. “Though I suppose I now owe you one.”

“Bleh.” Celestia stuck her tongue out. “Not after this morning. Not with what you’re about to do.”

“Fair enough.” His ears twitched towards her. “How goes the alicornification of Equestria?”

Celestia’s ears fell back, and Blueblood raised an eyebrow. “Did something happen in the coronation line today?”

“Not just today, but ongoing...” The moon rose gently as the stars poofed into existence. “Every once in a while, I get reminded that I am not perfect.”

“Gasp, no!” Blueblood lifted his head to give her his best faux-shocked expression. “Not the Goddess of the Day!”

“Hush, you,” she giggled. “I try to smile at all of my little ponies that ascend. I try to show them that I am proud of them. That I appreciate them.”

He stretched his wings and rolled his shoulders. “That much is expected, I know.”

“Do you remember that time where Twilight and her friends were almost killed?” Celestia asked.

Blueblood sniffed. “You’re going to have to be a bit more specific.”

“At the Wonderbolts Academy, then.” Celestia frowned as she saw the scene play in her mind’s eye. “The mare that caused that tornado, she showed up one day.”

Blueblood’s eyebrows joined together on his forehead. “She is a princess, then?”

“Yes. And it was at that moment that I made my mistake.” She looked at him, then down at her own hooves. “I showed displeasure. Great displeasure.”

“Oh,” Blueblood said. “Oh my. Did anypony notice?”

“Just her,” Celestia sighed. “But the little sins are the ones that can hurt the most. Never forgiven, never forgotten. And now, that’s proven true even more.”

She turned to him, lowering her head to his level. “So, my nephew, how would you handle it?”

Blueblood’s nose scrunched up as he considered the options available. “I would… seek her out. I would… explain, and ask for her forgiveness. Maybe do something nice? Try to make it right?”

Celestia’s smile did not quite hide the tear sliding down her cheek. “You’re growing wiser every day, Blueblood.”

“I’m learning from the best.” He gave her a grin, which she accepted with a sidelong hug with her wing. “You will visit me, will you not?”

The silence was deafening. Celestia’s hug grew tighter, drawing him closer. “Blueblood… Oh, Blueblood. I never…” She took in a shuddering breath. “I never visited your great-grandfather. I hardly knew him. Hardly anypony knew him. His was a lonely existence that seemed to make him perfect for his job. He loathed the world after he cast that spell.”

She sighed. “But you’re not like him. You have friends and family. Oh, Blueblood, I have to visit you. To not do so would be a waste.”

“Thank you.” Blueblood stood and looked out over the kingdom. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

“If there was any possible way to—” Celestia ceased her response as Blueblood raised a hoof.

“I know,” he said. “I know.”

A beat passed, in which both ponies realized that they had nothing more to say. Celestia stood and made her way inside the Blueblood suite, where Bluemane was waiting. He rose and bowed to her. “I assume you had a productive—”

“Bluemane,” she interrupted, “come with me.”

The surprised unicorn stallion followed mutely, leaving Blueblood alone in the room. The prince climbed into bed with a sigh, extinguishing the fireplace with a sparkle of magic.

Bluemane smirked at Celestia. “I hope my son wasn’t too much of a burden for you.”

“Bluemane,” Celestia said, “your son is a pleasure to be around. He is doing his best to be helpful, and he is learning more about friendship every day. He is often brilliant, kind-hearted when he thinks about it, and a good listener.” She drew down to his level by bending her knees. “He is giving up everything to fulfill an oath and battle a curse that, by all rights, should be yours. I suggest you reconsider your position on him, if you can be bothered to find the time.”

Bluemane stood speechless as she walked to her bedchambers. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go mourn the loss of one of my little ponies, and a dear friend.”

“He’s not dead!” Bluemane called out. “You’ve said it yourself!”

She flicked her tail as she continued on. “The loss has nothing to do with death.”

Bluemane hesitated, but then started after her. “Very well, what sort of loss do you mean?”

She paused before her door, her hoof on the handle. Her eyes were sullen as she looked not so much at him as through him. “The worst kind of loss, Bluemane.”

The door opened, and she left him alone. “Lost potential.”

***

“Tartarus. Tartarus. Tartarus. Tartarus.”

A book flew off of the library shelves to land beside its discarded brothers.

“Tartarus, Tartarus, Tartarus.”

Five more books followed. There seemed to be more books on the floor than on the shelves.

“Heck, eternal darnation, the big hoosegow.”

One book was surrounded by a glossy purple glow and lifted into the air. It drew near to two similarly-purple eyes that burned with intensity. “There’s gotta be a link. Well, of course there’s a link, I just gotta find it!”

Twilight Sparkle lifted her head and shouted into the darkened depths of the library. “Spike! Spiiike! The heck are you!?”

Silence answered her in its unfulfilling way. Her eyes landed on the three or four candles that sat upon her desk, the only lighting in the entire tree-library-combination-conglomeration. Her violet eyes rolled. “Okay, maybe that can wait until morning.”

A quick glance out the window showed that the moon had dipped below the horizon, leaving the whole land covered in darkness that was only broken by starlight. It would be another hour before the moon shone again. “Huh. I guess even Luna can’t shine a little light on this mystery.”

“Maybe not,” another voice said. “But maybe so.”

Twilight fell off of her stool with a yelp. She rose quickly to her feet, taking a bow as she did so. “Princess Luna! What a, a pleasant surprise! Can I get you anything? Coffee? Donuts? A three-course dinner? The complete works of Starswirl the Bearded!?”

“That… won’t be necessary,” Luna assured her. Midnight-blue feathers ruffled as she strode closer to Twilight. “But I am here to help you.”

“Oh, awesome!” Twilight laughed. “If you could take the left side of the room, we can cover the shelves in half the time! Once we’ve gathered all the reference books with even a single paragraph on Tartarus, we can start cross-referencing for any mention of the Blueblood family!”

“I think…” Luna shook her head and cleared her throat. “I think we can skip that part, for now.”

“Oh!” Twilight exclaimed. “That’s even better! This probably happened before the whole Nightmare thing, right? So you can just explain the rules about the oath, and I can work on a way around it! All I need is to know who cast it, what their exact wording was, what other forces were in play, the color, size, and consistency of the ethereal parabola—”

“Twilight,” Luna coughed, “perhaps if you let me explain?”

“Oh.” Twilight sat with a frown. “Oh. Yeah.”

Luna walked slowly up to the other alicorn and sat before her. “First of all, hi.”

A smile poked the corners of Twilight’s mouth upward. “Hi, Luna. How are you doing?”

“Tired,” Luna replied. “I have fought Nightmares every night for the past week. It’s getting old.”

The smile vanished from Twilight’s face. “Tartarus escapees?”

“Precisely.” The Princess of the Night magicked a candle over to rest between them. “They are growing more numerous night by night. I am the only thing that can stand between them and the ponies of Equestria.” She tilted her head to the side, just the hint of a pout forming on her lips. “Save for one stallion.”

Twilight snorted. “Of course you mean Blueblood.” She narrowed her eyes and lowered her eyebrows, pausing a moment to formulate her thoughts. “Why him? What does he have that you can’t get anywhere else? Why him?”

Luna’s mystical mane fell over half of her face as she leaned forward. “That’s why I wanted to visit with you tonight, Twilight. I need to explain things to you before…”

Twilight took the opportunity to finish her sovereign’s sentence. “Before another ‘Lesson Zero’ incident happens, huh?” She huffed, drooping her head down and hunching her shoulders. “’Kay, lay it on me, Princess.”

“I mean no disrespect,” Luna said. She turned away to gaze upon what books remained on the dusty shelves. “But I… I just worry about you.”

Twilight Sparkle tapped her hooves together. She met Luna’s eyes. “I appreciate it. I really do.”

Luna nodded. “I know you want to help your friend, but this is… What he’s doing is important.”

Twilight brought them pillows to sit on, and the elder princess began her tale. “A thousand years ago, Celestia and I ruled the land. You know the story; I grew jealous, I gained unspeakable power, I sought to overthrow her. However, I did not do so alone.”

The skin around her eyes grew tight. “The source of my dark power, the beings that tempted me to embrace the night and discard the day, were called the Nightmare Forces. An army of Nightmares and bad dreams and temptations… But you knew that. You encountered them while we rescued your friend on the moon.”

Twilight nodded and settled down deeper in her pillow.

“Their leader, Shadowfright, fled to the moon with a small group of the Forces when I was finally banished. He was cast down when Rarity was restored.”

“Good riddance,” Twilight mumbled.

Luna let loose a sigh. “But that was not all Equestria has seen of the Nightmares. A few years after my banishment, the remainder of the Forces gathered under another commander to attack Equestria. Scorpan was his name; a powerful wizard with a keen mind, one to rival Starswirl the Bearded.”

Lavender eyes rolled to formulate a response. “Please. If he was such a rival to Starswirl, why haven’t I heard of him?”

“Because the sheer memory that I worked with him hurts.” Luna gritted her teeth. “This is hard, Twilight. It hurts to admit the things I did. That I did willingly! Celestia always tried to hide it, to obfuscate it. Nightmare Night, the Legend of Harmony, the Sleeping Volcano…” She flopped over onto the pillow. “But it always comes back to haunt me.”

Twilight leaned in closer. “We can do this another time, if you want.”

“No.” Luna sat up and squared her shoulders. “It must be said. Now.

“While I, as Nightmare Moon, attacked with brute force, Scorpan assaulted Equestria using the most devious of weapons in the Nightmare Forces’ arsenal.” The midnight alicorn’s lip trembled. “He attacked the hopes, the dreams, the hidden wishes of my little ponies. He spread fear and despair through the night as they slept.”

“Like the Nightmares are doing now?” Twilight asked.

“Oh, Twilight,” Luna said with a shake of her head, “it was on a far grander scale than now. It was a full war against Equestria’s morale, and he came so close to victory.”

Luna’s head raised a bit higher, her voice filling with that much more power, as she continued on. “But he was opposed by the full might of Celestia and her royal guard. She pushed him back in the realm of wakefulness, until he had nowhere to run but his base in a violent, volcanic region of Equestria, what we now call the Sleeping Mountains. While my sister fought the army, one lone soldier faced Scorpan. The madpony cast a spell on the soldier, a horrific curse that left him a mere fragment of his former self.”

Luna’s wings drooped along the pillow. “The soldier rose up and, with the last reserves of his strength, performed a miracle of a spell—one of his own creation—that bound Scorpan deep within the heart of the most violent volcano. Celestia vanquished the army of Nightmares, and together with the soldier cast them into the depths of what is now known as Tartarus. That broken soldier chose to stay, to guard and to hold back the villainous magic within. His name was Bluebones. His request to her was to take care of his family as long as he stayed within the newly formed prison.”

A flicker of realization flashed through Twilight’s eyes. “Blueblood’s family. Oh, no.”

Luna chewed her bottom lip as she dropped her eyes to the floor. “My sister’s adoptive nephew is the last in the line of Bluebloods. His family holds the secret of casting the spell that holds the Nightmares back. If he does not take up the mantel, there will be another war against those monsters. A full war of sheer, bloodshot panic.”

“B-b-but—” Twilight turned this way and that, looking at the books on the ground, the stars in the sky, and the princess beside her. “There’s gotta be something—anything!—that I can do to help him!”

“And there is, Twilight Sparkle!” Luna rose to her feet and looked down upon the younger princess with soft eyes. “Be his friend. Visit him, write to him, give him a life to live! You can do so much for him just by showing that you care.”

“But it’s not enough!” Twilight dove back into her books, reading without truly comprehending. “I need to save him! I need to rescue him! I need to make everything okay now! I need to make Tartarus not a ploblem!”

“Twilight, sit down!”

Twilight complied, though under duress. Luna walked over to her with a frown. “Guard your heart, my friend. There are forces afoot that would find your emotional distress… tantalizing. Now come, you need your rest.”

“I’m not tired,” Twilight huffed. “I’m not the least bit sleepy.”

Luna’s face softened again. She shut her eyes with a sigh. “Twilight, you’re not tired because you’re already asleep.”

Twilight’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”

“Observe.” Luna pointed at a still, purple form on Twilight Sparkle’s bed. The quilt rose and fell in a steady rhythm. “You have been projecting yourself in your slumber, in order to research deeper into Tartarus.” The Nightbringer shook her head slowly, letting loose a small chuckle. “I came when Spike wrote to me about ‘Twilight’s ghost’ haunting the library.”

Twilight Sparkle looked down on her true body. She raised her hoof as if to touch it. She pulled away before making contact. “I… I had no idea I could…”

“It’s just the stress, Twilight,” Luna said. “It will fade, in time.”

Luna drew beside the purple alicorn and placed a small kiss upon her forehead. “For now, sleep deeply.”

Twilight’s eyelids grew heavy as her projection faded, violet magic flowing back into her corporeal form. Luna turned from the sight and strode to the door, where a small, purple-and-green dragon waited.

“Is she gonna be okay?” Spike asked.

“I hope so,” Luna sighed. “She has the facts, now. How she interprets them is up to her.”

The dragon nodded. “Hay, speaking of the facts, why didn’t Princess Celestia want to tell her about this?”

“She has to sleep sometime.” Luna gave him perhaps the noblest cheeky grin he had ever, or would ever, receive. “I’m just helping her out.”

“It just seems kinda weird that she’d have somepony tell the story when they weren’t even there.” Spike yawned and stretched his tail out, blinking owlishly in the darkness. “But I guess that’s the same thing as books, or whatever.”

“Get some sleep.” Luna placed a hoof on his shoulder and guided him to his comfy little basket. “I shall watch you and Twilight both, guiding you on to pleasant dreams.”

Spike allowed himself to be slowly lowered into his bedding. “Still, it’s gotta be kinda different telling a story that you’ve only heard from Princess Celestia, huh?”

“Actually, Spike,” Luna muttered as he drifted off, “I didn’t hear it from her. I heard it from him.”

***

The fire burned mutely in the hearth. Discarded bits of food remained on nearly-untouched plates that sat continually ignored. Beside it all, Blueblood found himself inches away from a delightful smooch with Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Friendship.

That’s when he realized something was critically wrong.

He pushed the princess away with a frown. “No, this isn’t right. You have a special somepony. I can’t just—”

“Oh, why should that stop you?” Blueblood spun towards the fireplace, where a tall unicorn was silhouetted against the flames. “Why should the Twice-crowned Prince of Equestria have to second-guess himself?”

“B-because this is wrong. I’m better than”—Blueblood swallowed hard—“I need to be better than this.”

“But you’re not, are you?” the silhouette asked. “You’re just a petty little failure, riding on the coattails of other ponies’ success.”

Twilight looked from side to side. “Do I get a say in any of this?”

“You can try,” the unicorn said. “But will the prince listen?”

Blueblood sighed. With a wave of his hoof, the figment of Twilight Sparkle vanished into thin air. “There. Lucid dreaming. You’re next, fiendish specter.”

“No,” it replied. “You are next. The next in line to guard Tartarus, a job for which you have absolutely no qualifications. Am I correct?”

Blueblood angled around the silhouette, trying to bring it into sharper focus. The light was too dim for him to make out any details. “The qualifications required are iffy at best, and obscure at worst. I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll be fine as you are surrounded by the most haunting Nightmares? The most disturbed dreams?” The undefined figure tilted its head to the left. “You could not even stop a Terror. How could you face a true demon?”

“We— I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it, won’t I?” Blueblood sneered at the apparition. “Now, get out of my dream, whatever you are.”

The silhouette took a few steps back, putting the fireplace between itself and the prince. It sneered in a perfect mirror to Blueblood’s own expression. “Make me.”

A gray coat, a silvery-blue mane, and crystal blue eyes stood out against the dark room. “Dad?” Blueblood sputtered. “What are you doing inside my head!?”

***

Blueblood woke with a start. A headache formed beneath his horn, prompting him to grab a glass of water from his faucet. As he walked through the halls, he heard muttered grumblings issuing forth from an adjacent study, one that sat across from his own workshop.

He creaked the door open to find his father sitting on a large armchair, nose deep in a geography book. Bluemane’s bespectacled eyes shot up over the edge of the book. “Can I help you?”

“I… I suppose not,” Blueblood said quietly, carefully. “I just assumed that you’d have been asleep by now.”

Bluemane pushed his glasses up and rubbed at his eyes, bloodshot and shadowed from an evident sleep deficiency. “If only. Was there something else?”

Blueblood squinted at his father. “I suppose that depends on what you have to say about Dreamhopping.”

Bluemane shrugged. “I appreciate what Princess Luna does with it. What of it?”

Blueblood shook his head as he eased the door shut. “Nothing. Good night, Father.”

Author's Note

Exposition

I'm kinda nervous that Luna's little monologue was either stilted or droning. Or worse, boring. I certainly spent a lot of time spicing it up...

I'll leave it to you, dear reader, to have an opinion on it.

Rendezvous in the Plural

Machines roared with magical power as they shuffled chunks of green wood and gray metal down the assembly line. Excess energy was blasted out of exhaust ports located near the top of the rattling contraptions, creating a corona of rainbow colors that hung around the ceiling. Ponies in heavy, magic-resistant overcoats observed the ebb and flow of magic, and kept the bits and pieces of product running smoothly.

One press, powered by a hefty dose of hydraulic magic, lowered rubies down to waiting wooden breastplates. A hiss, a pop, and the rubies were fully embedded. Near the end of the line, worksponies lifted emeralds to unfinished heads and tapped them into place, sending just enough earth pony magic into the still-living wood to make it grow around the gems.

One pony snorted and tossed a head, which had faded fully to brown, onto a separate belt. “Dead head!” The head rolled into a furnace, where it was to be heated and compressed into a lump of charcoal.

Wooden planks, carved to the shape of pony limbs, were brought up to the breast plates and connected with bits and pieces of metal. Lightning arched through the air and fused the metal together. Heads were carefully lowered onto the frames by a pegasus worker.

Finally, the whole thing was brought before unicorn artificers. The forepony gave the nod, and one orange-colored stallion tipped his horn to the ruby heart sitting in the mechanical pony’s chest. Both the horn and the gem glowed, and the construct began to rattle in its harness.

The next instant saw the mechanical horse-golem explode in a flash of red and green. The orange pony drew back in surprise as sparks bounced off of his overcoat. He shook his head at the forepony standing on a nearby walkway.

Twilight Sparkle tapped a hoof as she stood beside the forepony, awaiting his response. Said forepony, incidentally named Forepony, rolled the pencil in his mouth from one side to the other. He also nudged his hardhat further up his brow, twitched his brown tail once or twice, and might have even scratched his gray posteriority.

Twilight ignored that last one. She ignored it with vehemence. She gestured to the blueprint the forepony held as subtly as she could. “Sooo…”

“Lemme get dis straight,” the forepony said. “Dese here robits is gonna be put together in dis here factory. Den a pony’s gonna cast dis here spell on ’em tah make ’em falla orders?”

“I think you’ve got the gist of it.” Twilight exhaled loudly through her nose. “So what’s the problem here?”

“Sherbet can’t cast da spell,” Forepony said. “He said he’s tired of it blowin’ up in ’is face alla time.”

“I don’t get it!” Twilight groaned. “The spell is logical enough. He should have no trouble following the steps after it was laid out for him!”

“Dat spell? Whoa, whoa, whoa, sistah.” The forepony waved his hooves. “Da spell is crazy powahful. Crazy intra-kit, too. Alicorn level.”

“Oh, for the love—” Twilight snatched the sheet of paper away from the forepony. “Blueblood cast this spell when he was still a unicorn! He invented it when he was still a unicorn!”

“Do I look like Prince Blueblood tah you?” He shrugged and walked over to the railing surrounding the walkway. “Take it up wit corporate. Dey’s dah ones wit da money tah burn.”

“I’ll burn something, alright,” Twilight seethed quietly.

Spike stood a few feet away, reading a letter that still had a light curtain of smoke hanging around it. He quickly scribbled a reply on the back and blasted it with dragonfire a moment before Twilight caught up with him. “What was that, Spike?”

“A surprise,” he said with a smirk.

Twilight pouted. “It’d better be a good surprise, ’cuz I’m getting a deficiency.”

“It is,” he chuckled. “Trust me.”

Twilight turned back to the forepony, whose attention was on the various magical machines pouring out parts. “Maybe your little surprise’ll be worth all this hassle convincing the forepony I’m not gonna wreck his budge—”

A truly epic shriek blatted out of her as Discord and company suddenly appeared out of thin air. Discord dropped Blueblood and Fancy Pants to the walkway. “Hellooo, Twilight Sparkle! It’s like a friendship reunion!”

Twilight pulled a sour face and looked at Spike. “Was this the surprise?”

Spike shook his head, eyes wide and the tip of his tail occupying his mouth as he made sucking noises.

She circled around as the sound of hooves clacking on the floor got her attention. “Blueblood?”

He nodded and smiled. “I thought it prudent to at least be here to inaugurate our first collaboration.” He raised an eyebrow at a certain draconequus. “Discord’s mostly to thank.”

“I totally am,” Discord preened.

Twilight gave a brief snicker. “Well, I am thankful for the moral support, at least. Thanks for coming.”

“Moral support?” Blueblood asked.

“Yeah,” Twilight said. “Maybe you can talk some sense into these guys. They’re holding up the whole operation because they can’t cast the spell you invented.”

Blueblood noted the ruined pony-golem being carted away covered in soot and pixie dust. “Fair enough. May I get a peek at what they’re up to?”

The forepony nodded. “Yeah, sure. Tinseltoe! Get dis guy an ova-coat an’ some safety glasses!”

Blueblood suited up and climbed down to the workshop, while the others remained on the walkway. Blueblood likened his safety glasses more to a mad scientist’s goggles, the way their rounded lenses were outlined by hefty metallic rims.

“May I see a completed frame?” he asked Sherbet.

The orange pony nodded and waved to the pegasus overhead. “Bring in the next one, Lazilee!”

The construct was brought forward. Blueblood orbited it, touching the legs, tail, and head. “Does anypony have some sort of magnifying glass?”

The instrument produced, the prince looked carefully at the gemstones and the metallic connectors adorning the golem. A flash of magic detached the ruby heart. “I believe I found the problem.”

He handed the gem to Sherbet, who raised a dubious eyebrow. “This gem is too small,” Blueblood explained. “At the rate you’re feeding power into the ruby, it’s getting overloaded before it can transfer the spell to the rest of the robot. Either get bigger gemstones or cast the spell slower.”

Sherbet lowered his horn to the robot and tried again, this time with much more positive results. It rattled to life, its emerald eyes glowing green.

“Top hole, old boy!” Fancy Pants yelped. “That’s the ticket!”

Blueblood flashed a winning grin at the walkway. Twilight leaned on the railing with a deflating sigh and returned the smile.

“Hardhats are really marvelous things!” Discord said. He adjusted a yellow cap on his head so that it tilted at just the right jaunty angle. “I think every pony should wear them!”

“Your grasp of fashion is startlingly nil,” Fancy Pants mumbled. He put Discord out of sight and out of mind and brought Blueblood, Twilight, and Spike to the fore. “Would you care to accompany me to dinner? I feel as though it would be a wonderful finisher for the day.”

Discord floated down to rest on Fancy Pant’s back. “Oh, I could never say no to you, Trippy.”

Fancy’s monocle dropped from his eye. “Yes. And Discord. Lovely.”

“That sounds nice.” Twilight closed her eyes and nodded. “Where did you have in mind?”

Spike tugged on Fancy Pant’s shirt sleeve, prompting the unicorn to duck down. The dragon whispered in his ear, to which he nodded in agreement. Spike leaped onto Twilight’s back with a grin.

“Perhaps a trip to the Canterlot branch of the Silver Spoon restaurant?” Fancy asked. “I hear their soup is delightful.”

Blueblood and Twilight shrugged. She turned to her draconic companion. “Is this part of the surprise?”

“Maaaybe…” Spike chuckled.

“Alrighty then.” Discord lifted his talon. “We’ll be there in a sna—”

“I would prefer to walk, if you don’t mind,” Fancy interrupted as he set forth. “All this teleporting can’t be good for the digestion.”

Discord blinked each eye individually. “You’re a funkiller. A living, breathing funkiller.”

Twilight drew alongside Blueblood as they walked. “So what made you want to come to the… ‘inauguration,’ you called it? I thought you had something to do.”

“If you call, ‘mope around the castle’ something to do.” Blueblood exhaled through his nose. “To be perfectly honest, Twilight, I was planning on avoiding everypony until the party.”

Twilight’s eyebrows peaked, accompanying her small frown.

“I know, I know,” he said. “That’s not the friendly thing to do.” He craned his neck and rolled his shoulders. “I was fearful, or prideful, or any one of my number of personal faults. I wanted to be left alone.”

“You’re not going to get out of depression that way,” Twilight whispered gently. Spike reclined on her back and gave an enthusiastic series of nods. “You’re a social pony, Blueblood.”

“Indeed,” he replied. “I guess you could say that Discord and Fancy Pants tried made me realize that time is precious, and it worked to a degree. I want to spend the last few days with…” A half-smile formed. “With the ponies I care abou—”

Spike suddenly sat up. “Hey, Twilight! There’s somepony here who wants to see you!”

Blueblood bit his lower lip morosely. “Today seems to be the day for interruptions.”

“You’re telling me?” Twilight turned to Spike with a roll of her eyes. “Who is it?”

Spike pointed with a tight, cheeky smirk. Twilight looked down his line of sight and gasped out, “Flash Sentry! You’re here!”

Spike bailed out just in time to avoid being flung to the ground. Flash laughed as Twilight leaped at him. The orange-and-blue pegasus guard returned her embrace with a grin. “Hi, Twilight. Long time no see!”

Blueblood felt his heart get stuck in his throat.

“You’re awfully sneaky, you know that?” Twilight giggled. “Clandestine messages with my number one assistant?”

“Just a little note passing,” Flash said. “Spike told me you were having a bit of a rough day, so I decided to fly all the way over from the Crystal Empire to see you.”

“Liar!” Twilight batted his shoulder with her wing. “You came into town for Blueblood’s party a few days early, didn’t you?”

“Maybe…” He looked over her shoulder at the paper she held in her wing. “So, what’s all the trouble about?”

Blueblood sidled up to them and attempted to smile helpfully. “The chaps down at the factory thought the spell was too complex for their artificers to learn. Turned out to be a hardware problem.”

“How bogus is that!?” Twilight hovered the sheet before Flash’s eyes. “Does that look too complex to you!?”

Flash’s eyes crossed at the assembled facts and figures. “Uhh… No?”

Twilight huffed steam through her nostrils. “Exactly!”

Discord slipped up to the door and held it open. “Just a little thing to show that Chivalry isn’t dead.”

As Fancy Pants passed by, the courteous draconequus whispered in his ear. “Ladies first.” Fancy was only able to respond with intense blathering.

After they sat at the table, small talk ensued. The type that friends engage in when there is a lack of current events that have either not been covered thoroughly, or have been labeled as unsuitable for comment. The type that would undoubtedly become a thousand words of filler in any story it appeared in.

Suffice it to say that the subject of Blueblood’s oath didn’t come up and, yes, Flash Sentry is still in Princess Cadence’s personal guard. Fancy Pants pointedly ignored everything that came out of Discord’s mouth, including the splattered food. Spike sat between Twilight and Blueblood, quietly eating his sapphire salad and giggling occasionally at Discord’s antics.

It was a much later time that found everypony sated and ready to head home after a long day. Blueblood looked up as Luna raised the moon to the chorus of a million stars shining forth. He gestured to Spike. “Hope on, I’ll walk you to the castle.”

He saw Twilight kissing Flash Sentry out of the corner of his eye, and decided it best to begin his walk in the immediate.

Twilight’s ears perked up at the sound of his hooves on cobblestone. She took a step back from Flash and gave him a blushing smile. “Sorry, I’ll be right back.”

She came up beside Blueblood, matching his pace. “So, I just recalled that you wanted to talk to me about something.”

Blueblood slowed with a purse of his lips. “I just wanted to be there. To help if I could.”

“Really?” Twilight asked, her smile brightening the dim outdoors.

Blueblood nodded, his smile lopsided yet sincere.

“Thank you.” Twilight hugged him; a quick, warm hug. “You guys have a good night.”

She trotted back to Flash, though her smile didn’t follow. The pegasus stallion’s eyebrows knitted together. “What’s wrong, Twilight?”

“This whole situation with Blueblood,” Twilight said. “It’s irking me like you wouldn’t believe. Oaths just don’t work that way. They’ve never worked that way. There is something seriously wrong, and I wanna get to the bottom of it.”

Flash sighed and wrapped his forelegs around her. “Have you thought that maybe it has to be this way? I mean, somepony has to be in charge of Tartarus.”

“Blueblood doesn’t want to be the warden.” Twilight’s wings opened to punctuate every sentence. “He doesn’t have the skills or the desire. He’s completely wrong for the job! None of it makes a lick of sense. There’s something I missed, and by golly I’m gonna get it.”

“I think,” Flash interrupted, “you need to relax a bit. Sort of like, shall we say, a walk around the royal garden?”

She pouted, but Flash coaxed her on with an extended wing. “It’ll be fine, Twilight. It’s a duty that needs to be done, and he’ll grow into it.” He walked forwards, a still-reluctant Twilight moving slowly beside him. “Duty comes first, after all.”

Twilight didn’t kiss him much after that.

The moon shone through the crack in the curtains of Twilight Sparkle’s Canterlot suite, casting a faint silvery glow upon everything within. While quite pretty, it wasn’t lending itself to any real amount of rest. Especially with everything that was on her mind. She rustled around in her bed, still unable to find a comfortable position.

With a huff, she sat up and adjusted her covers for the twentieth time that night. Satisfied that each corner was at a right angle, she let herself fall back into her pillow.

Floating above her bed was Discord in all of his mismatched glory.

With a screech of alarm, she encased him in a bubble of purpleish magic and flung him across the room. He landed against the wall and slumped to the floor. He shook his head with an audible “yaggidy-yaggidy-yaggidy” and tipped his head politely. “Good evening to you, too.”

With her eyebrows level, she parted her lips in an inaccurate parody of a smile. “Will there be any more artificial stress-raisers today, or have you fulfilled your quota?”

“Twilight Snarkle, have we had an opportunity to talk recently?” Discord asked, leaping across the room with startling speed. He sat cross-legged upon the foot of the bed. “I didn’t exactly want to interrupt your romantic rendezvous in the garden with Sir Orange. Notice how very tactful I’m being these days?”

“Ah hah. Can it wait, Discord?” she asked. “I’m currently in the middle of plotting your imminent demise.”

“Such a strange friendship we have,” he chuckled. “Built around mutual respect and animosity.”

Twilight crossed her forelegs. “Is there a point to this intrusion? On my privacy!?”

Discord held his talon in the moonlight, where the nails glinted brightly. “Everything I do has a point, little friend of friends. It’s just that the point is, more often than not, chaos. But today is a special day.” He bared his teeth in an utterly terrifying predator’s grin. “I wanna help Blueblood.”

“You and me both, brother.” Twilight bunched the blanket up under her front hooves. “But I’m not too sure you’re the pony for the job.”

“Well of course not,” he scoffed. “I’m not a pony.”

He swirled around and scooted himself beside her. Wrapping one arm around her, he held the other palm-out. “Take yourself back with me to the days of old, when I first released myself from that awful stone prison the princesses insisted on! Remember that morning?”

Twilight sighed. “The fields and fields of popcorn were kinda hard to forget.”

“Good times.” Discord placed his talon and paw on her shoulders. “I personally recall that astonishing spell you used that morning. Do you remember?”

“The…” Twilight’s face scrunched up. “The failsafe spell? But it didn’t work against your magic.”

“Well, of course not!” Discord placed his paw on his chest. “My power is both phenomenal and cosmic!” He brought out a sheet of paper with Twilight’s cutie mark sitting on it. “But imagine, just imagine for a moment, your power”—Discord’s head suddenly ripped through the page—“coupled with mine!”

“But… but if failsafe spells shut down magic activity…” She shook her head. “That’s far too powerful a spell. If amplified, we have no idea the range or effect such a… such a bomb of a spell could have on the environment or the ponies therein.”

“But a spell that powerful…” Discord slithered back to the end of the bed. “Well, perhaps it could undo any sort of magically-binding oath Blueblood is under. Meaning we could find a pony suitable for the job, and give our favorite prince a little taste of freedom.”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed. “You’re awfully slimy for a reformed draconequus.”

“Flatterer,” Discord said. “It’s only an option that maybe, maybe, maybe could help our mutual friend. Go ahead. Consider it. The choice is yours.”

He rolled backwards off of the bed and bounced into the air. He shot her a final smirk. “I notice that you haven’t exactly said ‘no’ yet.”

Twilight allowed herself a sneer. “Maybe it’s too stupid an idea to give an answer to.”

His smirk remained. “Maybe it’s just stupid enough an idea to work.”

Author's Note

Do you know how many times I had to edit Discord's "Sir Orange" line before it stopped sounding dirty? Lots. Lots and lots.

Boot the Messenger

“Oh, calm down, you little imp,” Luna said. “You brought this upon yourself.”

Hanging from a magical thread was what looked very much like a bunny. Kinda. It was shaped like a bunny, and had the legs, ears, and teeth of one. The difference here was that this one looked like it was crafted from a fresh, purplish-bluish-brownish-blackish hairball.

There were also the glowing red eyes to account for.

The demonic bunny growled at Luna from its helpless position. Luna tsked. “Be glad that you chose to surrender, Bête Noire. It will be a far more pleasant stay in Tartarus because of it.”

She trotted towards the gates of the magic prison, a smile quirking its way to her mouth. “I admit that I found a great deal less trouble dealing with you than the other Nightmares. The last three have required a thorough thrashing to subdue.” She lifted the Bête Noire to eye-level. “Don’t think that I didn’t contemplate thrashing you regardless, considering your target.”

She whistled for Cerberus and took a seat on a nearby rock. “Giving nightmares to children. You art truly scum.”

The legendary three-headed dog came bounding in, all three tongues lolling out. Luna magicked a cloud of treats through the air towards the dog. “Sit, Cerberus! Good boy!”

A moment passed in which all was well for the dog. A full mouth, a warm hoof rubbing its belly, and a Nightmare within plain sight. Certainly not one hiding off in the shadows, where the nearsighted pup would have to sniff it out.

One of the heads lifted, despite the pure and utter delight of Belly Rubs. Its nostrils twitched.

“Is something wrong, Boy?” Luna asked. She wrapped the Bête Noire in tighter threads of magic and set it aside. “What is it?”

Cerberus lumbered off, climbing over rocks and sniffing in the crags. He barked loudly, hoping that the heart-stopping noise would incite the hidden monster to flight. They were much easier to catch when they were running.

Luna took to the sky and lit her horn, her eyes darting every which way for some sign of the threat. “You have been found out, Nightmare! Cerberus’ noses cannot be fooled! Face your end, foul creature! Face me!”

The Bête Noire sat dejectedly upon the forgotten rock, pouting with its grimy little lips. It twitched a gnarled ear, noting that at least it would have a cell mate. The princesses tended to group captured Nightmares together based on who was recovered on which night.

Its thoughts dropped away as it was yanked backwards by a smoky tendril. It tried to cry out with its little not-a-bunny vocal chords, but was shushed by the very same tendril that had done the yanking. The Bête’s glowing eyes widened as they recognized the dark cloud looming overhead.

“Shut up,” the shadow said. “Remember me?”

The Bête Noire nodded frantically, its eyes pleading.

“No, I’m not here to break you out.” Three glowing openings appeared in the cloud, two of which appeared to be glaring. “Not yet. I just want you to tell Scorpan that we need as many Nightmares to sneak out as we can get. Got that?”

The nightmarish little critter tilted its head inquisitively.

“The less of the plan you know, the better.” The shadow placed the bunny back on the rock. “Let’s just say I know how to fix this whole ‘Tartarus’ issue you’re having.”

“Good boy, Cerberus!” Luna’s bellowing voice could be heard coming from some small amount of distance around the mountain. “That’ll show that little Night Terror what for!”

The dark cloud peeked over the rock to see Luna trotting back with a very-pleased-with-himself three-headed dog carrying a tattered, unresponsive Nightmare. “Got to go.”

The Bête Noire squeaked, prompting the cloud to give a sigh. “Just tell Scorpan that Shadowfright sent you.”

Another chitter, another sigh. “Fine. Fine! Go ahead and say ‘Larry sent me!’ See if I care!”

The bunny would have spoken further, but the shadow was gone, and the princess was nigh. She scratched Cerberus behind the ears. “Alright, spit it out. You’ve had your fun.”

The dog made as if to do just that, but barked in surprise when the released Nightmare dissipated into nothingness. Luna gasped. “What sorcery!?”

The Bête Noire likewise shrieked in surprise. Luna glared at it suspiciously. “Didst you also have something to do with this, child-frightener?”

It shook its head with great vehemence. “Give Us none of your lies,” Princess Luna snorted. “Your attempted escape has already failed, creature of darkness!”

The Bête sighed as it was hoisted and dragged into Tartarus; it was gonna be a long night.

One of a Million

Lyra Heartstrings sat on a bench, strumming away at her lyre. The Princess of Melodies was in the midst of writing her latest and, indeed, her greatest piece yet. It would move thousands! It would be recorded in the annals as one of the great inspirations of their age! It would be sung in hallowed halls for untold millennia!

Now if only she could get the third note to sound right.

She glared at her lyre, that stringed instrument that always seemed to have a mind of its own. “Fie on that mind,” she mumbled. “What gives it the right to go against my wishes? What gives it the right to say “neigh” to my expert tunes? What gives it the right to break a string so early in the morning?”

She fished inside a nearby saddlebag for a replacement string. “Fie upon your entire house, tiny lyre!”

The sunny park seemed to hold no sway on her demeanor. Despite the children playing in the fields, the birds bathing in the fountain, and the old geezers losing at chess, she found her frown eternal. She pursed her lips and considered the cause of her mood.

“Hi, Lyra!”

“Gasparkle!” Lyra shouted, throwing her hooves over her head and tumbling from the bench. She bugged an eye out at the pony that had caused her downfall. “Redheart! You know better than to distract me when I’m in the middle of the deep ponderings of the universe!”

Redheart ruffled her wings and sat at the edge of the stone path. “Really? And what great ponderings were you pondering this time?”

A disobedient lyre floated before her vision, encased in an amber glow. “What indeed, Nurse Redheart?” Lyra asked. “What is there to ponder but the undying question of just why my stupid lyre keeps snapping strings!?”

Redheart blinked. Her mouth quirked upwards. “You know, I’ve often thought that myself.”

“Can it, I’m the one with the quips around here,” Lyra said. “It’s possible that I just bought an inferior brand this time.” She sniffed through her frown. “I shall never trust my precious lyre with Jellybear’s Threadbare Threads (and Other String Products) again.”

Redheart cocked a brow in the infancy of a disbelieving gaze. “So now it’s your precious lyre…”

“Quit trying to make sense of my ramblings!” Lyra gathered her various papers and instruments and placed them back in her bag. “That way lies only madness and gnashing of teeth.”

She shouldered her burden and tilted her head upwards. “Well, you coming?”

“I sure hope so,” Redheart giggled. “I might get lost between all the deep ponderings being pondered.”

“Beware the ponderance”—Lyra held up a hoof as she walked down the path—“lest ye be led astray by my train of thought!”

Redheart fell into step beside Lyra. “So what’s got you channeling Princess Luna today?”

The mint mare opened her mouth to speak, thought better of it, then spoke anyway. “I had a nightmare last night.”

Redheart’s head dipped down. “Just a bad dream, or…?”

“I dunno.” Lyra’s brow furrowed. “I was, like, standing in the middle of this open space. No sky, no ground, just white space. And I was surrounded.” She grimaced and bit her lower lip. “Surrounded by a thousand… Lyra Heartstrings. A thousand mes.”

“What were they doing?” Redheart asked.

“Staring.” Lyra shook her head. “Just staring at me. Glaring, really. Like they didn’t like me or something. Real eerie.”

Redheart nodded. “And Princess Luna showed up to disperse the dream?”

“Yeah, but not until it was practically over.” Lyra laughed humorlessly. “It was like all of the Not-Lyras turned their heads at once and vanished just before her royal loudness appeared. She looked around for something, but I guess she didn’t find whatever it was. She turned to me all confused.”

Lyra bugged her eyes and opened her mouth wide. “‘Wither goeth the nightmare, peasent!? Verily, forsooth, and whatnot!’” She snickered. “Then she gave me that real corny line. Remember it?”

“‘You must face your fears?’” Redheart said with a wry smile.

“The one and the same!” Lyra rolled her eyes. “She’s been eating out of that same old feedbag ever since she returned from her banishment, you know that?”

Redheart’s eyes went to the stone path. “I think she’s pushing that so hard because she knows that’s what got her in trouble. She doesn’t want any of us to make the same mistake.”

Lyra shrugged. “Yeah…” she mumbled.

She brightened up in the next second. “Good thing for us there’s plenty more mistakes to be made! What’s on the screw-up agenda for today, Princess of Hospice?”

“Well”—Redheart pulled a sheet of paper out of her saddlebags, stamped with the royal seal of the House of Blueblood—“since the party’s Friday, we’ve only got a couple of days to get a party dress.”

“Oh, party dress.” Lyra bobbed along, her ears perked towards Redheart. “For who?”

“For you.” Redheart tapped the invitation on the end of Lyra’s nose. “And for me. We wanna look our best for all the prissy ponies in Canterlot, don’t we?”

“Or do we?” Lyra asked, placing a hoof on her chin. “What if we showed up at the party dressed as hobos, offering a single rose in exchange for shelter from the cold?”

Redheart looked at the blue sky. “It’s spring.”

“Then, when the stuffy royals refused us assistance…” A wicked grin split across Lyra’s face. “Boom! Two alicorn princesses burst out of the rags and lay a curse on—”

“Lyra!” Redheart stepped in front of her friend, planting her hooves firmly on the path. “The fairy tale reference is cute and all, but I don’t think it’d be too funny to pretend to lay a curse on anypony. I’m drawing the line at curses.”

Lyra’s ears drooped. “Sorry, Red. I didn’t mean anything.”

Redheart gave her friend a crooked smile. “Hay, I know. I know.” She looped a foreleg around Lyra’s shoulders. “Maybe I’m just touchier about the subject than other ponies.”

“Nah, nah, you’re right.” The mint green princess nuzzled her back as they entered town. “Curse jokes probably rate right up around Sombra jokes, don’t they?”

“On a scale of one-to-yuck?” Redheart chuckled. “Probably.”

Lyra ducked her head as they passed through the town square, apparently focused on the sheen of her own hooves. Redheart pursed her lips. “Is something wrong?”

“Look, I know this is probably silly, but…” Lyra turned her head left and right. Noting that there was nopony within earshot, she spoke. “It’s just; I’m a little creeped out knowing that there’s a changeling living in the middle of Ponyville.”

Redheart exhaled slowly through her nose. “You don’t need to worry about Mandable, he’s not exactly the most sinister of changelings.”

“Look, I can’t help it. I’m freaking out every time I go into town.” They neared Carousel Boutique. Lyra put forth a hoof to push the business’ door open. “I think I’m developing a real phobia. It’s like I expect a changeling to appear around every corner—”

Lyra’s sentence slowed to a dead stop as she met the multifaceted eyes of the exact changeling in question.

Her grimace was epic, discoloring her entire face with bad feelings and sheer terror. Her mouth opened to just under a half-inch wide, emitting a tiny cry of despair.

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique,” Mandible droned.

“Mandible!” a silvery voice called from the next room, “we did agree on a specific way to greet the customers!”

Mandible coughed and started again, this time his voice a perfect match for the proprietor of the boutique. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique, and magnifique!”

As Redheart’s jaw dropped, he switched back to his original dull tone. “Can I help Your Highnesses with something?”

“Oh, uh…” Redheart placed a hoof on the poleaxed Lyra’s back. “Mandible! I didn’t know you worked for Lady Rarity.”

The changeling shrugged. “Not much chance elsewhere, after that whole Canterlot Wedding Incident.”

Lyra coughed. It was a wheezy, raspy cough.

Redheart got behind her and pushed her forward. “Lyra, why don’t you go say hello to Rarity? Get started brainstorming ideas for the dress! That’s a girl!”

Lyra tottered dumbly off, leaving Redheart alone with the changeling.

“Sorry about that,” she told Mandible. “She had a couple of…” She closed her eyes. “Really bad experiences. With changelings.”

His buggish eyes widened. “Oh. Oh, I remember her!”

Redheart’s eyes, by contrast, narrowed. “Oh?”

“Oh…” Mandible grinned sheepishly, which despite his submissive posture remained just the least bit terrifying in light of his glistening fangs. “I was there when Qu— When Chrysalis leashed her.” At Redheart’s questioning eyebrow, he clarified. “Brainwashed her.”

He looked towards the room she had disappeared into. “By ‘a couple’ you meant, like, more than one, right? What was the other ‘experience’?”

“I’d rather not gossip, if you don’t mind,” Redheart said. “‘Loose lips,’ if you get what I mean.”

Mandible smirked ruefully and saluted. “Fine. This ship be sailing shipshape. Arr!”

Redheart trotted past him and into Rarity’s “inspiration room,” a mess of cloth and various other sewing products that always seemed to spark the unicorn fashionista on to bigger and better things. Rarity herself was content to talk Lyra’s inert ears off even as she doodled and crimped.

“And you can imagine my surprise when I found out Hoity Toity was arrested for breaking a prisoner out of jail, of all things. Honestly, you think you know a pony, and then they go and do something utterly bonkers! I hope they caught whatever ruffian he felt the need to liberate as well, I’d hate to know that a dangerous criminal was slithering and slunking his way across Equestria. But that’s besides my point; you really should meet my new beau. He is an absolute charmer, one of a kind!”

She leaned conspiratorially to the unhearing Lyra. “Between you, me, and the sewing machine, he’s not all that bad to look at, either. He’s a fashion designer as well, and a darned good one at that. His ensembles are”—Rarity giggled under her hoof—“quite daring.”

Redheart frowned at the exposition. She glanced at Mandible, who gave her a shrug. “Don’t look at me, I ain’t even met the guy. Dark Shadow Lightning, or something like that.”

“That’s a unique name,” Redheart mumbled. “Hello, Lady Rarity, how are you?”

“Princess Redheart!” Rarity spun with sparkles in her eyes and her mane all a shimmer. “To what do I owe the pleasure of both your companies?”

“Commissioning a couple of dresses for a big Canterlot shindig.” Redheart grasped Lyra’s tail and dragged her back a few steps. “I, personally, knew that I needed to come to the best to get the best.”

Rarity laughed as she set her small, red reading glasses on a nearby desk. “Flatterer! Although I must complement your taste.” She looked Redheart up and down, nodding occasionally. “Though perhaps you will not find it with me. Have you heard of the up-and-coming fashion designer Dark Shadow Lightning?”

“I can’t say I’m too knowledgeable about the fashion scene, ma’am,” Redheart said. “I’ve only just heard about your coltfriend today.”

“Ah, so you overheard my little spiel, then?” Rarity motioned for her to follow. They walked into the foyer, where a few crisp magazines lay on a table. “Well, that saves me the trouble of explaining these little majesties.”

Redheart balked at the outfit on the magazine cover. “Well, the shoulder spikes do give it a certain… impressiveness… But I just want something nice. Something in your flowing, flowery style.”

“Something that doesn’t look like it came off of Sombra’s coat rack,” Lyra croaked. She sat in a chair beside the magazine table, her eyes bleary.

“I’m glad you’re back in the land of the living,” Redheart muttered out of the corner of her mouth, “but remember our little talk about jokes in bad taste?”

“Well, I suppose I can see your point,” Rarity sighed. She placed the magazine back on the table and walked over to the changing rooms. She passed a small portrait on the way, which she planted a tiny kiss upon. “Although, I can’t say I ever saw Sombra up close and personal.”

Lyra shrugged as she looked at the picture. She sat forward suddenly, her attention fully focused on the image between the frames. “Red, is that a pic of…”

The portrait was of a unicorn stallion, or perhaps an alicorn. His coat was gray, and his mane was deepest black. His eyes glowed red and green, leaking twin clouds of dark magical energy. Perhaps the most striking feature, however, was his curved, red-tipped horn.

Redheart and Lyra looked at each other for a long moment.

“Naaah!”

Redheart stood upon the rotating platform, the makings of a dress pinned all around her. She smiled at Lyra, who was busy nursing a cup of soothing chamomile. “How does it look?”

Lyra smiled. “Like a million bucks, give or take.”

Rarity chuckled through the pins in her mouth. “I’ll remember that figure when I’m putting your dress together, Your Highness.”

“Let’s not be too hasty.” Lyra waved her forehooves. “Just ’cause I’m a princess doesn’t make me rich.”

“I’ve been wondering what the point of making us royalty was, actually.” Redheart stiffened as Rarity wrapped fabric around a sensitive spot, tickling her. “Yee… I mean, we don’t actually hold an office.”

Lyra nodded sagely. “Or status.”

“Or fame,” Redheart added.

“Speak for yourself, Red.” Lyra levitated her lyre out of her bag and strummed. “A thousand records sold in Manehatten alone can’t be all bad.”

Rarity skillfully slipped a pin through a few pieces of cloth, narrowly avoiding pricking Redheart’s bum. “Hmm, I did so much enjoy your Ode to the Phoenix,” the fashionista said. “Very moving.”

Lyra raised an eyebrow and gave Redheart a smirk. “Fanbase confirmed.”

Rarity took a step back to gauge her work. “There, that’s coming along swimmingly.” She gave Redheart a winning smile. “Now, might I inquire as to the nature of this ‘shindig’?”

“Blueblood’s going-away party,” Lyra piped up as she plucked strings. “Heard about it?”

Rarity took a controlled breath. “I can’t say I keep up with the prince’s social life much, no.”

Redheart’s ears, mouth, and shoulders drooped. “He’s going away. Very, very far away.”

Rarity frowned at the nurse’s reaction. She placed a hoof on Redheart’s shoulder. “Well… Well, give him my well-wishes, would you? When you see him?”

“Yeah.” Redheart shot her a lopsided grin. “I’ll do that.”

Lyra stood and stretched. “Okay, I’m almost loosened up. Mind if I get another cuppa?”

Rarity’s eyebrows were a flat line. “Cuppa?”

“Tea.” Lyra cantered out of the room, trailing her empty teacup behind her. “Thanks!”

“B-but dear!” Rarity huffed as the mint unicorn disappeared from sight. “I suppose we’ll find her catatonic once she sees who’s in the kitchen.”

Lyra slid through the door, balancing her teacup telekinetically on her horn. She walked over to the stove where the teakettle sat, gently letting steam rise. Noticing something out of the corner of her eye, she turned her head to find herself face-to-face with herself.

The teacup dropped as she let out a shriek. She reared back from herself, finding that the other her also reared in response. It was a moment later that she realized it was merely her own reflection in a vanity mirror. “Wasn’t that scared anyway.”

She gratefully took the dropped teacup from a ready black hoof and trotted over to the teakettle. She paused and blinked a full three times.

She poured herself a cup of chamomile, blew the steam off of the top, and then proceeded to rapidly drink down the contents of the kettle. She spun to the owner of the black hoof with a Cheshire grin upon her face, her eyes only just this side of glassy.

Mandible looked down and tapped a holey hoof on the ground. “Rarity would’ve been mad if a teacup broke. Sorry if I broke your head instead.”

Lyra’s grin fell, and she slumped limply to the ground. “Why.”

He tilted his head to the side, one eye squinting. “Wha—?”

Lyra looked up at him, her eyes heavy. “You’re pathetic. Why do you freak me out so much?”

“Well, excuse me, Princess!” Mandible scoffed. “So sorry for not being as terrifying as you’ve obviously come to expect.”

He winced and clapped his chitinous hooves over his mouth. “Dangit. Sorry.”

Lyra shook her head, snickering lightly. “Huh. So that’s what it feels like.” Her eyes drifted apart as she wobbled. “Whoa. I am so darned relaxed right now.”

Mandible rushed forward and caught the collapsing mare before she hit her head on the floor. “Heh. Today’s my day for catching things!”

He sat there a moment before realizing that there was no way he was going to be able to lift the alicorn princess. “Dangit.”

Lyra stared at her duplicates. Her duplicates glared at her. She stuck her tongue out, but they did not react. “Okay, you can stop being creepy, now!”

She grimaced at the line of perturbing faces. “You all are making it really hard to be a narcissist, you know that? You are ruining my self-image!”

She closed her eyes and smiled smugly. “Okay, I’ll just wake up and deprive you loonies of your fun. Buh-bye, now. Buh-bye!”

From the farthest corners of her mind, a whisper drifted across her ear. “Murderer.”

She opened her eyes with a start. “Huh!?”

“I said ‘watch the ear!’” Redheart repeated as Lyra awoke.

Lyra noticed that she had reached out in her sleep and grabbed a hold of the nurse’s new earring. She let go with a sheepish grin.

“Oh, dear,” Rarity murmured. “I do think I made the tea a little strong.”

“Nah, I just haven’t sl…” Lyra shook her head to clear the cobwebs. “Sorry about that. Got a little crazy.”

Rarity tilted her head in concern. “Are you ready to begin your own outfit, darling?”

Lyra nodded, and Redheart slowly led her onto the dais.

Author's Note

Don't worry, Dark Shadow Lightning is not a terrible, Marty Stu OC. He is, rather, an existing character under an assumed name. You can get a full look at exactly who or what he is in the Side-Story: Badguy Ascension; or, An Alicorn's Crime of Fashion.

Be warned, tis a silly story.

Get Lost

“This ain’t gonna work,” Braeburn Apple mumbled. He yanked at the edges of his tuxedo in an effort to join the buttons together.

“Come on, we can make it work!” Pinkie Pie took one of the buttons in her teeth and pulled as hard as she could. “Aw we gorra oo ish pu a yil effrr in ih!”

Braeburn sighed in dismay as the button came loose and his wife tumbled back head-over-tail. “Ah’ll get the sewin’ kit.”

Pinkie’s fluffy mane stuck out everywhere as she bounced back to her feet. “You know, this wouldn’t have happened if you’d gotten your tux at Rarity’s boutique.”

He pulled out a spool of thread and managed to prick himself with the needle. “Yip! Daw, c’mon Pinks, you know Lemon needs the business. She’s really hurtin’ down in Appleloosa.”

She passed him his button alongside a peck on the lips. “I think I can guess whyyy!”

Braeburn grinned ruefully as he gripped the needle in his teeth. Pinkie tilted her head to the side, letting loose a small “hmm” of bemusement. “Hay, Honey? How come you’re not using your magic?”

“Force o’ habit.” He nicked the thread with his teeth, the button having been painstakingly reattached to his tux. “Can ah ask yah a weird question?”

She draped her front half over his back and brought her muzzle up beside his ear. “Shoot.”

He fought down the smile that assailed his face. “What do yah dream about?”

Pinkie smiled. “You mean like, ‘what do I want outta life,’ or ‘what do I get after eating pizza too late?’”

“Ah like tah think ah know somethin’ about the first one,” he chuckled. “Ah’m curious about yer night dreams. Any weird ones lately?”

“Well…” She tapped a hoof on her lips. “There’s this really bizarre one where I was married to an alicorn prince, and it wasn’t the weirdest thing that ever happen to me.”

He smirked. “What was?”

“A little episode with cotton candy clouds and chocolate rain.” She stared into the middle distance, which may have had the good sense not to stare back. “The girls and I try not to speak of it too often.”

His grin widened. “Some stay dry…”

“Yeah, yeah.” She shrugged and lowered herself from his back. “I don’t think I’ve had any real sugar-induced fever dreams lately. Sorry, Honeybunches.”

Pinkie placed her hoof under his chin, stopping him from trotting back to the mirror. “Why? What’s got you thinking about it?”

“Ah don’t know if ah’d call it a sugar-induced fever dream”—he grasped his hat off the rack and placed it atop his smoothed-over mane—“but it’s recurrin’.”

Pinkie slipped her dress over her shoulders and got caught halfway. She peered through the neck hole. “What happens?”

He tugged at the back of her dress quite a bit more gently than she tugged his button. “Well, it’s real strange. You ever known me tah get lost?”

“Yeah, no, that doesn’t happen.” Her mane popped through the opening, but her head had yet to follow. “I always figured that you had a compass stashed under your hat.”

“Well, in mah dream, ah got no idea where ah’m at.” He slid her mane curl-by-curl through her dress, eventually uncovering the lost treasure that was her blue eyes. “Howdy.”

She passed a hoof through one of the leg holes and nudged him away. She proceeded to wiggle the rest of her body into the dress. “What’s it look like?”

“Just desert. Rocky, lifeless, strange desert.” Braeburn sat against the back of a nearby chair. “Ah don’t recognize any landmarks, ah don’t see any ponies. Ah’m just wanderin’.”

His brow furrowed. “On top o’ that, ah feel the same way when ah wake up. It takes a few minutes before ah remember where ah’m at, or what’s what and whatnot.” His face softened as his eyes met Pinkie’s. “Least, ’less ah’m wakin’ up next tah you. Then it tends tah come back pretty quick-sharp.”

Pinkie flicked her tail at his nose. “Sounds like you need to visit Ponyville more often.”

He shuffled his hooves. “Maybe you need tah visit Appleloosa more often. Maybe.”

Her left ear drooped nearly imperceptibly. “This is kind of a weird setup, isn’t it?”

Braeburn stood, the clatter of hooves filling the room. Pinkie closed her eyes as he embraced her from behind. “Ah know,” he said. “But mah only regret is that this can’t be every day.”

She giggled as he nuzzled behind her ear. “You know, if you need to talk to me about something, you don’t have to perform conversational loop-de-loops. You can just tell it to me straight.”

“Loop-da-loops?” He looked down at her. “Like how?”

“Your whole, ‘Hay, Pinks, ah’m just curious ’bout yer sleep’ spiel.” She patted his cheek. “It’s okay to just say what’s on your mind without any of your beat-around-the-bush, passive stuff.”

“Ah just wanted tah be sensitive tah you,” he said with a pout.

Pinkie let a really, really big smirk take control of her mouth. “I guess it’s alright if your heart was in the right place.”

“Darn tootin’ it was.” Their lips met, lingered, and then parted with a smack.

Pinkie wobbled a bit as she walked towards the door. She grinned over her shoulder. “You ready for tonight’s party?”

He nodded and pushed his hat up a ways. “Born ready.”

Author's Note

I shall call these chapters bite-size, and I shall post them unabashedly.

Boogeymen in the Forest

The name “Everfree” sent chills down the spine of even the most daring pony of Ponyville (a title which was still being contested). A sense of unease hovered over the forest during the day, and the night held nothing but sheer terror to all who knew of it.

A storm collected over the treetops, untamed by pegasi hooves. Howling gales blew indiscriminate of the four winds. Rain poured even where there was nothing to water. Lightning flashed and destroyed good, healthy trees. It was, in every way, wrong.

So, of course, the Nightmares met in the middle of it.

Shadowfright ignored the downpour, despite the huge droplets that zipped through his smoky composition and distorted his ever-swirling shape. His glowing eyes looked around as he awaited the arrival of the others.

He was in the midst of the crumbled courtyard of the ancient Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters, the very castle that was destroyed during Nightmare Moon’s rebellion. Much had changed in the thousand years since then, he mused, not all of it bad.

Lightning flashed as the first Nightmare drifted into view, a Night Terror. Its wispy form fluttered over to Shadowfright. “Why have you called me away from a productive night of fear, Larry?” it asked.

“My name is Shadowfright!” the dark, rolling cloud snapped. “And I’d rather just explain myself once, if you don’t mind.”

A wet plopping sound broke their conversation. Two soaking-wet Bêtes Noire piddled into view, their bunny-esque ears drooping and their glowing red eyes burning. One chattered noisily at Shadowfright.

“Yes, I’m sorry about the weather,” Shadowfright sighed. “No, I’m going to wait until everyone gets here. Eugh… My name is Shadowfright!”

“Hay, Larryfright!” The flapping of leathery wings descended upon them. “Don’t walk away mad.”

The swirling blob of darkness glared up at the new arrival. “Oh, you’re not even trying.”

“Not every villain bent on world-domination needs a spooky name, Larry-boy.” Glowing eyes with slit pupils glared out of the darkness, the glint of fangs accompanying them. “Take it from a pony that knows.”

“You’re hilarious.” The shadowy cloud may have rolled its eyes. It was difficult to tell in the rain. “How the heck did you of all ponies get out of Tartarus?”

“Charity distracted Bluebones.” Hooves clomped against stone as the new arrival walked down from its perch on top of the wall. “It was kinda cute.”

Shadownfright groaned. “What am I going to do with that girl?”

“Give her a break,” the other replied. “Not all of us have had the benefit of flying around the cosmos the past thousand-odd years.”

Shadowfright slid back as the speaker walked into the dim light of the storm. Cloven hooves tapped on the broken ground. Leathery wings clamped tight against smooth flanks as the rain beat down on them. Feathery ears lay back against a dark mane, which looped over one of the cat-like eyes. The hair on her back stood on end as thunder rolled. “Can we take this inside?”

“Not until everyone gets here.” Shadowfright turned away from her and back to the Bêtes Noire. “How long until the others arrive?”

One finished wringing out its ear and grumbled mightily.

“No, I realize that you don’t know everything,” Shadowfright said. “No, I understand that you are not their boss. Never mind.”

The bat pony bent her forelegs and lowered her head to the Nightmare’s level. “Are the natives getting restless?” she asked with a grin.

“Chastity? Shut up!” Shadowfright rose up until he was hovering over her. “Just shut up for a second, will you!? I’m trying to think!”

“Yeah, yeah.” She trotted away from him, shaking her head. “Blah, blah, evil plans. Yadda, yadda, rule the world.”

“We’re not evil,” Shadowfright countered. “We are simply taking what’s ours.”

“Beware,” the Night Terror added quietly, “call him a villain one more time and he’ll throw you in the torture chamber…”

The court yard was silent for a good five seconds. Seemingly without warning, the assembled Nightmares burst out with laughter. Chastity wiped a tear, or maybe a raindrop, out of her eye. “‘Torture chamber.’ Gosh, I forgot how much I missed you guys.”

Shadowfright pursed his “lips,” nodded, and then turned away.

Chastity looked up and saw a few more Night Terrors float into view. A white face flew beside them like a self-propelled mask. “You think we can do it this time?” the bat pony asked. “After all the failures, all the setbacks? After losing our queen?”

“Nightmare Moon’s defeat was a tragedy,” Shadowfright said. “Nightmare Rarity came close, but was unable to truly attain the level of power we needed.” His eyes narrowed as he smiled at Chastity. “We’ve learned, we’ve grown, and now, I have a plan.”

Chastity looked around at the Nightmares gathered around the darkened cloud of shadow. The storm intensified as they all leaned in. “Alright, we’re listening…”

Author's Note

These two chapters are my first of 2014! Happy New Year to all!

Partake of the Party

The party was pretty much perfect, in Blueblood’s mind.

Pinkie Pie had seriously expanded on her party-planning repertoire. Punch awaited on a marvelously-diverse buffet table. Candles lit the ballroom, and music of the distinctly-classic variety played (though he was certain Pinkie had hired Vinyl Scratch just in case). Many friends, acquaintances, and even a couple of ponies he hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting yet had attended.

The most surprising of the aforementioned acquaintances were Lady Rarity and Prince Dark Shadow Lightning, the up-and-coming fashion designing duo. Pinkie must have wanted to give Rarity a little face-time with high society. He had seen pictures of the alicorn prince’s outfits on magazine covers, of course, but he had never met him face-to-face. And Rarity, well, her history with Blueblood was still the stuff of tabloids.

All three hours of it, he mused morosely.

He trotted up to them with two cups of punch floating in his magical grasp. He adjusted his blue bow tie and attempted a smile. “May I treat the two of you?”

Dark Shadow Lightning took a glass and passed it to his date. “Very nice cups. Pure cryyyssstalll…”

Blueblood pursed his lips at the odd pronunciation. “Yes. Thank you.”

Rarity fluttered a fan, her eyes lidded. “We would like to offer our condolences, Prince Blueblood. We are grateful for your noble sacrifice.”

“Thank you.” Blueblood took a steadying breath. “Prince Lightning, may I steal your date for a moment?”

Though every muscle in her body tensed at that moment, Rarity had the good manners not to spit her punch. “May I ask why?”

“I have spent the last couple of weeks tying up loose ends,” Blueblood said. “I feel that there is something left unsaid between us.”

Dark Shadow Lightning rose to his full, impressive height. Blueblood had to hold his head back to avoid staring at the stallion’s chest hair. “If you have something to say to Rarity,” Lightning said, “you shall do so in my presence.”

Rarity cocked an eyebrow at Blueblood, fluttering her fan faster. Blueblood’s mouth twitched. “I can live with that,” he said. “I wanted to privately, sincerely apologize for my behavior at the Grand Galloping Gala some time ago. It was not right, it was not proper, and I should never have forgotten my manners in such a ridiculous way.”

Rarity lowered her fan slowly. “Really? I though you apologized rather publicly during your little robot attack on Canterlot.”

“That wasn’t enough,” he sighed. “At least, not according to a little girl I met… elsewhere.” He smiled sadly. “I admit, this is as much to fulfill a promise to her as to express my regret to you. I wish we had gotten to know each other.” He bowed his head and trotted away.

Dark Shadow Lightning watched him leave with a frown. He looked down at Rarity, who wore a tiny frown of her own. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“I feel… very strange.” She looked up to him. “Perhaps a dance shall help me sort my thoughts?”

He took her hoof in his giant grip. “I think I could provide such distractions.”

Blueblood poured himself a cup of punch. He did not drink it right away, instead taking the opportunity to gaze into its depths. He lifted it to the chandelier, chuckling softly. “Here’s to you, Alma. May you find some other poor soul’s shins to kick.”

“Reminiscing a bit?”

Flash Sentry fluttered down next to Blueblood with a grin. He got himself a plate of hors d’oeuvres, which were piled up a little higher than was proper. “It’s been a while since our little adventure, hasn’t it?”

Blueblood nodded. “An adventure I’ll not soon forget.”

“Me either.” Flash Sentry smiled across the hall. Blueblood followed his gaze to meet Twilight’s arrival to the party. The soldier flashed a wink at Blueblood and lifted himself into the air. “For a few obvious reasons.”

Before he could take off, Twilight teleported between them. She grabbed Flash in a one-legged hug and grinned at Blueblood in a distinctly Cheshire-esque manner. “Great party, huh? Lots of ponies. You should have a walk around, see who you can see! Good things will come, Blueblood, good things will come.”

Blueblood took a step back. “Noted.”

Twilight glanced at the stage, where Discord could be seen arguing with the cellist. She put a hoof on Flash’s cheek and pulled his gaze away from the sight. “Looks like it’s about time for a dance, my fine feathered flight partner. You said you were gonna teach me a dance, remember?”

“Are you feeling alright, Twilight?” Flash all but whispered. “You have that twinkle in your eye…”

“I’m perfectly fine,” Twilight giggled. “Everything is coming together perfectly! Now dance!”

She dragged an apologetic Flash Sentry away from Blueblood, who was only able to watch with bemusement. A lopsided smile crossed his face. “Life is funny, sometimes.”

“You’re telling me?” Spike waddled up in a cute little tuxedo. “So you’re cool with it or something, now?”

Blueblood started. “Cool with what?”

“Don’t treat me like I’m stupid just because I’m only a meter tall.” Spike crossed his arms and lifted a brow. “Twilight. Flash. Mwah, mwah.”

Blueblood grimaced at the dance floor. “Would it change anything if I wasn’t ‘cool’ with it?”

“No,” Spike said with a shake of his head.

“Then I am quite capable of being ‘cool’ with it.” Blueblood passed the baby dragon a cup.

“Great,” Spike said with a glare at the dance floor. “We can be cool together.”

Rarity and Dark Shadow Lightning could be seen twirling gracefully next to a semi-graceful Flash and Twilight. Blueblood’s shoulders drooped. “I’m sorry, Spike.”

“Yeah.” Spike snorted. “The worst part is that I can’t even dislike the guy. He’s perfect!”

Blueblood smirked. “Flash is a good friend.”

“Dark Shadow Lightning designs clothes,” Spike muttered, a smile itching at the edges of his face.

“Flash plays the guitar.”

“Dark can lift a loaded apple cart.”

“Flash can fly at the speed of sound.”

“And worst of all…” Spike giggled.

“Beyond that…” Blueblood chuckled.

“They can dance!” they said together. At that point, the dam broke. They fell against each other, laughing uproariously and disturbing nearby partygoers.

Spike wiped a tear from his eye and shook his head. “I’m gonna miss you, Blueblood.”

“I’ll miss you, too, Spike,” Blueblood laughed. He struggled to keep the smile on his face. “So many friendships, and so little time.”

“We’ll find a way to visit you,” Spike declared. “And I’ll write. I promise.”

“I don’t know if we can send letters to Tartarus,” Blueblood said. “The whole system is magic, you recall.”

“I’ll work it out,” Spike said with a nod. “I’ll figure out a solution if it takes me decades.”

“I hope it doesn’t, for both our sakes.” Blueblood ears perked up as more guests arrived. “Ah, more well-wishers, I presume.”

Spike looked over and rolled his eyes. “Nah, just your dad.”

“Oh,” Blueblood groaned. His father approached with wooden leg thumping. “Do you mind creating a distraction?”

“Anything for you, buddy.” Spike put on his biggest smile available and ran up to the nearing unicorn stallion. “Hay! Mister Bluemane Blueblood! Wanna see how loud I can burp!?”

The older stallion balked. “To be honest, I wanted to talk with my son about—”

Before he could continue, he was interrupted by a loud belch and a gout of green flame. A scroll dropped through the air and bonked Bluemane on the head.

“Something.”

Blueblood trotted through the party, his body shaking with the force of his snicker. He moved towards the ballroom’s doorway, where he could perhaps say hello to a few familiar faces. Three in particular stood out to him; the princesses Lyra Heartstrings, Redheart, and Vinyl Scratch.

Vinyl and Lyra were arguing. Again. Or maybe still.

“I’m telling you,” Lyra said, “she’s playing an octave lower than I wrote for the piece.”

“She’s just fine,” Vinyl countered. “She’s followin’ her own beat.”

“With my song!” Lyra jutted her chin out at Vinyl. “Tell her to play it right.”

“She is so playin’ it right.” Vinyl lowered her horn at Lyra. “You wanna make somethin’ of it?”

Horns crossed as Lyra snorted. “So what if I do?”

“I’m ready to go!”

“You wanna take it outside?”

“I’ll take it outside!”

“Ladies, please!” Blueblood interrupted. “This is neither the time nor the place for a fight!”

They both looked up at him in complete innocence. “Oh hey, Blueblood,” Lyra said. “Nice party.”

Vinyl grinned and pushed her sunglasses up her nose. “Thanks for hiring Octavia’s band, BB.”

“Thank Pinkie Pie,” he said, ignoring the befuddlement arising from the sudden mood shift. “It was her idea to hire the quartet.”

“I’m glad you stopped by,” Redheart said with a smile. “My skills as a mediator sorta failed me tonight.”

“Mediator?” Lyra asked. “Who’s arguing?”

“You are,” Scratch mumbled.

“Am not,” Lyra replied.

“Are, too.”

“Am not.”

“Are, too.”

“Dee two.”

Vinyl’s mouth gaped. “What does that even…?”

“I’m gonna talk with this Octavia pony myself,” Lyra suddenly declared, lifting a hoof into the air. “Maybe I can get her to see reason.”

She trotted away, a sputtering Vinyl Scratch trailing behind. The lyrist looked back at Redheart and gave her a wink. The nurse’s lips parted and her right eye squinted. Both eyes shot to their full diameter as she realized that she was standing directly next to Blueblood. Alone-ish.

She smoothed down her white dress and touched the pink rose in her hair. “So, how are your ribs?”

Blueblood looked down at her, the light from the chandelier glistening through his gilded locks. “I beg your pardon?”

Redheart’s entire body winced. She rolled her eyes and tried again. “How are your ribs feeling? All healed up?”

Blueblood briefly wondered whether he should disregard the eye roll. “Delightful. You were right about Dr. Fine; he gave me a clean bill of health.”

He smirked and looked off to the side. “And a full hospital bill.”

She laughed, and it was liken to the sound of bells ringing. Bells rung by Pinkie Pie. It went a little too loud and a little too long.

A silence filled the space between the ponies. Redheart kicked her hoof as Blueblood pulled at his bow tie. He gave her a half smile. “You look a bit flushed, Redheart. Would you like to step outs—”

“Yes!” Redheart said with a raised hoof. She lowered it slowly to her forehead. “Um, yes. Yeah. That would be nice.”

He offered her a hoof to lean on. Her eyes bounced from his hoof to his face. She offered him half of a smile as she laid her hoof on top of his.

Blueblood led her out one of the side doors and nodded to Fancy Pants as he passed. The prince noted with some dismay that, rather than cool Redheart’s burning cheeks, being in the night air seemed to deepen her blush. The party was held in a building adjacent to the royal garden, where he figured she could find a moment’s peace.

The animals quickly made themselves scarce as she set herself on a stone bench. Blueblood sat beside her and looked up at the few stars that lay visible against the glow of Canterlot.

“What are you going to do, Redheart?” he asked.

She turned her head, and her long braid fell over her shoulder. “Hmm?”

“Do you have plans?” Blueblood tilted his head towards her. “For the future, near or far? What do you want out of life?”

“I want to help people. To heal them.” Her hoof found her braid and fiddled with it. “I’ve thought… I’ve thought about going back to school to become a doctor.”

Blueblood’s brow furrowed. “I thought you said that you’ve always wanted to be a nurse.”

“Mm, hmm.” Redheart shrugged, the corners of her mouth quirking up. “But my power, the power of an alicorn, it’s amazing. With it, I have the potential to do so much good. Think of the cures I could develop in my lifetime. The ponies I could help with all the time in the world.”

Blueblood chuckled briefly. “Seven years is a long time to spend in school, I think.”

Redheart looked up to see Luna’s moon peeking over the hibiscus. “What’s seven or eight years out of a millennium or two?”

His eyebrows lifted. “Touché. I do appreciate your perspective on it.” He stretched his back and settled himself more comfortably on the bench. “So, would that make you Dr. Princess Redheart, or Princess Dr. Redheart?”

Redheart held her foreleg out and turned her snout upward. “Her Royal Highness, Doctor Redheart, Princess of Equestria and Empress of the Crystal Empire! Killer of Colds and Flogger of Flu!”

They shared a laugh upon that small bench in the garden. As the last few hiccups bubbled up from him, Blueblood smiled down at Redheart. “Perhaps I shall be able to address you by that title the next time we see each other.”

Her ears drooped. “Do you really think it’ll take that long for us to be able to visit?”

He attempted some semblance of a neutral expression. As a whole, it came off as minutely dismal. “Who can say? Between the escaped Nightmares, the weakened magic seals, the general high-security… Who can say?”

She slowly, hesitantly, and cautiously put a hoof on his shoulder. “So what do you know?”

His eyes followed her arm up to her shoulder, and then up to her eyes. “I know there’s a lot that I’ll miss.”

“Like what?” she asked softly.

“My newly-made friends, for one. I’ll miss my work, for sure. Certain numbers of my belongings”—he rolled his eyes—“there’s apparently a weight limit on the flight to Tartarus or some such nonsense.

“There’s also—” He bit his lip. “There’s also a few thing that I never had the opportunity to, hah, pursue. A few missed marks on the check list.”

“There’s something missing?” Redheart said. She scootched an inch closer. “Maybe something you wanted, but never quite found? Something you thought you were ready for, until…”

Blueblood felt a long, slow breath escape through his nostrils. He shrugged the shoulder that wasn’t occupied by her hoof. “S-something like that.”

Redheart looked down at the ground. “M-maybe you don’t have to leave w-with all your marks unchecked.”

He lifted an eyebrow as she lifted her face closer to his. She took her hoof off of his shoulder and placed it on his hoof. “I mean… If…”

“Oh.” He made a small noise of discovery and understanding. “Oh.”

Her lip trembled. “‘Oh’?”

“I— I just—” He sighed and shut his eyes. “My stars, how do nice ponies say this?”

Her hoof dropped off of his and made its way back to her side. “Oh.”

“N-now hold on!” He grasped her hoof and lifted it between the two of them. “Redheart, you are a wonderful, beautiful mare, and I would be ho-honored t-to get to know you better. I would be delighted to… to…”

He saw the exact moment where, with hope against hope answered, she lowered her eyelids and drew her muzzle near his. He raised his hooves to her shoulders and held her at foreleg’s length. She opened her eyes with a frown.

“But this?” he said. “What we’re doing right now? I don’t think it’d be fair to either of us.”

Redheart’s face scrunched up as she thwacked her hoof against the bench. “Of course you’re right. Of course you’re right!” She thwacked it again for good measure. “I’m such a silly filly.”

He craned his neck so that he could make eye contact with her. “Hay, it doesn’t need to be a complete loss.”

He stood and lifted a hoof to her. “When we reach the indoors, may I have this dance?”

Her eyebrows were low and grumpy, her mouth a grim line. Blue eyes met blue eyes, and her expression softened. “Well…”

“Would it not give us an opportunity to talk?” he asked.

She felt a humorless snicker rise up. “About what?”

“Your call.” He waggled his hoof at her. “Come. I can show you the three dance steps I know.”

This time the snicker had some good feelings behind it. “All three? You sure know how to make a mare feel special.”

He grinned. “I have a history in that.”

She shook her head. “What the hay.” She took his proffered hoof and walked beside him as they made their way back to the building.

Their journey was not in silence, however. “So, I’ve been meaning to ask,” Redheart said.

His eyebrows jumped a bit higher. “Yes?”

“What’s up with your bow tie?” She indicated the blue adornment about Blueblood’s neck. “I don’t think I’ve seen you without it except on an operating table.” She smiled. “Seems like there’s a story there.”

“Something of one,” he said with a nod. “My mother gave it to me when I was young. She said it matched my eyes.”

His eyes shifted from side-to-side. “Now, what I am to tell you next must remain in perfect secrecy. Can I trust you?”

She looked away from him and smirked. “Sure, you can trust me.”

Blueblood chuckled lightly. “Then may I trust you?”

She nodded. “You may.”

“‘Blueblood’ is merely my surname.” He grinned at her piqued interest. “My mother gave me the tie when she chose my personal name, ‘Blue Eyes.’”

“Blue Eyes Blueblood of the Canterlot Bluebloods?” Redheart giggled. “She was right about the tie.”

Redheart grew quiet for a moment. “You’re gonna miss her, too, aren’t you?”

Blueblood pushed the door open and, miraculously, remembered to hold it for Redheart. “I already do.”

“You’re not thinking of playing ‘overprotective big brother’ with Twilight and Flash, are you?” Princess Cadence asked. She stood close beside her husband, the esteemed former captain of the guard, Shining Armor. She considered using her magical abilities to chain his leg to the buffet.

“No,” Shining replied. His firm gaze was burning holes in the dance floor. “There’s something oddly familiar about that big stallion.”

Cadence squinted and, sure enough, got a familiar vibe off of a tall, dark, imposing alicorn stallion dancing with Twilight’s friend, Rarity. “Looks familiar, but I can’t place him.”

“Ah, maybe it’s his unfiled horn.” Shining pointed at the long, curling horn atop the stallion’s head. “I thought those would have gone out of style after Sombra’s attack on the crystal empire.”

“Some styles never die,” Cadence sighed, “no matter how ugly they are.”

Rarity noticed a flash of purple out of the corner of her eye and motioned for Dark Shadow Lightning to lead the two of them closer to it. The flash of purple belonged to Twilight Sparkle, just as Rarity had suspected. “Good evening, Twilight.”

Twilight swung into view with a surprised and delighted expression. “Oh, Rarity! Hello!”

Rarity smiled at Flash Sentry and tittered. “Mind if I cut in?”

Flash smiled a most gentlemanly smile and held his hooves out to receive the white coated mare. The hooves that met his own were not delicate, or even female, in the slightest. He gazed up at the mountainous visage of Dark Shadow Lightning and resisted the urge to gulp.

Dark watched Rarity and Twilight dance away with a distinct measure of disappointment. “Mind if I lead?”

“N-nope.”

Flash and Dark twirled around the dance floor, keeping a close eye on their former partners in case they could get the chance to switch back. Flash attempted a grin up at his fellow stallion. “So, you work out?”

Dark shrugged. “A little.”

They spent the rest of the dance in silence, their eyes looking anywhere but at each other.

“It’s been far too long, darling,” Rarity said. “You’ve been spending what seems to be an inordinate amount of time in Canterlot these past few months.”

“Sorry,” Twilight sighed. “I’m still trying to figure out how to balance friendship with my new, uh, additions.”

Rarity tossed her mane. “Ironic that your new duties hamper the very thing that gave them to you.”

“Well, I’ve been trying to up my sincerity content, lately.” Twilight spread her wings as she and Rarity bowed to each other.

“I gotta admit, Rarity,” Twilight Sparkle said, “this is the last place I expected you to show up.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” Rarity muttered. “It’s no small coincidence that I am here, though.”

At Twilight’s prompting eyebrow, Rarity smiled. “Pinkie Pie showed up on my doorstep this morning with an invitation hot off the press. She told me, and I quote, darling…”

She opened her eyes wide and grinned from ear-to-ear. “‘My itchy left cheek means that somepony’s getting an apology today!’”

Twilight squinted. “By ‘left cheek,’ did she mean—?”

“Haven’t the slightest.” Rarity glanced around the dance floor just in time to see Redheart and Blueblood stub their hooves against each other. “But the instant I arrive, Blueblood comes up to me with a level of apology I’d never expected from him.”

Twilight held out a foreleg with Rarity reclining on top of it. They drew back together and resumed their twirl around the hall.

“That’s the power of friendship,” Twilight said. “It can soften the hardest of hearts.”

“And the hardest of heads, it seems.” Rarity shook her head. “How am I supposed to hold a grudge against somepony who refuses to remain a jerk?”

“I think I know the answer to that question.” Twilight twirled as Rarity held her hoof upwards. “The real question is, ‘do you?’”

“Of course.” Rarity stretched her forelegs out alongside Twilight’s. “Though I suppose the point is moot, what with all of this nasty Tartarus business.”

“Don’t be too quick to judge that, either.” Twilight glanced to-and-fro. “Can you keep a secret?”

Rarity leaned in, a smirk overtaking her every feature. “But of course.”

“I think I have a solution,” Twilight whispered. “I think I can save Blueblood. Tonight.”

“Well…” Rarity glanced back at Blueblood, who was attempting to apologize to a laughing Redheart. “I certainly won’t stand in the way of trying to help somepony.” She turned back to Twilight with a shrug. “Is there anything I can do?”

Twilight glanced at the quartet onstage, where Discord was being vehemently ignored by the cellist. “I don’t know, but I’ll keep you posted.”

Author's Note

We wanna par-take of the par-tay, you dig?

Next chapter, stuff is goin' down.

Understandings and the Missing Thereof

Vinyl Scratch tugged at Lyra’s tail in vain as the lyrist trudged her way onto the stage. They stood off to the side, awaiting the moment when the quartet would finish their piece. Vinyl stuck her nose under Lyra’s chin and glared fiery daggers of venom. “I swear, if you say somethin’ hurtful—”

“Relax, Deej.” Lyra raised a hoof and pushed the DJ out of her personal space. “I just wanna talk with her.”

“Oh, yeah! You’re just great at talkin’ to ponies!” Vinyl sat and crossed her forelegs. “I reserve the right to thunderbolt your butt if you get outta line.”

Lyra rolled her eyes. She listened intently to the final few bars of her song and stomped politely once they were finished.

The gray-coated cellist raised her head in surprise. Her jaw dropped once she got sight of Lyra Heartstrings. She trotted over, her mouth moving noiselessly as she neared. Lyra and Vinyl blinked in unison as the cellist stood dumbfounded, hemming and hawing as she tottered in place.

Lyra smiled out of the corner of her mouth, her eyes darting quickly between the cellist and Vinyl. “Um, hey.”

“I l-love your work, Miss He-Heartstrings!” the cellist said at last. “I c-cannot tell you what an honor it is to b-be able to play it for you! In your actual p-presence!”

Vinyl looked over the top of her sunglasses, her eyebrows gaining a hint of altitude.

Lyra grinned and nudged the DJ in the ribs. “Well, well, well!”

The cellist started in place and stuck her hoof out. “O-Octavia, at your service.”

Lyra accepted the hoofbump with a nod. “Charmed.”

Octavia’s head jolted back. “Oh, oh my! This would be the night I d-decided to play on a different octave. I hope you don’t mind, it was for a sp-special re-request.”

“Nah, sounded great.” Lyra waved a hoof and ignored the purple color Vinyl’s face was turning. “It kinda put your own mark on it. Your own special style.”

Vinyl tugged on Lyra’s ear with her magic and pulled it close. “Then what in the hay was your little argument about!?” she hissed.

Lyra jerked her horn in the direction of the dance floor. “Check out Redheart.”

Now that the dance was over, Redheart and Blueblood could be seen making way for the punch bowl. One of Vinyl’s eyes shrunk down while the other bugged out. “How come you never leave me alone with cute guys?”

“Like I could keep you away.” Lyra turned back to Octavia and did a double take at something behind her. “Uh, Octavia, you’ve got a draconequus on your cello…”

“Again!?” Octavia spun, catching sight of the offending chaos spirit. “Do excuse me.”

Discord waved Octavia’s bow like a conductor’s baton, directing an invisible choir to sing off-key show tunes. The stomp of her hooves signified her approach. He looked down with as friendly a smile as he was able to conjure up. “Buon giorno!”

“No.” Her face was blank as she stared up at him.

He blinked asynchronously. “But—”

“Not even once.”

His eyes morphed into something almost like puppy dog eyes, except for the sickly, yellow hue. “Just a little Maws music…”

“Not even just.” She stretched out her foreleg. “Give me my instrument.”

“I could do a stirring rendition of the Bunny Hill theme!” Discord indicated the cello as his snaggletooth nodded encouragingly.

“Dude,” Vinyl said as she walked up, “give it up.”

Discord frowned at the white and green alicorns. “Oh, more princesses to boss me around. Isn’t this just the overripe cherry on top of my poopcream sundae of a day?”

“You’re darned right I’m gonna boss you around.” Lyra favored him with a smug grin. “Now give the girl her strings, or-or I’m g-gonna—” She shivered from head to tail and drew her wings tight against her body. “Uh, gonna—”

Discord’s fuzzy eyebrow shot up. “Something wrong, Princess?”

“G-geeze.” Lyra looked at Vinyl and Octavia in turn. “Is it cold in here, or is it just me?”

Vinyl shrugged. “I got nothin’. Feels fine.”

Octavia looked up at Discord with a furrowed brow.

He shook his head. “Don’t look at me, I’ve been a good boy tonight. Forcibly reeling in the chaos, you might say.”

Lyra’s teeth chattered. “I-I’m serious, you guys. It just got, like, twenty-percent—”

“Don’t go there,” Vinyl said.

“Sh-shut up.” Lyra’s eyes darted around the hall, never stopping in one spot for more than an instant. Her heart pounded in her chest. “I think I n-need to—need to go.” She sprinted off stage and out the doors, restraining herself to only bowling over one noblepony on the way.

Vinyl pushed her sunglasses up her snout and placed a hoof on Octavia’s shoulder. “I’ll go make sure she’s alright. You got this?”

The cellist shot Discord a look. “If certain people stop being such—”

“Point taken,” Discord groaned. He hovered away on mismatched wings. “I wash my hands of this whole thing.”

Vinyl’s smile drooped slightly at the corners. “Uh, knock ’em dead.” She unfurled her wings and looked over her shoulder. “Or, y’know, just mostly dead.”

She took off, leaving an uncertain Octavia to prepare for the next dance.

***

Twilight and Rarity bowed to each other as the final strings of the song wafted through the air. The alicorn princess allowed Flash Sentry to take her hoof and lead her off of the dance floor. “Thanks for running interference, Flash.”

“I am never dancing with another stallion again,” he said. “Ever.”

“Aw, you’re just mad that you didn’t get to lead.” Twilight appeared to be examining various areas of the ceiling, judging by the way her head pivoted around. “Where in the heck is he?”

“Are you alright, Twilight?” Flash sat beside her as she took a seat on the sidelines. “You’ve been sorta nervous all night.”

“I’m not nervous.” She resisted the urge to chew on the end of her mane. “I just have something to do. Something that I’m gonna do.”

“Can you at least give me a warning so that I can get to the minimum safe distance?”

She swatted his shoulder. Her eyes widened as they lay their sight upon a dour draconequus. “Hay, Discord! Hay, come on over!”

Flash started in place. “Discord!?”

A flash of light, sparkles, and stars burst out of the air surrounding Flash. The smoke cleared, revealing the curling body of the Lord of Chaos, wrapped around Flash Sentry’s head like a turban. “You rang, oh most noble and gracious of alicorns?”

“Get it off me!” Flash yelped in the manliest voice he could articulate. It still came off as slightly high-pitched. He shook his head and dislodged the draconequus with great haste. “I mean, you know, shoo.”

“Nice to see you again, as well.” Discord swirled himself upright and smiled in Twilight Sparkle’s face. “Are we ready to begin?”

“Ready as we’ll ever be, I think.” Twilight stood, stretched, and walked towards the buffet table.

Flash Sentry followed her, a small frown on his face. “You’re collaborating with Discord now? What for?”

“In the interest of fairness.” She plastered a smile onto her face as she came up to Blueblood and Redheart. “Hay, can I speak with you for a second?”

Blueblood’s back visibly straightened. “Certainly. What about?”

Twilight tilted her head. “You don’t much care for the thought of going to Tartarus, do you?”

Blueblood snorted. “I think we’ve broached this subject bef—”

“Well, I think I can fix it,” Twilight interrupted. She looked at the hovering Discord and tilted her chin up. “Well, maybe we can fix it.”

A small crowd of ponies gathered around, including Shining Armor, Cadence, Dark Shadow Lightning, and Rarity. Twilight raised her hooves and addressed them. “Folks, this going-away party is now officially a celebration!”

Discord wiggled his eyebrows at Blueblood. “I’m absolutely tickled that we’re actually going to get the chance to be best buddies.”

Blueblood’s felt a shiver run down his spine. He shared a disbelieving gaze with Redheart. “Fix it? Fix what, exactly?”

Redheart took a step forward, her eyes widening. “You mean you’ve figured out how to—”

“I’m not sure how Blueblood’s family oath can apply to him, or really hold any water when scrutinized with a legal tome in hoof.” Twilight shrugged as her horn shone with light. “But even the strongest oath is still just a magic spell. An enchantment.”

“Twilight…” Blueblood raised a hoof. “Twilight, wait. There’s something—”

“So I figured,” Twilight continued unabated, “there’s this special counter-spell scientists use to hold back any out of control castings.” She placed a hoof against Blueblood’s chest, eliciting a strong blush from his cheeks. “Make a failsafe spell strong enough, and even the most powerful family oath could be made null and void.”

Redheart took immediate notice of the blush and pushed Twilight’s hoof off of Blueblood’s chest. “So you’re saying that you’re just gonna erase Blueblood’s oath? Just like that?”

Blueblood bit his lip. “Twilight, this isn’t going—”

“Discord and I will,” Twilight replied. Sparks sprung from her horn to mingle with shimmering motes of chaotic dust. “All I need to do is cast a normal failsafe spell, and then Discord can amplify it to phenomenal portions unreachable by even the strongest alicorns. It’s a bit like shining a light through a magnifying glass, really. He will warp and concentrate the magic flowing out of me to let it hit you with a greater intensity, while also adding his own special—”

“You’re geeking out again, Princess,” Discord said.

Twilight shook her head. “Whatever.”

Shining took a half-step towards his sister. “Twilie, are you sure this is safe?”

“Uh…” Twilight looked out over the assembled ponies, her hoof tapping rapidly. “You guys might wanna take a couple steps back, just in case.”

Redheart narrowed her eyes. “‘Just in case’ what?”

“Well, it is a spell designed to shut down magical activity.” Twilight looked cross-eyed at her horn. “I dunno what kind of range we’re gonna get out of this thing.”

“Twilight, wait.” Flash Sentry stood between her and Blueblood. He looked into her eyes, holding her gaze steady. “Think about this. Just think about it for a second.”

Blueblood raised a hoof. “Actually, if I could say—”

“Are you really going to do this in the middle of a party?” Flash asked. “With all these ponies around?”

“This is the last chance I’m gonna get to do this,” Twilight said, trying to move Flash aside with a hoof. “He’s leaving tomorrow and I’ve wasted enough time already.”

Flash took her hoof in his own. “Twilight, this is silly. And dangerous. Somepony could get hurt.”

“Then use your magical Royal Guard powers to get them to leave.” Twilight snatched her hoof away from him. “I’m gonna save Blueblood.”

Blueblood lowered his head. “Twilight, please—”

“Twilight”—Cadence held out a hoof—“don’t you think you’re taking this a little far?”

“Everypony, shut up and listen to me!” Twilight stomped a hoof. “This is drastic. This is dangerous. This is a little crazy. But you know what?” She shoved her snout in Flash Sentry’s face. “It’s worth it! My friend is being carted away against his will by something he has no control over! I’ll probably never see him again, and his life is gonna suck! So I found a way to potentially save him and—surprise, surprise—I’m gonna use it!”

She jumped up and held herself aloft on glowing, lavender wings. “Taking it too far? Maybe! Maybe I’m being stupid! But you know what? I’d do the same thing for any of you!”

Discord wiped away a tear. It hit the ground with a slap, and then staggered to its feet to listen to the rest of the speech.

Twilight faltered in the air for a moment. “So, if any of you don’t want to get caught in the crossfire, the door is right over there!”

“Stop it!”

The room fell silent as Blueblood stepped forward, his chest heaving. “Stop. Twilight, this isn’t going to work.”

Twilight lowered herself to the ground in front of a bemused Discord. “It won’t work? How can you say that? We haven’t even—”

“It won’t work, Twilight,” Blueblood said, “because I haven’t taken the oath, yet!”

***

Lyra stumbled on an errant rock and fell forward into the grass. A high hedge separated her from view of the party hall, and from anypony who might come looking for her. She could hear Vinyl Scratch calling out her name in a voice somewhere between irritation and concern.

Lyra curled up beside the hedge, shivering violently. It wasn’t from the cold, she decided, but because she knew they were watching her. Images flashed through her mind from her dreams, her nightmares. A thousand—no—hundred thousand Lyra Heartstrings stared at her accusingly.

Not exact copies of Lyra, though. They were unicorns, not alicorns. There was something different in their eyes, too; they were flat, pale, and lifeless. Almost Lyras. Fake Lyras. Disguised Lyras.

Lyra covered her head with her wings. Changelings. They were all changelings, and they wanted revenge. Revenge on her.

“Murderer…”

“I-I didn’t mean to k-kill her,” Lyra whispered into her feathers. “Sh-she was hurting other ponies—”

“Murderer…”

“Sh-she was gonna throw Blueblood over the waterfall!” Lyra hissed, tears squeezing through her eyes. “It was an accident!”

“Murderer…”

“I-I’m s-so sorry…” Lyra gasped. She buried herself as far into the hedge as she dared, her fur catching on the spiky leaves. Her breath came in spurts, and she couldn’t bring herself to exhale.

“Oh, I know, precious.”

Lyra’s head shot out of the hedge, her golden eyes wide. Before her floated a face, iridescent as well as transparent. It was white, with bottomless pits for eyes and a mouth. Strange wavy lines rolled across its intangible surface. Its lips moved, but did not meet, as it spoke. “It’s not difficult to see that you are sore afraid.”

Lyra gritted her teeth and ran a hoof across her nose. “No kidding, dipstick!? Wh-what in the heck are you?”

“A friend,” it replied. “My darling, I know exactly what you’re going through. Exactly. It’s such a shame your friends could never understand.”

Lyra’s feathers twitched violently as the images streamed into her head with full force. The face spoke again, “But I’m here to help you. I can make all of the fear go away. Just. Like. That.”

Lyra shook her head, and the images blurred. “Wh-what’s the catch?”

The face tilted to the side. “Why would there be a catch?”

“B-because you’re some sort of weird mask genie, or something.” Lyra peeked over her wings. “There’s always a catch.”

“I’m your friend, Lyra.” As the mask spoke, the changeling Lyras snapped into focus. “I can make all your nightmares fade.”

“Wh-what do I have to do?” Lyra whimpered.

“All you have to do is let me in.” The mask floated closer, and Lyra felt something like breath coming out of it. “Give me your permission to help.”

Lyra froze, her eyes wide and her mouth trembling. The changelings seemed to close in on her mind, blocking out all other thoughts. It was all she could do to mouth a single “Okay.”

Everything went black.

***

Twilight was the first to snap out of her stupor. She stomped towards Blueblood. “You what!?”

“I haven’t taken the oath.” He stood tall, his nose in the air. “Your failsafe won’t work, because there’s no spell to remove.”

She paused mid-step. “You lied to me!”

“I did not!” He frowned and his eyebrows tilted downward. “No, my going to Tartarus is not necessarily a matter of fulfilling a magic oath, but an oath of honor. I am a prince because of my great-grandfather’s time in that awful prison, and I shall pay Equestria back in full.”

“That’s stupid!” Twilight raised an accusing hoof. “You’ve got a life. You’ve got friends. You can’t just give that up so that—!”

“What do you suggest I do!?” Blueblood shouted, a bit louder than he intended. “Somepony must be the warden of Tartarus, Twilight! Who would you have take my place!?”

He spun her around and pointed at the orange pegasus behind her. “Perhaps your perfect beau, Flash Sentry!?” He jabbed his horn at the crowd. “Maybe your awe-inspiring brother? Pray tell, your beloved Spike? I’m sure he could handle himself!”

Nopony, not Flash, not Discord, not Redheart, said anything as Blueblood waved his hooves around. “I’m going to Tartarus because I wouldn’t wish this fate upon anypony! It has to be me, it can’t be anypony but me! It’s my family’s spell that holds it all together, Twilight! Mine!”

He paced before her, his face red. “I’m giving up everything because of a stupid promise my grandfather made so many years ago.” He turned to Twilight Sparkle with a snort of steam. “You come here telling me you have a solution? I’m telling you there can’t be a solution!”

He walked away from her at a brisk pace. He didn’t look to the left or the right as he headed for the exit. He didn’t slow for the sound of hooves trailing behind him. He didn’t stop for the gentle touch of a hoof on his wing, or Redheart’s quiet mumbling of his name.

So he left the nurse standing alone.

Twilight stared. As if by their own volition, her legs started moving her toward where the prince had exited. Flash Sentry interposed himself between her and the retreating stallion. “Twilight, let him go.”

She dodged around him, a frown pulling at the corners of her mouth. Flash moved and halted her progress again. “Twilight, stop.”

She pushed him to the side, but he rounded her and planted himself right in her path. “Twilight, just let him do this.”

Flash placed his hooves on her shoulders and brought his forehead to hers. “He needs to do his duty.”

Twilight’s teeth ground together. She pushed his legs up from her shoulders and shoved him away. “Don’t you touch me!”

She looked into the crowd, and at particular ponies within it. “Cadence, Shining, we need to help him!”

Shining Armor shrugged as his head shook. Princess Mi Amore de Cadenza shuffled her hooves. “I don’t know how,” she said.

Twilight searched from face to face, her eyes pleading. “We can’t just give up…”

Flash placed a hoof on her back in an attempt to rub it comfortingly. “He’ll be fine. He knows wh—”

“I said don’t touch me!” She flapped a wing at Flash. It impacted a bit harder than she had anticipated, due to her unfamiliarity with her own earth pony strength. The orange royal guard flew back through the air and landed upon the buffet table, which broke in half with a snap. Food, plates, and punch tumbled to meet the hapless stallion, covering him from head to hoof.

Twilight brought a hoof to her mouth. She spun and ran in the opposite direction, tears pouring from her eyes and her horn glowing all the while. She vanished with a flash of amethyst light, a trail of sparkles the only evidence that she had been there.

The ponies in the crowd looked at each other, shrugging and mumbling. Discord removed his talon from its place around his chin and spoke up. “I may not be an expert on friendship, but shouldn’t one or two of Twilight’s very close friends go after her to make sure she’s alright?”

Rarity took in a gulp of air and trotted forwards. “I… I think I should best be on my way, should she still be on the castle grounds.”

Dark Shadow Lightning followed close behind. “I’ll come with you.”

“No, no, dear”—Rarity raised a hoof—“it must be her close friends.” She looked over her shoulder, into the crowd. “Spike, won’t you come along?”

Spike ran up as fast as his stubby legs could carry him. He hopped on Rarity’s back and hugged her neck. “D-do you think Twilight’s alright?”

“We’ll stop by the kitchens to pick up Pinkie Pie,” Rarity said. “I have the feeling we’re going to need all the happiness we can get for this one.”

Author's Note

Well, um, yes. Notes. And such. Of the author variety.

Sorry about the drama bomb?

Lost and Found and Lost Again

“This next tray needs cupcakes. Lots of cupcakes. And maybe a little crumb cake.”

A tray of delectable deliciousness delegated by the delighted hostess of the party, one Pinkamena Diane Pie, plopped down on the countertop. The pinkish pony leaned over the tray, scrutinizing each pastry with a keen eye and a twitching nose. A spoon was lifted, a dollop of cream was scooped, and one tasty delight found itself garnished with a greater amount of symmetry.

Pinkie Pie’s rear right hoof hopped three times, and then alternated hops with her front left hoof. “Whoops! That means we’re gonna need a lot of new hors d'oeuvres!”

A crash from the next room timed nearly perfectly with her statement. “Sounds like somepony’s getting into the punch. Literally.”

A few minutes later, Rarity trotted in with Spike on her back. Pinkie beamed. “Rarity! Spike! You guys gotta try my new chocolate-pumpernickel-sarsaparilla—”

“Pinkie,” Rarity said softly, “a word.”

Noticing their drooping expressions, Pinkie leaned in and hunched her shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

They hastily explained the situation between Twilight and Blueblood, eliciting a few nods and a frown from Pinkie. “So, what are we waiting for?” she asked. “We’ve gotta find her!”

“Agreed,” Rarity said. “Do you suppose your ‘Pinkie Sense’ will aid in our search?”

“Something like that.” Pinkie turned to Spike. “Hay, are there any old haunts around here where Twilight would hang out if she was feeling sad or lonely?”

Spike’s scaly brows lifted. “Well, yeah. She… She always liked to hang out around the fountain in the courtyard. The one with the lily pads?”

“The one by the classrooms?” Rarity gave a resolute nod. “Very well. That’s as good a place to start as any. Pinkie, are you coming?”

Pinkie trotted backwards through the kitchen. “Yeah, yeah, just gimme a second!”

She booped a silver-maned earth pony mare on the shoulder. “Sue Chef, have you seen Braeburn lately?”

Sue shook her head. “Not since you two arrived. I thought he was greeting guests.”

“Huh?” Pinkie’s eyes turned towards the door. “I thought he was back—” She sighed. “Never mind. Can you hold down the fort until he comes back?”

“Sure thing, boss.”

The three of them walked through the milling crowd of partygoers and made a beeline for the exit. Shining Armor could be seen yanking Flash Sentry out of the pile of food by a wing. Dark Shadow Lightning caught Rarity’s eye and mouthed “good luck.” Discord curled up in one corner of the room, watching the proceedings with a lidded gaze.

Pinkie, Rarity, and Spike walked into the night in search of their friend.

Flash Sentry wiped a blob of some unidentifiable food off of his face. He flicked it onto the floor with a splat, his wings wiggling with the weight of the caked-on cake. “What the heck was that!?”

“It’s called an accident,” Shining said, his face growing stern.

“Accident?” Flash’s eyes widened. He blew a whinny through his lips and grimaced. “You call flinging somepony across the room an accident!?”

“When an alicorn is involved,” Cadence said with a sidelong glance at Shining, “yes.”

Flash stared blankly at them for a few seconds before shaking his head. “This is crazy. What the heck got…?” He spread his wings in a shrug. “What got into her!? With Discord and—and Blueblood, I just… That spell!”

He took in a deep breath. “I’ll find her,” he said, nodding his head firmly. He spun on his hooves and trotted towards an exit. “I’m gonna see if I can’t talk a little sense into her.”

“Hold it.” Flash’s tail was caught up in a violet glow; Shining Armor’s horn glowed to match. “She doesn’t want to hear it from you. Her friends will do just fine.”

“She could cause a lot of damage with that spell,” Flash said, flapping his wings lightly. “We need to get to her before something happens.”

Cadence flicked Shining with her tail and lowered her head to Flash Sentry’s level. “Her friends are going to find her. They’ll take care of her.”

“But…” Flash shuffled his legs. “I need to—she needs—”

“Just sit tight.” Cadence sighed through her nose, her ears drooping. “She needs somepony to understand her right now.”

“Understand what?” Flash asked. He sat and lifted his forelegs to the princess. “If you know something I don’t, Your Highness, please tell me! Why won’t she see reason? Why would she go and try to create such a destructive spell!? It can’t possibly be worth it, not with what’s at stake!”

Shining Armor and Cadence shared a look. Cadence furrowed her brow and tilted her horn at Flash, while Shining narrowed his eyes and gave his head a small shake. She tilted her head again, quicker than before, and Shining let loose a sigh. He nodded, and Cadence turned to Flash.

“Flash,” she said, “I can help you understand, but only with your permission.”

Flash Sentry’s neck muscles tensed. “You mean the… the ‘love’ spell?”

“That’s what Twilight calls it, yes.” Cadence rested on the floor, Shining Armor placing a hoof on her back. “Do you truly wish to understand Twilight?”

Flash took a step back, but nodded all the same. A pink heart floated from Cadence’s horn, bobbing along in the air. It drifted over to Flash, and alighted atop his nose. It rested there a moment, jiggling with each of his breaths. It burst with a wet pop, and Flash fell into a daze.

Flash shook himself off and found that he was alone in the hall. All decorations had been emptied out, along with the spilled food and punch. The only thing that broke the monotonous emptiness was a lone, full-length mirror sitting on the far wall.

The door opened with a creak, stealing Flash’s attention. The portal admitted a unicorn mare, perhaps around his age. Her coat was a pale shade of orange, and her mane was a fiery mixture of red and yellow. Her eyes seemed to waver between blue and turquoise as they flickered around the hall.

Flash stiffened. His wings flared in surprise as his lips trembled. “Sunset?”

She didn’t hear him. She turned towards the mirror and marched for it, her heavy hoof-steps echoing around the hall.

His legs sprung into action. He lurched forwards, his wings flapping lightly to give him a boost of speed. “Sunset! Sunset, wait!”

The mirror shimmered to life. Its reflective surface transformed into a whirlpool of power and beckoned Sunset forward. She reached out a hoof to touch the film between worlds, the last wall between her and the other side.

Flash jolted to a halt. His legs froze against the ground. He lifted mightily, but they refused to budge. “Sunset, wait!”

“It’ll be alright, Flash.” Twilight Sparkle appeared beside him. She sighed as she leaned against his side. “She needs to do this.”

“N-no!” Flash shook his head. His eyes stung as he tried again to force his hooves forward. “I-I-I can help her! I just need to reach her. I just…” He strained and called out, “Sunset! Stop! Just stop! I can help you!”

Sunset moved through the mirror’s surface, disappearing from sight inch by inch.

“Sunset, please! It doesn’t have to be like this!”

Twilight placed a hoof around his shoulders and planted a kiss on his ear. “Easy, Flash. It’s better this way.”

“I can’t just let her go!” Flash flapped his wings, but found himself glued to the ground as firmly as ever. “There’s gotta be something—anything—that I can do!”

The last of Sunset’s tail vanished from sight, and the mirror lay dead and cold upon the wall. Flash sat down and stared at if for what seemed like hours, Twilight Sparkle at his side. She whispered in his ear. “She was angry and jealous. She would have hurt somepony if she had stayed.”

“If she had stayed, I could have helped her!” Flash stood, his legs finally released from their shackles. “I can help her now!”

His face smacked against the mirror, leaving a streak of spittle behind. He clawed at its smooth surface in an attempt to push through. “I gotta help her! I gotta—”

He turned back to Twilight Sparkle, whose ears lay back against her head. Her shoulders drooped. Her striped forelock fell across her eyes, hiding them from view.

“Gotta.” Flash Sentry’s wings fell at his sides. “Got to save her.”

Cadence poked Flash Sentry in the side as the pegasus guard came to. He looked around for a moment, as if surprised that he hadn’t moved an inch since he had dozed off. He glared at the princess. “What did you do to me?”

“I cast the love spell on you,” Cadence said. “Or, a little more accurately, I cast a compassion spell on you. It lets you see things how your significant other sees them by helping you remember certain, well, relevant memories. It put you in her hooves, you might say.”

“Sunset…” Flash rubbed at his temples, then felt his cheeks. His hoof came away wet. “Sunset… Cadence, I love—I loved—”

She held a hoof up. “I don’t need to know what you saw. I just hope that you know what you saw.” She lowered the hoof and held his gaze. “I hope you know what you felt.”

Flash’s hoof came up to his chest and felt the heartbeat beneath. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.” He stared at the floor and fell silent.

Shining Armor wrapped a foreleg around Cadence’s shoulder and led her off to the side. He gave her a sideways glance, and she shrugged in reply.

Cadence leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. “Do you think she’ll be okay?”

“This wouldn’t be the first time something like this happened.” Shining chewed his bottom lip. “She’ll be fine in a day or two, especially with her friends beside her.”

“Good.”

The two of them stared out a window, watching as Canterlot dimmed and the stars shone brighter.

Flash Sentry cast a droopy glance at the door and let out a groan. “Darn it.” He squeezed his eyes shut, held still for a moment, then tilted his face towards the ceiling. “She cares about him that much, huh?”

Twilight Sparkle stared at her visage as it bobbed around in the fountain. Ripples radiated outward from the center of the pool, causing the night sky’s stars to dance around gracefully. She added a few drops of her own to the water, salted to taste.

She blinked and shook her head. She turned her attention to the stars that hung in the sky, rather than swam in the fountain. “It’s not fair. It’s not fair!”

She splashed a hoof in the water. Her feathers hung low around her sides, growing damp on the wet concrete. She splashed again, blotting her reflection into an unrecognizable purple blob.

An unrecognizable green blob sidled up beside it. “Hay, Twilight.”

Twilight Sparkle’s ears twitched towards the sound of a familiar voice. She drew her wings up against her body, shivering at their cold wetness. “I don’t want to talk, Lyra.”

“Well, shucks.” The green blob tilted. “It just seems like you could use a friend.”

“And I don’t want to talk.” Twilight lowered her head and hunched her shoulders, hoping the steel she had put in her voice was sufficient to scare off the minty green mare.

Blissful silence died a pitiful death. “It’s this Tartarus crud, isn’t it? You and Blueblood have gotten pretty close, I’ve noticed. Stinks to be him.”

“For the love of pony, just go away,” Twilight hissed.

“Ah, but such is the way of duty and responsibility. It rarely calls when we’re ready.” Twilight seethed as Lyra continued, “You know, it strikes me that none of this would ever have happened if there wasn’t a Tartarus to begin with.”

Twilight stomped a hoof, cracking cement. “Lyra, stop it. Just stop!” She looked over her shoulder, violet eyes burning. “In case you didn’t get the memo, I’d like to be left alone!”

Twilight’s jaw dropped.

Lyra’s mint coat was a few shades darker, though that could have been attributed to the low light. Her mane seemed to shimmer and flow, the white and the green melding together, but that might have been a new cosmetic.

What was most certainly not a trick of the light were the draconic, slit pupils in the center of her piercing, golden, glowing eyes. Nor the subtle fangs that peeked out of her half smile. “Stop it? You want me to stop it? Oh, I plan to.”

Lyra leaned in close, her breath tickling Twilight’s twitching nose. Twilight backed up until her tail was left soaking in the fountain. “This might be a little out of character for me,” Lyra chuckled, “but I wanna offer a serious proposition.”

Pinkie Pie followed close behind Spike, her ears swiveling and her eyes darting. “Are we there yet?”

“Almost,” Spike said for what felt like the fiftieth time. “We don’t even know if she’s at the fountain.”

“It’s an educated guess,” Rarity muttered. She looked over the side of a few rose bushes and let out a “tsk” at the dilapidated state of one nearby hedge. It looked like somepony had burrowed into it. “Shall we devise a game plan now? How should we approach her?”

“A hug.” Spike stepped over a soft, discarded lump on the concrete path. “We should all just go up to her, hug her, and just keep quiet. Let her do the talking.”

“That’s sound.” Rarity turned her head to throw her voice to the rear. “Pinkie, do keep up.”

The pink mare said nothing, prompting Rarity to turn fully. “Pinkie, dear, are you alright?”

Pinkie Pie held up a brown mass of felt; a cowpony hat. Her eyes appeared as dry as the desert the hat originated from. “This is Braeburn’s.”

Rarity looked around. “I… don’t see any sign of him.”

“Just this,” Pinkie whispered. She lifted it up so that Rarity and Spike could see the inside. A hole was punched through the front and back of the hat, leaving frayed edges behind. “Oh, Braeburn, what happened?”

“Now, I’m sure that this is all just a big misunderstanding,” Rarity said. She wrapped her forelegs around the pink mare. “We’ll just have to find him, too. Twilight and Braeburn both. No problem.”

Pinkie shivered as she looked at the hat, her lip trembling. “He loves this old thing.”

Rarity gently pushed her along. “And I’m sure he’ll love seeing you bring it to him. Shall we be off?”

Spike tilted his head as he trundled ahead. “I think I hear talking. Would that be her?”

Pinkie’s eyes kept trailing down to the hat in her grip. Rarity took the hat in a sparkle of magic and placed it on her friend’s head. “There, it’ll be easier to carry up there. It, um, suits you.”

Pinkie Pie drew the edges of her mouth upward. “Thanks.”

Spike walked around one last bush separating them from the fountain, one last leafy barrier in their search for Twilight Sparkle. His ear fins tilted down when he saw the green mare standing beside his good friend. “Aw, great, it’s Lyra.” He turned to Rarity with a grimace. “We’ve already got our work cut out for us.”

Rarity briefly considered her options for removing Lyra from their company. She decided to go for a distraction. She sniffed and raised a hoof. “Twilight, dear, we’ve been looking for you!”

Twilight’s eyes were damp, as was the hair around them. Rather than sadness, however, Rarity detected in them a certain fear that went beyond unease. Blinding terror, more like. Perhaps even a sense of unfairness in the direction her life was going.

“Rarity, Spike, Pinkie”—Twilight held out her hooves—“j-j-just stay back!”

Lyra turned, her golden gaze alighting on the three new arrivals. She grinned, and her fangs gleamed in the light from her horn. “Hay, guys. ’Sup?”

Three gasps leaped from three throats. Spike flexed his tiny arms and beefed himself up to at least a meter and a quarter tall. “You—you just stay away from her! Get away from Twilight!”

Flecks of golden magic tumbled from Lyra’s flowing mane as she tossed her head. “Pfft. You’re cute when you’re angry, you know that?”

Rarity pointed her horn at Lyra as subtly as she was able. She fed a low charge into it, inching her magic along the ground. “Lyra… what happened to you? Are you alright?”

“Alright!?” Lyra threw her head back and laughed. “I am so much better than alright! I’m great. I’m awesome.” She jerked her leg to the side. “It’s Twilight here who isn’t feeling so hot. Right, Your Highness?”

Twilight’s wings extended, and she tried to flap away. Her tail was caught up in a golden glow, halting her ascent. “Nuh uh,” Lyra said. “No go-ey away-ey. I’m not finished.”

Twilight’s horn charged until it shone pure white. A bubble of energy surrounded her in preparation for a teleport. Just before the point where her atoms usually melted away, an amber glow sliced through her spell, causing it to fold against itself and vanish in a violent pop.

Twilight Sparkle cried out as she clutched her soot-blackened mane. Lyra sighed with a roll of her eyes. “Details, Sparkle. Don’t let somepony just go disrupting your teleport next time, huh?”

“Details, indeed!” Rarity yelped. Her magic ripped up a tuft of dirt and flung it at Lyra’s eyes.

Pinkie rushed at the reeling Twilight, but Lyra extended her wings blindly, knocking the pink mare off of her feet. Lyra snarled and pushed Pinkie back with a blast of gilded magic. She shrieked in pain as Spike’s jet of green flame scorched across her hoof.

Lyra picked the small dragon up and shook him as she wiped dirt from her eyes. “Oh, you wanna get rough!? Let’s get nuts!”

Twilight tried to tackle Lyra from the side, but failed to get enough purchase to knock her off of her feet. She wrestled with Lyra, her forelegs around her torso. “Let go of him! Drop him!”

Lyra snickered and dipped Spike into the fountain. She flapped her wing in Twilight’s face as she pried her off. “As you command, Your Hig—”

Rarity’s rear legs impacted Lyra’s left eye. “How dare you harm Twilight and Spikey-Wikey!? How dare you!?”

Lyra’s magic yanked Rarity’s hair back. “I double diamond dog dare. It’s the only way to dare, you know.”

“Lyra!”

Lyra looked up, her ears drooping. “Scratch?”

Vinyl Scratch descended on the scene, her head twisting to the splashing Spike, the prone Pinkie, the raging Rarity, and the twitching Twilight. “Lyra, what are you doing?”

Lyra sneered. “I’m kinda busy right now, Scratch.”

Vinyl tore the sunglasses off of her face and flung them away. “No! No! No! You are not brushin’ me off! Look at what you just did, Lyra! Look!”

Lyra let Rarity go and watched the white unicorn slump to the ground. Rarity clutched at her strained scalp and groaned.

“Oh yeah, you just reminded me,” Lyra said. She stood over Twilight, her grin growing. “I got places to go, ponies to see. You know how it goes.”

Vinyl took a step closer. “Lyra, I don’t know what’s gotten into you—”

“I found something,” Lyra chuckled. “I found… my courage.”

“—but I swear,” Vinyl continued, “I’m gonna get it outta you, and I’m not gonna rest until that happens.”

“Tee tee eff en, then.” Lyra looked over her shoulder. “Come on, big guy, time’s wasting.”

Hooves clomped against concrete as a pale, sandy horse loped into the courtyard. His unadorned mane swirled as grains flew from it, leaving a trail of sand behind him. His green eyes, corrupted with a draconic center, stared straight ahead as he approached.

“Brae—!” Pinkie cried out. He stopped at the sound of her voice. He looked at her for a moment, his head tilting, but he soon resumed his approach on Lyra.

“’Bout time you got here,” Lyra snorted. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d fallen in.”

He responded with a grunt. His horn glowed green, which soon spread not only to his body, but Lyra’s and Twilight’s as well. Before long his horn blazed white, blinding all who saw it.

Spike gasped and launched himself out of the fountain. “Twilight, no!”

He landed in a circle of burned earth, green sparkles flitting around him. “No!” He clawed at the dirt and flung a few handfuls behind him. “No!” He sat as tears dripped from his eyes. “No, no, no, no…”

Rarity wrapped her forelegs around him and rocked back and forth. She looked up to see Pinkie staring at the burnt earth, her mouth hanging wide. “Pinkie, I’m—”

“He didn’t even know me.” Pinkie choked. “He-he didn’t know me! Me!”

Rarity tried to speak, to open her mouth and let soothing words flow forth, but she was interrupted by another voice that was quite invested in the occurred events.

“Okay, okay, what?” Vinyl asked. “Does anypony know what in the flying feather just happened here!?”

Author's Note

This chapter went through a metric ton of edits and cuts and pastes and rewriting. Principally, I was debating whether or not to include Flash's dream sequence this early in the story. Turned out he needs to have this little bit of development now, so we're good to go, there.

The other big debate was Lyra and Twilight's conversation. Twilight was gonna be a little more verbose and motive-ranty, but it's better if she saves that for later. It worked out to have her be very short and abrupt and snippy with Lyra.

Or should I say, Nightmare Lyre?

She Can Say "No"

Twilight was a big fan of teleportation. It always sent a tingle through her entire body that left her feeling exhilarated, vibrant, ready for a new day. Performing several in a row was ill advised, of course, except after hours of practice and magically exercising your hornpower. Nowadays, though, magic exhaustion seemed a thing of the past for the Princess of Friendship.

Getting carried along by somepony else’s teleport was… something else.

When Twilight teleported, she knew she was in control. She knew where she was going, how to get there, and how much energy it would take. She wasn’t in control during Braeburn’s teleport, not one little bit. She twisted and rolled, stretched and sprung, flipped and flopped. She screamed as she tumbled through the little wrinkle in time, buffeted by magic and who knew what else.

She exited hyperspace through an explosion of color and fire. Her face lay where it had been planted on the ground. Her muscles protested as she raised her head, sore as they were from the amateurish spell. The untrained teleport hurt even worse than her interrupted teleport from earlier. More energy had been transformed into wasted heat, too, as evidenced by the smoke trailing from the edge of her mane. With her entire body complaining to her about this and that, she decided to be clinical about it.

“Burnt hair, that’s going to be a trip to the stylist. Aching muscles, maybe Spike remembers some kinda remedy. Or maybe Zecora. Dry eyes, gonna need some artificial droplets. I hurt Flash; do girlfriends send candy or flowers? Blueblood’s going to Tartarus—”

Her teeth ground together. She swallowed the darned lump in her throat and continued.

“Lyra’s infected, or possessed, or whatever by a Nightmare. No Elements of Harmony. Gotta think of another solution. Where could I find holy water? Maybe a silver arrow. Maybe a cannonball.”

She vaguely became aware of voices mumbling nearby. She ignored them, partially due to the fact that she couldn’t make out a single word.

“Was that Braeburn? Is he Nightmared, too? Can we even call a boy a Night-Mare? What about Pink—”

She choked. She supposed her eyes weren’t as dried out as she thought.

“Oh, Pinkie. This isn’t fair, not to you.”

She wiped her eyes, but found her foreleg was already wet. The rest of her body, too. She set the leg on the ground, which turned out to be as soaked as anything else. She finally became aware of light taps on her face, wings, and back. Water. Rain. Wind.

A storm.

As the voices became more distinct as she recognized a ringing in her ears. The teleport had been rougher than she thought. She examined her injuries closer.

“Ringing in ears. Blurry vision, everything looks dark. Soreness isn’t going away, but nothing’s broken.”

She felt her chest, where a soft beat thumped.

“Almost.”

“She’s in rough shape.”

An unfamiliar voice pressed past the ringing. Twilight felt the urge to scuttle back, but her legs just left her flopping in the puddle she was lying in. She could make out a purple mane, a gray face, glowing eyes… Another Nightmare?

“Chastity! Get back here!” a gravelly voice snapped. “Give our new friend some room.”

Beneath the shallow puddle of water, Twilight could feel stone. Cracked, dented, chipped, old. Ancient. Her eyes cleared enough that she could see shapes swirling around her.

“Who’s there?” she asked. “Who are you? Where am I? Why have you taken me here?”

“Isn’t there anything else you’d like to share, Princess? I mean, really, don’t stop on my account.” A green shape walked close, coming into focus as it neared. Lyra Heartstrings smiled down at Twilight, her eyes still as draconic as they had been a few minutes prior. “I told yah, Your Highness. We’ve got a serious proposition for you.”

As Lyra spoke, Twilight became aware of the headache pounding behind her eyes. “That teleport was awful.”

“Focus, Twilight.” Lyra shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t think you’re in a position to be making rational decisions right now.” Her grin widened to show every fang in her mouth.

Twilight sneered. “Go chew the cud.”

“Ah, there’s the venom I was looking for!” Lyra’s golden glow settled around Twilight and lifted her to her feet. Twilight found herself forced to lean against the green pony in order to avoid landing back in the puddle. “Keep it up and you’re sure to fit in.”

Clarity came to Twilight in the form of restored sight. An Everfree storm raged about her with neither rhyme nor reason. Lightning flashed, illuminating a ruin that she had far too much familiarity with: the Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters. Its craggy towers and its ragged doorways glared out of the gloom, echoing emptiness that had to be at least a thousand years old. Her and her friends’ time spent within had done little to restore it to its former glory, much less any feeling of warmth.

The next flash of lightning brightened the courtyard and sent prickles running up Twilight’s spine. Lyra stood beside her, propping her up. Braeburn glared into the middle distance, his eyes devoid of light or thought. Not too far away stood the gray Nightmare, in actuality a female bat pony. Her mane drooped over her slit eyes, stuck fast to her face with dampness.

Twilight’s wings dared to unfurl for a moment, only to clamp down in pain and tightness. She recognized the final figure in the courtyard. He was a foe, a villain, a pain in the flank. He was everything wrong with magic. He was everything twisted about friendship. He was a pretty nasty kinda dude.

The miasma of deception and manipulation roiled around in the rain, its purplish-reddish eyes focusing on her. A beak of smoke curled below the eyes, smiling a thin smirk of sinister smugness. The edges of the cloud feathered outward as if they were folded wings waiting to take flight.

“Shadowfright,” Twilight gulped. She attempted to hide the fact that her rear knees were knocking together. “I thought Ponyville kicked your immaterial butt.”

His voice sounded like gravel trickling down a stone slide. “I thought Luna was the perfect queen. We don’t always get what we want.”

Twilight tried to snort and leave it at that, but Shadowfright had more to say. “You have quite a bit of experience not getting what you want, don’t you, Princess Sparkle?”

“N-none of that is any of your business.” Twilight let out a shriek as a tendril of Shadowfright’s smoky substance curled around her neck and touched her cheek. “D-don’t you t—”

“Touch me?” Shadowfright chuckled. “Don’t wear that phrase out, Twilight.”

Twilight tried to pull away from him, and Lyra decided to take the hint. The green Nightmare stepped away and allowed Twilight to fall back into the puddle. Lyra chuckled, but was silenced by a glare from Shadowfright.

“I’m terribly sorry about all this. One thing just leads to another, doesn’t it?” He flowed around Twilight’s prone form, examining her from head to hooves. “Your dear friend, lost forever to Tartarus. Your noble lover, standing against your crusade for fairness. Your dear friends, each telling you what cannot be done. What must not be done. It hardly seems right.”

Tears sprang unbidden to Twilight’s eyes. “Shut up.”

“My, what disbelief must follow”—Shadowfright tilted his head back in a shock that he didn’t truly experience—“to know that it is by Princess Celestia’s command that he must see to Tartarus’ prisoners?”

“That—that’s not true!” Twilight roared. “Princess Celestia would find a way to fix it if she could! I know it!”

“Oh, I’m certain you are right.” Shadowfright came to rest before Twilight, his head leaning on a tendril of smog. “And it is more certain she would not have used Princess Luna to deliver the message because she didn’t want to bear the bad news herself. Hmm.”

Twilight rose to her feet despite the agony. “Celestia… Celestia would never do such a thing.”

“Oh, my. Is Cadence in on the act as well?” Shadowfright asked. “Is she the one who told Flash not to follow you? Has she kept him from you because she’s afraid you might convince him that you’re right?”

“Shut up with your ridiculous, bald-faced lies!” Twilight tottered, but remained standing. “I’m not gonna even bother to answer them because of how ludicrous they are.”

“So, is it possible Blueblood wants to go to Tartarus?”

Twilight blinked. She shook her head and blinked again, water splashing around her. “What?”

“He’s barely spoken to anypony about it,” Shadowfright said. His face grew large, bushy eyebrows that tilted upwards. “He’s hidden certain facts and obfuscated others. He openly, publicly resisted an offer of help. He didn’t even let you try.”

“He—it wouldn’t even work.” Twilight’s mouth moved silently for a second. “It wouldn’t work.”

“According to him, of course.” Shadowfright smiled. Pleasantly. Cheerfully. “He would be the expert, wouldn’t he? It’s not as though he wants an escape from this life of responsibility and accountability he’s built around himself.”

“That’s stupid.” Twilight’s breathing grew a hair quicker. Her nostrils twitched a bit wider. “That’s stupid! He loves having friends and—and a purpose. He wouldn’t just give it all up if he could help it.” Twilight nodded, as much to herself as to the Nightmare before her. “He loves… he loves us.”

Shadowfright tilted his head and squinted, as if mulling over her words. “So it is merely his Noblesse Oblige, his sense that because he is blessed he must give back, that carries him on to Tartarus? An admirable sort of fellow, that.” The narrow eyes met hers. “But that still leaves him in that disgusting prison, and you minus one good friend.”

Lightning flashed and thunder rolled. Twilight flinched away, but Shadowfright paid no heed. “It always comes back to Tartarus, doesn’t it?” he asked. “Its very existence causes nothing but pain.”

Twilight sniffed as she wiped her eyes. “It keeps feedbags like you away from good people.”

“Good—!” Shadowfright’s eyes widened. What would have been the shoulders on a corporeal creature hunched up, and his drafty wings spread. “Let me tell you a story, Twilight Sparkle.”

He rose above, no, grew above her. His billowing mass stretched to the size of a minotaur and beyond. “A thousand years ago, give or take a decade, a people known as Living Dreams searched the cosmos for a home.

“After generations of searching, they finally found themselves in a land of plenty, a land of joy and happiness known as Equestria. They appealed to the rulers of the land, asking for shelter, or food, or anything the princesses could spare. They were given such, but it was temporary. It simply couldn’t last. They would soon need to find a new place to stay, or they risked disaster.”

Shadowfright lowered his head to Twilight’s level. “One night, one of the princesses came to the leader of the Living Dreams with a proposition. She offered him a kingdom, if he would help her convince her people to appreciate her night sky. The Sister of the Night and the Living Dreams came to the Sister of the Day, asking that the night be enjoyed more fully.”

Shadowfright sighed. “She refused, of course. The story must always end the same way, no matter how many times it is told. The Sister of the Night rebelled against the indignancy, and the Living Dreams stood beside her. They were defeated and cast aside by the Elements of Harmony.”

Twilight shook her head. Her ears drooped as her eyes shut tight. “You’re messing up the story. You’ve got it wrong.”

“I was there!” Shadowfright roared. “I received the full brunt of the rage of Harmony!” He exhaled, reducing his body to more a pony-esque size. “Years later, while we were still imprisoned on the moon, a pony prince named Scorpan led what Living Dreams remained to Canterlot, where they once again petitioned for a land of their own. It ended with a country-wide battle. It ended in the creation of Tartarus.”

“This is twisted.” Twilight sat as her legs finally gave out. “You’re twisting it. You’re—”

“The Living Dreams just wanted to go home, Twilight,” Shadowfright said. “So Celestia made us one.”

“Enough!” Twilight shuffled backwards, her soaked wings flopping uselessly at her sides. “I don’t have to listen to your stupid—”

“It’s Tartarus, Twilight.” Shadowfright floated ahead, closing the distance between them. “It’s the source of so much pain. So much anguish. Its sheer existence is an evil against life itself. It has stolen friendships. Destroyed lives. Separated families…” He glanced ever-so-briefly at the bat pony at the edge of the courtyard. “And now it wants to do the same to you and yours.”

A ghostly image of Blueblood shimmered before the dark castle ruins. It turned slowly, vanishing into the night. Twilight coughed a deep sob as she watched it disappeared. “Stop—stop it.”

“And who is next Twilight?” Shadowfright rolled around until his mouth hovered beside her ear and his eyes pointed in the direction she was looking. “What evil shall be visited on those you love? Who shall you say goodbye to?” Her friends, Spike, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Shining Armor, Cadence, Flash Sentry, Celestia… they and so many others, flashed into a facsimile of existence and then faded one by one. “What price will you pay for Equestria, Twilight?”

Her headache intensified, leading her to place a hoof over her eyes. When she opened them again, she was standing alone on a mountaintop, looking out over the kingdom of Equestria. She could see Ponyville in the distance, smoke curling slowly from the many smokestacks. A turn of her head brought the shining gem of Equestria, Canterlot, into view. As her attention shifted between the two, the bright lights of Canterlot dimmed, and the smokestacks of Ponyville faded into disuse. Silence and stillness filled the world below Twilight, a blankness that crept into her heart.

Shadowfright was beside her, his crackling voice whispering. “You can save them all, Twilight.”

Thunder rumbled. A darkness spread over the world, swallowing the small town and the sprawling city. Fire replaced buildings, crags of crystals grew in the absence of trees, and shadows presided over all as the sky took on a deep red hue.

“You can save them all if only you make the choice.” Shadowfright faced her, and the dark world transformed back into the realm of reality. “You can save them if you do what you know is right.”

Twilight shut her eyes. Her head shook from side to side violently. “No! No, no, no! You’re evil! Evil!”

Images assailed her from behind her eyelids. Her friends watched as if from a great distance as she plodded along towards a black, soul-sucking abyss.

“Stop, Twilight! This ain’t right!”

“You can’t do this to yourself! Think about what you’re giving up!”

“Twi! This is nuts!”

“Oh, please, please stop…”

“This isn’t good! Nope, nope, nope!”

“Twilight,” Spike sobbed, “you can’t just leave!”

Blueblood stood before her, facing away. He spun as rage strained his features. “I’m telling you there can’t be a solution!”

She reeled backwards and found herself caught in the forelegs of Flash Sentry. “I’m sorry, Twilight. This is the way it has to be.”

She pushed away from him and tumbled at the feet of Celestia, who was flanked on either side by Luna and Cadence. “He must do his duty,” the eldest said, “as you must do yours.”

“I am sick and tired of duty getting in the way!” Twilight shrieked. “I hate this! I hate not being able to do anything about it!” She turned to Shadowfright, who sat smirking just a few meters away. “I hate you!”

She crumbled before him, her cries echoing throughout the courtyard. Lightning illuminated her soaked, rumpled form, as well as the bat pony that approached from behind. The gray-coated mare knelt beside the princess and ran a comforting hoof through her mane. “I know a way you could do something about it.”

Twilight gritted her teeth and lifted her head.

“We’re after the same thing, after all,” the mare said. “Tartarus has just gotta go.”

Shadowfright turned to Lyra with a chuckle. “She can say ‘no’ a million times over…”

The batpony whispered in Twilight’s ear, “Do you want to save Blueblood?”

“But,” Shadowfright said, “she only needs to say ‘yes’ once.”

“Of course I do,” Twilight gasped. “But I can’t…”

“No, but I could.” The bat pony extended a leathery wing and placed it atop Twilight’s head. “All you have to do is let me help. Trust in ol’ Chastity.”

Blueblood shimmered in the distance, his form obscured by the rain. Chastity’s eyes lowered to the ground. “Or you could say goodbye.”

Shadowfright’s eyes widened. He shook his head and sharply drew a tendril of magic across what might have been his neck. Chastity ignored him.

“You’ll live for thousands of years because of your alicorn lifespan. Most ponies won’t,” she sighed. “You’re gonna have to learn how to say goodbye.”

Twilight exhaled. She drew her head up, and her reddened eyes bored holes through Chastity. “No, I won’t.”

She stood on shaking legs. She cast her iron glare on each person present. “No, I won’t! I’m gonna save him! I’m gonna save them all! I’ll destroy Tartarus and everything inside it if I have to!”

Chastity drew back, the hairs on her neck standing up, but Shadowfright smirked. “We can give you the power to do so,” he said.

Flame ignited in a circle around Twilight, completely disregarding the pouring rain. She flinched away from the brightness and shielded her eyes with a hoof. The flame separated into six individual spurts, gradually intensifying from red, to yellow, to white, to blue. The water beneath them hissed and boiled, and steam rose up to meet the downpour.

Chastity also stood within the circle. Her eyes darted as her wings extended, though she resisted the temptation to take flight. “Sh-Shadowfright… Will I still be… me?”

His attention was not on her, but on the alicorn princess beside her. “All we need is your permission, Twilight Sparkle. Let us in. Let us help you. One word is all it takes.”

Twilight’s eyes stung as fresh tears poured forth. “If this doesn’t save Blueblood, there’s nothing that can protect you.”

“So I take it your answer is…?”

Twilight choked out a small, painful “Yes.”

Stars burst in Twilight’s vision as the jets of fire twisted towards her. It wasn’t heat behind them, it was pain. Fear. Anger. Strength. Twilight let out a scream as she lost the ability to think clearly. Only images of her friends could be made out. Only the fires from her dream of Ponyville held her attention. Only sorrows not prevented could be felt.

Chastity looked upon her as she fell to the ground, screaming unintelligibly. The bat pony thought she could make out a few names, such as Spike’s, but there was no way to be certain. The fire reflected in her damp eyes as she turned to Shadowfright. “Larry, I—”

“It’s time, Chastity,” he interrupted. “It’s time for the birth of our new queen.”

Chastity shrunk back and turned to Twilight. She cupped the alicorn’s head in her hooves and whispered, “Sorry. Just… sorry.”

She kissed Twilight on the forehead and vanished in a puff of glitter.

The fire joined together in a great pillar of light that erupted high into the air. Shrieks filled the courtyard, coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. The wingspan of an alicorn extended past the flowing light, soon followed by a horn and the tip of a purple-striped tail.

The blast faded, revealing Twilight Sparkle. She stood taller, and featured a longer horn and wings. Her coat was dark purple, nearly black. Her mane was a dusky purple, deep as the night sky and scattered with sparkling stars. Her once pink stripe glowed bright as the morning sunrise. Her lavender eyes sported the split pupil endemic to Nightmares, and fangs poked out of a somber mouth. She stood over Shadowfright, her wings spread and her foreleg lifted regally.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” she asked. “Bow before your Twilit Queen!”

Princess Celestia scribbled lightly on a scroll of parchment, a list of alicorns that had ascended recently. The number of new arrivals dwindled monthly, but there was still no sign of shortage.

“Davenport, Soarin, Cup Cake, Trixie Lulamoon, Flim Flimflam…”

She groaned as she entered a certain name into the list. “Lightning Dust… I should really apologize to her one of these days.” She made a note of it and moved on.

“Hoity Toity, Peachbottom—Dear heavens, those two—Sombra…”

She pursed her lips. “No headway on the ponyhunt, I suppose. Let’s see… Oh, yes! Derpy Hooves. Such a sweetie.”

A door clicked open, alerting her to the presence of somepony in the hallway. She leaned her head out of the entrance to her study to get a look. Her nephew, Blueblood, was marching double-time through the halls, his face carved from stone. Her eyebrows tilted up. “Back from the party so soon? Did you enjoy—?”

A door slammed behind him, ending the conversation.

Celestia straightened up, a frown alighting her features. “No, I suppose not.”

She stood and trotted over to the guards standing at the ready. “We’re going to the ball room. Now.”

She didn’t much like the news she received upon arrival. No, she didn’t like the news in the slightest.

Author's Note

Cue villain songs.

Signs and Wonders

Princess Celestia trotted through the corridors of her castle. Not the marble halls of the Chronicle of Equestria. Not the vaulted ceilings and infinite towers of the Royal Chambers. Not even the dusty, quiet Bibliotheca of Starswirl. The corridors she walked through were dank, dark, dreary, and altogether unfriendly.

She passed an arrow carved into the wall, the word “dungeon” scrawled across it in a nearly-obsolete language. It pointed down a flight of stairs that were all but covered in cobwebs and dust. She passed this sign with nary a glance and left the stairs undisturbed.

A sign of a different sort greeted her at the end of the hallway, super-glued to a thick oak doorway. Written in a flowery script that defied readability, it read: “Keep out! Brooding in progress. No admittance. This means you, Celestia!”

She squinted at a thin line of fine print near the bottom. “Please bring cake.”

She sighed and pressed past the door. She nearly tripped over a ceiling lamp. Her hooves preformed a dance of skill and desperation as she righted herself. She looked up and took notice of a big, comfy couch hanging from the floor above. Sitting in that particular sofa was none other than Discord, Creature of Chaos and Lord of Lunacy.

And Prince of Pugnacity, he’d like to remind you all.

He lounged, his body taking up the entire couch and then some. He leafed through a book, though he barely gave the pages the time required for reading comprehension. His eyes looked up (down?) and gave Celestia a once-over. “Where’re the baked goods?”

Celestia produced a cake from behind her wings and held it up (down?) to him. “Boston cream, just how you like it.”

He sniffed, only then deciding to come down (up?). “Ah, Boston. It’s a magical place. Have you ever been there?”

Celestia took a step back as he produced a jagged knife. She let loose a little sigh as he used it to dice the dessert. “I can’t say that I have.”

“Never been to Boston in the fall?” he asked. He placed a paw over his chest and rocketed his eyebrows up (down?) to the roof (floor?). “Agog! Aghast! You should treat yourself one of these days.”

He placed a king-sized slice in his mouth and chewed noisily. Celestia pursed her lips and turned her head in a slow arc to take in the jumbled, upside-down room. “I have to admit, I didn’t expect you to actually be brooding in here.”

“Exactamundo!” Crumbs sprayed as he spoke. “It was the last thing you expected, ergo…” He chuckled. “Ergo sum.”

Celestia’s lip twitched. “Ergo some kind of explanation would be nice.”

Discord cut another slice of cake, then lifted the remainder of the pastry and tossed it into his gullet. It made a strange “ptang” sound as it hit bottom. “So the other horseshoe drops.”

“Uh huh,” Celestia said. “Just what exactly were you doing last night, Discord?”

Discord’s fang held a tight grip on his lower lip as the rest of his face smiled. “Helping out a friend or two. Why?”

“Ponies have told me about the spell you were going to cast.” Celestia raised an eyebrow.

“The spell that Twilight was going to cast.” Discord’s donkey-ish ears drooped as he booped the princess on the nose. “I was just the amp.”

She brushed his talon away. “What were you hoping to accomplish?”

“Truthfully?” Discord asked. “You want the whole, honest, sordid truth, eh?”

At Celestia’s nod, Discord snickered. “Well, if the spell failed, it had the potential to generate untold amounts of blissful, exquisite chaos.”

He held up a finger as her mouth opened. “But,” he said, “but, but, but, but, but. If the spell had succeeded…”

Discord crossed his arms and hovered in the air, the final piece of cake floating beside him. “If it had succeeded, Twilight would have been grateful. Blueblood would have been grateful. To me.”

He turned to the slice and smiled. “Tell me, Crème de la Boston, aside from Fluttershy, how many ponies are there who truly consider me a friend?”

The cake split in half and flapped as if it was a sugary, frosted mouth. “Only yah undertaker knows fah showah!”

Discord slipped his arm around Celestia’s shoulders. “I’m trying out this little ‘friendship’ racket you’ve got going here in Equestria. I really am. I know friends help each other, and I tried to do just that with the resources I had available.” His cheek pressed against hers. “Is it so wrong that I just want a little bit of the buddy-wuddy kinda stuff?”

She vanished in a sparkle of magic and reappeared a few meters away, the hairs on her neck standing on edge. “Fine. I’ll admit I’m more worried about my former student than whatever trickery you were performing.”

“Twilight Snarkle?” he asked. “Give her a week. She’ll be trotting back to Canterlot with explosions going off in the background, the limp form of the Nightmares' leader dangling in her magic grasp.”

“Perhaps. Perhaps I should have some faith in her.” Celestia closed her eyes. “Just… try not to use any spells that could blow up the castle in the near future.”

She turned to leave, but was stayed by the sound of the draconequus’ voice. “Do you wonder, Celestia?”

She turned, and froze solid at the sight before her. Discord stood, unmoving, not a meter away. His face was, for all intents and purposes, dead serious. “Do you ever stop and wonder about what’s holding me back? What’s stopping me from tearing a hole in the universe? What’s keeping me from twisting Canterlot into a giant fruit loop and finding how many licks it takes to get to the chewy center? Do you wonder, Celestia?”

Celestia’s breath became shallow as her wings spread ever-so-slightly.

Discord grinned. “Who am I kidding? Of course you do. Me, too. It’s a question that shall baffle philosophers for eons to come.” His eyes fell as his wings dipped. “But that might be because of how dosh-garned simple the answer is.”

His paw and his talon rubbed together. “So, when you figure out the answer, will you share it with me?”

Celestia sputtered. She shut her mouth with visible strain and gave Discord a curt nod. She turned to march out the door, and slowly closed it behind her.

Discord stuffed Crème de la Boston between his cheeks and chewed. He snapped his talon, causing his couch to tumble to the floor (ceiling?). Another snap caused the seat to morph itself upright with an audible “chook-chack-chick.” He sat, then lay, then sprawled on its green cushions. He set his book down and flipped the next page over.

Dear Princess Celestia,

Sometimes you can feel like what you have to offer is too little to make a difference…

His eyes trailed over the words on the page once, twice, thrice. He watched as the floor and the ceiling righted themselves, and his four walls became right angles once more. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

One eye opened to read the page again.

Moisture trailed down his cheek that had nothing to do with cotton candy clouds.

Author's Note

Next chapter chronicles the start of Blueblood's trip to Tartarus. So I can actually, you know, make the summary relevant.

Cloudsdale's Nice This Time of Year

Author's Note

So as I was trundling through this story, I came upon a horrible realization: I neglected to give Lightning Dust and Soarin any character. This chapter was added late in the story's life in order to rectify this problem.

Who are these characters and why should you care? Read these side-stories:

Beauty's Ascension; or, An Alicorn Love Story

Bogus Ascension; or, Alicorns Don't Count for Much Nowadays

Blank Flank Ascension; or, A Very Alicorn Hearth's Warming Eve

Cloudsdale's Nice This Time of Year

Lightning Dust, Alicorn Princess of Flight, stretched her wings, letting the sunlight shine through her feathers. It was a bright day in Canterlot, with only a couple of clouds floating here and there. She looked down from the rooftop she was perched on. “I saw that, Artful!”

A colt in a large coat and a busted stovepipe hat glared up. He stepped away from a pair of saddlebags lying on the ground. “Oi didn’ touch nothin’!”

“I don’t believe you for a second.” Lightning Dust pointed her wingtip at a nearby alicorn filly. “Ember, frisk him.”

Ember rolled her eyes and prodded Artful Dodger with her hooves. “If you were nae soo grabby all the tiem, she wouldnae care a whit.”

Artful shrunk back. “Gerroff! You’re in my personal space!”

Amber, an orangey earth pony filly, stuck her head out of the ramshackle building’s doorway. “What’d Artful steal now?”

“That’s what I be aimin’ to find oot.” Ember squinted as she pulled a bag of bits out of Artful’s coat pocket. “No surprise there.”

“Those bits’re mine,” Artful said.

Ember turned the bag, revealing the symbol of a lightning bolt striking the ground. Artful fell silent.

Lightning Dust landed between them and grabbed the bag. “You know I need these to travel.”

“Maybe oi don’t want you to go.” Artful stomped a hoof. “Maybe oi don’t want you to abandon us again.”

“I’m not—” Lightning Dust covered her face with a hoof. She wrapped her foreleg around Ember’s neck. “Come here, Artful. You, too, Amber.”

Amber trotted up and wrapped her forelegs around Lightning’s middle. Artful grumbled a bit before joining the group hug.

“You know as well as I do that this Wonderbolts thing could solve all our problems,” Lightning said.

“Yeah,” Artful Dodger mumbled. “That’s what you said a year ago. And that’s what we thought when Ember ascended.”

“Can it, doofus.” Lightning squeezed his neck a little tighter than was necessary. “I’ll just sweet talk the captains and we’ll be back in business. Piece of cake.”

Artful pulled away. “Fine. Have your likkle play-date with destiny. We’ll be here, scroungin’ about like usual.”

Lightning Dust frowned as she turned to Ember and Amber. “You two behave, okay?”

“I’ll be as peaceable a filly as ye could expect,” Ember said. She fluttered her wings and tapped her horn. “Lessons with the princess are going to start soon.”

Lightning Dust ruffled Ember’s mane. “You tell Celestia I said ‘Kiss a donkey’s butt,’ okay, squirt?”

“I think I’ll keep that to meself.” Ember grinned and gave her a nuzzle. “Stay safe. For everypony.”

“Yeah, yeah…” Lightning Dust bit her lip. “Yeah, I’ll be safe.”

“Don’t forget to eat your greens!” Amber said.

“I’ll eat so many greens they’ll have to call me Spinach Dust!” Lightning Dust strapped her saddlebags onto her back and took to the sky. “See you guys in a couple months!”

“If promises was primroses,” Artful Dodger said, “oi’d be eatin’ good.”

Lightning Dust stuck her tongue out at the colt. She flew off through the clouds, towards the city in the sky: Cloudsdale.

She was followed by a certain darkness.

Soarin, Prince of the Storm and Co-Captain of the Wonderbolts, scribbled his way across a sheet of names. They were new recruits for the Wonderbolt academy, each and every one of them exceptional in some way.

He tapped the quill against his lips. His horn sparked as his telekinetic grip faltered. The pen tumbled onto the paper and smudged several names. He blinked. “Maybe I should practice magic a little more before writing important documents.”

“Gee, you think?” Spitfire, Co-Captain of the Wonderbolts and Still Very Much a Pegasus, walked into his office. She buttoned up her dress uniform as she glanced at his ink-stained desk. “Need me to fetch another copy?”

“Not really.” Soarin tapped his hooves together. “I’ve already sort of made my selection.”

Spitfire flicked an ear. “You decided to let Lightning Dust join the academy, didn’t you?”

Soarin sat back. “Yep.”

“That might be a bad idea.” Spitfire brushed her mane back, snorting as one lock in particular refused to stay put. “You heard about her accident last time. She almost Humpty Dumpty-ed five national heroes!”

“And yet,” Soarin said, “here lies a letter of recommendation from Princess Celestia herself.”

“You twisting my jet stream?” Spitfire jumped through the air and landed on his desk. She pulled out one of the less ink-stained sheets of paper. “Wow. How did she rate—?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Soarin shrugged. “She is a princess. She had to have done something amazing to ascend.”

“Oh whatever,” Spitfire said. “Half of these new princes and princesses are just dummies who got lucky.” Spitfire squinted out of the corner of her eye. “Present company excepted, of course.”

Soarin smirked. “If fighting off a horde of changelings was the requirement for ascending, I’d be the only alicorn prince in Equestria.”

“Eh, I heard Blueblood did that, too.” Spitfire grinned. “Maybe you’re not so special.”

Soarin leaned on his desk. “Maybe it was the way I caught that falling orphanage Supermare-style.”

“Yeah, you big showoff.” Spitfire was about to walk out of the office when she caught Soarin frowning at something on his desk. “Why the long face?”

Soarin picked up a picture frame that had absolutely no ink stains on it. He turned it around, revealing the image of a gray-coated, blonde-manes alicorn mare alongside a light-pink unicorn filly. He gave her a half-smile. “Not long. Just lone.”

Spitfire lidded her eyes. “I’m sure we could find some way to let your girlfriend stay on the campus if she wanted.”

“Yeah, Derpy would be fine.” Soarin shrugged. “But Dinky? Even Princess Twilight couldn’t cast a spell to keep her cloudwalking twenty-four seven.”

Spitfire let a smirk cross her face. “Or we could make Ponyville the new headquarters for the Wonderbolts.”

“Oh yeah,” Soarin said. “The pegasi around here would love that.”

Spitfire chuckled. “I’ll bet Rainbow Dash would like it.”

“Sounds like something she’d do.” Soarin stood up and stretched his wings. “You ready to play ‘Sarge’ again this year?”

“No.” Spitfire clomped a hoof on his desk. “You’re keeping the recruits in line this time. We drew straws and everything!”

Soarin shook his head. “Has Fleetfoot ever lead a training academy before?”

“No, and I’m not sure I’d trust her,” Spitfire said. They walked together through the white hallways of the Cloudsdale Coliseum. “She’s a little flighty.”

“Aren’t we all?” Soarin paused mid-step as a young colt fluttered up to him.

“Captain Soarin?” The colt looked at a sheet he held in his hooves. “Er. Prince Soarin?”

“Both are technically correct,” Soarin said. “What’s up?”

“There’s a Lightning Dust here to see you,” the colt said. “She’s waiting in the lobby. She says it’s something important.”

Spitfire tilted her head. “You want me to handle her?”

“Naw.” Soarin jumped into the air and flapped his wings. “I guess I get to give her the good news myself.”

He flew through the coliseum hallways, a subtle shadow billowing in his wake.

Neverdead

“I shall meet you at Tartarus,” Luna had explained. “I have some unfinished business to attend to.”

With that said, she had flow off and left Blueblood alone on the aircraft. Technically alone, that is, considering the hundreds of other passengers the ship contained.

Blueblood leaned over the railing to get a look at the ground. The ship was hundreds of meters in the air, held aloft by magicks and science that he never really cared to investigate. The gentle hum of dozens of propellers sounded out all around as they pushed the Sky Ark forth.

The land below was wild. Nary a building had been in sight for the past half-hour; they were replaced by towering trees that had stood for eons. Blueblood sighed. “It’s a long way from home, isn’t it?”

He turned his back to the rails and leaned upon them. His eyes went to the balloons, or envelopes, or gasbags, or whatever you were supposed to call those containers of lighter-than-air. Though he would have much rather been gazing towards the aft of the craft, back to where he had come from.

The captain strode by, and Blueblood was struck by the sheer level of ornate the stallion displayed. The black, thick-rimmed glassed he wore were about the only clothing on him that wasn’t gold-stitched or multicolored. Gold epaulettes bedecked his shoulders, and a purple cape flowed out over his wings.

Blueblood took a moment to admire and envy the roguish beard-and-moustache combo the stallion sported. Blueblood suspected that if he had that level of facial hair, nopony would dare to call his voice high-pitched. “I wonder how long it would take me to grow that…”

Our beloved prince considered walking up to the stallion and asking him for beard-related pointers, when one of the sailors/stewards/whatever caught the attention of their captain. Blueblood didn’t quite catch what the subordinate said, but the captain’s reply was nothing if not audible.

“Joo said dere were storms on dere way?” the captain stated. Or asked. It was hard to tell with his accent.

Blueblood’s ears twitched forward to catch the other pony’s reply. “Yes, sir. Stormy cumulonimbus clouds.”

“Not gettin’ through dat.” The captain placed a cream-colored hoof on his stallionesque brown beard. “Hmm. Gonna take a while to go ’round.”

“That’s the strange thing, Captain,” the lackey muttered. “There’s a clear path leading right to Tartarus.”

Mild disinterest turned to keen attention as Blueblood leaned forward.

The captain squinted out of one eye. “Joo think it’s an omen? Or maybe the princesses just planned it for dere prince down in the cargo hold?”

“Whatever it is,” the other pony said, “it’s an anomaly. Reports have been flying in from all over Equestria about local weather teams fighting back storms from the wilds. Most of the continent is feeling pretty weathered.” She chuckled at her own joke, but the lack of response from her captain brought her back to the reality that didn’t think she was funny. “For this little path to be clear of clouds at this exact time… it seems a little rehearsed, you might say.”

The captain nodded. “Well, keep the weatherponies on alert. If dat storm closes in, we don’t wanna be caught wit our horseshoes loose.” The mare saluted and trotted away while the captain remained on the top deck, his steely gaze penetrating the horizon.

Blueblood brought his eyes back to the ground, and his thoughts with them. A glimmer in the leaves showed that the trees had undergone a recent soaking that hadn’t had time to evaporate. Plenty of the towering giants presented fresh breaks in their branches. Turning his eyes to the edge of the world, he could see the dark streaks of falling rain some few miles out.

Amidst the rain lay the town of Ponyville.

“Storms in the wild,” Blueblood mumbled. “May the wind be in your wings, Rainbow Dash.” He leaned his back against the railing again, examining further the plain envelopes hovering overhead. “Perhaps Twilight would know something about how to fix… Bah!”

He stood and shook himself. He stomped towards the front of the craft, keeping Ponyville out of sight. Ponies looked up at the sound of tramping hooves, then moved to the side after seeing the frown upon his face. Blueblood walked until he reached the rounded prow of the vessel, where he sat with a bit more force than was necessary.

A howl broke through the air: the call of a great hound. It was joined by another, and then a third. Blueblood’s ears perked upwards and forwards as he considered the source of the noise. “Oh, good,” he groaned, “a welcoming committee.”

Mountains loomed. The trees that decorated the hills disappeared entirely, leaving behind nothing but solid, unyielding stone. The mountains were numerous; they made up a skyline that put Manehatten to utter shame. Blueblood could only just make out a pass, scraggly and narrow, at the mouth of which stood a mythical mutt.

Cerberus’ black coat stood out against the light gray rock surrounding him. The three-headed dog gave another howl, and then retreated down the pass. The dog bounded nimbly from rock to rock, missing sharpened spikes and jagged breaks by what seemed like inches. Cerberus vanished from sight, down the dark and foreboding path through the Sleeping Mountains.

A sniffling, snuffling sound came from Blueblood’s side. He turned his head to see Captain Wishbone leaning on the rails beside him, wiping copious amounts of diamond dog snot on his forepaw. The dog’s eyes glistened in the morning light. “Beautiful. Simply beautiful.”

Blueblood, for lack of anything better to do, raised an eyebrow. “The Sleeping Mountains?”

Wishbone snarled. “No, dummy pony! Cerberus! The dog! The Dog! The dog which all other dogs aspire to be! He is the alpha male!”

“Aspire,” Blueblood mumbled behind closed lips. “There’s a word I didn’t expect to leave that mouth.”

Wishbone’s ears twitched. “Lotta more words gonna leave this mouth if you keep that up! Not so nice ones, too!”

Blueblood’s ears lay flat against his head. “Well, since we’re being so honest and sincere, Super-ears, let me just take a moment to say that I don’t particularly like being carted off to Tartarus. I don’t enjoy the thought of flying through that rocky death trap. And especially, I don’t appreciate Princess Luna’s choice in captains.”

Blueblood gathered all of the considerable smugness he had at his beck and call and channeled it into one smile. Rather than the rage, anger, nastiness, and general argumentativeness that he expected to come from the diamond dog captain, Blueblood found himself audience to a smile very similar to his own.

“We dogs have saying,” Wishbone said. “‘Don’t bite hand that feeds you.’”

Blueblood’s eyes lidded as his smile dropped away. “I grew out of being hand—um, hoof-fed long ago.”

“Didja, now?” Wishbone sniggered nasally. “So proud of you for moving on to sippy-cup.”

Blueblood opened his mouth, but Wishbone interrupted him with a raised claw. He brought his paw to his lips and blew a quick, loud whistle. The captain of the Sky Ark took notice and trotted over, his beard majestic against the morning sun. “Joo got something to say, Captain Fluorspar?”

Wishbone bobbed his noggin up and down. “Need you to give order to open cargo hatch. Princey and I gonna get going.”

A gem-studded fedora hung from the back of the dog’s neck. He set it upon his head and gave Blueblood a toothy grin. “You ever ride sky skiff before?”

At Blueblood’s head-shake to the negative, Captain Wishbone Fluorspar’s grin turned nasty. “Good!”

“I hate you and your whole airship-riding clan, do you know that!?”

The wind whipped past Wishbone’s ears, but failed to drown out the constant whine of the alicorn prince. The captain squinted beneath his flight goggles. “Liked little pony better when little pony was just snippy!”

Blueblood grasped onto the edge of the sky skiff, the only thing separating him from a plummet downward. No, his wings didn’t really come to mind. “Aaaah!” he articulated.

Less than two meters away sat those indomitable cliff faces. “Couldn’t we fly maybe a little bit higher!?” he asked.

Wishbone snorted. “Higher and we run into harpy nests!” He tugged on a lever, and the craft tilted to the left.

Blueblood slid to the right as centrifugal force tugged at his body. “Why don’t I just get out now? I could walk! Surely, let me walk!”

“Things lie in wait.” Wishbone secured his hat as the side of the skiff tapped against the mountain wall. The airship shuddered from the impact. “Terrible things. No Cerberus, no walking!”

Blueblood heard a hiss and stared up at the lighter-than-air balloon in horror, believing it to be leaking from one of its many patchwork repairs. He was slightly relieved when he discovered that the escaping air came instead from the boiler that powered the ship’s propellers.

“Uh oh.”

Blueblood’s relief froze in an instant at Captain Fluorspar’s murmur of disappointment. “‘Uh oh,’ what?”

“Slowing down. Not good.” Wishbone handed him a hefty wrench. “Just smack boiler until we speed up.”

Blueblood looked from the tool in his telekinetic grip to the uncooperative steam engine. “Just hit it?”

“Builds character!” Wishbone gripped two of the levers and wiggled them at random. The wind whipping past was much less forceful than before. “Builds lots and lots of character! Maybe build you character, too!”

The prince sneered. “I am something of a craftspony myself, and let me tell you, I have rarely needed to utilize percussive maintenance—”

“Cut little pony’s slagging kerf and get smacking!” Wishbone Fluorspar shouted. “Does little pony wanna die!?”

“What, now you’re threatening me?” Blueblood scoffed. “I should have you thrown in Tartar—”

It was at that exact moment that Blueblood noticed that Wishbone’s expression had changed from angry frustration to bitter depression. It was possible for a diamond dog to have puppy dog eyes after all. Wishbone sighed, pointed to something behind Blueblood, and then proceeded to scream his head off as he jerked the steering veins from side to side.

Blueblood looked behind himself and regretted it immediately.

It was Equestria’s worst-kept secret that manticores were huge softies at heart. All bluster, no muster. All roar, no claw. Still, there was no mistaking that they were huge, they were carnivorous, and they were strong. Hunger can bring out the worst in ponies, it was said, and manticores were very similar in that respect.

Still, pleasant enough creatures under the right circumstances.

Blueblood realized this on an intellectual level as he stared at the manticore climbing onto the back of the lighter-than-airship. Even as a giant paw took out a propeller, the prince was devising ways to greet the creature, and perhaps make an animal friend.

He might have actually attempted one of these things, had the creature not been lacking any sort of tissue.

No fur, no mane, no skin, no muscle, no organs. The great manticore that assailed their craft was naught but bones. That wouldn’t have been so bad, had those bones not included teeth and claws.

“Hit boiler!” Wishbone cried. “Hit monster! Hit anything! Hit everything!”

The wrench flew through the air and clanged against the boiler. Fig Newton’s third law of motion blew a raspberry and threw the wrench back with such force that it broke Blueblood’s concentration. The tool smacked him between the eyes, laying him low.

His prone position gave Blueblood a new outlook on life. For instance, he had never before realized just how many rows of teeth manticores possessed. The beast lifted its tail in the air, the barbed spike on the end aiming for the prince’s heart.

Blueblood screamed and threw himself to the side. He hoped that he wouldn’t accidently throw himself out of the skiff, but he wasn’t really sure it was the safest place to be. He stood to his feet, pleased with himself for having avoided the stinging tail.

The tail came down regardless of whether it would impale the prince, and instead found its mark on the frayed rope that held the envelope to the gondola. Or the balloon to the boat, as the case may be.

The balloon went up, and the skiff went down. The manticore slid forward until its head came into contact with the boiler. The resounding clang that resulted nearly drowned out Blueblood and Wishbone’s screams. The captain noticed, through his distress, that the propellers were once again churning at their usual rate. “Good enough!”

He pulled a red lever, one that he had not touched until that point. The sides of the skiff expanded outward, unfurling cloth wings with wooden bones. The wind caught the wings and halted the airship’s descent. The skiff jolted, sending the skeletal manticore flying off into the depths of the mountain pass. Blueblood would have followed it down, but his personal pride refused to let him be offed in such a way. He spread his wings and glided for a few meters until he was certain that the Yearling Hawk had stabilized.

“I say,” he coughed as he landed, “that could have been worse.”

They then entered the narrowest part of the pass, where the airship’s newly-gained wingspan became much, much wider than the distance between the walls. Cloth tore and wood snapped as the skiff lost altitude in a rather rapid manner.

Oh yes, and that manticore was flying quite well despite the fact that its wings were bony tatters.

Blueblood spread his wings and leapt out of the Yearling Hawk, his saddlebags strapped securely to his back. “Shake a leg now, Wishbone!” he called, holding out a hoof to the diamond dog. “Let’s wag another tail!”

Captain Wishbone jumped from the airship, which at least had the dignity to fall with style. A final kick of his legs sent the ship spiraling to the side, right into the path of the manticore. Fluorspar landed on Blueblood’s back and held on tight as the monster and the skiff collided. The boiler ruptured, and the whole thing exploded in a white cloud behind the fleeing travelers.

Wishbone gritted his teeth and sighed. “Had worse trips. Can’t remember when, but had worse.”

“My word.” Blueblood couldn’t resist a look back as he flew forward. “My word, what was that thing?”

Wishbone gripped the prince’s face and pointed it in the direction they were flying. “Go that way. You hear about ‘Alicorn’s Curse?’”

Blueblood thought for a moment, his ears swiveling for any sign of vile creatures lurking in the shadows. “What, that an alicorn will outlive his friends? Rather needless drama, if you ask me.”

“Maybe, but... that thing”—Wishbone gulped as he pointed down a fork in the pass—“what happens when spirit outlive body, but stays in body.”

Blueblood felt himself turn green in the proverbial gills. “That thing was undead!?”

“N-no. Not undead. Not die in first place.” The captain tugged on one of Blueblood’s ears to turn him, eliciting a whine of protest. “More like not-dead. Neverdead.”

“Neverdead.” Blueblood sighed as a particularly-tall mountain came into view. “I don’t suppose it’s worth hoping I don’t run into any more of those, is it?”

Author's Note

Blueblood, those rhetorical questions are gonna get you into trouble.

Storms in the Wild

Flash Sentry hesitated at the top of the stairs.

The was no door separating him from the next room, so he had full view of the entire thing. It was round for the most part, with flat mirrors sitting side-by-side all along the single, circling wall. The domed ceiling was a dark blue, with small sparkles glittering here and there in the sunlight. A bell hung from the middle of the dome, golden and polished.

The floor was a midnight shade of purple, save for the white crescent in the center. There was a slight gradient to the purple, if Flash’s eyes told him right, making the edges near the mirrors darker than at the center.

He looked across the room, and found himself looking at a mirrored doorway. Rather than a flight of stairs, this one led onto a small, one-pony balcony. Princess Luna stood on that balcony, one eye closed. The other stared through an enormous telescope, which swayed in the wind. Luna stayed there for a while before finally speaking. “Come hither, Flash Sentry. I would have words with you.”

He swallowed, even as his gilded boots made clinking noises on the—marble, maybe?—floor. He stood in the middle of the room, feeling a bit small as his many reflections came to a stop beside him. His head remained static, though his eyes wandered to the mirrors on occasion.

“I trust you have been apprised of the full grimness of the situation?” She cocked an ear in his direction.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” His neck stiffened. “I am aware of… the foalnapping.”

Luna nodded and, after one final look, pulled herself away from the telescope. “A pity that you were not on-site. You… You might have been able to face the Nightmares.”

Their unblinking gazes met. He took a breath. “I know I would have done something.”

She held her head high. “That is exactly why I called you here. We need somepony to track down those Nightmares. We need somepony who can deal with them. Several someponies.”

Flash bowed his head. “I’m honored that you thought of me.”

“I warn you now that it won’t be easy,” Luna said. “Equestria has never seen more than one Nightmare possession at any one time. With the Elements of Harmony returned to the Tree, we are the furthest thing from ready.”

“Is there another way?” Flash Sentry asked. “To cure them… or save them? The Nightmares, I mean.”

She sighed. “There’s a hope. Only a hope.” She levitated a small bag from behind her and held it between them. “The Nightmares are strongest in the realm of dreams, but it is also the place they call home.”

He reached out to take the bag, but she lifted it a little higher. “Do not open this bag until you are ready to use it.” He nodded, and she lowered it into his waiting hoof.

“S-sand?” he asked. He bounced it, getting a feel for its weight.

“Enchanted sand,” she replied. “A few grains could put an elephant to sleep.”

He held it further away from his face. “So, this’ll work on the Nightmares, too?”

“And allow able ponies the opportunity to enter their dreams.” Luna sat and glanced to one of the mirrors. “There they may find and hopefully eliminate the darkness within.”

Flash Sentry looked up. “Hopefully.”

“It’s untested. But I have some small bit of faith.” She tilted her head to the side. “Do you know of somepony who could learn to use a dreamhopping spell? Somepony who you could work with?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he replied, “I do. He’s in Cloudsdale; it shouldn’t take long to track him down.” He pursed his lips. “May I ask why you won’t be available to cast it?”

“I will help in any way I can, wherever I can.” She stood, spreading her wings and lifting a regal foreleg. “But where I will be able to do the most good is from within Tartarus itself. It is not enough to face the Nightmares that have already escaped.”

Flash exhaled, accompanied by a nod. “Fair enough. Have Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadenza been informed?”

“They were the ones who suggested you,” Luna said, her mind flashing back to two abashed royals. “Celestia agreed. Thus, here we are.” She gestured to the doorway behind him. “I trust that there are no questions?”

“N—” He paused, his hoof in the air, his wings spread in the slightest manner. “T-Twilight… Do you think”—his tail flicked—“do you think she…”

“She will be fine,” Luna whispered. “If we both do our jobs, things shall work out.”

Flash Sentry saluted, and then trotted down the stairs. Luna stood alone with her reflections.

“I must believe that things shall work out,” Luna said. “I must believe it.”

Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth. Her hoof scuffed at the cloud sitting beneath it, sending little white puffs into the air. Her wings shifted, allowing the saddlebags to ride a little higher on her flanks.

In front of her, another pony stood. And another in front of that one. And yet another in front of that one. And so it went, on and on, until the line finally reached that darnable desk.

“Cuss this,” Dash hissed. “I’ve got better things to do.”

She glared at her hooves and snorted. “More important things.”

Twilight Sparkle was missing. Braeburn Apple, Pinkie Pie’s husband, was missing. Lyra Heartstrings, who maybe was kinda important too, was missing. And those last two were Nightmared.

Rainbow Dash squinted. “Nightmare-ified? Nightmare-inated? Nightmorphed?”

“If you’re gonna talk to yourself, can you at least try to keep it down?” a mare standing behind her asked.

Rainbow Dash turned her head around, fully intent on telling the other pony to “Buzz off!” but she thought better of it. She pulled her lips tight, bared her teeth in a faux smile, and turned back to the front. She proceeded to tap her foot on the floor, the giant cloud that made up the lion’s share of Cloudsdale.

An hour passed, leaving her a mere three spaces away from the desk of no return. The mare behind her had taken to talking for the last thirty minutes of that hour, apparently deciding that speaking with an unresponsive partner was preferable to speaking with herself. Rainbow Dash resisted the urge to open up a hole in Cloudsdale’s base in order to send the abrasive mare tumbling into the aether.

Or was the aether up? Ah, who cares? Up or down would be better than behind.

“And my gosh, have you seen the price of clothes these days? It’s like every fashion designer in Equestria is part of a conspiracy. I just stopped into a shop the other day to pick up a new hat, and the pony at the desk was asking for a hundred bits! I told him I wouldn’t pay that if it had sat on the head of Fancy Pants himself. I said it had better have solid gold lining to cost that much.”

Rainbow Dash’s lips didn’t move. “You wouldn’t be able to keep your airhead up with solid gold sitting on it.”

The mare behind her blinked and looked around. “Did you hear something?”

“Nothing but the soothing sound of your voice, ma’am,” Rainbow Dash said, loud enough for most of the line to hear. A few sniggers met her ears.

“I know when I’m being insulted.” The mare rolled her eyes. “I should know better than to expect somepony like you to know the first thing about fashion.”

“‘Don’t tuck your shirt into your underwear.’” Rainbow Dash flicked her mane. “I know the second and third thing, too.”

The mare blinked again. “What’s underwear?”

“Sorry, probably went over your head.” Rainbow snickered. “Yeah, that I’d pay to see.”

Two more spaces. Rainbow Dash’s hooves began to dance.

“You Ponyville types are all the same,” the mare continued. Her yellow bees’ nest of a mane wiggled over her head. “Heads in the dirt.”

Dash’s ears dipped back against her colorful mane.

Two more spaces in the line, and she would never have to see or hear the mare ever again. She just needed to be patient. She just needed a little self control. Hitting the mare with a lightning bolt would be a heck of a lot of paperwork Rainbow Dash just didn’t want to deal with.

“There’s an observation, alright. Any more little nuggets of wisdom, prissy?”

“It’s ‘Pricilla,’” the mare said. “Pricilla Palette. One of the top weatherponies for Fillydelphia.”

Rainbow Dash, Lead Weatherpony for Ponyville, Savior of Equestria, Knight of Harmony, Former Bearer of the Element of Loyalty, Future Wonderbolt, Winner of Blue Ribbons Galore, Eater of Lunch with Princesses, said, “Charmed.”

“Honestly,” Pricilla said as if their exchange hadn’t taken place, “I’m beginning to believe that the only designer worth her salt is Lady Rarity of Manehatten. She has some truly exquisite ideas.”

“Rarity, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked, a smile spreading like wildfire across her face. “She good?”

“Is she ever?” Pricilla leaned back as if in raptures. “The form! The colors! The stitching! I dare say I’ll never be satisfied with any less than her best.”

“She’s got skills,” Rainbow Dash said. “It was pretty awesome of her to make me a dress for the Grand Galloping Gala.”

“Yeah, bu—what?”

Rainbow Dash shrugged and hid the Puck-like sparkle in her eyes. “I was gonna use the same dress again this year, but she was all like ‘Perish the thought, darling! We wowed last year, and we shall do so again!’”

“Y—” Pricilla Palette’s lips wiggled. “You must be joking.”

“I wish! It’s like she thinks we should only wear dresses once!” Rainbow Dash shook her mane. “What’s even the point, amiright?

“Of course, this year we aren’t planning on destroying it. The gala, I mean.” One more space remained. “We were just lucky that Princess Celestia wasn’t ticked about the statue. Or the stampede. Or the cake.”

Pricilla sneered. “Now you’re just messing with me.”

“I was thinking about growing my mane out,” Rainbow said as she grabbed a lock. “I gotta admit that Rarity did some pretty neat things with it. I thought I’d give her a little more to work with.”

Rainbow Dash found herself at the front of the line. “Finally.”

Prissy Palette tilted her head up and away as Rainbow Dash trotted the final few meters up to the despicable desk. “’Kay, let’s get this over with,” Dash said.

The pegasus on the other side of the desk slid a series of pages to the side, then proceeded to lean on his foreleg. “Fine. Averages here, special reports here, emergency uses of weather supplies here.”

Rainbow Dash all but tossed the contents of her saddlebags on the desk. She was a flurry of blue feathers as she pushed a few pages into each pile. “Lotta weird weather around, huh?”

The pony at the desk nodded. “All over Equestria. The higher-ups say that it’s just a fluke storm.”

Rainbow Dash’s hoof slowed. “All over Equestria? Whadda yah mean?”

He waved his hoof in the air. “Fillydelphia, Manehatten, Cloudsdale… even Hollow Shades is getting in on the act. Simultaneous storms. Big ones.”

“Add Ponyville to that list,” Rainbow mumbled. She took a step back, satisfied that everything was in order. “We cool?”

“As long as everything has the signature of your lead weatherpony.”

“In triplicate.” Rainbow Dash turned and cantered away. “See yah, Cloudstuff.”

She stood outside of the office, her wings spread. Her eyes darted across the horizon as her lips pouted. “Okay… okay, if I was a Nightmare, where would I hide?” She inflated her chest to capacity, then let it out slowly. “Where do I start? Where in the heck can I start?”

She sat, her brow furrowing. She jiggled the empty saddlebags at her sides as she looked around. Her attentiveness of her surroundings was rewarded by an unexpected sight.

An orange pegasus stallion, muscular and tall, with a multi-tone blue mane, trotted through Cloudsdale’s plushy streets. His wings held a map in front of his nose, hiding his face. His cutie mark was visible for all to see: a shield that had either a lightning bolt or a crack running down it. He peeked over the map, gave a snort, then returned to his lonely trek through the city.

Rainbow Dash set off after him. “Flash! Hay! Hay, Flash!”

His head perked up at the sound of her voice. “Dash?”

She drew up beside him and punched his shoulder. “Flash, I knew you’d be out looking for Twilight! So what’s your plan? Daring the darkest depths of Ghastly Gorge? Slicing through the psychomore trees of the Everfree Forest? Marching to the middle of the Sandidry Desert?”

“Looking for Downtown Cloudsdale.” He lifted the map, which Rainbow Dash noted was upside-down. “I don’t even know if this thing is current.”

Rainbow Dash snatched it away from him. “Yeah, it’s good. Not from around here, huh?”

“Canterlot, born and raised.” His head swiveled, and Rainbow Dash suspected that his eyes were spinning, too. “Around here, everything looks similar and different at the same time.”

“That’s the magic of having your head in the clouds.” Rainbow leaped into the air and beckoned him upwards. “You never know what you’re gonna find there.”

She smacked herself in the forehead. “Oh, cud! I forgot something in the office. Back in a jiffy!”

She raced past the line that she had so recently left behind. She skidded to a halt in front of the desk and clapped a hoof on top of it. “Hay, Cloudstuff, I need one of those papers I gave you.”

“Excuse me!” Pricilla Palette said. “I waited in line for an hour, too! It’s my turn!”

“Clam up, featherbrain, this’ll only take a sec.” Rainbow Dash turned back to Cloudstuff. “The page on thermals. Can I get it?”

Cloudstuff looked at her sideways. “What do you need it for?”

“Corrections.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes darted around. “For, you know, stuff.”

The pony behind the desk slowly, carefully handed the requested page back to Rainbow Dash.

“Hay, thanks,” she said. “Can I make a copy?”

He pointed to the copier, which was soon occupied by a frantic blue mare. “Great going, Applejack, you’re making me as bad a liar as you are.”

She handed the copy to Cloudstuff, and slid the original back in her saddlebags. Pricilla snatched it with her wing just before it disappeared. “Hmph! Surely unkindness deserves another unk—”

Pricilla Palette’s jaw dropped. “This is written by…”

Rainbow Dash snatched it away. “Yeah, shout it to the world, why don’t you?”

The other pegasus sat down hard. “And it’s written to…”

“Yeah, yeah. Lookie who I know! Great to be me! Sucks to be you!” Rainbow Dash launched herself into the air, the recovered letter snug under her foreleg. “Bye bye, now. Bye bye.” She reached Flash Sentry in less than a second, and the two were off.

Archways that looked far more solid than they actually were (or were far more solid than they actually looked) floated in the sky before the two pegasi. Rainbows flowed down pillars of cloud, pools collected in shimmering basins, and ice bridges connected islands of gossamer.

Rainbow Dash shouted over the wind whipping past her face. “So what are you looking for downtown!?”

“An old buddy!” Flash Sentry called. “We went to boot camp together! He spent some time as a pony-at-arms before moving on!”

“Didn’t care for being part of the Guard?”

Flash shook his head. “He had other dreams to follow. You’ve probably heard of him. Captain Soarin?”

Dash flipped over onto her back, never losing a beat of her wings. “Cuss yeah, I have! Co-captain of the Wonderbolts! Newly-ascended Prince of the Storm! Heck, he’s dating my neighbor.”

“I either need a unicorn or an alicorn to cast a spell.” Flash Sentry spared a look at the scenery rushing past below. “I figured he’d be cool with it.”

On their flight downtown, Flash explained the more basic details of his encounter with Luna, focusing mostly on her plan to rectify the possessed Nightmares. Rainbow Dash nodded along, half an eye on him and the other on the city.

“So, you looking for more ponies to help you out?” she asked as they landed. “Or am I gonna have to sneak around behind you?”

“You’re not exactly a trained guard, you know.” Flash Sentry looked up and found, despite all his holdups, he was indeed standing before the Wonderbolt headquarters. It was a circular building made up of little but pillars and stairs. “I don’t know if we can risk civilians on this mission.”

“Says the colt who’s very, very emotionally attached to the subject.” Rainbow Dash smirked at his frown. “Give it up, Citrus Boy, I’m coming whether you like it or not.”

“‘Citrus Boy,’” Flash mumbled. He held the door open for Rainbow Dash, and then followed her inside. “I gotta admit, that’s one I haven’t heard before.”

Rainbow Dash ruffled her feathers as she walked through the foyer. “Geeze. Can’t these guys afford to turn the heat up?” She looked around. Despite the fact that they were standing in a high-traffic sports center, there was nary a pony in sight. “Where is everypony?”

“Is there a race today?” Flash walked a ways down a corridor. “Maybe that’s where they all went.”

“Do you hear the crowds cheering!?” She popped up in front of him and poked him in the chest. “Do you hear the announcers shouting!? Do you hear any awesome drifting on the breeze?” A twitching ear picked up only silence. “That’s what I thought. Something’s up.”

Flash nodded. He trotted forward a few meters. “Come on. Do you know where the locker room is?”

He heard footsteps in the opposite direction. “Yeah, they’re down this way.” Dash gave a guffaw as he turned around in a smooth arc. “Why don’t you let me lead from now on?”

“I follow your learned example, Lady Dash.” As they neared a suspiciously-restroomy doorway, faint sounds of another pony’s voice could be made out. “Do you think that’s him?”

“Whoever it is, it’s somepony we can ask about this… quiet.” Rainbow Dash stepped aside and allowed Flash to move to the fore. “Here, if anypony asks, it’s official guard business, right?”

“Even better: official princess business.” Flash pushed the door open with a final smile. “Keep on your pinions, just in case.”

The voices stopped as they entered the locker room. It was fairly typical of such a room, with lockers lining the walls, toilet stalls tucked in the corners, and mirrors in inopportune places. On the far side of one aisle of lockers stood an alicorn Wonderbolt shedding himself of his uniform.

It was Soarin. There was no mistaking the sky blue coat, dark blue mane, and vicious, glowing, cat-like eyes.

“Wait,” Rainbow Dash said, “what!?”

“Get down!” Flash shouted. He shoved her to the side, just as Soarin flapped his wings with one powerful stroke. The rush of air blew Flash out the door and across the hall, where he stuck fast partway into the wall.

The dazed soldier lifted his head to see his old friend bearing down on him, horn aimed for his chest. Flash’s wings flapped uselessly as he sought to pull himself from the bouncy cushion of cloud that made up most of the city. A blue hoof caught the Wonderbolt in the midsection, sending him off-course and to the floor.

Rainbow Dash dropped into a karate stance. “Holy! Green! Stinking! Horseapples!”

Flash popped out of the wall and reached back towards his saddlebags. His hoof was inches from touching the sandbag, before he realized that there was no way to cast the dreamhopping spell in the first place. His eyes and Rainbow’s met in a moment of panic before the blue mare disappeared in a flash of lightning.

Dash rose to her feet some way down the hall, her mane frizzing. She held a hoof against her chest and winced. Her eyes realigned a moment later, bringing another mare into focus. Her coat lay somewhere between blue and green, and her mane was a mixture of yellow and orange. Angry, slit yellow eyes bored into Rainbow Dash much like her lightning bolt had.

“Lightning Dust,” Rainbow Dash coughed. “Great. You’re rocking the Nightmare look, too, huh?”

She watched as both Lightning Dust’s and Soarin’s coats darkened and their manes swirled and shimmered. The two Nightmare-possessed alicorns stood tall, fangs glimmering in the glow of their horns.

“Lightning Dust was weak,” Lightning Dust growled. “There was no way she’d ever become a Wonderbolt, not after you betrayed her!”

“Betra—” Rainbow sputtered. “You almost killed my friends!”

“So I replaced her,” the Nightmare chuckled. “All hail the great Nightmare Dust!”

Flash Sentry bared his teeth in a grimace. “Of all the things you could have gone with, that’s probably the least threatening.”

“Her power makes up for it,” Soarin rumbled. His voice seemed to come from everywhere, as if the clouds themselves spoke his will. “The Nightmares have ways of covering up weaknesses.”

“But not eliminating them!” Rainbow Dash sprinted at Lightning Dust. They collided midair and spiraled to the cloudy floor. Lightning leapt up, her horn charging for another blast, but Rainbow Dash was no longer under her. The rainbow-maned pegasus shifted to the side, gathering up the clouds beneath her.

Lightning Dust, rather than send a bolt of pure energy through Rainbow Dash’s heart, flew through a gaping hole in the Wonderbolt Stadium’s floor. Rainbow’s magic went deep, all the way through the cumulonimbus cloud that made up the bottom level of Cloudsdale.

Lightning Dust looked back with a sneer. She began a slow, rolling fall. As she neared the bottom, she picked up speed, until all the cloud around her swirled at her beck and call. An inverted tornado cycled its way back up to Rainbow, grasping her hooves and pulling her down.

“Whoa!” She stretched out a hoof to Flash Sentry. He raced at his top speed to reach her before she was sucked into the vortex, but was an instant too late. Instead, he dove headfirst down the cloud tunnel, wings tucked at his sides to avoid being caught by the whirlwind.

Soarin followed close behind. Partway down, he began to bounce from wall to wall, lightning striking every time he landed a blow. Flash ducked the bolts as they zipped past, but was unable to avoid the one that singed the edge of his wing. His dive became a tumbling fall, and he was soon sucked up in the same forces that grasped Dash. The tornado spewed them out at the bottom of Cloudsdale, where they tumbled for a number of terrifying minutes before catching themselves.

The cyclone reached downwards out of the city, Soarin at its heart. Flash gasped as the spiraling cloud moved towards him, intent on sucking him in and doing further damage.

“Behold the power,” Soarin said, “of Nightmare Storm!”

“Okay,” Rainbow Dash peeped, “that’s slightly cooler.”

Flash ground his teeth together. “We can take them.” He shot off, his wings beating at the air.

“Hold it!” Rainbow Dash screeched. Her eyes were glued to a dark silhouette against the base of Cloudsdale. Lightning crackled at the tip of the shadow’s horn, seeming to banish all other light. “Watch your—!”

Unchecked power rained down on Flash Sentry, striking him off course and sending him spinning for the ground.

“Horsefeathears!” Rainbow Dash shot towards his falling form, her forelegs outstretched. Another bolt of lightning shot from Lightning Dust, scorching her back and bursting against her saddlebags. She screamed as the separated halves of her bags fell away, on a one-way trip to Nowheresville.

She abandoned them and bolted for Flash. She increased her speed until she could get under him, and then scooped him out of the air. A burn mark lay on his belly, matched neatly by the one on his lower back. He coughed and glared at the tornado. “We can take them…”

“We need to get the ever-loving applebuck out of here!” She grimaced as her falling payload was caught by Lightning Dust. “And I mean now!”

The cyclone slowed as the two pegasi disappeared into the distance, one atop the other’s back. Soarin fluttered down to Lightning Dust, who was pouring over a discarded memoir.

“It’s a letter to the queen,” she said. “We were gonna meet up with them anyway. Might as well deliver it, huh?”

Soarin ran his eyes over the message. “Sounds good to me.”

Author's Note

The fashion conspiracy! It reaches into even the deepest heart of Equestria, corrupting young ponies with too many bits to spend! Beware! Beware!

The Headaches Have Been Tripled

“And you’re sure you’ll be alright?” Celestia asked.

Luna nodded even as she double-checked her now-overstuffed saddlebags. “Regardless, my personal safety is not nearly as at risk as that of our little ponies. Something is causing Nightmares to be released.”

Her horn glowed, and her magic settled her luggage on her back. “It is given unto me to find that cause. As soon as that is handled, and Tartarus has gotten back into ‘the groove’ with its new warden, I shall return.”

Celestia looked around at the room: Luna’s observatory. The mirrors, the bell, the spyglass… “I’m going to miss you.”

“And I, you, Sister.” Luna pressed her neck against Celestia’s. “Are you sure you can handle raising the sun and the moon on your own?”

Celestia wrapped her forelegs around Luna’s body with a jolt. The suddenness of the gesture caused the Princess of the Night to gasp. “Celestia—”

“I can handle it,” Celestia whispered. “You don’t need to worry. I can do it. I swear.”

The corners of Luna’s eyes wrinkled. Her mouth closed and formed a thin frown. “Well, I suppose a thousand years is far and away enough practice.”

Celestia gave a final squeeze and released Luna. She nodded quickly, a false smile on her face.

Luna raised an eyebrow. “I suspect it is not me who requires the most reassurance.”

Her sister averted her eyes. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I mean that I won’t be long,” Luna said. “I mean that I am coming back. Quickly.”

“Quickly,” Celestia sighed, “but not soon.”

“Well, these things take time.” Luna ran a hoof over her shin. “Pray that the solution to our problems reveals itself soonish.”

“Am I to use ‘soonish’ exactly in my prayers?” Celestia asked, sincerity brightening her smile.

“If you feel like it.” Luna let out a short laugh, followed by a groan. “I must be off. I have a wonderful, blusterous day ahead of me.”

“You mean, ‘blustery?’” Celestia asked. “It has been quite stormy recently.”

“Nay, I used ‘bluster’ for a reason.” Luna started towards the stairway. “Blueblood is to be my companion in Tartarus. Both Bluebloods.”

Celestia tapped a foot on the floor. “Blueblood isn’t all that bad, you know.”

“Verily?” Luna looked over her shoulder. “He doth posses a great means for hiding it.”

“Luna!” Celesta’s head tilted up, her eyebrows lowering. “I don’t want you two to be fighting all this time. Could—” She pursed her lips and chewed the bottom one. “Promise me you’ll make an effort to get along?”

Luna let out a small breath. “It would make you feel better knowing that, I know.”

“It would make your time in Tartarus a bit easier, I know,” Celestia replied. She sat and tilted her head to the left. “Make the effort. Get along. You might both find unsuspected depths in each other.”

Luna walked up to give her sister a nuzzle. “For you, Celestia, I shall make an effort. I cannot promise Blueblood will do the same.”

Celestia returned the affection. “I suspect that you’ll be surprised.”

“Very little surprises a pony a thousand years old.” Luna stood tall, her eyes closed. A suppressed grin grasped the edges of her mouth.

Celestia took a deep gulp of air. “Take care.”

“I shall,” Luna said. “You, as well.”

“Please stop digging your claws in my flanks,” Blueblood said. “It’s getting quite uncomfortable.”

A mountain rose ahead, somewhere between the size of the Smokey Mountain north of Ponyville and the majestic Canter Mountain of Canterlot. Its snow-capped peak reflected the sunlight back, stinging Blueblood’s eyes. He marveled at the difference between the white snow and the dull-gray rock below it. The stone seemed to absorb light, rendering the valley dim and dreary.

“We’re here,” Wishbone Fluorspar grunted. He adjusted his cap and tightened the beaded string that hung under his chin. “Yay, yippy-skip, woo-hoo.”

“So, that’s Tartarus?” Blueblood asked. It was suitably impressive, he supposed. Though if you’ve seen one mountain, you’ve seen them—

“No,” the captain interrupted Blueblood’s train of thought. “That’s just the entrance. Look behind.”

Blueblood tilted his wings, adjusting his trajectory to slide around the mountain. If he had flow a little lower, his dropping jaw would have scraped the ground.

Behind the mountain was another mountain. A mountain that was missing a peak, but a mountain nonetheless. The diameter of the object was somewhere around twice the square acreage of Sweet Apple Acres in its entirety (and be not mistaken, that was a darned big farm). The sides of the mountain rose like the jagged teeth of a leech, spiky and reaching for the center. Conflicting with the usual nature of mountains, the sides did not meet at the top, but ended halfway up what should have been the mountain’s height. Where the peak should have been was a gaping hole that went down, down, down.

It was a bit like looking into the maw of a great and terrible beast. The insides slid down, worn smooth from centuries of rain and weathering. The bottom of the pit held a pool of stagnate water, no doubt home for numerous disgusting and parasitic creatures. Steam rose up from various pits and pores in the surface of the mountain, which belched forth acrid smoke occasionally.

The base of the first, middling, mountain and the great gape touched, giving the appearance of having been welded together by arcane forces. Blueblood hovered over this connection, forcing himself to breathe as his coat bristled. He swallowed as a nearby hole coughed forth sulfur. He regretted that swallow. “It seems a touch unfriendly.”

“Truth,” Wishbone barked. “Sometimes, need prison just as mean as creatures inside.”

Blueblood rounded the smaller mountain and came to a rest before it. “I don’t doubt that little else could hold the Nightmares.”

A door sat in the side of the mountain. It had the ringed appearance of wood, but a closer look revealed that it was solid stone. Petrified, perhaps. Four chains linked the corners, meeting at the center in a strange, three-keyhole lock. Blueblood pursed his lips; he was never quite sure where the three-key system had come from, nor could he even suppose a reason. Certainly, the existence of Tartarus did not extend into the prehistory before the reign of Celestia and the banishment of Nightmare Moon. It came later.

Perhaps he would ask his aunt the next time he saw her, he mused. Not Luna, Celestia. He didn’t suspect Luna knew. Not that he looked forward to any sort of conversation with her.

Wishbone twiddled his thumbs. “So… we knock?”

Blueblood gazed up at the height of the door. “I don’t suppose anypony will answer.”

“Maybe not anypony.”

“Perhaps anyone, then?”

“Wouldn’t bet on just one.”

“I don’t consider myself a betting stallion regardless.”

“Then knock and remove all doubt.”

“Oh, I intend to.”

“When?”

“Just as soon as my knees stop jiggling.”

“Fair enough.”

Blueblood focused on those knocking knees of his, all four of them, and commanded them to slow in their gyrations. They seemed the petulant sort today. “Darn, seems they won’t cooperate.”

Wishbone nodded. “Too bad. Guess we can’t knock.”

“For sure.”

“For shame.”

“For sure.”

Blueblood sat as a clatter arose in the distance. “One might say it’s fate for us to never enter the foul and fabled halls of the ancient prison.”

Wishbone’s face fell as the noise grew louder. “Might wanna rethink that.”

“Why?”

Captain Fluorspar, without taking his eyes off the middle-distance, pointed a paw behind himself. Blueblood followed the indicated line of sight and pouted. White outlines could be seen against the drab gray, white outlines with teeth, claws, and not a single stomach between them.

“Neverdead,” mumbled the prince.

“Nastiness,” mumbled the captain.

“I should knock.”

“You should.”

“I’ll knock.”

“Okay.”

“Knocking now.”

“Good.”

Blueblood turned to the door and thumped his forehoof on it three times. He waited patiently for a response.

That lasted two seconds. “How close are they?”

“Maybe half a kilometer.”

Three more knocks sounded, followed by a few more. “Come on,” Blueblood said.

“Hmm. Couple manticores.”

The solid knocks came a little quicker.

“Think I see a leopard.”

The knocks came at a steady tattoo.

“Huh. Wonder if cockatrices can turn stuff to stone without eyes.”

Then there was the frenzied bludgeoning of the doorway. Blueblood panted, screamed, pleaded, and begged, but there was no answer. He placed his back against the door and faced the approaching muscle-less mob. Monsters of every shape, size, and species ran onward. A manticore with a cracked nose (three guesses what happened there) flew overhead, and what teeth it wasn’t missing shone razor sharp. A cockatrice slithered with the tip of its tail trailing a few centimeters behind. Vampire fruit bats clattered through the air, their hollow teeth hungering for something a little more protein-filled than apples.

Blueblood screamed. More precisely, he howled.

Something answered that howl.

The pitter-patter of giant paws rumbled across the stony ground. A large, black mass leaped off the mountain above the doorway and sailed over Blueblood. Three heads opened three mouths and projected the single most fear-inducing, heart-stopping, pulse-pounding (not as oxymoronic as one might think), hair-raising noise the prince had ever heard. A bark, thrice multiplied, bellowed from lungs the size of a pony, tinged with warning and anger. A bark with the force of a sonic rainboom. A bark that looked into the eyes of the Royal Canterlot Voice and made it weep tears of inadequacy.

A bark that caused Wishbone to gasp, stiffen, and tumble back with a stupid smile across his face.

The Neverdead creatures skidded to a halt some few meters from Cerberus. The monstrous dog outmonstered the monsters. By a lot. Sinew by sinew, muscle by muscle, Cerberus rose over the fiendish mob and growled. As one, the skeletons about-faced and scampered away; those that had tails tucked them snugly between their legs.

“The mighty Cerberus come to rescue in time of dire needs!” Wishbone bellowed. He had shifted position from lying on his back to prone on his face. “May he ever find treats in dog dish!”

Cerberus’ faces softened and his heads tilted. His middle head bowed down to sniff at the strange little creature paying homage to him.

“Please, Mighty Cerberus,” Wishbone spake, “grant me the grandest of honors! May I…” He held his eyes to the ground in penance for the presumptuousness of his next statement. “May I sniff your butt?”

Cerberus blinked three times. He turned to Blueblood, who was exactly five breaths away from passing out. Three sets of teeth bared themselves as the awesome dog growled. Blueblood shortened the number of breaths by three. He was interrupted in his journey to unconsciousness by the timely intervention of Wishbone Fluorspar’s nose.

One of Cerberus’ heads turned to the diamond dog hovering behind his butt. Wishbone stopped mid-sniff, his eyes growing wide.

One of Cerberus’ eyebrows may have twitched a hair.

Cerberus growled at Fluorspar, and the comparatively smaller diamond dog bowed low. The giant would have proceeded to pounce on Wishbone, and then decide what to do with him, when he was stopped by the timely intervention of Princess Luna’s arrival.

The princess floated down on sparkling wings, her horn smoking lightly from a recent spell. A set of manticore bones fell from the sky behind her and landed in an oxidizing mass of pain. “Cerberus, we like these guests.”

The dryness in Blueblood’s mouth made speaking painful, but not impossible. “We could have used your help a little sooner.”

She frowned at him, the light wrinkles around her mouth and eyes deepening. “I have duties as well, Blueblood. As you must be aware.”

She looked from Captain Wishbone, to Blueblood, and then back again. “Where is your ship?”

“It exploded,” said Wishbone with a longing glance to Cerberus’ butt.

At a confirming nod from Blueblood, Luna sighed a deep, heartfelt sigh. “The kingdom will compensate you for your loss. You’ll have a shipshape ship in no time at all.” She looked to the giant dog edging away from the diamond dog. “In the meanwhile, Cerberus will escort you to the forest. Ponyville is less than a day’s walk from the edge of the Sleeping Mountains.”

Wishbone Fluorspar’s disposition became quite sunny at that point, but Cerberus’ growl darkened those particular skies. The big, black dog walked on ahead, the smaller dog having nothing to do but follow him. The two plodded through the mountain pass, ears perked for any sign of monsters in the crannies.

Blueblood smoothed down his mussed mane. “I hate dogs.”

“Get over thyself, Blueblood,” Luna grumbled. “Lighten up, and thou shall have a better time of it.”

“Oh, really?’ Blueblood said. “And what do I have to feel positive about, eh?”

To his surprise, the princess was taken aback by his words. She recovered quickly and held her snout in the air. “Thy— Your rump is whole and ungobbled, for starters.”

“A clear and present danger around you, I’m sure.” He lifted a hoof and indicated the thrice-locked portal. “So how do we go about opening this?”

By way of answering, she stood before the doorway, spread her wings, and lifted a regal foreleg. “It is I, Princess Luna of the Night! I bid you let me enter!”

The sound of gears churning and chains clanking emitted from the door. The chains came loose as the doors parted, though no key had been inserted into the keyholes. Darkness waited behind the door, a darkness that the midday sun had no way of touching.

Blueblood swallowed what little spit he was able to conjure up.

Luna’s ears drooped. “Here it is, Blueblood. Your birthright.”

“Indeed,” Blueblood said, for what more could he say? A hesitant hoof was placed inside the doorway, followed by another, another, and another.

Though he was loathe to admit it, Blueblood had come home.

Luna stepped inside as well. Blueblood flinched as the door slammed shut behind her, draping them with shadow. The faint glimmer of her star-swirled mane lit the immediate area. Aside from seeing the mountain from a new angle, there wasn’t much to illuminate.

“I love the decor,” Blueblood said with a glance at a cobweb. “Great Grandfather really did a number on this place.”

“He doesn’t have much care for such things, I’ll admit.” Luna strode ahead, her mane and tail lighting the tunnel. “Come.”

Blueblood looked from one solid rock wall to the other. “No, thank you. I’ll just be taking one of the innumerable paths open to me.”

“The road forks further down,” Luna growled. “You needn’t force yourself to become familiar with Tartarus’ layout in the first hour.”

He shrugged. “Very well. I shall follow some more.”

And follow her he did, down long corridors of unfeeling, dead rock. The walls were glossy, as if frozen where it flowed. Pits and holes dotted the tunnels here and there where a bubble had broken through the surface of magma. It was thus for a long ways, but was eventually broken by a carved arch.

Grotesques sat on opposing sides of the archway, monsters carved from the stone of the mountain itself. Their lifeless eyes dared Blueblood to take a step further and pass under the inscription written on the arch between them. He gazed at the words and attempted to decipher them.

“It’s old script, but I can just make it out. Not quite ancient, then?”

“Nay,” Luna answered. “’Tis but four hundred years old. I hear that Shake Spear was quite the calligrapher.”

“Shake Spear was here, hmm?” Blueblood placed a hoof on his chin. “‘Thou rotten beast, restrained for now—Who battles won and heroes cowed—’”

“Don’t!” Luna’s hoof planted itself inside Blueblood’s mouth. “It isn’t time. Not for that.”

Blueblood pried the offending appendage out of his muzzle. He nodded, a frown playing at the corners of his mouth. “The oath in all its glory?”

“Aye.” Luna sighed as she passed under the script. “Written by the hoof of the Bard himself.”

“Seems a bit amateurish, in terms of poetry,” Blueblood muttered. “He didn’t even bother with his usual iambic pentameter.”

“And thou art an expert with such things, now?” Luna eyed him as she turned down one dark path.

“After a rather embarrassing experience”—Blueblood coughed—“I thought it prudent to learn a thing or two.”

Luna hid a tiny smirk in the shadows. “Well, perhaps it will ease your ire to know that the Bard did not create the oath, but merely transcribe it.”

Blueblood tilted his head. “Maybe a bit,” he said.

A silence grew between them, before Blueblood chopped it down with the Machete of Subject Changes. “My father spoke of a curse. Do you know something about it?”

Luna hid her stumble by stomping her hooves for the next five steps. “A curse, you say?”

“Something to do with the whole family,” Blueblood said. “From what I could tell, he didn’t know much, didn’t have the time, or didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Perhaps all three?” Luna asked. She winced as the words escaped her mouth before she could corral them.

“Possible.” Blueblood squinted at the glittery princess before him. “And what do you have to say about it?”

Luna ran a hoof through her mane, no easy task at a fast walk. “That he’s right about there being a curse. It’s only partially magical, though. It’s more… imposed.”

Blueblood’s eyebrows dipped down. “And by that, you mean…”

“By that, I mean that some ponies have a habit of making their own prophecies come true.”

Blueblood caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror-like surface of the igneous walls. He checked his teeth before hurrying up to his aunt. “Ponies within this prison, you mean.”

A moment’s hesitation. “Aye.”

Another reflection caught the corner of his eye, one with a gray coat and a blue-streaked mane. One double-take later, the reflection had reverted to his own white coat and blond mane. He stared at himself for a full half-minute, mentally daring the reflection to shift again.

Luna tapped a hoof as her frown skewed to the side. “Art thou busy? Have thou a fashion emergency? Should We get the shampoo out of Our saddlebags?”

“Nyeh.” Blueblood ground his teeth together a little. “I could have sworn I saw… Never mind.”

As he looked at the diarch, he couldn’t help but notice the lines around her eyes and mouth were even deeper than before. Her shoulders slumped, and her wings dipped down at the edges. She must have noticed his scrutiny, because she straightened her posture a moment later.

“Saw what?” she asked quietly.

Blueblood’s brow furrowed. “I’ll not burden you with the fever dreams of a once-prince, Your Majesty.”

“You are still a prince, Blueblood,” she replied. “Twice-crowned, no less.” Her mane fell over one eye, nearly-but-not-quite hiding the small smile she held. “Perhaps you can be Prince of Tartarus, rather than merely the warden.”

“Wonderful.” Blueblood turned back to his reflection, his eyelids heavy. “How can I possibly accept such an unbelievable honor?”

Luna’s reflection appeared behind his. “How can you not?”

Blueblood craned his neck back until he was nearly looking up Luna’s nostrils. “Point to you, and that makes checkmate.”

“Huzzah. Victory.” She turned back down the pathway, choosing the left fork. “Now we must be off; there’s somepony we need to meet.”

Something welled up within Luna’s chest, but she swallowed it back down. “Just in time to watch him die.”

Author's Note

I am not being random with whether Luna speaks "thou" or "you," I swear.

Hospitable Hospital

It was going to be a normal day at Ponyville General. Not quite peaceful, but certainly not crisis-heavy. Every hospital expects to experience some degree of emergency, but few experience quite the level of emergency Rainbow Dash brings to the table.

Rainbow Dash bucked the doors open, startling the receptionist. The older mare was about to object to the unsettling entrance, but Rainbow ignored her sputtering.

“I need a doctor, now!” Dash shouted in the receptionist’s face. She indicated the orange stallion lying on her back. “This guy just got hit with a massive bolt of lightning. Come on, where’s the doc!?”

Rainbow Dash was a sight. More of a sight than usual, that is. Her mane billowed out in a frizzy mess akin to a lion’s. Her coat stood on end; a few long, unruly hairs drifted towards any plastic lying nearby. Her tail was nearly as poofy as any good feather duster.

The receptionist reached out a hoof to touch her, maybe to give a reassuring pat on the shoulder, but Dash drew away. “No, no. You don’t wanna touch me. Trust me. Get a doctor.”

Rainbow Dash slid Flash Sentry to the ground. The stallion moaned as he gritted his teeth. “Dash,” he grunted, “we can’t let them get away.”

“Too late.” Rainbow Dash backed away as a few nurses arrived with a plastic gurney. “We’ll find them. I promise.”

After they got him rolling for the Emergency Room, Rainbow Dash was finally able to let out the breath she’d been holding. One of the nurses stayed behind. She fluttered her wings as she looked Dash up and down. “You need a doctor, too.”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “Oh. Hay, Redheart.” She ran a hoof over her chest, grimacing at the crackling sensation that ensued. “I’m fine. I just need—”

“You got hit with the same lightning bolt he did, didn’t you?” Redheart asked. Her eyelids lowered as she frowned. “You’re looking better than he does, I’ll admit.”

“I’m fine.” Dash turned and made way for the exit. “It’s just a little static. I—”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Redheart’s horn lit up. She grabbed Dash’s tail in a telekinetic grip. “You’re coming with me. I’ve got some questions for you to answer.”

Rainbow Dash groaned. “I said I’m—”

“Siddown!”

Rainbow Dash found herself flung onto another gurney. “Holy—!” Patients and staff alike gazed on in bizarre fascination as a rainbow-maned mare was trucked through the hallways by a pink-maned alicorn.

Rainbow Dash strained at the straps that seemed to move with a life of their own, holding her down despite protests. “What the heck are you—!?”

“Shh!” Redheart glanced from side to side as they traveled. “Like I said, I’ve got questions. Not here, though.”

An orderly glanced up from his station beside a huge set of doors. He brightened up and opened his mouth to greet Redheart, but she cut him off. “Open the doors, massive electrical shock!”

He nodded and cleared the entryway with a flash of his horn. Redheart barreled through, into the section of the hospital dedicated to injuries based on pegasus magic. The Wing Wing, some wry ponies were fond of calling it. Specifically, she headed to the area where the treatment of magic overload took place.

Rainbow Dash grimaced as she continued to struggle. “I thought you wanted to talk.”

“I do.” Redheart opened the door to a lab and slid the bed inside. “You talk, I’ll test. You’re clearly fried.”

“I’m perfectly f—” Rainbow Dash managed to get a single leg out from the restraints. Once loose, she swung it outward, where it contacted the metal doorknob. A bright flash and a loud pop echoed through the room, accompanied by lots and lots of swearing.

“Applebuck! Flying Feather! Celestia’s Sunkissed Butt! Discord’s Donut Holes! Shoot! Shucks! Horseapples! Cud Chewing—”

“Don’t you dare finish that last one!” Redheart huffed, shutting the door behind her. “Honestly, language!”

“‘Oh, honestly, laaanguage!’” Rainbow replied. She sucked on a dark spot in her leg’s hair. “Shut up. That hurt!”

“It’s your own fault.” Redheart brought a tuning fork over and hovered it above Rainbow Dash’s chest. “If you hadn’t been struggling—”

“I was struggling because I was being abducted by a crazy alicorn nurse.” Rainbow Dash sneered as the fork hummed. “Yeah, yeah, I’m overflowing with energy. I could’a told you that.”

Redheart checked an engraved number on the bottom of the tuning fork. “A lot a lot of energy. Crazy amounts. You should be at least as fried as Flash Sentry, if not more.” She brought a giant, black block to the side of the bed, which had two wires snaking out of it. Two clamps were attached to the end of the wires. “I’m gonna try and drain off the extra energy. This might hurt a little.”

“I can do it mys—” Before Rainbow could say otherwise, Redheart attached the clamps to the ends of the pegasus’ wings. An electrical strum filled the air as the black block gradually brightened a few shades.

“Eeeagh…” Rainbow Dash’s eyes crossed. She placed a hoof on her stomach and tottered on the bed. “Whazzat thing?”

“A sink.” Redheart stood a few meters away as the block began to glow white from within. “Magic sink. It’ll draw the excess from your body.”

Rainbow’s cheeks bulged, though she was able to hold back the gag forming in her chest. “It won’t drain too much, will it?”

“I don’t think it can,” Redheart said. “These sinks can only hold so much power before they can’t collect any more. I think they size them pretty carefully during production to only remove safe amounts.”

The nurse blinked. “Quit getting me off-track! First question: what happened to you two? Did you find Twilight Sparkle?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head, but that only brought on another wave of nausea. “We were gonna look for Twilight. He was getting a hold of his old buddy to cast some sort of spell for him, but his buddy had already gotten… Nightmare-ified-ificated-whatever.”

“Oh. More Nightmares.” Redheart grimaced as the magic sink shimmered in a wavy rainbow pattern. “Any chance you saw Lyra?”

“Heartstrings?” Rainbow asked. “Nah. Sorry. There was just Flash’s buddy—Soarin the Wonderbolt? Know him?—and this other chick I went to the Wonderbolts Academy with.”

“Two more.” Redheart ground her teeth. “Okay, next question: what can we do about them? Can we stop the Nightmares?”

“Flash sure acted like it.” Rainbow Dash lay back on the gurney. “He said he needed a unicorn to cast a spell, and that had something to do with stopping the Nightmares.” Her eyebrows lowered. “Or an alicorn, I guess.”

“Mm, hmm.” Redheart unclipped the clamps and tossed Rainbow Dash a comb. “Which brings me to my next question: how can I help?”

Rainbow Dash ran the comb through her mane, wincing every time it popped with static. “You’d have to talk with Flash about that.” She tilted her head. “Why? What’s your stake in all this?”

“Lyra.” Redheart sighed. “Lyra is a very… very good friend.” She ruffled her feathers as she stared into the magic sink. “I’m not gonna just sit by and let this happen to her. You understand?”

Rainbow frowned. “I guess. Talk with Flash. He’ll find something for you to d—” Rainbow Dash grinned about half-way. “Hay, how’s your spell-casting?”

“Better than I want to admit.” Redheart ignored Dash’s questioning eyebrow. “Look, can I at least convince you to stay here until Flash is better?”

Rainbow’s eyebrows leveled out. “Yeah, yeah, sure. Where’s the library?”

Redheart gave her a double-take. “Um, we can bring the cart to your room. At least once we get you assigned—”

“Cool.” Rainbow Dash got up off the gurney and trotted for the door. “I’ll be in the lobby. Let me know when you got a room.”

“You—you shouldn’t even be able to walk after that drain!” Redheart extended a wing to intercept Rainbow Dash. “How much energy were you holding on to!?”

Rainbow Dash looked at Redheart as she pushed the wing down with a hoof. “About a lightning bolt’s worth. Why?”

“How—” Redheart shook her head, and her pink bun bobbed through the air. “Forget being as fried as Flash. You ought to be dead. How’d you get that much magical capacity!?”

“Exercise.” Rainbow Dash pursed her lips. “And jealousy.” She turned her head to the side. “I saw somepony better than me, so I tried to make myself even better.” She snorted. “I’m still not good enough, apparently.”

She shrugged as she walked past Redheart. “Although, Lightning Dust is the Nightmare instead of me, so I guess it isn’t all bad.”

Flash Sentry glanced up at the bag of amber liquid being piped into his body. A small hose trailed down until it disappeared under a bandage on his foreleg. He turned his face to the tiny window on the far side of the room, where a deceptively happy sun shone through.

He looked under the covering of blankets. His stomach sparkled faintly with magic as the liquid did its work. His fried guts would be fully healed in less than a week. The skin around his eyes tightened. “Could we have taken them?”

He wasn’t really sure, to be honest. Those Nightmares weren’t holding anything back.

He lay back and stared at the ceiling. “First Twilight, then Soarin. Who’s next?”

A tap at the doorway drew his attention. “Come in.”

Redheart walked into the room with a cart in tow. A fresh bag of the golden liquid sat upon it. “Special delivery, fresh ambrosia. Imported directly from Breezie Bastion.”

Flash sat up slowly, but regretted it soon after. He settled for craning his neck. “Breezies. Strange folks. I served on a squad accompanying their nectar collection one year.”

“I love their cute little accents when they’re speaking Equestrian,” Redheart giggled. “Voot er eyoo gize doo’n!? Vee need to gert beck hoom!”

“I know a breezie who’d kick your butt for that impression,” Flash said. He allowed himself a smile as Redheart changed the ambrosia bag. “Seabreeze doesn’t have much of a sense of humor.”

“She’d have to settle—”

“He.”

Redheart raised an eyebrow. “He’d have to settle for body-slamming my ear, I think.”

Flash leaned back. “Probably. He wouldn’t quit, though. He isn’t the kind to give up.”

Redheart worked for a little while in silence. She brought the blood-pressure gauge up to Flash’s bed and wrapped the strap around his foreleg. “So, Rainbow Dash told me you were going after Nightmares.”

Flash bared his teeth ever-so-slightly. “Yeah. We were.”

Redheart watched the needle on the gauge go up, up, up. “I wanna help. How do I make that happen?”

He shook his head. “No, that’s not gonna work. I’m not putting anypony else in danger—”

“Besides yourself?” Redheart asked. “You’re wrong, that’s what’s not gonna work. You and Dash almost got killed out there. You could at least use some sort of medical… medic at your side.” She tapped her horn. “Plus magic.”

Flash didn’t answer. Redheart deflated the blood-pressure gauge with a groan. “Come on, Sentry. You can’t do it on your own.” She stomped a hoof and huffed steam through her nostrils. “You’re not the only pony with someone to lose, you know that!?”

Flash’s chest compressed, letting out a whoosh of air. “I know.”

Redheart sat, twirling a tongue depressor in her telekinetic grip. “I can help.”

Flash Sentry turned towards her. His ears drooped. “I know.”

She tapped her hooves together, a hopeful gleam in her eye. “So, what’s that spell of yours do?”

“It pulls you from your dream into somepony else’s.” Flash set his cheek on the pillow. “You and whoever you bring with you.”

Redheart leaned forward. “And that’s how we’ll save Lyra? Go into her dream and face the Nightmare itself?”

“That’s the plan.”

“And you can teach me the spell?”

Flash shrugged, though a small smile touched his lips. “I understand the mechanics, but I can’t actually cast it. Good enough for you?”

“Close enough,” Redheart said. She stood and gathered her medical instruments. “You rest. We’ll have a big job ahead of us when you get better.”

As she wheeled the cart out, Flash let out a small “hmm” sound.

“Nurse Redheart?” he said.

She looked over her shoulder. “Yeah?”

Flash’s mouth opened, closed, and then opened again. “Do you ev—do you ever get the feeling that you’re a character in some other hero’s story? Like… you’re not even allowed to save the day, because…” He sighed. “I dunno. Sorry, must be the fever.”

Redheart’s eyes flickered between Flash and the floor. “It’ll work out okay. It has to.”

The door shut, leaving Flash Sentry alone.

He reached an aching wing out and grasped a piece of scrap paper on his bedside table. A moment later, a pencil was clutched between his lips. He scribbled quietly as the sun set outside his window.

When Twilight falls
We must keep on flying
Wherever we go
Our wings the wind takes

So when we call
Our voices are crying
Up from our soul
For friendships we make

I’ll close my eyes
O’er the Sleeping Mountain
In the night
Where I’ll seek your face

I’ll watch your dreams
O’er the Sleeping Mountain
I’ll save the day
Just this once, I pray

Redheart sighed as she pulled the rubber band out of her mane. The pink hairs flowed freely over her neck and shoulders. Her reflection in the locker room mirror gazed back dispassionately, the bags under its eyes all but begging for a full night’s sleep.

A perky face appeared over her shoulder. “Heyah, Redhead!”

“Daisychain,” Redheart mumbled. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Not much.” Daisychain glanced to the right and left. “Look, I got a really, really awesome date planned for tonight. With that hunky Caramel fella, you know? Can you cover for me?”

“I’m not—” Redheart shook her head. “If I pull any more double-shifts, the ponies upstairs are gonna make me take forced time off.”

“Now is that my fault?” Daisychain backed off as Redheart’s glare gathered heat. “Okay, sorry. Bad choice of words. Can you cover anyway? It’s just one night.”

Redheart growled quietly as she retied her bun. “You owe me. Big time.”

“You’re the best!” Daisychain squealed. She wrapped her forelegs around Redheart’s neck in an unwanted hug. She sped away, her hooves clomping on the hard floor. She skidded around a corner and slammed flank-first into an empty cart, gleaning a small, yet sardonic, smile from Redheart.

Nurse Redheart, Princess of Hospice, walked out of the locker room and signed her name back into the log book. The receptionist raised her eyebrow. “I thought you were done for the night.”

“I’m too nice for my own good,” Redheart muttered. She gave the receptionist a cheeky smile. “How long ’til Daisychain gets herself fired?”

“Years, if you keep helping her like this.” The receptionist nodded towards the staircase. “Looks like a quiet night if we don’t get any emergencies. Maybe you can get a nap in during your break.”

“Thanks, Marzipan.” Redheart stretched her back and headed for the stairs. Before she reached them, the hospital doors opened.

“Hay, Redheart, what gives?” Vinyl Scratch trotted in, her sunglasses hanging around her neck. “I thought you were done for the day.”

“You weren’t the only one.” Redheart rolled her shoulders. “I gotta cover for somepony tonight.”

“Well, horseapples.” Vinyl’s eyes flitted around the hospital lobby. “So, do they have places for not-patients to hang? I don’t…” She blew a breath between her lips. “I don’t wanna spend tonight alone.”

Redheart looked at Marzipan, who shooed them away with a hoof. “Well, it won’t be the only rule broken tonight.” Redheart tilted her head towards the stairs. “I’ll get you a spot in the family waiting room. We’ve got a nice couch in there.”

“Sounds awesome.” An uneasy grin flitted across Vinyl’s face. “Hay, no safer place than a hospital, right?”

“You might be right,” Redheart chuckled.

The two of them walked through the halls, talking and chuckling quietly. Neither of them bothered to look up. If they had, they might have seen the shadow snaking its way overhead.

Author's Note

Flash has said, in Blueblood's Ascension Part II, that he wasn't a great guitar player. He must not be all that great a song writer, either, considering that that little passage has the same general structure (and tune) as "Hushabye Mountain," as sung by Dick Van Dyke.

Accursed Oaths

Blueblood felt a small bit of relief as the first torch flickered into view. Luna’s glowing mane was much dimmer and cooler by comparison, and left him feeling chilled in the subterranean atmosphere. The torch sat beside a crudely-chiseled entryway, which stood stark against the natural smoothness of the cavern walls. The light disappeared beyond the doorway, which opened up into a sizable room.

Blueblood stepped into this room and looked around with searching eyes. It was rounded, with a smooth floor and a vaulted ceiling that the light never quite touched. A number of dark tunnels were arrayed along the walls. Symbols were carved into the stone lintels, and torches lay to either side of each entrance.

The floor held the imprint of an eight-sided compass rose, with four large points and four smaller points. Blueblood recognized it as being coincidentally similar to his cutie mark. Maybe more than coincidentally. A cloaked figure sat at the center, the folds of its cape hiding any indication of species or gender.

“It’s ’bout time you got here!” the voice of the cloaked figure bellowed. “Oi’m keen on gettin’ this show on the road!”

Whatever it was, Blueblood mused, it was a grumpy something.

The Grumpy Something stood. “Wot’re you gawkin’ at, boy? Get your half-baked cutie mark closer so’s oi can get a closer look at you.”

“Boy?” Blueblood sneered. “I’ll have you know that I am a full-grown stallion of very good bree—”

“Oi’m four-hundred years old!” the Grumpy Something said. “Oi can call you ‘boy’ as long as oi darn well please!”

The Grumpy Something shifted beneath the folds of the cloak. “And roight now, oi sees a boy with a half-baked cutie mark, two shiny wings that haven’t seen enough use, and a sparkly horn that sees too much use!”

Blueblood pursed his lips and turned to Luna. “Oh, he’s a right treat to be around, I can tell.”

“Must run in the family,” Luna said with a smirk.

Blueblood brought a hoof up to his eyes, pointed at her, and then turned back to the Grumpy Something. He walked up to the concealed apparition and stood tall. “Bluebones Blueblood, I presume.”

The Grumpy Something’s hood moved, which Blueblood interpreted as a nod. “Aye. Caretaker and warden of this prison. Have been for longer than oi care to remember.”

Blueblood lowered his head to Bluebones’ level. The warden shrunk away, deepening the shadows around his hood. “Until now,” the prince said.

There was a beat of hesitation. “Aye,” Bluebones said. His voice grew a bit gravellier as he continued. “Until now. Now that you’ve come to replace me.”

Blueblood grimaced. “The pretty boy who uses his horn too often.”

“Oi can see the moisture behind your ears from here, boy.” Bluebones turned towards one of the tunnels lining the room. “This is dangerous work. Nightmares are not to be trifled with.”

“I suppose not.” Blueblood glanced back at Luna. “I’ve seen a little of what they’re capable of.”

“That Night Terror?” The hood tilted. “Yeah, the spider-ponies were a nice touch.”

Blueblood raised an eyebrow. “You saw the dream?”

“Princess Luna told me about it.” Bluebones plodded towards a doorway. “Cam on, might as well give you the grand tour.”

Blueblood followed close behind, with Luna picking up the rear. They walked slowly into the darkness, until their way was solely lit by Luna’s starlit follicles.

“Keep your wits about you, boy,” Bluebones said. “These Nightmares are tricky even when behind bars.”

“They live for manipulation,” Luna muttered. She set her teeth on edge. “They’ll catch you at your weakest.”

Blueblood rolled his eyes as a small, barred enclosure came into view. “Please, I’ve seen what these Nightmares do. I highly doubt that they can scare—”

Something dark, hairy, and slobbery flattened its ugly face against the black, metal bars. A sickly growl, like a strangled cat, set Blueblood’s mane on its ends. He shrieked and leapt backwards, not stopping until his rump bumped the opposite wall.

The creature behind the bars bared its buck teeth. Its ears were like those of a bunny, except for their severely mangled appearance. The rest of the creature had the look of a large, fresh, black hairball. Its red eyes glared holes in Blueblood’s chest.

“These’re the first of the lot,” Bluebones said, his rough voice hiding a chuckle. “Bêtes Noire, the Black Beasts. These’re the monsters hiding under foals’ beds, or the things that go ‘bump’ in the night.” He turned to Blueblood, the shadows under his hood deepening. “Did you ever sleep with a nightlight, boy?”

Blueblood folded his outstretched wings with a modicum of pride. “No. Of course not.”

Bluebones continued to walk down the path. “Then you best be gettin’ used to it. You use one now.”

Blueblood gave the Bête Noire a parting raspberry and sashayed on his way. The creature watched him go before it retreated into the darkness of its cell. The bars shimmered a bit, but then returned to their customary dull sheen.

They passed many more cells, filled with multitudes of Bêtes Noire. Blueblood felt a chill run down his spine at every new encounter, though he told himself it was merely adrenaline. The tunnel continued in a straight path until it bisected, heading down both the left and the right.

“The tunnel splits?” Blueblood asked. “Or is this an outer loop that connects the hallways?”

“Both, I suppose,” Luna said. “We’re beneath the edge of the Sleeping Mountain, now. It’s better to have it this way than to need to run to the center of the mountain each time you wish to switch hallways.”

“I can see that.” Blueblood turned from Luna to Bluebones. “What’s next? What other abominations of nature am I to meet?”

“Oi trust you already know a thing or two about Night Terrors?” Bluebones tilted his hood towards the left hallway. “Drifty specters, the lot of them.”

Blueblood looked at Luna out of the corner of his eye. “I seem to recall something about them not possessing their victims?”

“Most Nightmares don’t,” Luna said. “It takes a special brand of scum, I’ve found.”

“Well, they’re down that corridor,” Bluebones interrupted. “We’ll head on to the Phantasms next.”

The only sound that accompanied them was the clip-clop of their own hooves. Blueblood was given a bit of time to think. He’s often discovered it to be a dangerous pastime, if left unchecked.

“So, Bluebones… may I call you ‘Grandfather?’”

Bluebones slowed for a moment. “Oi suppose that’s what oi am. Knock yourself out.”

Blueblood pursed his lips. “Grandfather… May I ask you about the curse?”

This time, Bluebones stopped dead in his tracks. He spun to Luna, his cape swirling around him in an amorphous blob of fabric. “You didn’t even tell him!?”

Luna jumped back. “I… I thought you would have an easier time of—”

“You brought him into this, and he doesn’t even know wot he’s gettin’ into!?” The hood swished back and forth. “You can’t do that! You can’t do that!”

Blueblood’s lips wobbled uselessly. “Did I miss—?”

“Shut up, boy!” Bluebones—well, he didn’t quite yell it so much as cry out.

Fabric filled Blueblood’s vision as his Great Grandfather tramped towards him. “You don’t understand what’s goin’ on, do you? You think this is a fine little day-job. You think everythin’s gonna be awroight, an’ all your friends are just gonna love spendin’ time with you in the ol’ hoosegow!”

“Well…” Blueblood gave an uneasy grin. “They did say they’d visit.”

“Yeah, those lovely friends of yours.” The hood of the cloak fell back. “Do you think they’d visit this?”

Blueblood only just held back a scream as he stared into two very dark, very blank, very dead eyes. Little more than sunken voids in the midst of a pony’s skull. The unintentionally leering, skeletal face tilted to the side. “Oi’m sure the ladies would get a real kick outta this beaut’.”

The skull’s jaw didn’t move as words poured out of the skeleton. “This is why we’re the wardens, boy. This is why we were chosen. This is why nopony can take our place. ‘Honor and privilege’ me all you want, but we just don’t have noplace to go.”

Blueblood sucked in a hissing breath. “You’re a neverdead.”

Bluebones’ jaw opened. “And so are you. Or you will be, once I’m good and gone.”

“B-but how?” Blueblood waved a hoof at his great grandfather’s body. “How are you not dead—er—how can you die? It’s just…”

“Bones don’t last forever, boy.” The cloak fell away from Bluebones entirely. As expected, it revealed the entirety of a pony’s skeletal structure. A crooked spine, knobby knees, and worn texture were all in evidence. “Oi’m old. Oi can’t do this anymore.”

Blueblood’s eyes turned to the skeleton’s horn, which was the only pristine bone to be seen. “I… I am an alicorn. This body will last me a good long—”

“Not if he has anything to say about it,” Bluebones coughed. He lifted a bony leg to point at Luna. “And you! Oi’ve had just about enough of you an’ your sister’s secret-keeping garbage!”

Luna reared up. “Now see here—!”

“You see here!” Bluebones growled. “You wouldn’t even know about Scorpan if oi hadn’t told you about him! Don’t fall into the same sorry trap your sister always tumbles into headfirst!”

“Don’t you dare talk about Celestia that way!” Luna scuffed a hoof on the ground. “We’d both be nothing without her!”

“Enough, you two!” Blueblood shouted. He spread his wings to obscure the arguing ponies’ vision. He lowered his eyebrows and glared at Bluebones. “Perhaps you could teach me to run this sorry trash heap, and just let me worry about how long it takes for me to fall into a deep depression?”

Bluebones was motionless for a brief instant. His horn glowed, setting his cloak about his shoulders, and his hood over his head. “Cam on, then. To the center.”

Blueblood held back a few steps. He tilted his head over his shoulder and whispered to Luna. “I know you didn’t mean it like that.”

Luna’s mouth dropped open. She recovered quickly, slapping it shut with a click. “I am still sorry. Sorry that it’s come to this.”

Blueblood shrugged. “I doubt it could be helped, considering the circumstances.”

“You’d be surprised how well I can hear without ears,” Bluebones said. He entered the great room at the center of the mountain and strode up to the compass rose. “And no, it couldn’t be helped.”

The sound of somepony clearing their throat emanated from Bluebones.

“Neither life nor death
Shall victory bring
Neither love nor friendship
Shall hold relief
A prisoner here
As long as time
Dead to the world”

Blueblood blinked. “It doesn’t rhyme.”

“It’s a curse, boy!” Bluebones said. “An anathema to harmony itself! Held accountable only to the being who casted it.”

He stomped his hoof as his horn glowed beneath his hood. The compass rose shone in response. “You know why Tartarus exists?”

“The—” Blueblood shook his head. “The Nightmares, isn’t it?”

The compass rose lifted into the air, held aloft by gold pillars of magic. Beneath it lay a tunnel going down, down, down. Stairs lay untouched by hooves for centuries.

“It was a good six hundred years between Nightmare Moon’s rebellion and the creation of Tartarus.” Bluebones pointed down the hole. “You can ask him.”

Blueblood stood at the precipice for a bit longer than was necessary. “What’s in there?” he asked Luna.

“I would like to say, ‘only what you take with you,’ but…” Luna shrugged. “Nothing good.”

The prince faded into the darkness. Luna sat, her wings wavering on the edge of flight. “I don't think I like that Scorpan is being held here.”

“Wiffout him, this whole Tartarus situation wouldn’t be possible,” Bluebones said with a shrug. “The imprisoned Nightmares keep him shackled, which keeps the Nightmares imprisoned, which keeps him shackled.” A bony hoof was waved in the air. “It’s all very ‘Perpetual Motion Machine,’ if oi’m not mistaken.”

Luna frowned. “Every machine that advertizes such has ground to a halt sooner or later.”

The hood darkened. “Those machines never used an alicorn as a power source.”

As much as a pony is able to tip-toe, Blueblood tip-toed down the staircase. As it spiraled down, he noticed a distinct raise of temperature. Though the rock was cool at the top of the stairs, it became increasingly hot to the touch the further down he walked. It was as if he was walking right into…

Tartarus, funnily enough. Maybe Hades or Sheol, if he was feeling particularly poetic.

He didn’t care to think of the more common name for such an environment.

He didn’t find a need to light his horn with magic, since the staircase was lit from below. He could see the floor of the lower level, though not the light source. The glow shimmered and danced, as if viewed through an aquarium. An aquarium that held a very powerful fish.

“Weeelll…”

Blueblood felt the voice before he heard it. Far off thunder, mountains crumbling, a dragon choking on gemstones…

“Well, isn’t this a treat?”

A pony sat within chains. Chains upon chains upon enchanted chains. Shackles gripped every inch of available surface area, save for the pony’s face and wings.

They were odd wings. Bat-like, yet most unlike a bat. Bat wings were natural. Bat wings were supposed to be on a bat; it’s what made them a bat rather than a mouse with vision problems.

These wings looked like they had been fashioned from leftover skin and bones. Like they had been pulled together at the last minute for some morbid foal’s Nightmare night costume. They shivered at the pony’s sides, as if daring Blueblood to stare at them any longer.

The pony’s face might have been handsome if he had bothered to trim his beard. A strong chin jutted out from a smiling face. Two enlarged canine teeth ground into the others as they jostled for position. His horn was almost like a changeling’s; craggy and uneven.

His eyes were wrong. Off.

“I haven’t had a visitor for so long,” the pony said. “I was beginning to think you had forgotten.”

“You seem the memorable sort,” Blueblood said slowly. “Who are you?”

The pony drew himself up, and the glow intensified. Blueblood realized that the shine came from the chains themselves. Every movement the pony made strengthened the rainbow of light.

“I am Scorpan, Crowned Prince of Equestria,” the pony said.

“What a coincidence,” Blueblood said with a grin. “I am Blueblood, Twice-Crowned Prince of Equestria.”

Scorpan’s wrong eyes flickered. “‘Blueblood?’ Really?” His smile widened. “I sense a kinship between us, Blueblood.”

Blueblood resisted the urge to take a step back. “Kinship. What for?”

“Aside from the fact that we are both princes”—Scorpan looked down at his chains—“we’ve always been a bit connected. There’s your great-grandfather’s and my clever little rivalry, after all.”

Scorpan’s smile diminished. “But you must tell me: How is it that you have come by your ascension?”

Blueblood’s eyebrows came together for mutual comfort. “I invented a new use for the Come-to-Life spell. That seemed sufficient.”

At that, Scorpan was no longer smiling. His eyes twinkled in an unnerving, confusing way. “Sufficient? Sufficient!?”

Blueblood spread his wings as he pedaled backwards, almost to the stairway. “Nothing”—Scorpan said—“short of the Elements of Harmony is sufficient to ascend!”

“I can only tell you what happened.” Blueblood glanced back at the pony’s wings, a glimmer of understanding taking hold. “I can’t speak for what you went through, or the mistake you made.”

“‘Mistake’?” Scorpan echoed. “No, not a mistake. Through the Elements, I am ascended!”

“It wasn’t a proper ascension,” Blueblood said. “You, as a pony and in so many other ways, are wrong.”

“Perhaps, but who is in control here?” Scorpan smiled, though his eyes did not. “Does it matter if I’m wrong, if I can make it right?”

“I don’t see much power in here.” Blueblood circled around Scorpan, if only to get away from his glare. “All I see is a bunch of enchanted chains that—oh, how nice—are comprised of magic sinks. You’re stuck, and all your power is worthless.”

Blueblood tilted his head up. “Unless we’re using your power for something. Then it’s quite the opposite of useless.”

“I have many uses,” Scorpan chuckled. “A battery is the least of what I am ‘capable’ of.”

“Clearly, if you’ve merited your own little cubby-hole within Tartarus.” Blueblood drew a touch closer. “Are you capable of curses?”

This time, Scorpan’s eyes smiled, and his mouth did not. “Yes. Of course.” He looked upward, as if pondering. “I was always fond of Starswirl’s great ‘mystery spell.’ It’s what interested me in curses in the first place.”

“I beg your—”

“‘From one to another, another to one; the mark of one’s destiny singled out, fulfilled.’” Scorpan’s eyes and mouth smiled in synch, for once. “It is most emphatically not mere poetry.”

Blueblood blinked. “I say, that raises a few questions even as it answers many others.”

“As all good answers should.” Scorpan shook his head. “I regret that I did not have enough power to cast it, not even after my ascension.”

Blueblood’s jaw dropped. “And yet she—”

Scorpan raised an eyebrow. “Who? Who cast it?”

“That’s none of your business!” Blueblood stomped a hoof. “Now, what sort of curses are you actually able to perform, despite your apparent lack of aptitude?”

Scorpan glared. “There are sayings about poking wild animals.”

“There are sayings about everything, I’ve noticed.” Blueblood gritted his teeth in the best snarl he was capable of. “Now, what sort of curses do you cast?”

Scorpan’s face flickered briefly with rage, but soon simmered down. Insincerity took hold as his lips parted. “It’s not so much having the power to cast a proper spell, as it is having the power to see consequences through.”

Scorpan sat in a shimmer of chains. “The neverdead spell is simple enough to cast on a mortal pony. The soul is surprisingly resilient to changes in the body. They don’t wish to die, you see. They’ll cling to the very last vestiges of life.”

He licked his lips. “‘Neither life nor death shall victory bring.’ Easy. The trick comes from the next two lines: ‘Neither love nor friendship shall hold relief.’ That requires a little care; a little prodding. There’s no simple ‘forever alone’ spell. You need to work at it.”

He clanked his chains together. “As you can see, I’m a bit tethered at the moment.”

Blueblood’s face grew gray as Scorpan leaned closer. “But,” the prisoner said, “it wasn’t me who loosened that wagon wheel.”

Blueblood’s mouth dipped open.

“That’s power, Blueblood.” Scorpan leaned back. “To speak, and have your whim acted upon. To think, and have that thought become reality. To hate…” He chuckled, and it rumbled through the cavern. “And have your enemies—sometimes literally—crushed.”

Blueblood rushed forward, his shoulder set to impact Scorpan in the chin. He tripped on a chain and tumbled into the prisoner’s grasp. Scorpan wrapped the chain around Blueblood’s neck.

Blueblood’s stomach tumbled as the chain drank deeply of the magic flowing through his body. His wings flapped vigorously and slapped his foe once, twice, thrice. The next instant saw him released, panting heavily some short ways away.

“You—you monster!” Blueblood roared. “You killed my mother!”

“He’s been down there too long,” Luna said. “I don’t think it was a good idea to send him in alone.”

“Oi don’t think it was a good idea not to tell him ’bout the curse,” Bluebones replied. His body rattled as he shook a leg. “This way, he gets that good old fashioned front row seat you wanted for him.”

“And what better way for him to absorb information than from what you’ve told me is ‘A violent psychopath’?”

Bluebones’ mouth opened, but the voice Luna heard was distant. “—killed my mother!”

She tilted her head. “I beg your pardon?”

Bluebones shook his head. “‘Thou rotten beast, restrained for now—’”

“Awroight,” Bluebones growled, “Oi know oi didn’t say that!”

“‘Who battles won and heroes cowed—’”

Luna and Bluebones shared a short, stark look. The princess’ hooves skidded as she tried to get purchase on the smooth, igneous floor. “Blueblood, stop!”

She half-flew, half-tumbled down the stairs.

“‘Who led the Nightmares in their war—’”

Blueblood’s wings stretched regally for the ceiling. His horn glowed blue with majestic power. “‘Be ye restrained forevermore!’”

Scorpan said nothing, content as he was to watch Blueblood recite the oath.

Blueblood was tackled from behind. He and Luna tumbled, until she gained enough purchase to drag him backwards.

He didn’t stop talking. “‘As long as life flows through my bones—’”

“Blueblood, stop it!” Luna tried to get a foreleg around his throat, but he was far too wiggly.

“‘This Sleeping Mountain shall be your home!’”

“It is not time, you foal!” Luna screamed, dangerously close to the Royal Canterlot Voice.

“‘As long as Nightmares in iron lie—’”

“Enough!” Luna bellowed. It was not enough.

“‘Shackles hold back every sigh—’”

Luna glared at Scorpan with all the fury she could muster. The imprisoned pony merely held her gaze.

“‘Chained to make all ponies free—’”

Blueblood shrugged Luna off as her grip slacked.

“‘The prisoners here: You and me.’”

The whole of Tartarus groaned, from base to peak. The glow of Scorpan’s chains flickered, then steadied. Rubble the size of bits tumbled down atop their heads and clattered to the floor.

“Now it’s personal, you plothole,” Blueblood said.

Scorpan smiled, the wrongness of his being oozing out of every pore. “Dear, darling Blueblood. It’s always been personal!”

Blueblood frowned. He looked into Luna’s hard, blue eyes. “What—”

“Get your bums up these stairs!” Bluebones called out. “We’ve got an emergency!”

“Get going,” Luna said. “I’ll catch up.”

Blueblood galloped up the stairs, sending a few urgent glances behind him. Luna strode up to Scorpan and, without the least bit of ceremony, decked him in the side of the head. The alicorn prince tumbled to the ground, where his almost-bat-like wings got tangled up in the chains.

“We don’t know what thy game is, Scorpan.” She knelt down beside him, her mouth inches from his fuzzy ear. “But whatever it is, thou art going to lose. Thou art going to fail. We shall enjoy thy downfall a great deal. It will be quite the catharsis, thou might say.”

He tried to lift his head, but she held it down with a strong hoof. “No, no. Stay down, for once. It will be less painful in the long run.” She stood and made her way for the stairs. “Now to clean up whatever mess thou hast concocted.”

She didn’t notice as several of his shackles unlatched and tumbled to the ground.

Blueblood found himself adrift in a sea of faces. Not pony faces, or griffon, or those belonging to any other recognizable creatures. These were white, with black pits for eyes and odd squares for mouths. They almost appeared to be masks, though running on their own steam.

“That power transfer,” Bluebones was saying, “it left the whole system unlocked for just a moment! The more powerful Nightmares were ready for it, you great, big ninny!”

Bluebones shifted through the crowd of faces until he was right next to Blueblood. “Congratulations, you’re the full-fledged Warden of Tartarus. You first task is dragging all these Phantasms back into their cells.”

Blueblood nodded as a flying mask bumped into his rear. “And how am I supposed to go about that?”

If a skull wasn’t able to look incredulous, Bluebones’ made a decent effort. “Have you tried askin’ them nicely?”

“Attention, Nightmares!”

The sea of faces froze. They turned as one towards the blue alicorn rising into the air, her wings stirring wind and her eyes incandescent. “You have a choice. The door to the outer world is barred by means both physical and magical. The walls are impregnable, the floors go deep, and the roof has stood for many centuries!”

Lightning flashed from the tip of her horn. “You may try to escape, to dig your way out, knowing that We shall be alighting your rumps with fire! Or, you may return to your cells unmarred! Decide!”

Phantasms rushed in droves towards their assigned corridors. One or two of their number required a small amount of convincing, as the scorch marks on their otherwise pale rear ends attested.

Bluebones leaned towards Blueblood’s ear. “Are you takin’ notes, boy?”

“Mrn,” Blueblood mumbled.

Luna landed beside them and whispered out of the corner of her mouth. “This is too easy. Far too easy. We’re missing something critical.”

The last of the Nightmares filed into their cells, their continence abashed.

Bluebones tapped his teeth together. “That was blinkin’ foalish of you, boy. You needn’t have done that.”

Blueblood sighed at his hooves. “I had to take him down a peg. I had to show him he wasn’t in control.”

Bluebones’ bony face turned to Blueblood. “All you did was play right into his cards.”

Beneath the floor of Tartarus, Scorpan stood still as a cacophony rose above him. A few minutes passed, after which a series of chains shot through the air on a collision course with his body. They clamped tightly against his fur and skin, their weight dragging him down to earth.

Scorpan grinned. “Test successful.”

Author's Note

"All proceeds as I have foreseen, muhuhahaha!" said Scorpan.

"Noooo, you jerk!" said Blueblood.

EDIT: Minor Dialogue change on Luna's part. No biggy. Just a little Internal Canon Consistency.

The Unencumbered Unconscious

Redheart flinched awake. She looked around the break room, attempting to reorient herself. She rubbed a hoof across her eyes as she levitated her cap onto her head. A glance at the clock revealed that only five minutes of her ten minute break had been spent sleeping.

She tapped the magic hourglass beside her chair, one that was set to give off a happy little ding when her break was finished. She groaned as she set it on its side, halting the flow of sand. “Guess I didn’t wanna relax after all.”

She walked over to the sink and splashed cold water on her face. A mirror showed that she had bags under her eyes, which she regarded with a scowl. “If I walk into a patient’s room, they’re gonna think Zombie Ponies are attacking.”

The word “zombie” jogged her memory a bit. She thought back to when she had been asleep. She knew that she had been dreaming, and that the dream had woke her up, but she couldn’t remember any details.

Her vision doubled, and she tottered on her hooves. She righted herself with a quick shake of her head. She stared into her reflection’s eyes. She wasn’t that tired, was she?

The touch of silk tickled her back. She looked behind herself, but there was nothing there. She turned to the mirror and saw Lyra Heartstrings looking back. She gasped and blinked. Once her eyes were opened, Lyra’s face had disappeared. Instead, she saw her own tired visage.

She shuffled her hooves. “Maybe this was a bad night to cover for Daisychain…”

“You’ve been left alone.”

The soft touch of silk returned to her back. Redheart spun quickly, her eyes searching for any sign of another pony. “Wh-who’s there!?”

She licked her lips. She gave the mirror a final glance, and thought she saw Blueblood in the reflection. A closer examination only showed herself. She gritted her teeth. “I’m getting tired of this.”

A strange, shapeless mass materialized beside her, seeming to be made of translucent fabric. An angular face with glowing eyes topped the billowy creature. “You’ve been left alone.”

Redheart screamed. She tumbled to her rump and pushed herself backwards across the floor. The creature easily kept pace with her. “Blueblood didn’t say two words to you after that dance. He’s so obviously rejected you.”

Redheart’s eyes darted between the monster and the door. “Did you really think,” it asked, “that you had a chance with the prince?”

Redheart shot to her hooves and trampled her way to the room’s single entrance. She slipped on the smooth floors and slid a short distance. The monster was above her again, its eyes twinkling.

“Of course, that’s nothing compared to the loss of Lyra,” it murmured quietly. “Who will protect you now, Princess of Hospice? Who will save you from the Nightmares?”

“I will!” She grabbed a forgotten cup of coffee on the counter with a flash of telekinesis. It shot through the air, and passed unhindered through the Nightmare’s body.

Redheart grimaced as the creature drifted closer. “That was very silly, don’t you think?”

Redheart tried to stand, but she found her legs frozen stiff. She shivered all over as the Nightmare came in contact with her body. “Relax,” it whispered. “We’re just going to remember…”

Rainbow Dash trotted through the brightly-lit halls. They never shut the lights off in the hallways, she had been told, because taking care of ponies was a twenty-four-hour business. As a result, the night outside looked pitch-black and uninviting.

Rainbow Dash stuck her head out a window and squinted, trying to catch a glimpse of the stars above. She could make out one or two of the bright ones, but most were obscured in the glare from the hospital lights.

Her ears twitched as a scream caught her attention. “Wha—?” She ran towards the sound, even as it faded. She stopped beside a door marked “break room,” it being her best guess for the source of the noise. She didn’t figure on any sort of life-threatening happenings taking place in a break room, but she pressed her ear to the door regardless.

“Did you really think you had a shot with the prince?” a voice whispered.

“What the—?” Rainbow heard the clompity of hooves on the floor, and the thump of a pony’s body hitting the ground. There was a few murmurs that Dash couldn’t make out. She reached for the handle and tried to yank the door open.

It was locked.

She pressed her ear to the door, and felt a chill run down her spine.

“Who will save you from the Nightmares?”

Dash’s eyes widened. She spun and bucked the door with all the strength she could muster. It didn’t budge. She ran to a nearby bathroom and turned the faucet on. She stuck her hoof under the stream of water and felt her hoof begin to tingle with magic. Droplets of water splashed off of her leg and collected in the air.

She flicked and flapped her wings in intricate motions, which molded the droplets into a tiny cloud, dark with moisture. She dragged it through the air towards the break room door. She hovered behind the cloud and took in a deep breath. After aiming carefully, she punched the cloud with as much force as she could muster.

A lightning bolt leapt from the cloud and struck the door handle. The metal melted in a fiery conglomeration of slag and smoke, taking the locking mechanism with it. The next time Rainbow Dash bucked the door, it swung aside easily.

The Nightmare looked up as Rainbow Dash entered. Even though it didn’t technically have a mouth, Rainbow could still see the smirk on its face. It was a smirk she had seen on far too many enemies in the past, the one that said, “Too late, Sucker!”

The creature vanished, the only remains a fine mist that hovered around Redheart’s head. The nurse lay on the floor, tossing and turning, small moans of fear squeaking out every few seconds. Rainbow Dash leaped beside her, hoping for a way to help. “Gosh… Darn it! How do I stop this!?”

She stomped her hoof on the ground. “Flash! He’ll know what to do!”

She raced for the soldier’s room, her wings aching a lot sooner than they would have on a normal day. She didn’t so much as knock before she opened the door, leading a sleeping Flash Sentry to bolt upright in bed after she shouted “Mayday!” in his ear.

“Whazza portent pull up!” he gasped. He stared at Rainbow for a moment before his face scrunched up in pain. “Gah, my gut,” he moaned.

“We have a problem, Sentry!” she said. “Redheart’s under attack by a Nightmare!”

His eyes widened. He turned to the ceiling with a sigh. “Help me up.”

Rainbow tilted her head. She looked to his stomach, which still glowed with the power of ambrosia. “You sure you can—”

“Help me up,” he repeated. “Then take me to her.” He turned his eyes to Rainbow. “We gotta go into her dream, Dash. We gotta fight the Nightmare head-on, before it’s too late.”

Rainbow nodded, and placed her foreleg under his. She extended a wing to steady him as he teetered precariously out of bed. She held him on his feet for a moment, waiting for him to indicate that he could stand on his own.

“I hate lightning now,” he grunted.

“Come on, can’t waste any time!” Rainbow Dash urged him on, letting him lean on her side for support. She grasped at the hanger that held his ambrosia and dragged it along behind her. They made their way to the break room slowly, the minutes inching past painfully for the both of them.

When they came to the room, Redheart was lying on her side, her legs drawn up tight against her body. She shivered as sweat beaded on her forehead.

Rainbow Dash worried her bottom lip. “I half-expected her to be, like, ‘Nightmare Syringe’ right about now.”

Flash slumped to the ground next to the tormented alicorn. One hoof held his stomach while the other went to Redheart’s forehead. “She needs a blanket.”

Rainbow Dash disappeared, and reappeared with a quilt off of her own bed a few seconds later. She draped it over Redheart’s body and knelt beside her. “What now?”

Flash Sentry’s eyes popped. “Oh.”

Rainbow Dash jumped into the air. “‘Oh’ what!?”

“We need an alicorn—or a unicorn, I guess—to cast the dreamhopping spell.”

“Oh, so that’s what…” Rainbow Dash’s eyebrows angled down. “Fine time to bring it up!”

Marzipan shuffled the papers on her desk as she prepared to leave for the night. The receptionist took a final glance at the clock, cursed the late hour, and then trotted for the exit.

She was intercepted by a blue pegasus that hovered in the air despite being confined to bed-rest. Said pegasus’ eyes darted to and fro as she spoke. “Hay, are there any unicorns working here right now?”

Marzipan frowned. “You ought to be resting.”

“Can we get over the whole ‘hospital’ thing?” Rainbow Dash said. “I’m in the middle of trying to save my friend, here!”

“What’s wrong?” Marzipan turned to the stairway. “Is there an emergency? Should I call Redheart—?”

“Redheart’s the one in trouble!” Rainbow Dash raised her hooves. “I need somepony with enough magic to perform a dreamhopping spell, stat!”

Marzipan shook her head. “I’m an earth pony! How’m I supposed to know how much power you need?”

“Do I look like I know an ethereal parabola from a fey line?” Rainbow shouted back. “Just show me somepony with a horn! I don’t care if they’re a goat! I’ll take anything with a horn right now!”

“We don’t have any goats on staff!” Marzipan said.

“Missing! The! Point!” Rainbow Dash grasped Marzipan’s face in her hooves. “Is there anypony here who can cast a spell?”

“Vrner Scrch!” Marzipan said between scrunched-up cheeks.

“What?” Rainbow Dash let the receptionist drop to the floor.

“There’s a friend of Redheart’s, an alicorn!” Marzipan pointed down a hallway. “In the family waiting area!”

Rainbow Dash was off at just shy the speed of sound. She was at least decently familiar with the layout of the hospital, due to Scootaloo’s infrequent trips and her own overzealous training style. She peeled around corners and rocketed down hallways until she reached the indicated room.

Within, on one harder-than-was-really-desired couch, an alicorn snoozed. She reclined back, her head hanging over the edge of an armrest in a way that did nothing to help her chronic neck pain. Her mouth was open wide to allow her snores easy passage.

Rainbow Dash landed and trotted up to the couch. She wasn’t quite looking where she was going. Her knee made contact with a table that held a pair of purple sunglasses. She winced as the table rattled around.

“Don’t you touch my glasses!” Vinyl Scratch said as she shot to a sitting position. She blinked the bleariness from her eyes and turned to Dash. “Wha—?”

“You’re a friend of Redheart’s, Right?” Rainbow Dash said quickly. “She needs your help.”

“Eyeeeah, I…” Vinyl squinted at her. “Who are you?”

Rainbow Dash grabbed her hoof. “My name’s Rainbow Dash, and I really don’t have time to make your acquaintance!”

They shot out the doorway, Vinyl’s magic making a desperate grab at her sunglasses. She resisted the movement until Rainbow Dash decided that flying would be faster. Vinyl flailed her legs in the air, her eyes wide. “What the hay!”

“Redheart’s being attacked by a Nightmare!” Rainbow Dash said. “We need you to cast a dreamhopping spell!”

“I don’t know any dreamhopping spells!” Vinyl snatched her sunglasses out of the air and set them on her nose. “You’ve got the wrong pony!”

“Flash’ll teach yah!” Rainbow rounded a corner. “He’s got the instructions, or something.”

They skidded to a halt beside the break room door, with Vinyl slipping a few meters further than Dash. Rainbow nodded to the room. “Besides, she needs you.”

Vinyl gasped when she laid eyes on Redheart. She rushed to her side and knelt beside her. “Oh, crud, crud, crummy crud.” She looked up at Flash Sentry. “How do I cast the spell? Come on! Chop, chop, bro!”

Flash’s ears twitched away from the verbal assault. “How’s your teleporting?”

“Passable,” Vinyl said. She looked at Redheart over her glasses. “I never really do it casually, but once or twice for a gig—”

“Alright.” Flash Sentry scooted closer to her. “Can you teleport more than one pony at once?”

Vinyl shrugged. “Not before the ascension, but—”

“Next question,” Flash interrupted again. “Have you ever had a lucid dream?”

“What’s…?” Vinyl shook her head. “One where I knew I was dreamin’? Maybe once, I dunno.”

“Okay.” Flash turned to Rainbow Dash. “I need my saddlebags out of my room.”

She rolled her eyes, but took off all the same.

Flash leaned towards Vinyl. “We’re gonna decide on a dream, alright? We’re gonna imagine a dream together, and then you need to keep thinking of that dream after you fall asleep.”

“How can I fall asleep at a time like—?”

“I’ve got enchanted sand.” Flash looked up as Rainbow Dash dropped the saddlebags beside him. “I want you to focus on that dream, and I want you to try to remember that it’s a dream.”

Vinyl Scratch rubbed her eyes. “What if it doesn’t work? What if I just start snoozing like a idiot?”

Flash’s eyes grew hard. “Then Redheart’s gonna stay like that.”

Vinyl’s face contorted; her lips drew back and her eyebrows slanted down. “That ain’t gonna happen.”

“I know.” Flash took a pouch out of the saddlebags. “When you’re in the dream, you need to picture me. I’ll be sleeping, too. You need to use your teleportation spell to jump into my dream.”

Vinyl’s sunglasses slid down her snout. “How do you know I’m not just gonna teleport my body?”

“Dreams are funny.” Flash scratched at the back of his head. “Princess Luna told me that it would work out fine. Blame her if we just end up zapping ourselves silly.”

Vinyl nodded, though her frown spoke otherwise. “How’m I gonna find your dream?”

“Like I said, it’ll be real similar to yours.” Flash gave her an unconvincing smile. “What’chyah got for me?”

“Ever been to a club?” Vinyl asked. “Strobe lights? Thumping music? Ponies dancing like heck?”

“Ah, no.” Flash sighed. “What else you got?”

Vinyl pursed her lips together. “Hay, the gala’s in a couple weeks. You ever been to the Grand Galloping Gala?”

“Nope.” Flash groaned. “This is harder than I thought.”

Rainbow Dash leaned between them. “Doreen Bean’s coffee shop. We’ve all been there at least once.” She looked at Vinyl. “Er, have you been there? I know Redheart likes to—”

“Yeah, of course I’ve been there.” Vinyl polished a hoof on her chest. “It’s basically Redheart, Lyra, and my official hangout spot.”

“Wait.” Flash looked at each of them in turn. “You two don’t know each other?”

Rainbow Dash and Vinyl shrugged. “Should we?” Vinyl asked.

“I don’t— Whatever.” He put his hoof on the bridge of his nose. “You good with that dream?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m cool.” Vinyl placed her sunglasses beside her flank and shut her eyes tight. “Hit me, Flashy.”

He inched open the top of the bag. Golden light spilled out. He took a hesitant breath, then threw a hoof-full into the air.

Vinyl Scratch picked her head off of the table. The smell of coffee filled her nose. She turned and, sure enough, there was her cup right beside her. Her ears twitched as they took in the sounds of the bustling Keen Bean Coffee Shoppe.

“Long night, Scratch?” Redheart asked. She, perplexingly enough, was wearing her nurse’s cap.

“Not as bad as the long day after, right?” Lyra said. She, perplexingly enough, was not Nightmared.

Vinyl shook her head. “Yeah, I was just…” She shook her head again, harder. “I was….” She opened her eyes and frowned. “I dunno what I was just doing.”

A mare walked past. Her coat was a pattern of rainbow stripes, and her mane was a nice sky-blue. Vinyl blinked a few times. “Oh, right, I’m dreaming!”

She stood, sending her chair tumbling backwards. She looked at Redheart, bit her lip, and then lit her horn. “Flash, if I go nuts, I’m blaming you.”

The world exploded into a mesh of colors as she teleported. She felt like she was flying, falling, stretching, and shrinking all at once. Her head spun as she was propelled into places unknown.

She halted at last. She found herself in a realm that reminded her very much of that mystical place where all alicorns went when they ascended. Rather than the sheer emptiness of that place, she could see stars in the distance. She reached out, and was surprised when her hoof actually touched the glowing object. An image flashed through her mind: A mountain of ice cream and the dragon that was eating it.

She blinked the image away as she drew her hoof back. She looked at the other stars, certain that each was another dream. “Okay, Flash, how’m I gonna find yours?”

She touched another dream, this time seeing a vision of dancing, sugary-sweet snow-cones. “Nadda.” Another held a warm hearth and copious amounts of hot cocoa, though wind howled outside. “Cool, but nope.” Another held what was certain to be a snow day. “What’s with all the cold?”

She took a step back from the dreams she had been browsing. Now that she looked closer, she could detect a slight pattern in their slow movements. “Okay, if this group’s here…” She turned around, looking behind herself. “This group… Is it?”

She touched a star and saw the smooth floors, low ceiling, and wooden tables of the Keen Bean. “Bingo.”

She charged her horn and teleported again, this time moving into a dream, rather than out. From the larger crowd, it appeared that it was karaoke night. Flash Sentry stood on the stage, twanging his guitar in a way that Vinyl had only seen the greats perform. His chest was adorned with a black vest, and one eye was painted over with a strange, admittedly cool-looking, design. A crowd of fillies and mares screamed his name, but his eyes never left the purple one in the front row.

“You know he’s
Flash, Flash,
Flash, Flash,
Flash Sentry!

“When he goes around,
The whole room starts to reel!”

Vinyl pushed through the crowd and unplugged his speaker. The wall of females turned and glared at her, but she paid them no mind. She grabbed Flash by the wing. “Come on, Flashy. We gotta get a move on.”

Flash looked beseechingly at his adoring fans. “But—but Twilight—”

“Isn’t here.” Vinyl tugged. “You’re dreaming, remember?”

The guitar vanished. “Oh,” Flash said. He looked at the floor. “Oh, right.”

The crowds vanished soon after, Twilight’s figment taking a moment longer to dissipate. “Let’s go.”

The teleportation was twice as weird with a pony in tow. They both spend a moment shaking their heads in the strange midway point. Vinyl touched another dream. It was also of the coffee shop, but there was something… odd about it.

“Is that Rainbow’s?” Flash asked.

“Um…” Vinyl shrugged. “Maybe? Kinda ironic if it is.”

“How so?”

Rather than answer, Vinyl took hold of his hoof and made the hop. They tumbled to a hardwood floor, right in the middle of the waiting line. Flash Sentry looked around, his eyes widening. “Oh. That’s… Huh.”

Rainbow Dash appeared beside them, her mane six different shades of gray. “It’s about time you guys showed up.”

Her coat was also a shade of gray. As was the coffee shop, the world outside the windows, and all of the patrons.

“You guys are pretty good,” Rainbow said “I figured I’d have to wait for you to run out of hysterics before we could move on.”

“It’s not really funny so much as it’s…” Vinyl held her hooves out as though framing a picture. “Fitting?”

Flash tilted his head. “I thought colorless dreams were usually bad ones.”

“This is totally a bad dream.” Rainbow Dash pointed, her eyebrows and voice level. “Have you seen the size of this line?”

Vinyl cleared her throat. “Well, can we get a move on? We need to find Redheart’s dream.”

Rainbow squinted. “‘Find’ it?”

“You’ll see,” Flash said.

The next trip wasn’t that bad for Vinyl Scratch, but she could see Rainbow Dash’s eyes rolling around. Vinyl hid a smirk when she saw that Rainbow Dash’s coloring remained a few variations of gray.

Dash looked down at her hooves. “Okay, this is ridiculous.”

“Focus.” Flash took a few steps “forward.” “Do you have any idea where it could be?”

“Hay, I’m not even sure what kind of dream she’s having, let alone where…” Vinyl Scratch’s face fell as she saw one star in particular. This one was not twinkling brightly, but was strobing violently. It flashed red, and jiggled around as if it was struggling.

“But if I had to guess…”

She reached out to touch it, but flinched back as if her hoof had been burned. She shut her eyes tight. “Stick close, guys. This is gonna be a doozey.”

Her horn shimmered.

Vinyl told herself it wasn’t real.

She told herself that it couldn’t be real, because Flash was still dressed like a rock star, and Rainbow Dash’s colors were still desaturated. She told herself that she and the others were still lying on the floor, in the hospital, next to Redheart.

She wasn’t a very convincing pony, she decided.

From the wet moss underfoot, to the thick fog rolling around, to the towering trees shooting up into the sky, the dream was a spot-on recreation of the Everfree Forest. Though Vinyl had never spent any real time in the forest, there was no mistaking the feeling that everything wanted to kill her.

A low whistle sounded from Rainbow Dash’s gray mouth. “Wow. She sure knows her forests, doesn’t she?”

Vinyl walked a short ways forward, and almost immediately tripped over a vine obscured by the fog. “Son of a gun.”

“Has she ever told you about this dream?” Flash asked. He pulled at his vest as he looked around. “That might give us a clue about how to end it.”

“She’s… She’s always said that she doesn’t dream much.” Vinyl shrugged without looking at them. “I mean, if the subject ever comes up.”

Rainbow Dash flew straight up, and came down just as fast. Her chest heaved. “Guys, do not go up there. Do not. It’s pitch black, like there isn’t even a sky.”

Flash nodded as he ran a hoof over the bark of a tree. “She probably never thought about the sky, as far as the dream goes.” He looked at Vinyl, his forehead furrowing. “Does the Everfree Forest ring any bells?”

A wail pierced their eardrums. Their heads snapped around until they faced the darkest part of the forest. Three sets of jaws dropped, and three sets of eyes widened in horror.

A pony floated out of the mists, hovering about half meter above the ground. Its coat was pale, its mane a haze of immaterial strands that flowed around its head. It had no ears, and it had no tail. Its legs moved slowly, as if it was prancing in slow motion. The grass beneath its hooves died as it moved along its path.

Its path was heading straight for the three of them.

Vinyl took a step back, and the pony looked at her. Its mouth was constantly open, and rows of sharp, shark-like teeth leered at her. Its eyes were hollow and dark. They stared at her, but they stared through her as well. The pony turned slowly in midair, correcting its path until it was headed directly for Vinyl.

Its mouth widened, emitting an unearthly cry that stuck a dagger of icy cold through Vinyl’s heart.

Vinyl Scratch, Rainbow Dash, and Flash Sentry screamed. They about-faced and headed deeper into the jungle, away from the thing.

Slowly, but surely, the pony followed.

Vinyl’s heart felt like it was about to explode. Something deep inside told her that it would explode if the thing caught up with her. A glance back revealed that it was close, but the distance between them was growing.

“Scratch, stop!” Rainbow said. She grabbed at Vinyl’s wing with her teeth.

Vinyl found her legs jerked out from beneath her. She stopped short of tumbling down a long, narrow chasm, held back as she was by Rainbow Dash’s dental work. “Th-thanks. Whoo.”

Flash looked down, and nodded when something caught his eye. “Cave down there. Maybe we can hide.”

“Maybe,” Rainbow Dash hissed, “we can get ourselves trapped between a ghost and a hard place!”

“N-not a ghost,” Vinyl said. She blinked rapidly. She thought she remembered something, but… “It’s not a ghost, it’s a wight.”

Flash frowned as he took to the air. He looked across the chasm and saw stone ruins sitting on the other side. “Is that… the palace?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said as she jumped the gap. “It’ll have a million better places to hide!”

The three of them flew into the crumbling ruins. Vinyl’s stomach twisted when she saw the thing float over the canyon like it wasn’t even there. Another wail made their hair stand on end.

They reached the courtyard, where ancient stone pillars had tumbled to the ground. A circle of stone flooring sat at the center, which they passed over with clomping hooves. They entered the front door of the old castle and ran past the pedestal that once held the Elements of Harmony.

The next doorway they sought to enter was locked. Rainbow Dash bucked it with all her might, but it held. “Horseapples!” She turned to Flash. “Hay, we can’t get hurt in a dream, right?”

Flash gulped. “We can’t get hurt in our own dreams.”

Vinyl’s eyes snapped shut. “But this is Redheart’s dream.” They popped open again. “Her dream. Or not?”

She frowned as her heart sank. “Guys. Guys, I know what to do. I remember.”

Flash held a hoof out to her, but she waved him off.

“You guys hang back,” Vinyl said. “I got this.”

The thing cried out as it rounded the pedestal. Vinyl Scratch took in a deep breath, ignored the feeling that told her to run, run, run! and walked towards the pony.

Now that she was closer, she could see that the thing was small. Maybe half the size of a full-grown pony. Its mouth widened, its teeth glinting in light that came from nowhere. It flowed through the air towards Vinyl.

Rainbow Dash spread her gray wings, her eyes wide. Flash placed a hoof on her back to hold her steady.

Vinyl Scratch held her legs out to the pony. “H-hay. Hay.” She waved her hooves towards herself. “Hay, come here.”

Tears poured from her eyes as the thing came closer. “I-it’s okay. You can come. You don’t—” She shivered from head to tail. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

Rainbow’s jaw dropped.

Flash Sentry gave the thing a double take. “If that thing’s scared, then what are we?”

Vinyl’s forelegs met the thing’s. She drew it into a deep embrace and ran her hoof along its back. “It’s alright. You’re safe now. Nopony’s gonna hurt you anymore. Nopony’s gonna run away.”

A sound came from the thing. It was a sound very much like sobbing.

Vinyl placed her cheek against the thing’s. “You can wake up now, Redheart. The Nightmare’s over.”

The thing changed. Its pale coat became white. Its mane and tail grew long and pink. Its eyes filled with light and tears. In the place of the monster, there was a young filly who didn’t even have her cutie mark yet.

“F-Flash,” Vinyl said, “that cave at the bottom of the canyon. I think you’re gonna find the Nightmare creature in there.”

Rainbow Dash was off in a streak of gray. She returned a moment later with a silky substance clutched in her forelegs. She threw the Night Terror against the wall so hard that the stone cracked. “Say hello to the idiot behind all this.”

The Night Terror slumped to the ground, its glowing eyes twirling around in its head. Flash stomped on the edge of its body. “You can come quietly, or I can leave you alone with my friend.”

The Night Terror took one look into Rainbow Dash’s eyes, and then nodded vigorously. “I surrender,” it whispered.

The sun peeked out over the horizon, banishing the fog. Vinyl looked at it with relief in her eyes. “That you, Redheart?”

“Yeah,” the little filly said. “I think I’m… awake.” She faded away, and the castle with her.

Vinyl Scratch, Rainbow Dash, Flash Sentry, and the Night Terror found themselves in the place between dreams. “Okay,” Vinyl said. “Meet you guys back in the real world.”

Rainbow Dash touched her dream and vanished. Flash Sentry hesitated at his. “You know,” he said, “the dreams usually feel real when you’re in them.”

Vinyl nodded as she teleported away.

Author's Note

Sweet dreams, you guys!

The Lost Recipe of an Everfree Hermit

The four of them shared coffee in the break room. Another nurse had been called in to replace Redheart, but she didn’t feel like going home just yet.

“So…” Rainbow Dash sipped coffee that was far too strong. “A memory.”

Redheart nodded, sipping coffee that was far too weak.

Flash Sentry dumped a spoonful of creamer into his cup. “Twilight always said that curses weren’t real.”

Redheart closed her eyes. “I’ve heard.”

Vinyl looked up from ladling sugar into her coffee. “People like to think that nopony casts enchantments to hurt others.” She tapped the spoon against the edge of her mug and set it down. “Or, they like to think that outlawin' the spells keeps ponies from learnin’ and castin’ them.”

“Hay,” Rainbow Dash said with a frown. “Twilight isn’t naïve.”

Vinyl downed her mug in a single gulp. “Uninformed, then.”

“Maybe she’s a literalist,” Redheart muttered.

Flash leaned on the table. “Meaning?”

“Meaning,” Redheart replied, “that curses don’t exist, because they’re really just a series of spells—an enchantment—made to mimic the supposed results of the curse.”

Rainbow Dash fiddled with an empty sugar pouch. “So, what kind of enchantment made you into… that?”

Redheart froze, her eyes glaring into the middle distance. “Perpetual levitation. Transmogrification. And… whatever the opposite of the want-it-need-it spell is.”

“Hate-it-leave-it.” Flash poured himself another cup. “So what happened?”

Redheart lowered an eyebrow. “Are you asking as a Royal Guard, or as a friend?”

“I’m asking as a friend who just so happens to be in the Royal Guard.” Flash smiled. “Whose personal and professional business just so happen to link up tonight.”

Redheart looked down, a small smile on her face. “Okay.” She took a deep breath. “Dead serious: Evil Enchantress.”

Rainbow Dash snorted coffee. She sputtered for a good three minutes. “Y’ kidding, right?”

“Dead. Serious.” Redheart clasped her hooves together. “There was a mare who lived in the Everfree. I dunno if she was a pegasus, earth pony, unicorn, or what.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. “She didn’t speak in rhyme, did she?”

“I know what you’re thinking,” Redheart said. “It wasn’t Zecora. She and I talk about medicinal stuff here and there. I’d know if it was her.” She took a sip of liquid wakefulness. “Besides, I haven’t finished my story.”

Her eyes turned upward. “My family got separated when we were collecting herbs. I stumbled on this shack. It smelled like something was cooking, and I was pretty hungry.” She rubbed her hooves together and shivered. “I knocked and asked if the pony inside would help me get home.”

Flash’s eyebrows met. “So she cursed you.”

Radheart shook her head. She chewed her bottom lip until Vinyl draped a wing around her shoulders. “She took me in, gave me a cup of soup to eat. She had… she had this wall with pictures of alicorns and strings connecting them all. I saw a spellbook on the table. She told me that she’d bring me home if I helped her do something.”

Redheart sneered. “She said that this new spell she found was sure to turn her into an alicorn princess.”

Rainbow Dash sat back. She didn’t so much become inattentive as she became very, very quiet.

“‘Cry but find no hug’s relief,’” Redheart recited. “‘Touch is a stranger and feeling a myth. Wander through the forest and wail.’”

“That doesn’t even rhyme,” Rainbow Dash growled.

“With how many overlapping, unrelated spells were put into the enchantment,” Flash said, “there had to be an obvious weak spot.”

“There was.” Redheart sighed and smiled. “Lyra.

“Her family was on a camping trip to Winsome Falls. They took a wrong turn somewhere around the old palace of the Royal Pony Sisters and stumbled on me.” Redheart rubbed a hoof along her foreleg. “I scared the snot out of them, especially Lyra.” She chuckled. “Can you just imagine this little mint-colored filly trying to shield herself with an off-tune lyre? That was her.”

Redheart blinked as a tear trickled down her cheek. “After a minute or two, Lyra realized that I wasn’t gonna eat her. She got curious and circled around me, poking and prodding and asking questions that I couldn’t answer. I tried to talk for so long, but I couldn’t.” She pursed her lips. “So I cried instead. And… she hugged me.”

Vinyl grinned. “Now here’s the part of the story I remember!”

“Yeah.” Redheart shrugged. “So she hugged me until I stopped crying, and then we both saw that the spell was broken.”

“‘Cry but find no hug’s relief.’” Flash laughed a little laugh. “That’ll show the witch.”

“So what happened to the Evil Enchantress?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Or the witch, or whatever the heck she was?”

Redheart shrugged. “I was a wight for about two years, so it wasn’t like the Guard could just march into the Everfree right away and hope to find her.”

Flash Sentry downed the last of his coffee. “I bet they did anyways.”

Redheart snorted. “Yeah. They found her shack. It was pretty ramshackle. I hear it looked like a rockodile had attacked.”

“Well, good riddance to her.” Rainbow Dash smirked. “And bon apatite for the rockodile.”

Redheart looked down at her mug. “I either need more coffee, or a good night’s rest.”

“Maybe we ought to take a nap,” Vinyl said, “and then meet tomorrow mor—afternoon to talk about moving ugly here to Tartarus.” She tilted her horn at the Night Terror, who was stuffed into a handy suitcase. “Maybe we should meet at the real Keen Bean.”

“If I can get a leave from the hospital.” Flash raised an eyebrow and patted his belly, which had stopped glowing sometime between the Nightmare and the partaking of caffeinated drinks.

“Clean bill of health, as far as I’m concerned.” Redheart looked him up and down. “Just take it easy for a couple of days.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Flash Sentry said. He stood and carefully flexed his wings. “Flying’s in, right?”

“Not tonight.” Redheart shook her head. “Grounded tonight, fly tomorrow. Slowly.”

Flash pouted. “Clean bills of health aren’t as comprehensive as they used to be.”

Redheart leaned on her hoof. “Would you rather have me say, ‘Well, you ain’t dyin’’?”

He snickered and started to walk away.

“Wait,” Redheart said. “Thank you. All of you. Thank you so much.”

“Hay, what are friends for?” Rainbow Dash said.

“Pulling your butt out of Nightmares, if I had to guess,” Vinyl chuckled.

Hours of stress disappeared as the four ponies laughed in a variety of means. Each retreated to different parts of the hospital, each with their own thoughts of the fight to come.

As well as their own fears.

Author's Note

I'll be honest, the Evil Enchantress is mostly a "call-back-forward-over" to another story I'm planning. A nice bit of continuity that hasn't fully matured. Look forward to this character having a part in Braeburn's Ascension; or, The Courtship of Pinkamena Diane Pie.

Watch the Title Drop

Blueblood watched as the last door was secured. The Phantasms danced around in the cells, their empty eyes peering out at him. He peered right back.

He swallowed a lump in his throat. “Well, that’s that.”

“Wot’s wot?” Bluebones clomped up beside him and pulled his hood firmly over his head.

“I’m the warden. It is finished.” Blueblood snickered. “In other words: ‘That’ll do, Pig. That’ll do.’”

Luna folded up her wings and sat a short distance away. “It’s not quite over.”

Blueblood sighed. “I’ve seen the Nightmares, I know ‘what lies beneath,’ I’ve taken the oath.” He shrugged. “Whatever could be next, I wonder?”

“First,” Bluebones said, “your duties. You ’ave to check the seal on the cells every day.”

“Done,” Blueblood said.

“You ’ave to understand how to hop between dreams in order to combat any potential escapees.”

“Do—” Blueblood grimaced. “Well, I suppose Luna’s already started my training a bit.”

“And”—Bluebones’ mouth inched open—“there’s one more type of Nightmare.”

“Of course there would be.” Blueblood stretched out his wings and gave them a flap. “Very well, Grandfather. Lead the way. Can’t be wasting any more of our time around here.”

The three of them traversed the dark halls, not in silence, but serenaded by Blueblood’s falsetto-esque voice. “With all the Bêtes Noire, Night Terrors, and Phantasms around, I can only guess at the violent, vicious nature of this new Nightmare. Perhaps they are giant tentacle monsters who deal in soul-sucking horror. May they be a beast to put the fear of darkness into a chimera? How many are there? Perhaps a hundred! Mayhap a thousand!”

“Blueblood,” Luna said, “shut up.”

Bluebones’ cloak ruffled as he shook. “B’sides, there’s only the one.”

Luna’s eyes widened. She bared her teeth as she turned to the skeletal pony. “I thought there were two.”

“One escaped, about four days ago.” Bluebones turned his head so that he could see the princess. “Oi can’t say oi didn’t expect Chastity to check out one of these days.”

Luna frowned. Severely. “Why didn’t you mention her?”

Bluebones stopped at the entrance to the central room. “Oi was a bit busy.”

“No.” Luna pulled around to his front and looked into his deep, pitted eyes. “That’s not busy. That’s neglectful.”

He brushed past her. “Oi s’pect she’ll turn up sooner or later. It won’t be too much trouble to bring her in—”

“Unless she’s possessed a pony,” Luna hissed.

Bluebones froze. “You think she’d do that?”

“Bluebones, the Nightmares are picking their targets very precisely.” Luna glanced at Blueblood, who stood to the side doing rather a lot of listening. “There’s no telling what they'll make her do.”

Bluebones shivered, and the sound of rattling bones filled the mountain. “Oi… s’pose oi didn’t think of that.”

“No…” Luna lifted her head and looked at a specific doorway. “Let’s talk with her sister. Maybe we can get some idea of how Chastity escaped.” She strode forward with purpose. “Maybe we can get some idea as to how any of these Nightmares escaped.”

Blueblood pulled up alongside Luna. “So, this Chastity character… is not a vicious tentacle monster?”

Luna glared at him, and he fell mercifully silent.

For a moment. “There’s an awful lot of empty cells down this corridor.”

Bluebones looked at the bare holes in the walls. “There really weren’t that many Nightmares of this type. They’re, well, they’re a little different than most.”

“They’re ponies,” Luna said.

Blueblood tripped over his hooves. “What!?”

“A pair of sisters whose special talent involved creatin’ and manipulatin’ dreams.” Bluebones tilted his head back, as if studying the ceiling. “We call ’em ‘the Temptations.’”

“We always preferred ‘the Fantasies!’” said a voice that sparkled quite metaphorically. “Hi, Bluebones! Who’s your friends?”

Bluebones trotted up to the only locked cell door on the block. “Hullo, Charity.”

Blueblood looked into the cell. His eyes nearly popped out of his head at the sight that met them.

Charity was a bat pony, much like Luna’s guards. She had the requisite membranous wings, fluffy ears, and slit pupils. She was also drop-dead gorgeous.

Her purple mane curled at the bottom, just after it passed her shoulders. Her gray coat was brushed just so, and her tail bobbed to and fro as she swayed. Her smile brightened up the dark room, even if the prominent canine teeth made Blueblood take a cursory inventory of escape routes.

He tried not to stare at her legs and flanks, and then failed utterly.

Luna nudged him from the side. “Focus, Casanova.”

Blueblood snapped his head around to her. “I haven’t the foggiest idea what you—”

“You’re drooling.”

Blueblood wiped the spittle from his mouth. “Yes, well, I am only a pony, you understand.”

Luna snorted. “I’ve seen your dreams. There was never any doubt.”

“Then you know where my heart lies,” Blueblood said. He closed his eyes and lifted his snout into the air.

“I do,” Luna said, “but do you?”

Blueblood sputtered, and opened his mouth to offer a rebuttal, but was stopped by the sound of a clearing throat.

Bluebones tapped a hoof on the ground. “As I would have said, this is Charity. Say hello, Charity.”

“Hi!” Charity hopped on her hooves. “You must be Bluebones’ grandson. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Blueblood blanched, draining the color from his already nearly-colorless face. “From whom, may I ask?”

Charity giggled into her hoof while refusing to look Blueblood in the eye. “Bluebones. I think he heard it from Luna, first.”

Blueblood nodded. “Ah. A glowing review, then.”

“Well…” Charity tipped from side to side. “He did say you were getting better.”

“Oi did,” Bluebones said. “And she did.”

“Indeed.” Luna held back the smile that hid in the corners of her mouth. “I wouldn’t take it back, honest.”

Blueblood blinked the surprise out of his eyes. “Thank you, then.”

He turned to the bat pony, subconsciously smoothing his mane. “Begging your pardon, but you don’t seem the Nightmare type.”

Charity ran a hoof over her foreleg. “Well, it was a long time ago… Four hundred years, did you say, Bluebones?”

“Just about.” Bluebones moved to stand between Blueblood and the door. “And oi think that’s the whole point. She don’t seem dangerous.”

Charity flicked a hoof and gave a tight, toothy grin. “Rawr.”

“But tain’t that sort of danger you need to s’pect from her.” Bluebones looked at her. “Ain’t that roight?”

Charity clicked her tongue. “I told you those days were dead and gone.”

Bluebones held her gaze for a long moment. “Perhaps.”

He gasped, clutching a hoof to his chest. He tumbled to the floor, his cloak wrapping tightly around him. Charity reached a hoof through the bars of her cell, her eyes wide. “Bluebones!”

When her hooves brushed the bars, the metal glowed. She drew back with a hiss.

Luna was by Bluebones’ side in an instant, her hooves running along his body. “Bluebones! Bluebones, can you hear me?”

Blueblood knelt beside his grandfather. “Is… is he—”

“Oi’m not dead, you ijit!” Bluebones roared. He batted Luna aside. “O’ course oi can hear you! You’re screaming in my blinkin’ ear!”

Charity leaned against her wall, her eyes closed and her hoof over her chest. She opened her eyes, and moisture threatened to pour out. “Another cramp?”

“Aye.” Bluebones stood without the aid of Luna, thank you very much. “Aye, it’s… it’s the marrow.”

Luna lifted a hoof in a regal pose. “Perhaps it is time to retire for the day?”

Blueblood rubbed his eyes. “It feel like we just got here, and have also been here for hours. Which is it?”

“Maybe both, in the big scheme of things.” Luna wrapped a wing around Bluebones’ shoulders. “Come, perhaps we can regale each other with tales of derring-do.”

Blueblood narrowed one eye. “Never quite cared for those books.”

“Hush up, you.” Luna pulled the two Bluebloods along, leaving Charity alone.

The bat pony watched them go. Her lips pouted. She walked deeper into her cell and lay upon her cot. Her eyes fell on the empty bed beside her. “Another night alone. I really shouldn’t have let her go.”

“Dangit.”

Blueblood started at the exclamation that came from Luna’s mouth. “Begging your pardon?”

“I was going to ask her how her sister escaped,” Luna said. She lay on her stomach and glared at the middle distance. “But then…”

“Yeah, yeah. The deadbeat.” Bluebones snorted. “Sorry, oi can’t quite help it.”

“It’s not your fault, Bluebones.” Luna sighed through her nose. “I’m not too thick to understand that, at least.”

“Thick is probably the last word I would use to describe you, Aunt Luna,” Blueblood said. “Save perhaps during that one dream I had when you first returned from exile.”

Luna looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “How was I supposed to know that drowning in a mountain of ice cream was a good thing?”

“Maybe the stupid grin on my face?” Blueblood asked. “Perhaps the giggles of foalish delight? The utter zeal with which I took your advice: ‘You must face your fears’?”

“Celestia always blamed me for the ice cream shortage of aught-three.” Luna smiled. “I guess she was right.”

“Oh come now,” Blueblood said. “The amount I indulged in was most emphatically not proportionate to the shortage.”

“Mint chip was an especially rare commodity at the time, I recall.”

“Coincidence,” Blueblood said. “Sheer, happenstantial coincidence.”

Bluebones clicked a hoof against the floor idly. “Oi miss ice cream.”

Blueblood brought a pillow to himself with a flash of telekinesis. “My stars, you must not have had a smidge in… four hundred years.”

The central room was lit by the torches, but the light never really brightened the cavern much. Bluebones’ cloak hid his face in the shadows as he lay. “That’s ’bout roight, boy.”

Blueblood undid the tie around his neck and laid it gently beside himself. “What do you miss most, Grandfather?”

Bluebones sat still. “Bein’ honest, your great grandmother.” He crossed his bony forelegs. “She left just after your grandfather, Bluehooves, was born. She weren’t long for the world.” He shook his head. “Was long b’fore oi was sent here, though.”

A sound similar to a sigh, but lacking the rush of air that usually accompanied it, came from the animated skeleton. “Second would be snow. Any weather would be noice, but you could do so much with the snow. Move it, pack it, eat it, play with it…”

Blueblood rested his head in his forelegs. “Can’t say I appreciate it the same way you do. Too cold.”

“That’s wot wrappin’ up is for, boy.” He pointed a gnarled hoof. “You don’t go prancin’ about in the nude.”

Luna chuckled. “Your grandson is never seen nude. Needn’t worry about that.”

Blueblood made a “humph” sound. “Seeing as how both you and Aunt Celestia are also rarely seen without adornments, I shall take that as a compliment.”

“We’re not as religious about wearing tuxedos as you are, though.” She waved a hoof in his direction. “Like so.”

Blueblood snorted as he unbuttoned his shirt collar. “I, at the least, do not sleep in it.”

“At the very least,” Luna agreed.

Silence descended upon the three ponies in the dark. Bluebones stared at the others as they lay motionless, his teeth clicking. He looked over Luna’s body to see the hallway that led to the bat pony. He turned to his hooves.

Blueblood snored uproariously.

A snowflake descended. It landed in front of him, and made a magical tingling sound as it touched his foreleg. He stared until it melted. He turned to the princess that sat a few meters away.

Luna smiled at him through the bags under her eyes and the lines at the corners of her mouth. “For what it’s worth.”

A few more flakes fell before the glow around her horn faded. He nodded at her. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Just call me Luna, Bluebones.” She turned her head away. “I don’t deserve honorifics from you.”

Bluebones shuffled his legs. “This ain’t your fault, Luna.”

“How can it not be?” she asked. “The Nightmares turned to me for help.”

“And these are a whole ’nother set than the ones wot turned you into Nightmare Moon.” He stomped a hoof quietly, so as not to wake his grandson. “Even then, far as oi’m concerned, that Shadowfright bloke was t’ blame.”

“It wasn’t that simple,” Luna said.

“O’ course not!” Bluebones shifted his cloak to cover his rear legs. “But those're the bare bones of it.”

He dipped his nose towards the floor. “After Blueblood's been the warden for a while, this whole thing’ll quiet down.”

Luna bit her lip. “I hope so, for his sake.”

Bluebones looked at his grandson. “His mum named him ‘Blue Eyes,’ didn’t she?”

Luna looked as well. “He’s never gone by that name, as long as I’ve known him.”

Blueblood’s snore rose an octave. He exhaled in a whine.

“Oi don’t s’pect he would.” Bluebones pointed his horn at Luna. “You best get some rest. It don’t come often to the likes of us.”

Luna closed her eyes. “You’re right about that, Bluebones. Thank you.”

“Moi pleasure.”

Another flake touched the tip of his nose before she finally succumbed to the pull of the realm of dreams.

Bluebones walked quietly through the corridors, his hooves making nary a sound. He passed row after row of empty cells, seeking the one in particular with an occupant. He came upon the cell itself, and called out to the pony within in a small voice. “Ch-Charity…”

A gasp, a clatter of hooves, and a smile greeted him. “Bluebones, I was afraid you wouldn’t come.”

Bluebones rocked on his bony legs. “Oi wasn’t gonna… but… oi can’t—”

Charity covered her mouth with a hoof. “You poor dear. Come here.”

Bluebones hesitated.

He touched the door with his horn. It flared briefly, and then slid aside with the subtle squeak of a well-oiled hinge. Charity rushed forward and wrapped her forelegs around Bluebones’ neck. She placed a small kiss on his forehead and brought his cheek to her chest.

He placed a hoof on her back and drew her closer. “Oi wish oi could feel your fur.”

“It’s the thought that counts,” she whispered into his ear. “Right?”

He thought about it for a moment, then laughed. “Oi thought so. But—”

She placed a hoof against his mouth. “Shh.”

She kissed his forehead, then his nose, and then paused before placing her lips against his forever-bared teeth. She cupped his head in her hooves and looked into the dark holes that were his eyes.

“We could make the thought really count,” she said.

“No,” he said quickly. “No, it’s too dangerous with Luna here.”

She pouted. “It might be the last chance we ever get.” She blinked a tear away. “It’d be worth it if we can dream together just one more time.”

“Oi don’t want you hurt,” Bluebones choked.

She placed her hoof under his chin. “She’d understand, wouldn’t she? I mean, even alicorns have dreams.”

Bluebones hung his head. “It… It’s just—”

“Hay,” Charity said. She held his hoof and pulled him into the cell. “Come dream with me.”

He lay down on the cot, his cloak fluttering down across him. She sat beside him and put her hoof on his head.

“Just rest,” Charity said. “Think up a lovely dream. I’ll be there soon.”

Bluebones sighed.

Life filled his legs.

He looked down and saw white hair. It sat on his chest, hiding the muscles beneath. It grew upon his legs, warming him down to his bones. A hoof touched the side of his face and felt the skin that lay across it. He blinked and felt the lids cover his wet eyes.

He smelled flowers and grass and dirt. He leaned down to smell further, and his blond mane fell across his eyes. He brushed it out of the way with a hoof.

A leathery wing wrapped around his middle. “Oh, Bluebones. You look so happy.”

He turned towards a vision of dark beauty. Her canine teeth glinted in the light of a warm sun. Her slit eyes sparkled with delight. Her feathery ears twitched towards him, hoping to scoop up any words he decided to spill forth.

“Oi love you,” he said.

In return, she gave him a kiss. Their lips met in the space between them, a space that was rapidly filled by an embrace. They sat amongst the flowers, and the grass, and the falling leaves.

Charity opened one eye and saw a Night Terror slip through the dream. She shut both eyes tight and focused on the kiss.

A snowflake touched his nose with a magical tingling sound. His eyes shot open, and a smile grabbed his mouth. “Oi feel… cold.” He looked deep into Charity’s eyes. “Did oi dream up a snow day?”

“No, Bluebones Blueblood,” said Luna, Princess of Dreams. “No, you did not.”

The flowers died, and the grass grew brown as snow fell around them. Luna stood tall, towering above the two ponies as she rarely did in reality. She glared at Bluebones, and then turned her gaze to Charity. “Where was that Nightmare going?”

Charity’s lips trembled. “I-I-I don’t know.”

“Cha-Charity,” Bluebones said. “Charity, wot Nightmare? Wot’s she talkin’ about?”

“It’s how the Nightmares have been escaping, Bluebones,” Luna said. “This isn’t the first time you’ve dreamed together, is it?”

Bluebones’ blond mane fell before his face as he bowed his head. “N-no.”

Luna gripped Charity in a bubble of magic. The bat pony gasped as she struggled against the shield. “She’s been luring you into dreams to give the Nightmares a doorway to the outside. She’s been tricking you into emptying Tartarus.”

“That ain’t true!” Bluebones said. “Tell her it ain’t true, Charity!”

“I didn’t mean to trick him!” Charity cried. She wiped her eyes with a wing. “I love him!”

“Then it’s a selfish love, isn’t it!?” Luna screamed. “How long has this been going on? A year? Two? A hundred? How long have your been serving Scorpan’s whim?”

She turned her fiery gaze on Bluebones. “How long ago did you release the Nightmare that killed Blueblood’s mother?”

She dropped Charity to the ground. “This dream is hereby disbanded. Return to the waking world.”

Bluebones shot upright. His body flinched, wracked with pain from the inside. He bumped his knee against the floor in his rush to stand, but it didn’t hurt. It didn’t anything.

He looked around the empty cell, searching for Charity. He found her in a cell across the hall, with a new lock holding it fast. Luna stood beside the door, her face stony.

“Bluebones Blueblood,” she said, “you are relieved of all duties as Warden of Tartarus.” She turned her nose up. “Wait here, I shall follow yon villainous Night Terror and run it to the ground before damage may be done.”

Luna's eyes closed, and she fell asleep where she stood. Soft snores came from her, which competed with those uttered by her nephew down the hall.

Bluebones stood outside Charity’s cell door.

“Bluebones,” she gasped, “they made me do it! I didn’t know what they were planning! I knew it was wrong, but I needed to see y—”

Bluebones held up a hoof, and she fell silent. He turned and walked to the center room slowly.

“Oi was a fool.”

Author's Note

Edited to remove a severe plot hole from Luna's snowflake conversation with Bluebones. No, they do not know that Shadowfright is leading the Nightmares outside of Tartarus. I apologize for this flub.

Edited again, on the twenty-second of July, to remove a similar flub earlier in the chapter. How I missed it, I shall never know.

Zen and the Art of Dreamhopping

The Night Terror poofed into existence. Its head swirled around, and its glowing eyes searched for an escape. It rushed through the blank landscape, swerving between the specks of starlight that were the dreams of Equestria.

The princess was coming.

The tip of the Night Terror’s essence brushed a dream. A vision of a hummingbird in flight flashed across its vision. It pulled away and bumped a dream behind it, where an earth pony was soaring on an eagle’s back. It flinched as it touched a final dream before untangling itself from the starry cluster: a chicken coop in the fall.

It spun around and found itself face-to-face with Shadowfright. Smog drifted between the dreams, small tendrils touching this sparkle or that. The Nightmare in Charge sneered at the Night Terror. “Timing is everything.”

“Y-you have to get me away from here, Larry!” the Night Terror hissed. “The princess is after me! The princess.”

“My name is Shadowfright!” Shadowfright snapped. “Larry was a pathetic host! I left him on the moon with the other denizens of that ridiculous dust ball!”

Shadowfright hissed. “And no! The princess is following you, and we can’t have her finding her way into our little alcove.” He grew larger, until his bulk blotted out the Night Terror’s surroundings. “Did you really think you’d be the lucky idiot who escaped right out from under the princess’ nose?”

The Night Terror had the good sense not to nod.

Shadowfright sighed. “Go stir up a Nightmare somewhere. Maybe you can scare an alicorn stiff before the princess turns you into mincemeat.”

Shadowfright faded away, leaving the Night Terror alone in dreamland. But not for very long.

Thunder cracked and lightning flashed as Princess Luna of the Night stormed her way into the unconscious. “Night Terror! Surrender and you will be spared!”

The Night Terror zipped away from the princess, towards another cluster of dreams. It touched one, getting a vision an apple pie cooking. It turned back to see the princess fast approaching, though she hadn’t seen it yet. Another dream showed a rocking horse made from what could easily be assumed to be apple wood. Another revealed an apple orchard ripe for the bucking.

It touched the orchard and vanished inside.

Blueblood stared at his hoof in horror.

It was bone-white. Not in the usual “Healthy Luster” kind of way, but the quite literally bone-white “Oh My Gosh Where is My Skin?” kind of way. His chest was similarly devoid of fleshy bits, replaced instead with a rib cage that surely would have made supermodels jealous with its thinness.

He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

“That was quicker than I expected,” said his father. The gray-coated, bluish-silver-maned stallion trotted up beside Blueblood. “I almost hoped for more needless drama before we got to this point.”

Blueblood gnashed his teeth, but Bluemane paid him no mind. “This was always going to be how it ended, you understand,” the father said. “There was never a happy ending in store for you. You saw to that yourself.”

Blueblood tried to walk, his legs refused to respond. His skeletal wings flapped uselessly at his sides.

“This is pathetic,” Bluemane said. He grinned. “It’s so you!”

Blueblood’s horn glowed. “Shhhhuuuuut. Uuuup.”

“The living cadaver speaks!” Bluemane turned his back and walked away. “Enjoy eternity, loser.”

“Nnnooooot. Mmmmyyyyyy. Ffffffaaaaathhhheeerr.” Blueblood strained as his horn threatened to flicker out. “Whhhaaaaat. Aaaaarrre. Yooooou?”

Bluemane’s ears stood up. He looked over his shoulder and thumped his false limb, the rear left leg, on the ground. “Well. Well, well, well.”

He walked back to Blueblood, a smirk on his face. “Maybe you’d care to guess? You seem to already have that much figured out.”

“Doooon’t. Taaalllk. Liiiiiike. Hiiiiim.” Blueblood clicked his teeth. “Tooooo. Stuuuupiiid.”

“This coming from a wet-behind-the-ears, horn-happy jerk?” Bluemane shook his head as his grin chewed on Blueblood’s discomfort. Metaphorically. “So who am I?”

Blueblood’s head twitched. He looked the facsimile up and down, his blank eyes searching. “Uuuuuhhhhh…”

“Of course I’m not your father,” Not-Bluemane said. “No son of mine would be so daft.”

Blueblood’s horn fizzled out, and the prince fell silent.

A shadow fell over Bluemane’s duplicate, though the teeth from its grin remained as glisteningly bright as ever. Gray hairs fell away from its body in great clumps. “Who am I?”

The thing stepped back into the light, revealing a skeletal face with soulless eyes. “You haven’t the foggiest!”

Blueblood sat bolt-upright. He clutched a hair-covered foreleg to his muscular chest. He patted himself all over, even going so far as to search his wings for loose feathers. He lay back after a moment and stared at the ceiling. His heart didn’t stop pounding for a good few minutes.

He looked up, and saw Bluebones lying a few meters away. The skeletal pony seemed to not care overly much how many bare bones he showed off in sleep, as the cloak was thrown back. His thin legs lay splayed out, and his head made small movements back and forth.

Luna was nowhere in sight.

“Are…” Blueblood tapped a hoof against the ground. “Are you awake, Grandfather?”

“Oi haven’t the foggiest,” Bluebones said. His head rose about an inch. “Oi think oi might just be livin’ the Nightmare itself.”

Blueblood stood. He patted the blue bow tie at his side before walking closer to Bluebones. “Where’s Luna?”

Bluebones stood and faced his grandson. “Sh—” He turned away. “She’s after a Nightmare that escaped. She’s found their way out, and she’s closed it up.”

Blueblood nodded. “And that’s… bad?”

“Oi was the way out!” Bluebones shouted. He collapsed with a grunt, his hoof on his chest. “Oi was the way out. Moi dreams. Moi love. It’s all moi fault.”

“Whoa, hay…” Blueblood slowly, hesitantly, placed a hoof on his great grandfather’s back. He shivered as his hoof brushed vertebrae. “I’m… certain that it’s not all that bad.”

“Oi’ve spent the last few years sharin’ moi dreams with Charity!” Bluebones coughed. “It’s bad enough even wiffout the escapes! Oi failed moi duty!”

Blueblood bit his tongue. It hurt a bit, to be honest, but it was completely necessary for maintaining composure. “Oh.”

“Oi just—” Bluebones let loose a bitter, hacking cough. “Oi just wanted to live again, Blueblood! And she let me. Glory be, she let me.”

The hall fell quiet, interspersed with an occasional cough from Bluebones. Blueblood patted the skeleton’s back, even as he struggled to keep his breathing steady. He pressed his lips firmly together to keep a frown at bay. “So now what?”

Bluebones gathered his legs up beneath himself. “Now you’re the warden. Oi’m relieved of all duties.”

“Not all of them,” Blueblood said. He looked down, his eyes glinting in the torchlight. “You’re still going to teach me how to run this sty. I won’t allow you to crumble to dust just yet.”

Bluebones tilted his head down. “Fat lot o’ good that’ll do.”

“I will learn from your mistakes, at the very least.” Blueblood trotted back over to his resting place and flopped down on his small cushion. He rubbed at his stinging eyes. “Mine are, unfortunately, a different story.”

Luna stomped up to a dream. A moment ago, it had been twinkling as silently as its brethren. Now, it was a red-glowing tumult of fear and anxiety. Luna rolled her head, freeing the strain in her neck, and touched the Nightmare with her horn.

Her hooves found purchase in dead soil. The air was stifling with heat as a large, red sun fell towards the horizon. Black trees stood all around, their branches bare and their roots decaying.

A raven sat on a nearby branch, its red eyes glaring at Luna. It let loose a mournful caw, and then flew away.

“Get back here, yah lil’ varmint!”

It flew all of two meters.

An orange glow surrounded its tail. It found itself flying back the way it came, loose feathers exploding from its wings. It hit the ground and skidded for some ways, until it came to a stop at the feet of a green-coated, gray-maned alicorn mare.

Granny Smith, Princess of Apple Orchards, stomped a hoof on the raven’s tail. “Ah think you can just stay right here until you learn some manners!”

Luna blinked. “Princess Smith.”

Granny Smith looked up with one eyebrow raised and a smile on her face. “Princess Luna, nice tah see you again. Ain’t seen hide nor hair of yah since my coronation shindig.”

“It has been too long,” Luna said. She took a few steps closer. “I didn’t know you could dreamhop.”

“Dreamhop?” Granny shook her head. “Naw, this is my dream, sure ’nough.” She sneered at the raven. “Or t’was, ’til this here critter got his mits into it.”

“I must admit that I’m surprised.” Luna kicked at the dust. When it landed, it became far more dark and damp. All around, buds grew from the tree branches, which bloomed into leaves and flowers right before their eyes. “Most ponies find a little more trouble fighting their Nightmares than you do.”

Granny Smith pursed her lips. “Ah s’pose so. Ah’ve had a couple more years experience than most, though.” She smirked. “But if ah can kick my fear o’ going for a swim, ah sure as heck can work through worryin’ ’bout dead trees an’ sad grandkids.”

Luna watched as a blossom grew into a ripe, juicy apple. “It’s usually not that simple.”

“O’course not.” Granny ground her hoof into the raven’s tail. It finally morphed back into a Night Terror. “But this Nightmare, ah already lived it. And beaten it.”

The sun shifted its glow into a warm, yellow, summer sun. A gentle breeze blew past.

“Be wary,” Luna said. “Most Nightmares are not so easily defeated.”

“Sure as heck, they ain’t.” Granny Smith picked the Night Terror up in a bubble of magic. “Ah think this crummy dummy was runnin’ scared from a certain Princess o’ Dreams.”

Luna frowned. “No doubt it will surrender,” she said. She glared out of one eye at the Nightmare. “Won’t you?”

It nodded vigorously.

Luna took the Nightmare in her grip and spread her wings. “Until next we mee—”

“Hold it just a moment!” Granny Smith held up a hoof. “Where in Tarnation are yer manners? Yah don’t just stop in an’ save the day without stayin’ a while!”

Luna’s wings folded up at her sides. “Since when?”

Granny guffawed. “You adventurers and heroes, always movin’ an’ never stayin’. Got any reason to be elsewhere right this second?”

Luna glared at the Night Terror. It curled up into a little ball. “Not anymore, truthfully.” She turned her head. “I… just solved a mystery that I’m afraid…” She shut her eyes and sat down. “It will keep.”

“Like any good pie,” Granny said. Her horn flared, drawing close two wooden lawn chairs. “Now, from what ah hear, you’ve had a busy couple o’ weeks.”

A cage was fashioned out of Granny’s orangey magic, and the Night Terror was stuffed inside. Luna relaxed her hold on it, though she did not relax her shoulders. “Tartarus and Nightmares have eaten up the lion’s share of my time, yes.”

She leaned back upon the lawn chair, its wooden legs creaking. “And every solution drags up its own problems.”

“Life’ll feel that way,” Granny Smith said. “Things always seem to get worse afore they get better.” She pulled a tall, cool glass of dark amber liquid from nowhere. “But believe you me, they get better.”

Luna took the glass in her hooves and sipped. “Mm. Sweet Apple Acres Cider. Unmistakably, magically delicious.”

“Fresh brewed yesterday,” Granny Smith said, conjuring up a glass for herself. “Or just now, since we’re dreamin’.”

Leaves fluttered around, golds and reds and browns all gathered together in the wind. The trees were an explosion of fiery color as apples dropped into their prescribed baskets.

“It’s a beautiful dream, Princess Smith,” Luna said.

“It’s a dream come true, at that,” Granny Smith chuckled. “Makes it that much sweeter. An’ just call me Granny. Ah’m too old to be a princess.”

Luna shook her head as the corners of her mouth turned up. “Too old. What does that make me?”

“Dunno.” Granny leaned on her armrest. “What does that make yah?”

Luna squinted at Granny Smith, and then looked out over the orchard. “I don’t feel a thousand years old. But there it is.”

Granny Smith watched Luna closely. When the blue alicorn didn’t move for a while, Granny piped up. “Can ah ask yah a personal question? Kept in confidence?”

Luna’s mouth twitched. “You may ask it, though I won’t promise an answer.”

Granny Smith clutched her hooves together. “How old were you when you were banished?”

Luna’s ears stood straight up. She sucked in a breath.

“Ah’m sorry,” Granny Smith said. “It ain’t right to pry.”

“Sixty.” Luna sat upright as she fought to keep her breathing steady. “I was sixty. I am now one-thousand-sixty-three.”

“Sixty?” Granny Smith’s mouth dropped open. She shook her head slowly. “Hon, that ain’t hardly nothin’.”

“No?” Luna looked at her, her eyes hollow. “It seemed quite enough.”

Granny Smith leaned her elbow on the armrest and touched her snout to her hoof. “Know what ah think that makes yah?”

Luna blew a breath out through her nostrils. “No. What?”

“Makes you a young pony at heart.” Granny nudged her in the side. “Young pony in body, too, since yah ain’t aged a day in all that time.”

Luna’s eyebrows met. “What are you getting at?”

“Ah’m getting’ at that you’ve missed a thousand years, an’ it’s about time you started gettin’ them back.” Granny Smith rolled her shoulders and summoned herself another glass of cider. “B’sides, you’re hankerin’ for some rest and relaxation. Ah can see it in your wings.”

Luna unclenched her wings from her sides. “I have duties to attend to.”

“Duty shmooty booty patootie.” Granny Smith waved a hoof. “We all have duties, Luna. We all get our duties done. An’ then we all get tah reap the reward o’ a job well done.”

“I have responsibilities,” Luna sighed. “To my people. To my throne. To my post. To my friends.”

“True, all of it.” Granny Smith met Luna’s eyes. “But yah also have a responsibility to yourself.”

She leaned across the space between their chairs. “An’ tonight, ah think you get tah do a lil’ reapin’ o’ the fun variety.”

“Fun is for holidays and foals, and I have neither.”

“Funny,” Granny Smith said. “Ah got both. ’Nough for the two of us.”

Despite herself, Luna smiled. A single chuckled jumped out of her chest before she could hold it in check. “And what sort of fun did you have in mind?”

“Me?” Granny Smith asked. “Ah’m just an old coot with a bad hip and the power of everlastin’ apples.” She grinned. “But ah know a certain somepony who’d be mighty happy to see yah again.”

Luna smirked and shook her head. “Surely you don’t refer to—”

“Come on, Princess,” Granny said. “Live it up a lil’. This’ll get the both of you outta a rut, ah think.”

Luna shuffled in her seat. Granny laughed. “Hay, whatever happened to the princess who showed up one Nightmare Night and said: ‘We like this ‘fun,’ how may we partake in more?’”

Luna’s eyebrows lifted at Granny Smith’s surprisingly spot-on impression of her voice. “She hasn’t had a day off in a while.”

Granny clapped her hooves together. “Take it from an award-winnin’ diver. Sometimes you just gotta take the plunge.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Now he’d say somethin’ like: ‘Make the jump, and the parachute will open.’”

“I had no idea the two of you were so philosophical.” Luna stood and arched her back.

“He gets it from his granny, sure ’nough.” A light snowfall dusted the orchard as Granny wrapped a scarf around her neck. “Now go on. Scoot. Ah’ll watch over the Nightmare while yer havin’ fun.”

Luna looked around at the white-blanketed trees. “Are you sure you’re fine being alone?”

“Pfft.” Granny Smith pointed at the trees. “Take a look.”

Luna did. She saw three foals playing in the snow, a colt and two young fillies. A snowpony was slowly but surely being brought into existence. The colt waved a red-coated hoof at the princesses, and then lifted the littlest filly onto the snowpony’s back.

“Ah’m gonna just sit awhile and reap my reward,” Granny Smith said. She smiled up at Luna. “There’s your signal. Shoo.”

Luna’s horn flashed, and she was brought to the Unencumbered Unconscious, “Dreamland” in layman’s terms. She looked at Granny Smith’s dream for a moment, before sticking her hoof into the midst of another. Apple Bloom sat within; she and her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders were putting together a wooden rocking horse. It almost looked like one, too.

Almost.

Luna moved to the next dream, and found Applejack serving various apple-related foodstuffs in Canterlot. The bits piled high, and her smile glowed bright. As Luna watched, the bits reconstructed themselves into a bright, shiny barn; a glistening, silvery plow; and…

Was Granny Smith doing a Leprechaun Jig?

Luna laughed as she moved away from the dream. “At least she hasn’t given up on it.”

That left only one more dream floating in the Apple family’s cluster. Luna raised a hoof and froze.

She stood still for a moment, her wings half-extended and the strands of her magical mane swaying before her face. She worried her lower lip with a sigh. “Bluebones…”

She gave a firm nod. “It’ll keep.”

She touched the dream and teleported in.

“The name’s Gumshoe,” a deep voice said.

Luna pressed her lips together.

“Horseshoe Gumshoe,” the voice continued. “Ah got two best friends. One’s a cask of cider ah keep in my pocket. The other’s a volleygun ah keep on mah hip. Ah’m a private eye.”

Smoke drifted around Luna’s face. She coughed and waved it aside.

She stood in a dark room. The blinds were drawn, the lamps were off, and the air was so stuffy it swallowed up what light remained. A desk sat before her, old and chipped. Papers covered it like ratty blankets on a fat pig.

Luna was surprised to see something quite like herself already standing in the dream, wearing a black dress and leaning against a chair. A stick was clenched between its teeth, out of which a wisp of smoke twirled. She saw her copy’s eyes shift back and forth as sweat dripped down its neck.

Luna squinted. She didn’t look like that at all.

“She was a pushy dame,” the deep voice, Horseshoe Gumshoe, said, “but she had a case.”

Luna’s mouth dropped open. “I am not a ‘pushy dame!’” She leaped up and bumped her double aside with a severe nudge of her blue flanks. The doppelganger flew across the room and impacted the wall, disappearing into nothingness.

Luna’s horn flashed, coating her with a similar black dress, yet with a far more flattering cut. Her mane swirled itself in a layered, voluminous style. The stick threatened to appear in her mouth, but she spat it on the floor the instant it reared it lung-staining head.

She sat in the chair, angled her body just so, and smiled across the desk. “So, where were we?”

A fedora sat across from her. Or, presumably, the fedora hid the pony sitting across from her. Two green eyes stared back at her, lidded and critical. “Her sudden change of attitude got mah attention better than any cut o’ dress. Ah got tah thinkin’ about whether she was the one in danger, or ah was.”

Luna brought her hoof up to her mouth to hide her smile. “I heard you were the one who could help me.”

“She seemed to skirt around the question,” Horseshoe Gumshoe said, “about who she wanted found. Or who wanted her found.”

“I am looking for a stallion. A friend of mine,” Luna said. She crossed her forelegs with a smirk. “He is skilled in many crafts and activities, and it was with him that I earned so many awards on that day of great sport.”

“An old pal of hers,” Horseshoe said. “She described him to the letter, and it all spelled trouble for me.”

“It shouldn’t be too much trouble.” Luna stood and leaned on Horseshoe Gumshoe’s desk. “After all, am I not looking at him right this second?”

Horseshoe’s eyes widened, then narrowed. “Luna?”

Luna’s eyes twinkled. “Hello, Sir Macintosh.”

Macintosh burst out from underneath his fedora. He slid his chair back and bowed low. “P-Princess Luna, howdy?”

Luna sighed behind a tight smile. “I am fine at the moment. How do you do, Sir Macintosh?”

“Fine.” He stood slowly, his eyes taking in the sight of the dark office. “Am ah dreamin’?”

“I believe so,” Luna said, “unless you’ve taken the time to build an office in your barn?”

“Eenope.” Big Mac plopped the hat back on his head.

Luna lifted a paper off of the desk. She raised the blinds, letting sunlight shine in. “I didn’t know you were a fan of Noir.”

“Ain’t, really,” he said. He shifted his weight between his right and left legs. “Ah just saw a movie at the cinema a couple weeks ago. Must’ve made an impression.”

Luna laughed deep in her throat. “And the patron who was here before me? What sort of impression has she made on you?”

“Before—” Big Mac gulped. “Oh. Well, um, ah’d say…”

He laughed unconvincingly, but then choked on the smog. “So—ahem—what brings yah here?”

“A suggestion by your granny,” Luna said. “She was of the opinion that we both need to experience a little fun.” She lowered her eyelids. “And frankly, Sir Macintosh, I had more fun during the Summer Wrap-Up festival than I have had in a long time.”

Big Mac might have blushed. It was difficult to see through his red coat. “Ah’m not the most interestin’ of ponies, Your Majesty.”

“Fie!” Luna clapped Big Mac on the back, throwing him off-balance. “I am already aware that you are a humble stallion, Sir Macintosh! You needn’t wallow in it.”

She spread her wings and stood beside the open window, her form graced with a halo of dust motes. “Well? What say you? Shall you join me in a night of frivolity and sport?”

“Can’t disagree on the idea, Your Majesty.” Big Mac turned his head away. He sucked on his teeth. “It’s been a long plantin’ season. A good one, but long.” He tilted his head. “What did yah have in mind?”

“First of all, please”—Luna lifted a hoof—“call me Luna.”

Macintosh’s green eyes blinked. “Ah just didn’t think it proper.”

“It probably isn’t.” Luna smirked. “But we are friends, are we not?”

“Well, sure.” He smiled. “We ought to be by now.”

Luna wrapped a foreleg around his neck. His cheeks were squished between her foreleg and her shoulder, forcing him to pucker his lips. “Then come, Sir Macintosh! We have imaginary tokens to win in the adventure of your choosing! It is your dream, after all.”

She whispered in his ear. “And your imagination is truly the only limit.”

Luna mused that perhaps there was such a thing as “too much of a good thing.”

But she also figured that one needed to go out every so often and fight a few pirates.

Captain Crabfoot—“Pinchy” to his friends—stood on the bow of his ship, one claw on the rigging and the other clutching a sizable cutlass. The oversized crustacean swung wildly at Big Mac, but the red stallion was far too quick.

Macintosh’s shirt hung open down to the bottom of his chest, as in any good action hero’s wardrobe. A foil was securely strapped to his hoof, and sang through the air as he swung it. He crossed blades with Crabfoot, a cavalier grin on his muzzle.

Luna originally had the brilliant idea of dressing up as a barmaid. After finding that she fought against her dress just as often as she fought against the crayfish cutthroats, she discarded it for a simple shirt. She wrapped what was left of her dress around her noggin as a head wrap.

She bucked, sending at least five pirates into the drink, maybe more. “Methinks I like your idea of adventure!”

Big Mac’s sword swished through the air, cutting the tip off of Captain Crabfoot’s tri-corner hat. “Ah think ah like your idea of fun!”

Crabfoot’s eyestalks swiveled between Big Mac and Luna. “Do I get a say in this?”

“Nay!” shouted Luna. She flew through the air and landed beside Big Mac. The two ponies fought back-to-back as more critters from the sea swarmed around them. Luna’s horn flared as she tossed half of them back into the sea, and Macintosh’s foil knocked the weapons out of any claws that dared face him.

Captain “Pinchy” Crabfoot tossed his cutlass onto the deck. “Abandon ship, me hearties! Harr!”

He dove into the water with a small “plunk.”

Luna and Big Mac stood beside each other on the deck, their chests heaving. They looked at each other, broke into smiles, and laughed right from their cores.

Macintosh wiped some seawater from his damp chest. “That was… sommat else, ah tell yah what.”

“Verily.” Luna strode up to the ship’s wheel, Big Mac following close behind. “But ’tis not over yet. Look to the horizon.”

She turned the ship to sail in the direction of the setting sun. The sky burned orange, and was reflected in the gently rocking sea. She leaned on the wheel and smiled. “What do you think?”

“It’s right pretty, Luna,” Big Mac breathed. He sat beside the wheel and unstrapped his foil, keeping his gaze on the sunset. “Right pretty, no doubt.”

“It’s some of my sister’s best work.” She crossed her forelegs on the ship’s wheel and rested her head atop them. “I don’t normally get to share the good memories.”

Big Mac looked up at her. “Too busy?”

Luna shrugged. “That may be one way to look at it.” She turned her head to face him. “Perhaps they do not come as often as I’d like, nor does someone come along to share them.”

She smiled. “Thank you for that.”

Big Mac ran a hoof over the deck. “My pleasure.” He tapped it against the deck once. “Beg pardon, but it sounds to me like you need more time tah rest.”

“Hmm.” Luna flicked an ear and smirked. “You sound a lot like your granny, you know that?”

“Well, not surprisin’.” Big Mac snickered. “But ah mean it. You’re happy now, but ah can tell you ain’t feelin’ as up as you act.”

“Oh?” Luna said. “Are we such good friends that you can read my mood like a book?”

“Luna, you’re a head taller than me,” Macintosh said. He ran his eyes from her mane to her tail. “Ah ain’t never seen you lookin’ so small.”

She sat up and straightened her posture. She flicked her mane in the wind, making sure that it flowed regally. “Small? Surely you jest.”

“Ain’t a joke.” Big Mac frowned. “You’re overworked. Ah see it in the bags under your eyes. The droop in your shoulders. Those worry lines on your face.” He scootched a little closer to the princess. “You ever thought ’bout gettin’ help?”

“Help? I am the Princess of Dreams!” Luna’s head jerked back. “It is my job, Sir Macintosh, and I am quite capable of performing it.”

“Ah didn’t say you weren’t,” Big Mac said. “Ah… ah’m good at buckin’ apples. It’s my whole life. Ah can buck an orchard all by lonesome.” He looked back at the horizon to watch the last moments of the sunset. “But ah’d be plum tuckered out if’n ah did.”

He lifted a hoof towards her. “That’s why it’s good that ah got Applejack, Granny Smith, an’ Apple Bloom. We all work together an’ lighten the load a bit.”

Luna raised her eyebrows. “Don’t be silly. You know how important my duties are. I can’t let just anyone do them.”

“If there’s one thing ah’ve learned livin’ in Ponyville,” Big Macintosh said, “it’s that the more important somethin’ is, the more help you’re gonna need to do it.”

Luna took a breath, shut her eyes, and shook her head. “No. No, I can’t. Who could I possibly trust?”

Big Mac put his raised hoof on her shoulder. Luna’s eyes shot open and snapped to his hoof. She stared mutely as he spoke. “Ah think you can figure it out,” he whispered. “In fact, ah know you can.”

Her eyes trailed up his foreleg and to his face. He smiled softly at her, and gave her shoulder a gentle rub. He dropped his hoof to the deck and watched as the last tinge of sunlight dipped below the horizon.

“At least think ’bout it,” he said. “Like yah said, it’s your job.”

She leaned over, a half-smile on her face. “I don’t know who I can entrust with the dreams of my people, but I know a stallion I can trust to be a good friend.”

She pressed her lips against his cheek. She could feel his coat bristle in surprise. “You should know that the adventure doesn’t end until the hero and heroine share a kiss,” she chuckled.

She stood and flared her wings. “Rest well, Sir Macintosh. Until next we meet!”

She disappeared in a flash. Big Mac watched the empty spot for a second.

He stood with a silly grin on his face. He grasped the ship’s wheel with his hooves and steered the ship towards land. A pirate ship could be seen approaching a sheep monastery.

He lifted a hoof and bellowed forth a battle cry. “Eeyup!”

Standing Tall Like a Stone Wall

Celestia stared hard into the telescope in Luna’s Observatory.

Ponyville came sharply into view. The sleepy hamlet rested peacefully as the third hour approached. There had been a scuffle, but it had been sorted out by the supposedly bed-ridden Flash Sentry and Rainbow Dash.

She swiveled the spyglass slightly, taking aim at the Everfree Forest. A storm raged over the land, obscuring her view. She huffed and turned back to Ponyville, looking for anything else out of the ordinary.

“Your Majesty.”

Celestia rose to her usual regal height. “Captain Stonewall. You have news?”

“Just a message, really.” Captain Stonewall removed her helmet and shook her short, pink mane. Her cutie mark, a red brick wall, peeked out from beneath her armor as she handed Celestia a scroll. “It’s from Centurion Sentry.”

Celestia took the offered message in her golden telekinetic glow. “What does he have to say?”

“He says he caught a Nightmare in Ponyville.” Stonewall stood at stiff attention. “He wants permission to take it to Tartarus personally.”

“And do you usually take the opportunity to read my mail?” Celestia asked.

Stonewall’s jaw dropped. “I can’t… I mean…”

“It’s alright, my little pony,” Celestia sighed. “It is guard business, after all, and you are the captain.”

She ran her eyes over the scroll. “I would very much like it if you spoke freely, Stonewall.”

“Your Majesty…” Stonewall clenched her jaw tight. “I don’t like how this situation is being handled.”

“No?” Celestia lowered the paper. “Please explain. What situation?”

“With the Nightmares,” Stonewall said. “I’m afraid that Centurion Sentry’s personal ties to the situation might cloud his judgment. If I had my way, we would post a garrison of guards right at Tartarus to hold back the prisoners, and have somepony with real experience in charge of finding Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Real experience.” Celestia nodded and rolled up the scroll. “What are the downsides to your plan?”

Stonewall’s eyes lit up. “Very few, Your Majesty. Wherever we pull the guards from will be underequipped for a time, until we can shuffle around the reassignments. Some additional training might be required if the Nightmare combat techniques are different enough from the norm.”

Celestia trotted up to one of the many mirrors on the wall. Visions of an autumn day flashed through. “About Centurion Sentry… define ‘real experience.’”

Stonewall blinked. “All due respect, Flash Sentry is a group leader, not a hunter. I highly doubt he’s equipped for a search and rescue mission.”

“Ah.” Celestia sat down in front of the mirror and motioned for Stonewall to join her. The captain hesitated, but soon moved to sit beside her princess. Celestia grimaced. She leaned her head down to Stonewall’s level.

“ I can’t take your advice, my little pony,” Celestia said.

Stonewall’s throat constricted, but she kept silent.

“The Nightmares can’t be fought with tooth and hoof,” Celestia sighed. “Glory knows I’ve tried. Your army—your garrison would just be fodder to them. Food. No, a Guard at Tartarus is not the way to go.”

Celestia smiled. “In fact, that’s why I chose Flash Sentry to find Twilight Sparkle.”

She lifted a hoof as a pirate ship appeared in the mirror. “He will not approach this like a soldier with a mission, but like a hero whose love has been kidnapped. He will charge forward with gusto and hope, equipped with his little bag of magic.” Celestia shrugged. “He might even find some friends to help him along the way.”

Stonewall finally opened her mouth. “But that’s just—”

“That’s exactly what we need,” Celestia said. “Nightmares cannot be demolished with weapons of metal, but of the heart. Love and clever thinking will seize the day, Stonewall.”

Stonewall turned her eyes to the floor. “He’s still no tracker.”

Celestia frowned, her eyelids heavy. “You still think it’s a search and rescue mission? You might have more hope than I do.”

Stonewall raised an eyebrow. “Twilight Sparkle seems like a strong individual, Your Majesty.”

“Yes.” Celestia pursed her lips. “But Stonewall, does my sister seem weak to you?”

“Princess Luna?” Stonewall shook her head. “That word’s the furthest thing from her.”

“Exactly.” The pirate ship came into focus, as well as the blue alicorn fighting its crew. “Oh my…”

Stonewall stifled a guffaw. “She seems to be enjoying herself.”

“I can’t begrudge her that.” Celestia extended her wings and shook them. “I won’t begrudge her that. She has too much on her plate.” Celestia knitted her brows. “The Grand Galloping Gala is coming up. Do you have any suggestions in light of recent events?”

Stonewall stood. “Do you really need to hold the gala at all?”

Celestia gave her a half-smile. “It’s expected. There’s little reason for all of my little ponies to suffer.”

“Then double the guard,” Stonewall said. “On the perimeter, indoors, and disguised. Just to be sure.” She grinned. “We want a force that can handle anything, Your Majesty.”

“Then make it so, Captain.” Celestia watched the dream play out on the mirror. “I want you, given what you know, to hoof-pick the right ponies for the job. I’m counting on you, Stonewall.”

Stonewall saluted. “I won’t let you down, Princess Celestia!”

She spread her wings, but Celestia held up a hoof. “Wait. One more thing, my little pony.”

Celestia walked over to the telescope. “Come here, tell me what you see.”

Stonewall’s mouth opened a bit. She walked slowly up to the telescope, her eyes on Celestia. She squinted into the device. “I see… Fillydelphia, my home. I think. It’s far off.”

Celestia shut her eyes and drooped. “Thank you, Stonewall. That’s what I thought.”

Stonewall flew off the balcony, leaving Celestia alone. The princess looked through the telescope. Fillydelphia came into view, its houses and streets appearing as if she stood right in the town square. Blinds were drawn on most of the houses, hiding the interiors from view. Celestia looked up, leaned on the telescope, and sighed.

“I can’t be up here all the time,” she murmured. “I can’t always seek out Nightmares. But who else can guard the day? Who else can watch the night?”

She spread her wings and spoke to the stars. “Who can face darkness and not fail!?”

The Answer is Not "Discord"

“Luncheon.” Discord rolled the word around in his mouth. “Luncheon. Lllluuunnnchhheeeooonnn.” He chewed and swallowed. “I feel like I gain a few pounds every time I expand my vocabulary.”

Fluttershy ducked behind her pink bangs. “It’s more of a brunch, really.”

“Brunch!” Discord said. “It tastes of sarsaparilla and… hemlock? Arsenic? Maybe raspberry?”

Mid-morning found Discord and Fluttershy enjoying some sort of repast in her garden. The pegasus had laid out quite a spread of vegetables, fruits, and assorted tea cups. Discord held a cup on the end of each talon, and sipped one right after another.

Angel Bunny stood close by, a cruel grin on his face and a mallet gripped in his paws. He lifted it into the air over Discord’s tail.

The mallet snickered.

Angel Bunny looked up, his eyes wide. Discord’s face had replaced the blunt mallet. Before the bunny could even squeak, Discord gave him a head-butt. Stars exploded in Angel’s vision. He tumbled out of sight to spend the rest of the morning unconscious.

Discord danced his eyebrows and looked around. “Where is that Angel Bunny of yours? I do think the two of us are growing closer.”

Fluttershy perked her ears up. “That’s odd. He was here just a second ago. I’ll go find—”

Discord held up a paw. “No, no. I think it’s best to give the little munchkin his space.” He sniggered to himself. “Outer space.”

Fluttershy turned her head to Discord. “What was that?”

“I said, ‘Maybe he’s giving us our space.’” Discord sipped away another kettle of tea. “Speaking of something else entirely, nasty business all this Nightmare stuff.”

Fluttershy’s lips parted. She shut her mouth, thought for a moment, and then spoke. “Twilight was really upset about Blueblood. I hope they’re both okay.”

“I hardly see why one should feel pity for Blueblood.” Discord scoffed. “He was, by all accounts, a dreadful fellow.”

“Discord!” Fluttershy flew up into his face. “You of all creatures should know better than to judge a pony by first impressions!”

“And you”—Discord tapped her snout—“of all ponies should know that first impressions last forever.”

Fluttershy crossed her forelegs. “But I’m your friend anyway, aren’t I?”

Discord met her gaze for a moment, but then looked away. “Oh, that you are, that you are.”

She patted his shoulder. “Besides, I can see the change in you. Soon others will be able to see it, too.”

He sucked on a carrot, his eyes lidded. “Not everypony can find the kindness in their heart to call me friend, though. And those that do”—a teacup shattered in his talon—“I have doubts about.”

He let the ceramic shards tumble out of his hand. “Oh dear. I seem to have crushed your tea set.”

“Don’t worry,” Fluttershy said. She took his talon in her hooves. “I can get you another one.”

Discord’s bushy eyebrows lowered. His fang bit into his lip. “But why?”

Fluttershy missed a beat of her wings, but recovered quickly. “Well, because we’re having tea. You want more, don’t you?”

“Fluttershy”—Discord raised his talon—“I broke your cup. I crushed it in my big meat hooks.”

“I…” Fluttershy shrugged. “I’m sure it was an accident.”

“It wasn’t!” Discord shouted.

Fluttershy jumped back with a gasp. She hovered closer to the draconequus, her head bowed. “Discord, you know that was a very mean thing to do, don’t you?”

Discord flinched back. He gave Fluttershy a madcap grin. “Mean? Of course it was mean! So is this!” He snapped his fingers; the tea pot exploded into confetti. “And this!” He punted a tomato plant into a nearby tree. “And also this!” He pointed, and a swarm of parasprites began to devour the chicken coop. Chickens squawked and trampled each other in their rush to get out.

“Stop it!” Fluttershy yelped. She rushed off to the chicken coop and scattered the parasprites. “Discord, stop!”

“Make me,” he hissed, but the parasprites disappeared all the same. He crossed his mismatched arms. “I know very well the difference between right and wrong, Shutterfly. But I haven’t the slightest clue why ‘right’ is any better.”

“Because you’re hurting me, Discord!” Fluttershy cried. She turned to him with large, wet eyes. “Please stop.”

“Or what?” Discord asked. He scowled. “Or you won’t be friends with me anymore? Is that how it goes?”

Fluttershy sniffed. She lowered herself into the grass, her wings spread.

“Ah, so that’s it.” Discord nodded. “I’ve finally cracked your thin exterior. I’ve finally shown your true colors. It’s the same as day one: Better not step out of line, Discord ol’ buddy boy, or you’ll be alone and friendless!”

“I won’t stop being your friend,” Fluttershy whispered.

Discord’s lip twitched. “Excuse you?”

“I won’t stop being your friend, Discord,” Fluttershy whispered. “I can’t now. You’ll always have a… a special place in my heart.” She looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks. “But I’ll still have to stop you. Or… or I’ll have to stand aside and let others do it.” She shook her head slowly, her eyes never leaving his. “And I’ll have to watch as my dear, dear friend is locked away, this time forever. And I’ll never be able to see you again.”

Discord’s jaw fell to the ground. He picked it up and touched the center of his chest. “Fluttershy—”

“Don’t make me go through that, Discord. Please.” Fluttershy rubbed her hooves together. “What’s wrong?”

“Wrong?” Discord shook his head. Dandelion fuzz drifted out of his ears. “What do you mean ‘what’s wrong?’”

“I mean you’re upset,” Fluttershy said. She walked forward a few steps. “What happened, Discord?”

“Up-upset!?” Discord let out a bark of laughter. He grabbed his cheeks and stretched them into the distance. “That’s rich! Look at this smile, does this smile look upset!?”

“Discord, please.” She put her hoof on his paw. “Tell me what’s the matter.”

His cheeks snapped back with an elastic twang. He squinted and scowled. “What’s wrong? What’s the matter? What’s eating you?”

He rubbed his chin with his talon. His eyes lit up, and he smiled. “Friends don’t hurt each other, right?”

Fluttershy shuffled her hooves. “Well… well, we try not to.”

Discord’s smile vanished. He leaned close to Fluttershy and poked her in the chest. “Then Twilight Sparkle isn’t my friend. Neither is Blueblood”—poke—“Celestia”—poke—“Luna”—poke—“Applejack”—poke—“Rarity”—poke—“Pinkie Pie”—poke—“Rainbow Dash”—poke—“or…”

Fluttershy’s eyes grew large, her pupils shrinking. She shook her head slowly as her lips trembled.

Discord clenched his talon into a fist. “Whatever. I’m out of here.”

He jumped into the air. “Oh, and by the way, I bludgeoned your bunny. You’re welcome.”

He exploded into elsewhere, leaving Fluttershy shivering on the ground.

Celestia awoke with a start in Luna’s Observatory. Discord had poked a talon into her side. “Wakey, wakey, Sunshine. Drifting off in the line of duty, are we?”

“Discord… I had a…” Celestia yawned. She rubbed her eyes with a hoof. “A long night.”

“Spare me, Princess.” Discord swirled into a spiral of animal parts. “If you need me, and you’d better not, I’ll be in my ‘cell-I-mean-room.’” He vanished in a flash, leaving a scorch mark in Luna’s floor.

“Discord? Discord!?” Celestia shouted. She looked around the observatory, but was met with no response. “Dangit, I don’t have time for draconequus hissy-fits!”

A timid knock came from the entryway. Celestia about-faced and forced herself not to groan. “Yes, Kibitz?”

“Your Majesty,” the Royal Scheduling Advisor said, “I’m afraid we have a catering conflict that must be resolved immediately if the Grand Galloping Gala is to go off without a hitch.”

Celestia sighed. “And it must be resolved now?”

“Absolutely.”

Celestia took in a deep breath, held a hoof to her chest, and exhaled slowly. “Very well. Lead the way, Kibitz.”

Celestia made her way to the entryway. She glanced at one of the mirrors and noticed that her eyes had dark bags beneath them. She frowned. “Come on, Big Cheese. You lasted a thousand years without your sister. Surely you can last a week.”

Author's Note

Celestia sure talks to herself an awful lot, eeyup.

It's Been Decided

Sombra stirred.

The Unicorn King, Lord of Lapis Lazuli, Duke of Darkness, Tyrant of Topaz, Scion of Shadows, and Conqueror of the Crystal Empire rose to a sitting position on the bed. The silky sheets descended from his body like flowing water. He lifted a lacy sleep mask from his red eyes and peered out into the world that was most assuredly soon to be his and his alone.

He grinned. No, not alone. There was another.

He inhaled deeply of the mild scent of perfume that flowed through the room. Her guest room, she had told him, in which he would spend the night. It was certainly a bit more opulent and precise than the other rooms of the house, with the decorations just so and the dust nonexistent and the china dolls that were not to be touched under any circumstances.

He suspected Lady Rarity’s overprotectiveness of the dolls stemmed from an encounter with her younger sister, Sweetie Belle. Yes, that was most likely the case.

He stepped a mighty hoof on the floor. He pulled it back up from the frigid hardwood quickly. He placed the hoof carefully on the tiny rug that sat beside the bed. He nodded.

He lifted himself off of the bed and planted all four of his hooves on that tiny carpet. He teetered as his center of balance shifted.

With nothing more for it, he braved that epic wilderness that was cold morning floors.

It seemed incongruous, he thought, that he should feel such chill through his hooves. There was something magic about cold floors, a deep and dark magic which no living being was capable of avoiding. It was as if the keratin of his foot itself acted as a conductor for ice.

He sat before the guest room’s little vanity. Not quite as opulent as the one utilized by Lady Rarity herself, but passable. He smirked at the way his mane had become a rat’s nest overnight, all lumped up on one side of his head. His long, curved horn glowed with purple magic and lifted a brush into the air.

He grumbled at it got caught in a tangle.

A hundred or so brush strokes later, he strode out of the guest room. The scent of bitter tea caught his nostrils on its way out of the kitchen. It was a quick trot down the hallway to the living room, the one that lay just to the side of Lady Rarity’s showroom.

She lay on the couch, her mane askew and her mascara dried in two streaks down her cheeks. Her head lay in the crook of Pinkie Pie’s back. The pinkish party mare muttered in her sleep, her husband’s hat still perched firmly on her head.

Sombra’s smile disappeared.

Rarity looked up, held a hoof to her lips, and whispered. “Good morning, Dark Shadow Lightning.” She sighed. “I look dreadful, don’t I?”

“No.” He shook his head as he approached the couch. He craned his neck over the cushions and placed a gentle kiss on Rarity’s lips. “No, you’re as beautiful as you always were.”

Rarity scoffed. “Flatterer.”

“I see myself as a teller of great truths,” he breathed. He pecked her lips again. “Your beauty shines through even the stress of a restless night.”

“Can you guys stop making out right next to me?” Pinkie Pie lifted her curly mane off of her reddened eyes. “I’m as much a fan of googley eyes as the next mare, but I’ve never been good as a fifth wheel.”

Rarity’s jaw dipped down as the rest of her face drooped. “Oh, Pinkie, I’m sorry. I—”

“Spike’s making tea, right?” Pinkie got up off of the couch. “I’ll see if he needs help. Have fun.” She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Please have fun.”

Rarity levitated a handkerchief over to herself and daubed at the black streaks on her cheeks. Finding them dried to her coat, she gave a tiny huff. She frowned as Sombra walked away, but a smile touched her face when he returned from the bathroom with a little glass of water.

With a damp handkerchief, it was much easier to remove the makeup from her face. She shook her head with a single giggle. “Always the gentlecolt, aren’t you, Prince Lightning?”

“I have good reason.” He lay on the couch, facing her. “I must live up to that which you deserve.”

“Deserve?” Rarity smiled softly and patted his cheek. “Hardly.”

“But you have the air of royalty,” Sombra said. “The countenance of a queen. You deserve no less than perfection.”

“It is not a matter of entitlement, but of blessing.” She traced her hoof down his face and to his chest. “And I find myself very blessed.”

Spike waddled into the room, a tray clutched tightly in his claws. He stared straight ahead, a blush tingeing his cheeks.

“Good morning, Spikey-wikey,” Rarity said. “Did you sleep well?”

Spike jolted, and the teacups on the tray rattled. He turned slowly and bit his lip. “Um. Fine. Thanks.”

The bags under his eyes said otherwise, Sombra was quick to note. From the way Lady Rarity sighed through her nose, he suspected she had picked up on it as well.

Spike jumped again. His eyes shot to the tray in his grip. “I, uh, thought you guys would wanna take your tea in here. Alone and stuff.”

“Spike, that’s so very sweet of you.” Rarity did her best to make her eyes shine. “But I was hoping to join you and Pinkie Pie in the kitchen. In just a few minutes.”

“Great!” Spike yelped. He clamped his mouth shut. “Um, I mean, good. That’s cool. I, uh…” He shrugged as he skittered back into the kitchen. “Y—see you in a few.”

Rarity’s eye dimmed. “I’m evil.”

Sombra jerked his head around. “I beg your—!”

“Evil.” Rarity shut her eyes and held them closed. “What am I doing to that poor boy?”

Sombra lowered his eyebrows. “I’m not sure what you—”

“He loves me, Dark!” Rarity hissed. “And I…” She pursed her lips. “I can’t bring myself…”

“He is young, he will learn,” Sombra said. “Surely he realizes that we are—”

“He’s hopeful, Dark Shadow Lightning.” Rarity shook her head. “I see it in his eyes. Every time I speak to him, or smile at him, or thank him… He hopes.” Rarity clutched her hooves together. “I can’t… bring myself to kill that hope. I’m hurting him. I’m making it worse.”

She wiped tears from her eyes. “What will happen to him when he… when I…?”

Sombra gathered her in his forelegs and held her close. Over her shoulder, he could see a little, purple, scaly head peering into the room. Spike ducked back behind the wall as soon as he knew he was found out.

“I think…” Sombra ran a hoof up and down Lady Rarity’s back. “I think he’ll understand.”

He lowered his eyes to her uncombed mane. “A little hope is… good.”

He felt her ear brush against his cheek as it drooped. “Misplaced hope is never good,” she said.

The two of them walked into the kitchen a couple of minutes later. Lady Rarity had a smile on her face that wasn’t so much soulless as it was incomplete. They sat at the table with a small dragon and a pink pony who wore similar expressions.

Sombra fought the urge to grumble in frustration. “We’re going after them, of course,” he said.

All eyes turned to him. He nodded his head firmly. “Whatever quest there may be, I shall join it. Whatever dangers lie ahead, I shall brave them.”

Spike’s face scrunched up somewhere between a thankful smile and a conflicted frown. Pinkie looked at Rarity and danced her eyebrows in a way she thought was subtle; it was Pinkie Pie, so subtle was a matter of perspective. Rarity smiled with all the sincerity she could conjure up.

“Thank you, Dark,” she said. She blew the steam away from her cup and took a sip. “I can’t imagine it shall be easy.”

“Perhaps not,” he said. “But I will not stand by as you suffer in this manner.”

There was a knock on the door. Rarity shook her head. “That’s either another of our friends or a prospective customer who can’t read ‘Closed’ signs. I’ll get—”

“I’ll get it.” Sombra stood. “You enjoy your tea.”

Rarity relaxed as she fell back into her chair. Sombra felt his heart lighten when a soft look overtook her face. A queen should not be troubled, but have her needs met.

He sought to fill those needs.

A second knock sounded; it was not impatient, but a mere gentle reminder that yes, the pony was still there. Sombra pushed his mane behind his shoulders and opened the door.

Mandible the Changeling looked up from a newspaper. “Hay, Rarity, what’s with the store being cloooooo—?” The changeling’s mouth formed the shape of an “O” and froze like that. His multifaceted eyes nearly popped out of his head. Mandible looked up, up, up at the massive stallion before him, until he had to sit down and lean back to look any higher.

“Wow, Miss Rarity was right,” he said. “You are tall.”

Sombra’s lip twitched. “You would be Lady Rarity’s helper, Mandible?”

“Yessir.” Mandible’s mouth stayed in its “O” shape as he talked. “You’re her—what?—courtship-er? Just shipper? Maybe her bee-ah-oo?”

Sombra tilted his head. “Beau?”

“Yeah, that’s the one!” Mandible’s mouth finally snapped out of its frozen expression, changing instead to a smile of sheer self-congratulation. “Dark Spooky Frightening, right?”

“Dark Shadow Lightning.” Sombra enunciated his assumed name carefully. “I don’t believe Lady Rarity will be needing your assistance today, as she has run into a personal problem.”

“Whoa, what?” Mandible frowned, the chitin over his eyes lowering in the manner of eyebrows. “What’s wrong? Is she okay?”

“She will be alright, once she has worked through this difficult time.” Sombra took a step forward, forcing Mandible back. “Now, I think it is time for you to leave.”

“Oh, Mandible!” Rarity said from behind Sombra. “How good of you to come! Please come in and have some tea.”

Mandible grinned as he bounced into the Boutique on the tips of his hooves. “Thank you! Don’t mind if I do!” The look he gave Sombra was roughly analogous to a smirk, thoroughly peppered with smarminess.

Sombra narrowed his eyes at the back of the changeling’s head.

“So Dark Silver Lining says you’ve got a problem,” Mandible said. “Anything I can help with?”

“I think he’s doing that on purpose,” Sombra muttered to Rarity.

She waved him and the changeling off. “Shush, dear. Honestly, Mandible, I haven’t the slightest clue what you might be able to do. I’m afraid a few friends of mine, Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie’s husband, have been captured by Nightmares.” She took a seat at the table; Mandible and Sombra followed suit. “Unless you have the capability to dream walk, I have little clue as to how you might help.”

Mandible looked down. He tilted his head in Spike’s direction. “Geeze. Sorry, you guys. That’s pretty awful.”

“We’ll get them back,” Spike said. He punched the table with a fist. “We’ve gotta.” He sat back, his scaly forehead wrinkling. “I just don’t know how.”

Sombra levitated a teacup to his mouth. He sipped, and a thought occurred to him. “Nightmares.”

He placed a hoof on the table. “Have any of you had Nightmares lately? Perhaps a Nightmare might lead us to their origin?”

Pinkie Pie shook her head, her face blank. “I kinda already lived one.”

Rarity put a hoof on her shoulder. “It will be well, Pinkie.”

Pinkie smiled and patted Rarity’s hoof. “Remind me about that when he’s back, okay?” Her smile twitched. “Kinda hard to compute right now, you know?”

“I hardly think we should be inviting evil into this house,” Rarity said. She flinched once the words were spoken. “But… I did experience a Nightmare, almost a month ago.” She looked at Sombra. “The one I told you about? The one with the spider-ponies?”

She quirked a brow upward. “Blueblood was with Luna. They saved me.”

Sombra nodded. “That was when this whole Nightmare business was just starting, wasn’t it?”

Rarity nodded. “Quite.” She sucked a breath in through her nose. “I assume Luna and Celestia are both searching as hard as they can. They wouldn’t let one of their friends suffer in the clutches of those ruffians.”

Sombra sat still. “Friends” she had said. About the princesses. Something to note for later. “Naturally, they would be concerned about their friend, as well as the kingdom.”

Sombra looked around the table. “Anyone else?” Mandible and Spike shook their heads. “Hmm. Perhaps I missed my guess.”

“Maybe tonight, o-or the next,” Mandible said. “You know, after letting it all sink in. Maybe then you’ll get your spooky little visitor or something.”

Rarity shrugged. “If only there was some pattern to their attacks we could discover. We might be able to see their next move.”

Mandible cleared his throat. “Um, sorry to bring this up, but I might have an idea of what they’re up to. Maybe.”

Four sets of eyes turned to him. He swallowed hard. “Um, you said Twilight was pretty upset that night, right?”

Rarity rubbed her foreleg. “Yes, yes she was.”

“Um, well, we changelings are predators, right? Um, not that I’m hunting you or anything.” He laughed, convincing no one that he was unconcerned. “We always preyed on—aheh—we always latched on to the ponies who were in the most emotional turmoil. Lots of excess emotions to feed on, they didn’t even notice most of the time. They had other things on their minds.”

He tapped his black hooves together. “Um, it’s the same with most predators. Look for the weakest in a herd. Get the one with the lame leg, they can’t run away. Grab that little one, it’ll get left behind.” His sharp fangs dug into his lower lip. “That… that mare’s in mourning. Impersonate somepony close to her and suck up the love. Leave before she suspects anything.” He set his forelegs flat on the table and laid his head in his hooves. “It was always like that. It’s just… smart.”

Rarity’s hair bristled. She slowly, hesitantly, touched Mandible’s shoulder. “Mandible, that life is over now. You can let go.”

“Words are cheap, ma’am.” Mandible’s ears flopped down. “But anyway, I think they’re thinning out the herd. They’re acting like predators. They’re going in and taking out the emotionally weak.”

“Braeburn and I were having troubles,” Pinkie said.

Spike and Rarity’s mouths dropped open.

Pinkie held up her hooves. “Not marriage troubles! Just… little things like ‘Where will we live?’ or ‘Is all that teleporting good for you?’ or ‘Chocolate or vanilla cupcakes?’” She grinned. “That last problem wasn’t so bad.”

She shrugged. “But with all of that, I think it was giving him Nightmares. He’d dream that he was lost. And he’d still feel lost when he woke up.” She blew a low-hanging curl out of her face. “I kinda helped with that, he said.”

Sombra lifted the teapot to give Rarity a refill, but blinked when he saw that Spike had already seen to it. He refilled his own glass with a grumble. “Hmm. Guerrilla tactics.”

Mandible bolted upright, his wings out. “Gorilla whatnow?”

“Guerrilla tactics,” Spike said. He tapped his spoon on the side of his teacup. “Twilight and I read about them one year, in history.” Spike raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know you were a history buff, Dark.”

“I’ve always been a bit of a… historian,” Sombra said. “I find myself attracted to the way old societies ruled. As well as what sort of issues they had to deal with.”

He felt a faint hint of fire in his metaphorical pants. He ignored it, since he wasn’t technically lying. “When a people finds itself outmatched in sheer numbers, or technological might, they might fight against the powers-that-be using predatory tactics like the ones Mandible described.” He pointed a hoof at the changeling. “Perhaps that it what the Nightmares are doing. Thinning the herd.”

“By attacking its emotional weak-point?” Mandible asked. “Sounds… exhausting.”

“It can be surprisingly effective.” Sombra looked up at the ceiling. “Over a long period of time.”

Rarity noted that Pinkie Pie was drooping further as the word-count went up. “I think that Pinkie Pie and I shall spend some time in town. Perhaps meet up with our friends and speak as to what our options are. I know I trust Applejack to think of something.” Rarity gave Pinkie a strained grin. “Maybe you can pet one of Fluttershy’s bunnies!”

A lopsided smile served as Pinkie’s answer. “I like petting bunnies.”

“Then it’s settled!” Rarity stood and grabbed Pinkie by the foreleg. “We’ll get freshened up and be on our way. You three”—she waved a hoof—“have some guy-talk. Or whatever males do. Hit each other, or wrestle, or something.”

Spike held up a teacup. “Wash the dishes?”

“Yes that.” Rarity nodded. “Have a good day, see you later, bye!”

Sombra settled back in his chair. He turned to Mandible as the changeling stood. “Where are you going?”

Mandible looked from Sombra to the doorway. “I, uh, gotta take care of a couple things around the shop. Gotta earn my keep, you know?”

Sombra squinted. “You said that changelings feed on love. What sort of love are you feeding on here in Ponyville?”

Mandible shuffled his hooves. “Well, um, well…”

“He’s feeding on compassion,” Spike said. He carried the tea set over to the sink and started running the water. “We all try to show a little, but it’s Rarity who’s showing the most.”

“Y-yeah,” Mandible mumbled. “What Spike said.” The changeling bowed and backed out of the room.

Sombra got up from the table and stood behind Spike. The little dragon continued washing the dishes as though he didn’t notice the gargantuan stallion behind him.

Sombra levitated a small towel over and dried one of the dishes. “I was unaware that compassion equated love.”

“Totally,” Spike said. He rubbed the soap under the faucet. “It’s not like that romantic, mushy love you always hear about. Not that it’s bad”—he glanced at Sombra—“but compassion is more of a decided love.”

“Decided?” Sombra scowled. “How can you decide to love someone?”

“You decide to stick with them. Take care of them. No matter what.” Spike passed Sombra a plate. “No matter what they do, no matter what happens, no matter how long it takes.”

Sombra ran his tongue over his teeth. “And Lady Rarity has decided to love this changeling?”

“Well, yeah.” Spike scrubbed a particularly sturdy stain. “He’s got nowhere to go, no friends, no family. If he didn’t have Rarity, he wouldn’t have anypony.” Spike shrugged. “A couple of our friends have gotten in on the act, but Rarity’s still where he gets the most nourishment.”

Sombra looked over his shoulder. “And you… Have you decided to love Rarity?”

The plate slipped out of Spike’s fingers. Sombra caught it in a magic glow before it hit the floor. “Well?” the king asked.

Spike’s arms hung limp at his sides. “Yeah.”

Sombra raised an eyebrow. “No matter what?”

Spike nodded.

“No matter who she loves?”

Spike balled up his fists. “Look, Dark…” He turned towards Sombra. “Look, I know you and Rarity are—”

“Lady Rarity and I are very much in love,” Sombra said. “You would do well to let yourself down now before you end up hurt.”

“I’m already hurt!” Spike yelped. “Or, I already was. But—but you know what?” He pointed a claw at Sombra. “But that’s okay! I knew I didn’t have a chance! And I’m fine with that!”

“Then why do you still dote on her?” Sombra asked. His massive frame hovered over Spike. “Why still spend your time making hers better? Why give so much of yourself when she cannot give you—”

“Because she’s worth it!” Spike stood on his tiptoes and crossed his forearms. “Because we’re friends, and that shouldn’t change just because she doesn’t love me that way!”

Sombra sneered. “I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘friend-zoned.’”

“The friend-zone is such a dumb idea!” Spike stalked away from Sombra. “There’s different kinds of love, Dark Shadow Lightning. Lots of them. I love her.” He stopped at the doorway. “The best way I can show that love is by being the best friend I can possibly be. Just like I will to all the girls.” He looked over his shoulder. “But Rarity especially. And Twilight especially.”

Spike turned to leave, but paused. “You’ve got a lot to learn about love, Dark. If I was you, I’d start learning before I made a big mistake.”

Sombra stood alone in the kitchen. The sink bubbled until he shut the faucet off. He growled under his breath. “I will not be upstaged by a lizzzaaarrrddd…”

Rarity and Pinkie Pie walked through the town, in the general direction of Sweet Apple Acres, but willing to wander a bit. A stop by the Cake’s residence had lifted Pinkie’s spirits a bit, as just being around little Pound and Pumpkin brought a smile to her face. They were about to take a more direct rout when Rarity spotted Rainbow Dash flying above the buildings.

“Oh, it looks like Rainbow’s returned from her trip to Cloudsdale.” Rarity pointed at the trail of color cutting through the sky. “Shall we catch up and say ‘hello?’”

“Great idea,” Pinkie said. They walked across the town square, to the part of town well-known for holding the Keen Bean Coffee Shoppe. They saw Rainbow Dash enter with an orange-coated stallion.

“Oh,” Rarity giggled. “Do you think she’s finally found a special somepony?”

Pinkie shook her head, her footsteps quickening. “No. That was Flash Sentry!”

Rarity blinked. “Are you sure?”

They entered the coffeehouse and spotted the others’ table. Redheart and Vinyl Scratch had already been waiting. Flash appeared to be keeping a close hold on his saddlebags.

“See, I knew we’d met!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “The month before Pinkie’s wedding! We talked to Twilight about alternate realities!”

“Ugh.” Vinyl held her head in her hooves. “You’d think I’d remember a talk about mirror universes, but nooo…”

Redheart leaned on the table. “All this caffeine must be playing with your memory.”

“I don’t drink too much caffeine!” Vinyl said. She slapped the table. “All the time.”

“Can we focus on the reason for the meeting?” Flash said. He patted his saddlebags. “Spooky business, if you recall.”

Rainbow Dash saluted. “Aye, aye, Captain Flashy.”

“Hay.” Flash dusted off his wing. “Captain Flashy was my father.”

“Yes, I believe you are a Centurion, in actuality.” Rarity marched up to the table. “Well, I do declare that this is an eclectic gathering!”

“Ohmygosh, Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash cleared the table in a single leap. She gathered up the pink pony in a bear hug. “Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, are you okay? I wish I’d been there! I coulda helped or something—!”

“Dashie! It’s okay.” Pinkie returned Rainbow’s embrace and nuzzled her cheek. “It’ll be alright. We’re here, we can do something now.”

Rainbow Dash set Pinkie down gently. She wiped her eyes with a quick brush of her foreleg. “H-hay, now. I’m the one that’s supposed to be comforting you.”

“I think we could all do with a bit of reassurance,” Rarity said with a look at Flash Sentry. “Reassurance that there is indeed a light at the end of the tunnel?”

Flash put his saddlebags on the table. “We’ve caught a Nightmare. We’ve found a way to deal with them—to fight them. Now it’s just a matter of finding out where they hang their hat.” He gave a decisive nod. “And I think Tartarus is a good place to start looking.”

Vinyl Scratch rubbed her forelegs together. “Princess Sparkle, Prince Apple, Lyra…” She put her sunglasses on and gritted her teeth. “We’re gonna save ’em all.”

Rarity sat down at the table. “Is there any way I can help?”

Redheart took a sip of her vanilla bean brew. “I dunno. Can you get us to Tartarus?”

Rarity shook her head. “I’m afraid that is outside my area of expertise.”

“Not mine.”

Everypony turned their heads. A diamond dog sat a few meters away, his feet on his private table. He lifted a wide-brimmed hat off his eyes and winked. “Captain Wishbone knows the way to Tartarus.”

Rainbow Dash flapped over to him, a stern glare in her eyes. “And you’re Captain Wishbone? Captain of what?”

“Airship.” Wishbone Fluorspar cracked his knuckles. “Come personally recommended by princesses.”

Rainbow Dash jutted her chin out. “Which princesses?”

“Luna,” Wishbone said, “and Celestia.” He held his chin in a paw as he thought for a moment. “Maybe Blueblood, too, if you ask him on good day.”

Redheart sat up a little straighter. “On a good day?”

“Well…” Fluorspar tapped his foot on the table. “Not like bad flight was Wishbone’s fault.”

Flash Sentry walked up to the diamond dog. “How soon can you get a flight put together?”

Wishbone grinned. “Just as soon as princesses get new airship put together!” His smile widened as everypony expressed some degree of puzzlement. “Last flight? Really bumpy.”

Author's Note

Sombra is officially the My Little Pony version of Clark Kent. Except without the glasses.

Porridge and Madness

Blueblood levitated a spoonful of porridge up to his mouth. It tasted of mud and a complete lack of salt. “I take it you haven’t cooked in four hundred years?”

Bluebones’ soulless eyes stared at nothing. “Woi would oi?”

Blueblood attempted to shove the porridge past his tongue and avoid the unique flavor of liquefied gravel altogether. He failed. “What do the Nightmares eat?”

“The princesses deliver cafeteria food every month,” Bluebones said. “It’s not as good as prison food, but it’s cheaper.”

Blueblood grimaced as another pat of sludge coated the inside of his mouth. “Are you just going to sit there and watch me eat?”

“Got anything better to do?” Bluebones waited for an answer that never came. “Fine. Oi guess oi’ll just watch you eat, then.”

Blueblood’s teeth crunched against a bit of porridge that wasn’t quite porridge-y. He gnawed it down to a swallow-able size. “I think I’ll chew some cud next time.”

“Or make your own breakfast.” Bluebones tilted his head.

Blueblood swallowed a spoonful. Painfully. “What else do we have?”

“Porridge.”

“But of course.”

Blueblood brushed his long hair behind his shoulder as Princes Luna trotted into Tartarus’ central room. She had a light smile that seemed wholly alien to their surroundings. “You seem chipper,” the prince said.

Luna looked up at them, her eyes wide. “Oh. I’m sorry, Blueblood. I didn’t notice you two there.”

Blueblood pointed his spoon at her. “Yes, how utterly surprising that we’d be sitting in the very same room, in the very same places, where we were last night. Terribly sorry for the strain we must have put on your heart.”

Luna rolled her eyes and walked past them. She came up to the big bowl of porridge Bluebones had put together and scooped herself a bit of the—unique—meal. “Sarcasm is indeed the lowest form of humor.”

“And the highest?” Blueblood lifted his bowl and turned it upside-down. The porridge stuck. “Don’t tell me it’s pratfalls.”

Luna stirred the porridge. Her magic released the spoon, which stood up straight in the mixture. “I’m not exactly a comedian, Nephew.”

Blueblood smirked and returned to his bowl of cement. His ears perked up when Luna spoke again.

“Although…” Luna tapped a spoon against her chin. “Although, perhaps the greatest humor is to be had…”

Blueblood looked at her, his eyebrows raised. He lowered the porridge to the ground.

Luna frowned in concentration. “Perhaps the highest humor is shared in the little moments. Those fun times surrounded by friends. Shared by friends.” She shrugged, a small smile on her lips. “What do you call a mixture of humor and philosophy?”

“Rubbish,” Bluebones said. He stood and took Blueblood’s bowl in his magic. “Wot say we get the day started?”

Blueblood got to his feet, though his knees protested in their own little “I slept on rock” way. He took a deep breath and addressed Luna. “I suspect you’ll be on your way now that the escapee issue is taken care of.”

Luna came alongside him. She studied the bags under his eyes, his unkempt coat, and his pronounced frown. “Actually, I thought I’d stay on until you were settled.”

Blueblood’s shoulders didn’t droop quite so much. “I beg your pardon?” He squinted. “What… happened last night?”

She sat in front of him and lowered her head to his level. “I felt a little bit of relief, Blueblood. I had the opportunity to shed some of the weight the world had put on my shoulders. I shared my pain, and it grew dimmer.” The corner of her mouth tipped up. “I want to help you feel that, as well.”

“I… I don’t—” Blueblood’s eyes stung. He blinked the feeling back. “I don’t believe I see that happening.”

Luna lowered her gaze to her feet. “I think even Tartarus has opportunity for fun.” She placed a hoof on his shoulder. “We shall find a way.”

“Can we please gerron wiff it?” Bluebones shouted across the room. “Those Nightmares ain’t gonna check their own cages!”

Blueblood snorted. He tied his bowtie around his neck and pulled his mane back in a ponytail. “The warden speaks, we must obey.”

Bluebones snorted. “Oi ain’t warden no more, boy.”

“No, indeed.” Blueblood strode towards the old pile of animated bones. “It shall have to wait, Princess Luna.”

There was a knock at the door.

Bluebones turned his head to the entrance hallway. “Wot?” He shook his head. “Wot? No, no no…” He turned to Blueblood and Luna, who both had perplexed expressions on their faces. “Wot!?”

The knocking was followed by the ring of a doorbell.

Blueblood scrunched his muzzle up. “When did you have that installed?”

“Just… just…” Though Bluebones’ face lacked the means of expression, his dropping jaw served its purpose. “Wot?”

Luna’s eyes were wide as she spread her wings. “Should we answer the door?”

Blueblood scratched his forehead. “Why the heck not?”

The three ponies walked through the dark corridor at a pace slightly slower than a gallop. A hurried canter, perhaps. Luna’s horn was already glowing with unlocking spells as she reached the petrified wood doorway. “Are you ready?” she asked.

Blueblood and Bluebones nodded, their horns shimmering with minor offensive spells. The really offensive spells were just a flick of the horn away.

Chains fell away, bolts unlatched, and hinges creaked as the door swung open.

“Hi!” Pinkie Pie said. She tipped the brown cowpony hat she wore on her head. “Did you know that if I kick the door chains just right, it sounds just like doorbells?”

Three horns dimmed at the sight of the comparatively-small earth pony. “Actually,” Luna muttered, “there was this one time in Las Pegasus—” She shook her head. “What brings you to Tartarus, Pinkie Pie?”

Pinkie bounced in place. “Nightmares. But you’ve probably already guessed that. I mean, we’re basically neck-deep in Nightmares these days, and this place is the who’s who of Nightmares. We brought a ‘who’ with us.” She pointed behind herself, where Flash Sentry was gripping a duffle bag in his forelegs. He grinned, though Luna could see a great degree of panic in his eyes.

“Pinkie,” he said, “please hurry.”

“We captured a Nightmare and decided to bring it back ourselves.” Pinkie stuck her tongue out of the side of her mouth and lowered her eyebrows. “Actually, Flash, Vinyl, and Rainbow Dash did that part.”

Rainbow Dash fluttered down into view and waved, while Vinyl Scratch ran through the background.

“Rarity, Spike, and I are kinda tagging along,” Pinkie continued. Spike leaped into view, fell flat on his face, and then barreled away screaming. “We all sort of have a personal stake in this Nightmare business, you know?”

Pinkie’s head jerked up. “Oh! And we brought Mandible!” She yanked the changeling into view by the scruff of his neck. His neck, being made of chitin, had no scruff, but that was beside the point. “Say ‘hi,’ Mandible!”

“Bone monsters!” he yelped.

Pinkie pushed him back out of the doorway. “Oh, and we need to give a big ‘thank you’ to Captain Wishbone over there.” She pointed to the diamond dog, who was hanging over the edge of his new airship, kicking neverdead monsters off of the sides.

“Oh yeah, can we come in?” Pinkie asked. “These monsters are Ka-Reepy!”

Luna blinked. “You’d have to leave the airship outside, but—”

“That’s fine!” Wishbone said. “We park up the side of mountain! Just fine!”

Cerberus barked in agreement, one of his heads trained on the captain at all times. The other two heads bit and snarled at various skeletal beasts, who dove for cover every time the big dog charged.

Wishbone’s nose twitched with faint longing.

“Um…” Luna tilted her head and stepped to the side. “Come on in?”

It was a mad rush to the safety of the prison. Bluebones found himself nearly trampled by hooves and paws and claws. One all were inside, Cerberus stood in front of the gate with his four paws planted firmly against the rock. All three heads barked at once with a heart-stopping call that sent the neverdeads scrambling for calmer waters.

Blueblood fell over as the sound reached his core. He grasped at the place where he was sure his heart wanted to leap out of his chest. His teeth chattered as Luna closed up Tartarus’ gate once again.

“That dog’s going to be the death of me,” he said.

“You okay?”

Blueblood turned to the voice to assure its owner that his heart would slow down, eventually. What he saw just about made his heart stop. “Redheart?”

The nurse’s pink mane flowed freely about her shoulders as she looked him over. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

“N-no. Not really.” He stood and brushed himself off. “How are you?”

“Well…” She shrugged a couple of times as her mouth searched for something to say. “Not bad, considering…” She shrugged again. “This.”

“Well, it’s…” Blueblood smiled. “Nice. To see you again.”

Redheart nodded. “It’s nice to see you, too.”

They stood in the doorway to Tartarus, shuffling their hooves. Redheart sucked on her cheek. “Yup, real nice.”

A cough came from behind them. They turned to see that the entire party to Tartarus was watching them.

Vinyl Scratch’s eyebrow rose above her purple-tinted sunglasses. “Why don’t you guys talk ’bout the weather while you’re at it?”

“Blueblood!” Bluebones said as he stuck his bony head above the crowd. Spike yelped and jumped on Rarity’s back. “We gorra job ta do! Let these ponies talk with the princess.”

Blueblood took in a deep breath. “Well. Well. Well, I guess I’ll talk with you later.”

Redheart ran her hoof up and down her opposite foreleg. “Talk with you then.”

“Yes.” Blueblood smiled as he walked through the crowd. “I’ll see you all later.”

Mumbles of “Hay,” “Great to see you again,” and “Watch the merchandise, buddy,” went out to him as he walked further into the bowels of Tartarus.

“Flash Sentry,” Luna said, “you have a prisoner to announce?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Flash opened up the duffle bag and pulled the Night Terror out of it. “It was attempting to incapacitate Redheart.”

Luna narrowed her eyes at it. “Do you know where the other escapees are hiding?”

The Night Terror’s eyes twinkled. “Not hiding. Don’t have to hide, just wait.”

Luna gripped the Nightmare and dragged it along the corridor. They came to the center room and walked up to the pot of porridge. “Do you know what this is?”

The Night Terror squinted. “Hot cereal?”

Pinkie Pie poked at it. “Maybe at one time, but it has fallen to the forces of overcooking.” She shook her head, a mournful expression on her lips. “Such is the tragedy of inexperienced chefs.”

“Oi heard that!” echoed through the prison.

Luna lowered the Night Terror towards the porridge; it pulled away as its head drew near. “This,” Luna said, “is true torture. This is what you will be eating for your entire stay at Tartarus unless you tell us where the Nightmares are.”

The Night Terror chuckled. “Not gonna be too long. Not long at all.”

“We found your escape route!” Luna snapped.

“We have?” Flash asked. “That’s great!”

“Hush.” Luna scooped a spoonful of “porridge” into the Night Terror’s mouth; the monster sputtered and gagged. “We found out about Charity’s dreams. You’re not getting out through her and Bluebones again.”

The Night Terror spat out a glob of gray goo with a “ptooee!” It winked at Flash Sentry. “Your princess is kinda slow on the uptake, ain’t she?”

Rainbow Dash snorted. “Why do we always get the smart-alecky prisoners to interrogate?”

“I choose to resent that remark,” Mandible said, “as I resemble it.”

Rainbow Dash slung a foreleg around his shoulders. “Hay, you turned out pretty cool. I don’t think Creepy McDoofus here—”

The Nightmare growled. “My name is—”

“—holds up to you.” Rainbow Dash gave Mandible a pat on the back that almost knocked him over. “Let’s just hurry it up so we can throw the book at him.”

“Can it be a pop-up book?” Pinkie asked.

“Yeah, sure.” Rainbow waved a hoof. “It’s probably heavier.”

Luna dunked the Night Terror’s head in the porridge and yanked him out. “Where are the others!?”

“I don’t know!” the Night Terror said. “I really have no clue. They could be anywhere right about now.” It shook its head free of sludge. “Anywhere there’s a storm.”

Flash Sentry’s wings extended. “Soarin! They’re using Soarin to create all those storms across the country!”

Rainbow Dash scowled. “Probably Her Royal Highness ‘Nightmare Dust,’ too.”

“Hold.” Luna fully submerged the Night Terror in the porridge. “Just how many ponies have the Nightmares taken or possessed?”

Redheart sighed through her nose. “Lyra.”

Pinkie bit her lip. “Braeburn.”

“Soarin,” Rainbow Dash muttered. “Lightning Dust.”

Rarity sat down. “Maybe Dark Shadow Lightning.”

Spike walked up to Luna. He stood next to Flash with his head bowed. “Twilight.”

“What?” Blueblood trotted into the room, his mouth gaping. “Twilight… is gone?”

He strode right up to Flash. “Is she a prisoner? Or is she”—he gritted his teeth—“one of them?”

Flash stood at attention, his eyes facing forward. His voice trembled as he spoke. “We don’t know. We really don’t know.”

Redheart pursed her lips and backed away from the crowd. She lay down to watch as they talked.

“We have to save her,” Blueblood said.

“I know.” Luna touched his back with a wing. “That’s what we’re doing, Blueblood. We’re going to find her and free her.”

“I can’t just…” He turned towards Bluebones, who came up to the edge of the crowd. “I can’t just stay here.”

“You have to,” Bluebones said. He shook his head. “There ain’t no other choice.”

“But there must be another way.” Blueblood looked up at Luna. “The princess! She can hold down the fort for a while! She has the capability—”

“You’re the one that took the oath, boy!” Bluebones stomped a hoof. “You’re the one that cast the spells! It’s on you to see it through!”

Blueblood glared at his great-grandfather. He turned away with a swish of his tail. “You’re right. I’m not thinking. I have to stay.”

He looked Flash Sentry in the eye. “It’s up to you.”

Flash backed away a step, his lips twitching upwards. “What—?”

“It’s up to you. You have to be the one that saves her.” Blueblood placed his hoof on Flash’s shoulder. “I see that, now. It’s always been you. You can do it.”

Flash looked down at Blueblood’s hoof. His mouth opened to say something, but he thought better of it. He put his hoof on Blueblood’s shoulder. “I won’t let her down.”

“I know.” Blueblood lowered his hoof. “I’ll do my job so that all of you can do yours.”

Blueblood walked through the crowd towards Bluebones. “You know, I expect a real visit once all this Nightmare business is cleaned up.”

“Be happy to,” Pinkie said. “We’ll have a real rocking party this time.” Her lip trembled as she fought to keep her smile. “Braeburn ’ll be able to help. It’ll be great.”

Luna pulled the Night Terror out of the porridge. “Where are they? Give us a location.”

“They were holed up in the Everfree!” it choked out. “But they won’t still be there! Our plans are almost complete! You can’t fight us! You can’t beat us!”

Luna dunked it back in the pot. “Blueblood, shall we show this prisoner to its cell?”

Blueblood threw a sloppy salute. “It will be a pleasure.”

Mandible came up behind the black cauldron. “I’ll push.”

“Thank you.” Luna pointed her horn at Blueblood. “Lead the way.”

They shuffled down a hallway, towards where most of the Night Terrors were kept.

Except for Spike.

Spike stopped in the middle of the central room. He tapped his toes on the ground. He could feel the vibrations of the ponies—and diamond dog—as they moved on to the cells. “Bedrock doesn’t vibrate this much.”

He tapped his toes again. He bent over and placed his hands against the compass rose design that was imprinted on the floor. He tapped a claw against it and nodded. “Bedrock doesn’t have an echo on the other side.”

He scratched his chin. “Bedrock doesn’t have another side.”

He ran sensitive fingers across the floor until he found one block out of place. “Bedrock doesn’t have locking mechanisms, either. As far as I know.” He pushed the block.

A deep hum filled the air. The compass rose lifted into the air, dirt and gravel dribbling down the sides. Beneath the stone rose lay a spiral staircase leading down into darkness.

Spike gaped. He looked up. “Creepy prison of evil, check.” He gripped his tail. “Secret doorway, check.” He craned his neck to see the stairs. “Dark passage leading down, check.”

He stood there for a moment. He looked down the hallway the others had walked through. “Guys? Hay, guys!?”

He snapped his fingers. “Indestructible dragon hide, check.”

Spike waddled carefully down the staircase. The steps were just high enough that he needed to do a little hop down each one. Though he was immune to searing flame, he was still able to detect the rising temperature as he descended.

He looked up at where he came with a pout. “What is it with bad guys and stinking stairs?”

He jumped off the last step and set foot on rock. It still wasn’t bedrock. It was just a layer, a little thicker than the floor of the central room, but not by much. While Spike had detected an echo above, down low all he could surmise was heat. Bubbling heat.

“Now I’m getting flashbacks to the migration,” he said. “This place is a volcano!”

Spike jumped as a deep, rumbling voice rolled over him; more felt than heard. “They call it the Sleeping Mountain for a reason.”

Spike turned slowly. Across the room, a stallion sat chained to the floor. The stallion’s orange coat and brown beard stood out against glowing restraints. The stallion grinned, baring long canines. “It has been years since I’ve seen a dragon. What’s your name?”

Spike squinted. “I’m not sure I should tell you. You’re kinda evil-looking.”

The stallion smirked. “You’ll be evil-looking, too, when you grow up.”

“Touché.” Spike crossed his arms and waddled closer to the stallion. “I’m gonna take a wild guess and say that you’re Scorpan.”

Scorpan squinted. “You’ve heard of me.”

“Luna was telling Twilight about what the Nightmares were doing during her banishment. A couple weeks ago.” Spike raised the scaly ridge above his left eye. “Your name came up. I figured that since this was a prison for Nightmares, Scorpan would be the best fit for the guy they’re keeping in the basement.”

Scorpan took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’re oddly perceptive for one so young.”

“I’m not young,” Spike said. “I just look like it.”

“The greed growth spurt hasn’t kicked in, yet?” Scorpan asked.

“No, it kicked in.” Spike nodded his head. “And then I kicked it out.”

Scorpan chuckled, which slowly grew into something quite terrifying. “Indeed? If only Garble had your resolve!”

Spike’s ears twitched. “Garble? The teenage dragon? You know him?”

“Well, yes.” Scorpan sat back, his chains rattling. “He was my number one assistant, back in the day.”

“That—” Spike rubbed his temples. “That answers so many questions, and raises so many more.” He frowned at Scorpan. “How’d you get a dragon assistant?”

“The same way anypony gets one,” Scorpan said. “I hatched it, and Celestia took me on as a personal student.”

Spike backed away, his eyes crossed with sudden dizziness. “You were what?”

“Celestia’s personal student.” Scorpan shrugged. “You didn’t think Twilight was the first, did you?”

“No, I know about Sunset…” Spike rubbed his claws together. “And now you…”

He shook his head, his teeth bared. “Aren’t there any old students of Celestia that didn’t turn into megalomaniacs?”

Scorpan’s smirk overtook his face. “Possibly. You’d have to ask her.” He leaned forward conspiratorially. “Personally, I don’t think the princess is that good a judge of character.”

“Y-you shut up.” Spike pointed a claw at him. “Don’t you dare talk bad about Princess Celestia. It’s not her fault you’re, um…” Spike grasped his tail and hugged it to his chest. “You’re just sort of wrong, aren’t you?”

Scorpan’s smirk vanished. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, you’re kinda an alicorn.” Spike pointed at Scorpan’s forehead. “But your horn, it’s like a changeling’s. Your wings are all… batty.” Spike shook his head. “You’re like when Sunset Shimmer tried to use the Element of Magic all by itself.”

He slapped himself in the forehead. “Oh, duh! The Elements are Magic, Generosity, Kindness, Loyalty, Honesty, and Laughter.”

Scorpan rolled his eyes. “I’m aware of—”

“But you couldn’t get the Element of Magic to appear, could you?” Spike nodded as he crossed his arms. “You just had five to work on, didn’t you?”

Scorpan snarled. “How could you possibly know—?”

“Quiet, I’m thinking out loud.” Spike paced in front of the wrong alicorn. “You didn’t have the Element of Magic because it vanished after Celestia banished Luna. It would only appear when a spark united the others.” He pointed at Scorpan. “Twilight ignited that spark.”

He resumed his pacing, and touched a claw to his chin. “So you tried to ascend to alicornhood using only five of the six Elements. Because you didn’t realize that the magic relied on friendship to work.” Spike stood before Scorpan and puffed his chest out. “Because of that, you didn’t realize that a friendship that misses even one of the elements…” He frowned and looked to the side. “It turns ugly. It turns wrong.

“You didn’t have Magic, Sunset only had Magic.” Spike spread his hands. “The Elements were incomplete, and they created Wrong Alicorns. Monsters. Abominations.” Spike growled. “You.”

Scorpan clapped his hooves together at a slow, even pace. “Bravo, bravo. How very clever of you. Clearly, this Twilight Sparkle has trained you well…” He sneered. “Spike.”

Spike jumped back a pace. “How do you know my name?”

“I recall you, now. There are only so many dragons living in Equestria, and Twilight Sparkle is unable to keep a low profile.” Scorpan extended his leathery wings as far as they would go. “Word gets around. I know all about you and your adventures.”

Spike wrung his hands together. “How? You’ve been stuck down here forever.”

“Alicorns dream, Spike.” Scorpan laughed lightly. “Even Wrong Alicorns. Especially Wrong Alicorns. One is never alone as long as one can dream.”

Spike shuddered. “The escaped Nightmares came back.”

“Precisely.” Scorpan settled down on the ground. “Just for a night or two, to give me an update on the world. Or to hear out my orders.”

Scorpan looked up to the left. “Such as my orders to kidnap Twilight Sparkle.”

“You—” Spike clenched his fist together. “You did that?”

“And more. And I shall do still more.” Scorpan licked his lips. “It was Shadowfright’s brilliant idea to make her Queen of the Nightmares, but he wouldn’t have thought of that without my original plan.”

The claws on Spike’s toes cut tiny furrows on the floor. “You did that?”

“My, that clever little mind of yours gets distracted quite easily, doesn’t it?” Scorpan shook his unruly mane. “I’m afraid I’ve gone and broken your pitiful, pea-sized brain.”

Spike opened his mouth and spat green fire.

Scorpan screeched. He batted at the side of his face, though the fire had only singed his beard. He looked at Spike, his eyes lined with red-hot fury. “You dare to—!?”

“It’s your fault!” Spike cried. “The Nightmares are your fault! Tartarus is your fault! Twilight’s…” He shook his fists. “It’s all your fault!”

Spike spun on his heel and marched towards the stair. “I hope you rot down here!”

“That’s not going to happen, Spike,” Scorpan spat. “I’m an alicorn! I’ll live forever!”

Spike said nothing.

“I can outlive any pathetic wardens they place in this harmony-forsaken melting pit!” Scorpan stood and shook his chains. “Equestria will pay!”

Spike stopped. He looked over his shoulder with a furrowed brow. “Equestria? You think the whole country wronged you?”

“Who more deserves to be a prince than I?” Scorpan stomped a hoof. “Not some pathetic commoner!”

A flash of inspiration sparked in Spike’s eye. “Luna said Bluebones volunteered to be the warden.” He pointed a claw at the Wrong Alicorn. “And you put a curse on him, didn’t you?”

He waddled back to Scorpan. “You’ve got some sort of beef with the Bluebloods, don’t you?”

Scorpan’s eyes widened. “What are you—?”

“Like trying to get back at them for something you think Bluebones did.” Spike laughed mirthlessly. “What? Were you jealous of him or something?”

Scorpan scowled.

“Gotcha.” Spike let his arms drop to his sides. “This whole thing is about you being jealous of Bluebones.” Spike’s muzzle scrunched up. “You’re pathetic.”

Spike walked away, his tail bobbing in his wake. “So you cursed Bluebones, and that made him think he had to stay.” Spike shook his head as he reached the staircase. “You’re the most pathetic thing I’ve ever seen. And I’ve met some diamond dogs that were a real doozey.”

Spike looked up at the sound of hooves on stone. Bluebones stood on the second-to-last stair, Blueblood and Luna behind him. The neverdead unicorn looked at Scorpan and sighed. “Get up here so oi can explain.”

Blueblood frowned. “I would very much like that explaination.”

Bluebones stood beside the raised compass rose. “Everypony, Scorpan. Scorpan, everypony.”

He kicked one of the golden pillars holding it up, and the rose slid down with a bang.

“Yeah, Scorpan was jealous of me. Of moi magic ability.” Bluebones nodded at Spike. “Oi was just a guard, you see. Never cared to try and enter Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns.” He shrugged his bony shoulders. “Celestia noticed anyway. She started to train me alongside Scorpan.”

He looked at Blueblood. “Oi whooped his butt.

“While oi got married and had a son, Scorpan buried himself into his studies. He found some old Starswirl the Bearded spell wot switched cutie marks. Made a roight mess of the palace trying to ascend by completing it.” Bluebones shook his head. “Oi still don’t know how Celestia managed to fix that.”

Bluebones hung his head. “After that, he tracked down the Elements of Harmony and tried to ascend using those. Sommat went wrong. He went mad after that.”

Bluebones looked around. “Oi suppose you know the rest of the story. Army of Nightmares, mad prince, battle, prison…” He patted himself on the ribcage. “Warden.”

Luna nodded slowly. “You felt responsible?”

“Well…” Bluebones stared at his hooves. “It just sorta worked out that way, didn’t it? It’s my mess.” He tilted his horn at Blueblood. “And now it’s yours.”

Blueblood pressed his lips together.

“Messes can be cleaned up,” Redheart said. “If the right ponies work together.”

Blueblood’s eyes met hers. “You think so?”

Redheart’s teeth sparkled in the torchlight as she smiled. “I believe so.”

Vinyl wiped off her sunglasses with a soft cloth. “So this Scorpion guy—”

“Scorpan,” Mandible said.

“Whatever. He’s been pulling the strings behind the scenes.” Vinyl breathed on the glasses and fogged up a lens. “And now the Nightmares outside are on the move.”

“They are probably hoping to free their leader,” Luna said. She closed her eyes. “You must be at the highest readiness, Blueblood.”

“I will.” Blueblood stood straight. “Tartarus will be on full lockdown.”

Flash Sentry smoothed down a stray lock of blue mane. “Do you think they’ll target Tartarus?”

“It’s a safe bet,” Luna said. “Perhaps we should all stay here for the time being. I’ll send a letter to my sister to explain the circumstances.”

“Sounds good to me,” Flash said. He lifted his duffle bag and looked inside. “Do you have any more of that enchanted sand?”

Luna smirked. “I always keep a pinch or two on my person.”

Rainbow Dash stretched her legs. She was just getting to her rear right leg when she felt a tap on the shoulder.

“Rainbow Dash,” Blueblood said, “I don’t suppose my apology letter to Twilight got delivered?”

Rainbow Dash’s mouth dipped open. She held his gaze steady. “You know, I don’t really know.”

Dear Twilight,

I’m terribly sorry about last night. It was the old me coming out, I suppose. I’m furious with myself, not you. I shouldn’t have shouted.

I probably should have told you, of all ponies. I don’t know if it was pride or shame that made me hold it in. Perhaps it was fear. I don’t want you to worry; I’ll be fine. This is what I was meant to do. This is something I have to do.

I hope and pray you’ll visit me when you get the chance, despite my horrid attitude about all this. I cannot imagine a life where you are not my friend. I refuse to imagine it. The thought is too awful to contemplate.

I love you, Twilight.

With love,

Blueblood

Twilight folded the letter carefully. She set it on the throne’s armrest and looked at Lightning Dust. “This was in Rainbow Dash’s saddlebags?”

Lightning Dust chuckled. “I caught them right out of the air after Nightmare Storm zapped her. I found this a couple minutes ago and saw your name. Seemed important.”

Twilight frowned. “I should turn you both into centipedes for harming Flash and Rainbow. In fact, I probably will.”

The breath caught in Lightning Dust’s throat.

“Later.” Twilight stood and made her way through the castle. “Right now, we’ve got more important things to do.” She scowled down at Dust. “Like it or not, you’re useful.”

Lightning Dust narrowed her eyes, but kept her head down.

“Sombra!” Twilight snapped. “Sombra, get your idiot self in here!”

Sombra snarled as he was dragged into the entryway by Twilight’s telekinesis. “Yes, oh great Twilit Queen?”

“Cut the sarcasm, you can’t do it very well.” Twilight tilted her head at Sombra’s pockets. “Those tickets, they have yours and Rarity’s names on them, right?”

Sombra nodded. “They can’t be used by anypony else.”

“That’s what I thought.” Twilight closed her eyes and lit her horn. The glow shifted from the usual lavender to a sickly green. A spark shot out.

Twilight’s entire body was engulfed in green fire.

Sombra jumped back, but was caught by Lightning Dust. She held him steady as Twilight burned. The flame died down within a minute, leaving a familiar pony in Twilight’s place.

“How do I look, darling?” Rarity said.

“Sparkle? H-how?” Sombra rubbed his eyes. “How did you do that?”

Rarity bounced her long curl on a hoof. “It was quite simple, dearest Dark Shadow Lightning. I picked up a spell from the changelings when I needed to blend in with the locals.” She flicked her mane. “It was a strange adventure overall, but it lent a little growth.”

She drew her face close to Sombra’s and batted her eyelashes. “I ask again: How do I look?” She lowered her eyelids. “Would you be able to tell the difference?”

Sombra sucked in a breath. “I should like to think so.”

“You hesitated.” Twilight-turned-Rarity walked away. “I guess if it’s good enough to confuse you, it’ll work for Canterlot’s high-class dummies.”

Sombra took in deep breaths in an attempt to slow his heart. “This is awkward in so many ways I can’t even say.”

“Heh.” Lightning Dust fluttered up to the rafters. “Maybe you just have a thing for pretty mares batting their eyelashes at you.”

Sombra shot Lightning Dust a glare, spun around with his cape flowing behind him, and trotted towards the entrance to the Everfree forest.

The Nightmares were indeed on the move.

Author's Note

If I'm allowed to love any scene in this chapter, it's Pinkie Pie's "Doorbell" scene. :pinkiehappy:

Gruel and Sadness; or, Scoop, Slop, Plop

They spent the day getting familiar with Tartarus’ layout and examining the cell doors. Blueblood regretted that the Nightmares’ daily feeding would take upwards of ten times as long to complete without his friends there to help. It was not hard work in the least; it was merely repetitive. Dull. Uninspired.

Scoop, slop, plop. Scoop, slop, plop. Scoop, slop, plop.

Mandible pushed the pot of gruel before him as they walked through the Bête Noire hallway. The changeling twitched his nose at the monsters. “So, these guys give bad dreams about monsters?”

“Well, from what I can tell, their Nightmares generally focus around one terrifying antagonist.” Blueblood lifted his ladle and dumped gruel inside another cell. Scoop, slop, plop. “For children it can be a boogeyman, for adults it can be an event or person.” Scoop, slop, plop. “Or vice versa, as is often the case.”

Mandible nodded. “And the Night Terrors, what about them?”

“They focus on one idea,” Blueblood said. “It usually has something to do with a concept that the victim fears, such as loneliness or failure.”

Mandible licked his lips. “Like Lady Rarity’s dream from a while back. The one you saved her from.”

Blublood looked over his shoulder. “She told you about that?”

“Yeah,” Mandible said. “It was pretty much all she talked about the next day.” He cleared his throat, and spoke with a voice that was spot-on Rarity. “‘Oh, darling, those dreadful spider-ponies! That horrid web! I shan’t believe, perish the thought, lackaday!’”

“I heard that!” Rarity shouted from the next hallway. “These walls echo, you know!”

Mandible blushed. “Well, you get it. The Phantasms?”

Blueblood gave a chuff of laughter. “I thank you for reminding me to watch what I say in these halls. The Phantasms, from what Luna tells me, play against a pony’s fears about themselves.”

Mandible’s multifaceted eyes dipped down to the gruel. “I don’t follow.”

“Well, say a rich pony may worry about becoming a greedy miser,” Blueblood said. “Whether their fears are founded or not, they will still worry about it. A Phantasm might use that to craft a dream that feels like a twisted version of A Hearth’s Warming Carol.”

Mandible digested that for a moment. “Those are things all of us have, aren’t they? Boogeymen, fearful ideas, personal worries?”

“I’m afraid so,” Blueblood said. Scoop, slop, plop. “It’s what makes these creatures so dangerous.”

Mandible looked into one cell. A Bête Noire, with its hairball-esque ears and sharp teeth, stuck its tongue out at him. “So why are they dangerous?”

Blueblood rolled his eyes. “Didn’t we just have a whole conversation about—?”

“No,” Mandible said. “No, we talked about what made them dangerous.” He shook his head. “Not about why they’re dangerous.”

Blueblood walked forward. Scoop, slop, plop. “Now it’s my turn to say I don’t follow.”

“’Kay. Um.” Mandible fluttered his wings. “Our disguises are what make changelings dangerous. Right?”

“And the love-sucking, and the sheer numbers, and the mind-control.” Blueblood raised an eyebrow. “No offense intended, of course.”

“Well, of course not, it’s the truth.” Mandible sucked in a breath through his clenched teeth. “But why we’re dangerous… that’s our willingness to do anything to get love.” He placed a hoof against his chest. “If we didn’t try to steal love, we wouldn’t be dangerous. Just capable.”

Blueblood felt a shiver run down his spine. “But you don’t need to steal love.”

“No, I don’t.” Mandible shook his head. “I’m not doing that anymore. I won’t. So, I’m not really dangerous.” He swallowed. “Just capable.”

“Well,” Blueblood said, “let me be the first to say that I’m glad you’re on our side.”

“Sorry, Bub.” Mandible grinned. “That was Princess Celestia.”

His ear flicked down. “Which brings me to my question: Why are the Nightmares dangerous?”

Blueblood glanced at a Bête Noire as he passed it. It snarled. “They wanted their own kingdom, and their leaders were willing to build it on the ashes of Equestria.”

“This Shadowfright guy?’ Mandible asked.

“And later, Scorpan.” Blueblood sneered at the Nightmare. Scoop, slop, plop. “And now, the both of them.”

Mandible snorted. “If you think we can, you know, believe Scorpion.”

“Scorpan.” Blueblood shook his head. “He was far too smug to be lying.”

Mandible sighed. “Well, yuck.” He looked around as they came to the end of the hallway. “So, they covet Equestria. Kinda hard to think up a win-win situation for that.”

Scoop, slop, plop. Blueblood set the ladle in the bottom of the pot. “So instead we have Tartarus.”

They came to the outer loop, where they ran into Redheart and Vinyl Scratch. Vinyl’s sunglasses hung low on her snout. “Where did they even find all these losers?”

“You didn’t have to punch that Nightmare, Vinyl,” Redheart said. “I think throwing it against the wall was enough.”

“He had no right to say that about Lyra!” Vinyl ground her teeth. “She’s not a wuss. She never was.”

Blueblood bowed his head to both of them. “I never thought I’d hear you defend Princess Heartstrings.”

“Yeah?” Vinyl growled. “She never needed it before now.”

Mandible shuffled his feet. “She might have needed it around me.”

A lull entered the conversation. Blueblood sought to fill it in any way he could. “So, how goes the feeding?”

“Good,” Redheart said. “We just finished a row.”

“Ah. Same with us,” Blueblood said.

Mandible nibbled at the air. Vinyl raised an eyebrow at him. “What the hay are you doing?”

“I sense something…” Mandible licked his lips. “A flavor I haven’t tasted since…”

He looked at Blueblood and nibbled some more. He turned to Redheart. His eyes widened. “Whoa. Whoa, awkward…”

Mandible tilted his horn towards Vinyl. “Hay. I just remembered that I needed your help with something unspecific.”

Vinyl scowled. “Do I even know you?”

Mandible zipped up behind her and shoved her down a hallway. “Time for that later,” he hissed. “This is an emergency!”

Vinyl cocked an eyebrow and examined Redheart. She jumped back. “Oh. Oh! Ahah.” She grinned and waved as Mandible carried her off. “Um, later guys! See you at supper! Have fun!”

Blueblood and Redheart stood side by side, their expressions blank. They looked at each other.

“What—?” Blueblood began.

“I think…” Redheart gnawed her lip. “I think they mean that you”—she pointed—“and I have something to talk about.”

Blueblood shifted his weight between his hooves. “Things… do seem a bit awkward between us, don’t they?”

“A little.” Redheart turned her eyes to the smooth, rock wall. She brought her face towards Blueblood suddenly. “How are you? Is it as bad as you thought?”

“In some ways, no.” He sat down and brought his wings close against his sides. “In some ways, it’s worse.”

She mirrored his actions and sat across the hall from him. He continued, “I haven’t been so much lonely as frustrated. I realize that Bluebones will soon be gone, Luna will return to her duties, and I shall be left alone.” He turned his head to look down the hall. “In here. With the Nightmares.”

He shut his eyes. “I’m sleeping right on top of the pony that killed my mother.”

“Your mother—” Redheart brought her hooves to her mouth. “Oh, Blueblood, I’m so sorry!”

Blueblood turned back to her. “Oh. You didn’t know. Well, this was a fine way to tell you, wasn’t it?”

“It’s just, I knew you were distant from your father, and I thought—” She moved to stand, froze, and then settled back down. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for.” Blueblood rubbed his forehead. “I should apologize. You didn’t come here so that I could dump my troubles on you.” He spoke quickly, before she could say anything. “At the least it isn’t as difficult as I had imagined. It won’t be as long as everything runs smoothly.”

He shrugged. “All I really need to do is make sure the enchantments hold on the cell doors, and feed the monsters.” He chuckled without a smidgen of mirth. “That would take all day alone, but it can be done.”

Redheart brushed her pink mane behind her shoulders. “You’ll still be able to work on your projects, won’t you?”

He shook his head. “I gave ownership of Bluelight Special to Twilight, everything belongs to her.” His eyes widened. “Which, in hindsight, may have been a mistake.”

Redheart opened her mouth, blew a breath through her lips, and then finally spoke. “Didn’t you bring anything important to you?”

“There wasn’t anything important that I could bring.” Blueblood stomped a hoof. “What? Was I going to bring my workshop? A few materials? A couple of tools? How long would they have lasted?

“Was I going to run around Equestria abducting my friends? Would I have locked them in an empty cell and let them out for parties?” He lifted his forelegs. “Could I ask Celestia to move Tartarus to sit in the mountain beneath Canterlot? Could I have protected what I love in any way, shape, or form?”

He let his legs drop at his sides. He shook his head and walked away. “I’m sorry, Redheart. Forgive me. I’m not quite in the talking mood.”

Redheart stood as he retreated down the corridor. She held a hoof out to him and gritted her teeth. “But…”

She kicked out with her rear legs, hitting the wall behind her. “Darn it!”

Flash Sentry pushed the pot of gruel along behind Rarity. She levitated the scoop into another Night Terror’s cell.

Scoop, slop, plop.

Rarity twitched her ear towards Flash. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen anything from Twilight?”

“No.” Flash growled at a Night Terror that was blowing raspberries at him. It drifted to the rear of its room. “With what we’ve learned today, I don’t know if that’s a bad thing or not.”

Scoop, slop, plop.

“Well,” Rarity said, “well, we have a solution. It’s only a matter of time before—”

“I know,” Flash said. “We’ve talked about the solution. We’ve done nothing but talk about the solution. I’m mumbling the solution in my sleep nowadays.” He extended his wings halfway. “I’m getting tired of talking. I wanna do. I’m ready to do.”

Rarity frowned at him. “I trust the Princess’ wisdom.” Scoop, slop, plop.

“I do, too.” Flash’s hoof slipped off the edge of the pot. He stopped, took a breath, and slowly started to push it again. “Celestia and Luna both.”

The clomp of hooves echoed down the corridor. Redheart trotted along the opposite direction, heading back for the heart of Tartarus. She nodded as she passed, though she kept her gaze forward.

Rarity squinted at the nurse. She drew her head up and gave her lips the smallest of puckers. “Redheart?”

Redheart stiffened as she turned. “Yeah?”

“Would you mind assisting me?” Rarity shook the ladle in her grasp. “I find myself out of practice in slopping Nightmares.”

Redheart took a step forward, then halted with a hoof in the air. “What?”

“Oh, just take the ladle.” Rarity hovered the tool over to Redheart. “Flash, I can take the pot from here.”

Flash relinquished the pot. His eyes shifted from Rarity to Redheart as he made his way down the hall. “Okay, then.”

Once he had left, Redheart began to spoon gruel to the prisoners. Rarity pushed the pot along on its creaky wheels. “Do you think you’re ready to save Lyra from her Nightmare?” Rarity asked.

“I should be.” Scoop, slop, plop. “I owe it to her.”

Rarity watched the ladle carefully as it rested in Redheart’s telekinetic grip. “But that’s not why you’re angry, is it?”

A crack ran down the ladle’s handle. Redheart swallowed. “Darn it.”

Rarity leaned against the pot. “Sometimes we need somepony to talk to in order to relieve our pent-up frustrations. You don’t really have anypony like that, do you?”

Redheart bit the inside of her cheek. “What makes you say that?”

“Your best friends are Lyra Heartstrings and Vinyl Scratch, dear.” Rarity walked up to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “Good ponies they may be, but gentle and caring they are not.”

“Oh, you can just shut up while you’re ahead!” Redheart snapped. She covered her mouth with her hooves. “I mean—”

Rarity waved a hoof, her expression serene. “Go on, darling.”

Redheart dropped her hooves to the ground. “Well, Lyra is kinda a jerk sometimes, but she’s got this… core, underneath. She only shows it when she has to. But…” She shook her head. “But I guess you’re right. I can’t just go up to her and pour my heart out.”

She lifted the ladle. Scoop, slop, plop. “But I can’t exactly pour my heart out to you, either. I hardly know you.”

Rarity sighed as she pushed the pot after Redheart. “Sadly, true. I will say that anything you would wish to speak would remain between the two of us, as long as you keep it quiet enough that it doesn’t echo.” She lifted an eyebrow. “We don’t have to be strangers, you know.”

Redheart said nothing. Scoop, slop, plop.

Rarity frowned. “I’ll drop it after this: If you keep your frustrations pent up, they’ll let themselves out eventually. And you’ll regret it when they do.”

Scoop, slop, plop. Scoop, slop, plop. “Hypothetically speaking…”

“I can work with hypotheticals,” Rarity said.

“If there is someone hurting,” Redheart said, “and there is something I need to say, how can I know when it’s the right moment to say it?”

Rarity thought for a few minutes. Scoop, slop, plop. Scoop, slop, plop. Scoop, slop, plop.

“I don’t think there will ever be a ‘right moment’,” Rarity said.

Redheart rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the great, insightful answer.”

“I mean that there is no magical ‘right time’ where the person is willing to listen and you feel brave enough to get it out.” Rarity stood beside the pot of gruel. “You have to take the moment you have and make it the right moment.”

“What if he won’t listen?” Redheart said. She extended her wings as she turned to Rarity. Her eyebrows peaked. “What if—”

“That’s up to him, isn’t it?” Rarity took the ladle from Redheart and tossed gruel into the last few cells. Scoop, slop, plop. “Once you’ve done your part, you can only hope and pray. Isn’t that right?”

Scoop, slop, plop. Redheart stared at the spoon as it danced through the air. “It doesn’t feel like it’s enough.”

“It won’t.” Rarity shrugged. Scoop, slop, plop. “But it could make a difference.”

Scoop, slop, plop.

Redheart and Rarity came to the end of the line. The nurse hung her head and looked at Rarity out of the corner of her eye. “Thanks.”

As she walked away, Rarity called out, “I hope you get your problem sorted out!”

“Me, too,” Redheart said.

Blueblood walked down a mostly-empty corridor. It had one prisoner, and one occupant besides. Bluebones sat some distance away from Charity’s cell, his empty eyes watching from afar. He flinched as Blueblood walked alongside him and sat.

“Well,” Blueblood said, “here we are at last.”

Bluebones tilted his head. “Will you be strong, boy?”

Blueblood angled his body to face his great-grandfather. “I beg your pardon?”

“Will you be strong?” Bluebones tapped his hooves together. “Will you wake each day ready to keep Tartarus confined? Will you resist the urge to leave, to escape in some fashion? Will you keep your honor? Will you be strong?”

Blueblood looked at Charity’s cell. She was leaning against the wall, peering through the bars of her door. Dark, wet tracks ran down her cheeks.

Blueblood bowed his head. “Yes.”

“No.”

Both of thee Bluebloods looked at Charity. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. “Being strong isn’t the same as being unfeeling. You’ll just be nothing. You’ll have nothing to be strong for.”

Blueblood sucked in air. “No, perhaps not.” He stood and walked down the hallway.

Bluebones pulled his hood up over his head. Charity reached a hoof out towards him. “Bluebones… I’m so sorry I lied to you. I didn’t want to hurt anypony.”

Bluebones sunk deeper into his cape. “Looks like neither of us were strong.”

Her wings splayed against the wall. She lowered them until her wingtips touched the ground. “Maybe we’ll have a second chance.”

“No.” Bluebones walked away, his head low. He clutched at his chest as he stumbled. “Oi won’t.”

Redheart sat at the edge of the central room. Evening had come outside, but inside it was still that same dim, torch-lit glow. Most ponies were settling down for the night in makeshift beds.

Rainbow Dash was doing a few late-evening wing-ups. Mandible performed impressions of various celebrities to entertain Spike, Pinkie, and Vinyl Scratch. Wishbone and Rarity were discussing various fashion applications for gemstones. Luna and Flash Sentry were discussing Nightmare combat techniques in hushed tones.

Blueblood sat alone, staring at the floor.

Redheart stood up, puffed her chest out, and started walking towards him.

“Lights out,” Luna said. “We have an early start tomorrow.”

Ponies settled into cots and torches dimmed.

Redheart pulled her blanket up to her neck. She stared at the vaulted ceiling, which disappeared into darkness above. She sniffed as she felt a stinging feeling behind her eyes.

An hour passed.

There was a groan from a few feet away. Redheart lay quietly until it sounded again. Blankets rustled as a silhouetted form tossed in its sleep.

She got up and approached it. Blueblood rolled over, a firm frown on his muzzle. He groaned again. “Mom…”

Redheart chewed the inside of her cheek. She glanced at Luna, who was snoring up a storm on the opposite side of the room. She caught a glimpse of Flash’s orange coat a few steps away.

She turned back to Blueblood.

She lay beside him, lit her horn, and fell fast asleep.

Blueblood walked through the streets of Canterlot. It was a bright, busy summer evening with performers, vendors, and all manner of interesting people up and about. He smiled as one griffon acrobat tumbled through the air with his wings tied to his torso. An earth pony juggled fiery torches with a flick of his tail. A pegasus swam though a large pool as if she was flying through air.

Blueblood rolled his shoulders. His wings felt itchy. He craned his neck to look at his back and found it bare. “What?”

He spun around, trying to get a better look at himself. “What? What!?”

His wings were gone. “How absurd,” he mused.

His ears perked up. “Oh! How silly of me. I’m dreaming.” He looked around. “Well, as long as I’m here, I might as well enjoy the sights.”

He felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, and found himself face to face with Redheart. He blinked. “I don’t suppose it’s odd that she’s here.”

Redheart’s hair was tied up in an elaborate braid. A strand of pearls wrapped around her neck. “Well, funny story about that, actually.”

Blueblood shook his head, a wry smile on his face. “Alright. I get it, dream! Now, when’s Twilight going to show up? Maybe Luna? Oh, shall this be my great-grandfather’s inaugural appearance in my unconscious?”

Redheart placed her hoof against her forehead. “No, I mean I’m actually—”

“Well, until they show up,” he said, taking her hoof, “perhaps I can show you the wonders of the Blueblood unconscious. Over there we have the performing troupes, here we have the greasiest carrotdogs known to ponykind, there’s the shopping…” He tapped his chin. “Come to think of it, we don’t even have to stay in Canterlot. I control the entire dream!”

He waved his hoof. Nothing happened.

He blinked. “This isn’t Saddle Arabia.”

“Blueblood,” Redheart said, “I don’t think this is really a dream.”

Blueblood’s head snapped around as a large, crashing sound came from a few streets over. “Oh, no.”

“I think this is a Nightmare,” Redheart said. “If you can just remain calm, we can—”

Blueblood wasn’t standing next to her anymore.

“Darn it.”

Blueblood galloped through the streets. He shoved pedestrians aside, sometimes with a gentle nudge of telekinesis, sometimes with a quick kick from his hooves. He tumbled headlong into an intersection, and landed on his face beside a carriage.

He stood quickly. He found himself crowded out by a wall of ponies who were staring at the carriage in question. “Move—move aside, please.”

They ignored him. “I said get out of my way!”

He pushed through the crowd. Many backed away the minute they saw his determined eyes, but most required physical relocating. “Move! Move!”

Blueblood came out on the other side and let out a small gasp. The carriage lay on its side. It was crumpled, having collapsed from its own weight. The driver sat a few feet away, his head wrapped in bandages. Blueblood ran up to him and shook him by his shoulders. “Where are they!?”

The driver winced and clutched at his head. “I don’t know.”

“What happened!?”

“The wheel”—the driver pointed at the wreckage—“the wheels all came loose. The whole thing spun outta control.”

Blueblood clutched his chest, his breath shallow. He turned towards a Royal Guard who had shown up while he wasn’t looking. “They’re still in there!”

“Relax, son,” the guard said. “They’re on their way to the hospital. They’re in good hooves.”

“You don’t understand,” Blueblood said. “My parents were in there!”

“Son, I’m going to have to ask you to calm down—”

“I know how this ends!” Blueblood cried. “She’s already gone!”

He sat down and rocked back and forth. “This… is just a dream. It’s all fake. I can just change it—”

“It’s real, alright.” Blueblood looked up to see a facsimile of his father walking out of the carriage, his wooden leg thumping behind him. “It’s as real as the day it happened.”

“Shut up!” Blueblood shouted. “What do you know? You’re not even my father!”

“No, I’m one better.” Not-Bluemane cracked his neck. “I happen to know you very well, Blueblood. I know that this”—he waved his hoof—“is all your fault.”

The fake chuckled. “You could have spent one last night with her, but instead you chose to lollygag around town alone. And then afterwards with the fights with your father, and the disrespect to all around you, and the self-focus.” It grinned. “This is where Blueblood began, it seems.”

It walked up to Blueblood. “A failure, a fraud, and now, alone.”

Blueblood gripped it by its collar. “What are you?”

Bluemane frowned. “Not obvious enough?” Its face changed slowly, the gray coat changing to white. “Maybe I’ll choose a face that you actually listen to.”

Blueblood found himself staring into a mirror. His reflection snickered. “Yourself.”

Blueblood threw the reflection away. The prince backed away as the thing got to its feet. “I’m you. I’m your own, personal reality check. I’m the one who’s going to tell you exactly what you’re doing wrong today.” It pursed its lips and looked up. “Everything.”

Blueblood shuffled back. “Get out of my head.”

“I am your head!” Blueblood’s reflection snorted. “Who else would understand you as well? You are alone, you are dismal, you are abysmal.”

Blueblood got to his hooves. His shoulders tightened.

“You have alienated all your friends,” the reflection said. “You have destroyed your own life and replaced it with emptiness. It’s really all you deserve.”

Blueblood threw a punch. He felt it connect against his own jaw. He tumbled back, nursing a sore chin.

Not-Blueblood looked down at him. “You’re hurting yourself, Blueblood. You understand that now.” It looked into the distance, its eyes dim. “Now it’s all you have left. You’re a failure.”

“No, you’re not!”

Blueblood and his reflection turned their heads. Redheart strode through the crowd like it wasn’t even there. With consideration, Blueblood realized it was not.

“You’re not a failure.” Redheart stomped her foot. “You’re not even alone. Look at how many of your friends came today. Look!”

The ponies, and dragon, that had shown up that day flashed through Blueblood’s mind. His reflection shook its head. “They didn’t come for him. They came because their friends were taken.”

“And isn’t that why you’re here?” Redheart said. “To keep that from ever happening again? Aren’t you the only one who can keep the Nightmares locked up?”

Blueblood’s reflection walked up to her, blinking back tears. “He’s messed up so many times, with so many things. He wasn’t there when it mattered. He was wrong when it mattered.”

“Aren’t you here now?” she asked. “Doesn’t it matter now? How can you be a failure as long as you keep trying!?”

“Because some things go wrong no matter what you do!” Blueblood’s reflection shouted. “Sometimes you don’t get a chance to try again!”

It turned away. “He’s learned from his mistakes. He’s learned that he’s a failure.”

Redheart shut her eyes. Tears leaked out from between her lids. “Do you remember the car ride?”

Blueblood’s reflection looked over its shoulder. “What?”

“When we were racing after Alma and Chrysalis.” Redheart tilted her head. “I was the only one who could help. I was the only one whose magic could reach the car without hurting anypon—anybody.” She pursed her lips and touched her pearl necklace. “I didn’t think I could do it. I was so scared.”

She walked around Blueblood’s doppelganger and touched its chest. “But you believed in me. You knew what I needed to do. You knew I could do it.” She stood there for a moment, just resting her hoof against the doppelganger. “I couldn’t believe in myself, but you believed in me. And so…”

She shrugged. “You were so certain of me. You were so sure I could do it. I could see that you knew I could. So even if…”

She reached down and took the doppelganger’s hoof in her own. “Even if I couldn’t believe in myself, I was able to believe in you. You gave me strength. You shared your own certainty.

“So”—she laughed—“so I almost crashed their car anyways. But we were able to save Alma. We were able to save so many people.” She blinked away a few tears. “And I could never have done anything without you.”

She reached her hooves behind the doppelganger’s head, pulled it forward, and pressed her lips against it.

The sounds of the crowd fell away. The carriage disappeared. The sun set over a sleepy Canterlot as the two figures kissed in the intersection. Blueblood wrapped his forelegs around Redheart, though he didn’t remember actually standing up.

He didn’t really care, at that moment.

Redheart pulled her lips away from his. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, her cheeks red. “Whoo. So, um, you’re not a failure. Okay?”

Blueblood blinked. He blinked a little more. His mouth opened and closed a few times as his cheeks blushed brightly. “I might require a bit more convincing.”

She tilted her head and frowned. Her downturned mouth slowly crept upwards. “Subtle as a freight train, Blue Eyes.”

“Well, I didn’t exactly mean—”

He was cut off as Redheart kissed him again. A moment later saw her taking a step back and looking Blueblood over head to tail. “So, you were gonna show me around your unconscious version of Canterlot.”

Blueblood blew a deep breath through his nose. He grinned and held his hoof out to her. “You know, I know a place with a most excellent view of Ponyville.”

She took his hoof as they set out across town.

Blueblood wiggled his shoulder blades as his wings extended. “Ah, there they are. It’s so nice to feel complete again.”

Redheart smiled. “Yeah, you look kinda little without them.”

Blueblood shook his head. “I am in no way little.”

“Like twice as skinny.” Redheart wiggled the hoof that wasn’t holding Blueblood’s. “Like an awkward teenage Blueblood.”

“Awkward?” Blueblood raised an eyebrow. “Are we referring to the same stallion?”

“Makes me wonder what you’d look like without a horn.” Redheart chuckled. “Probably short.”

Blueblood smirked. “Well, I’ll have you know that you look just as lovely with or without your horn and wings.”

Redheart felt her forehead. It was bare. “Whoa. When did that happen?”

“Some time before the dream started.” He shrugged. “I thought something was different when you arrived, but I couldn’t put my hoof on it. It seemed odd that you would appear that way in my dream.”

Redheart tilted her head back. “You’ve been dreaming about me?”

“Once or twice.” Blueblood gave her a half-smile. “I am a very conflicted pony, at times.”

“I can guess.” Redheart looked back at the now-empty intersection. “When I saw you tossing and turning in your sleep, I thought you were under attack.”

“No attack but of my own making, it seems.” Blueblood sucked on his lip. “I don’t think the battle’s over yet.”

“No,” Redheart said. “But now you have ammunition.”

They sat on a bench. They were near the edge of the mountain, looking down on the land of Equestria. Ponyville lay in shadows, happy lights shining from windows.

“So,” Blueblood said, “that moment in the car…”

Redheart smiled. “You were kinda awesome.”

“So were you.” Blueblood said. His and Redheart’s shoulders touched as they sat close beside each other. “That was the moment when…?”

“When I discovered you were a world-class hottie?” Redheart snickered. “Naw. I knew that already. But it was the first time I thought you were something really special.”

Blueblood let out a single laugh. “I’ve admired you a great while. It was a good part of my conflicted self. What kept you from saying something?”

“The usual.” Redheart sighed. “Fear, nervousness, anxiety. Then at your going away party… I tried.”

Blueblood eyed his hooves. “It is probably for the best that you didn’t. I was caught up in… something for quite some time.” He grimaced. “I probably still am.”

“Twilight?”

Blueblood’s eyes widened. “Well, I—”

Redheart shuffled her hooves. “She’s only a princess, and Celestia’s personal student, and super smart, and super—”

“I care a great deal for Twilight.” Blueblood took Redheart’s hooves in his own. “But I have to learn to let go.”

He looked her in the eyes. “I’ll help save her, and all of them, because they’re my friends. And it’s the right thing to do.” His brow furrowed. “And because it’s my job.”

Redheart searched his blue eyes. “You’re really stuck with it, huh?”

“Yes,” Blueblood said. “And I shall perform it to the best of my abilities.”

Redheart’s head gave a slight nod. “Not without help.”

They kissed on that bench, overlooking Ponyville. The stars appeared in the sky one by one, and the soft sounds of the calm city clattered all around.

Author's Note

For the record, gruel tastes a lot better than it sounds.

It's a Start

Octavia ran her bowstring across her cello, producing a low, moaning tune. She tapped her hoof against the stage floor and snuffled. “Not quite right. Not quite.”

As she adjusted the instrument, the other members of her quartet were busy with their own. A scale on the grand piano announced the arrival of the Big Cheese, one Princess Celestia.

Octavia bowed and tried to stop her lips from trembling. “We-we are honored to p-play at the Gr-Grand Galloping Gala once more, Your Majesty.”

Celestia smiled as she looked around the ballroom. “It is an honor to have such talented ponies as yourselves return… even after that slight disaster the last time you attended.”

“T-that was a long time ago.” Octavia cleared her throat. “I-I am, am sure that tonight will run smoothly.”

Celestia’s ear flicked down. “Too smoothly.”

Octavia was taken aback by a strange occurrence: Celestia gave her an uneasy grin. “Sorry. This will be the first time since… quite soon after she returned… that I’ll spend a Gala without Luna. I have a few ponies I’m missing.”

Octavia looked at Celestia’s eyes. They sparkled like the sun, but held a twinge of overcast skies. “I, as well. I had hoped to see my friend Vinyl Scratch tonight, but she’s off fighting monsters. Or whatever it is princesses do.”

Celestia raised a regal hoof. “You’ll see your friend soon enough. This Nightmare business can’t last too much longer.” She sucked on the inside of her cheek. “I feel it in their air.”

Octavia felt a shiver run down her spine as a breeze tickled her mane. “That might just be the dirigible outside.”

Celestia craned her neck to peer through the ballroom’s pillars. A large airship trundled through the sky beside Canter Mountain, level with the ledge the palace sat upon. Slots decorated the hull, behind each of which sat some type of weapon. “The flagship,” Celestia said. “Looks like Stonewall got right to increasing the guard.”

Octavia moved back to her cello and gripped it absentmindedly as a pair of pegasi guards flew overhead. “Is all the security necessary?”

Celestia sighed as the royal crest appeared on the flagship’s starboard side. “I don’t know if it’d be enough.”

She gave the quartet another smile before walking away. “Don’t worry. We’re due for some good news.”

Blueblood’s eyes fluttered open. It was as dark as it ever was in Tartarus. It had almost stopped surprising him, but hadn’t quite stopped depressing him.

It took him a moment to remember the dream he had just experienced.

Sitting close beside Redheart in Canterlot. Watching the sunset. Feeling that maybe, just maybe, he was not alone.

His chin rested between his hooves. He scowled into the shadows. “Few things are as heartbreaking as a sweet dream.”

“Huh?” Redheart yawned and stretched, clocking him on the back of his head. “Whuzzat?”

Blueblood gasped. He sucked in enough air to fill five lungs before finally tumbling onto his side. He stared at her, his mouth agape, his face blue.

Redheart pushed her pink mane out of her face. She rubbed an eye as she yawned again. “Mornin’.”

She lay still with her head raised, her eyes squinting at nothing. She snorted and jolted, before settling down into that same sleepy pose.

Blueblood exhaled with a mighty whoosh. “Hi.”

“Mornin’,” Redheart mumbled. Her nose dipped down before she caught herself. She blinked a few more times before a gentle snore escaped her nose.

Blueblood reached out with the tip of his wing and poked her in the side. She muttered something as she turned to him.

“Mornin’,” she said again. “G’night.”

“Um.” Blueblood rolled onto his stomach and lay just a few inches from her. “Thank you for your help in the dream.”

“Y’ welc’m.” Redheart’s eyebrows lowered as she stared through him. “Bad dream.”

Her eyes widened. “Bad dream.” Her jaw dropped as her suddenly-bright eyes looked him up and down. “Hokey Smoke, did last night actually happen?”

“Well…” Blueblood lifted a hoof and waved it around. “Well, that’s a funny question when you’re talking about dreams.”

“Alrighty.” Redheart tapped her hooves together. “Did we, in actuality, actually smooch in a shared dream?”

Blueblood nodded slowly. “I think we did. Yes, I do believe that’s what happened.”

Redheart looked at her hooves, her eyes never quite focusing. She sucked on her lips. “Huh.”

Blueblood felt the urge to stretch his wings, though he held back for fear of bumping Redheart. “I think we often find ourselves emboldened in our dreams. Able to do impossible things.”

Redheart’s chest expanded to take in a gulp of air. “And would you do it again?”

Blueblood touched her shoulder. When she turned to face him, he pressed his lips against hers.

They lay beside each other, snout to snout. Redheart smiled. “Huh.”

Vinyl Scratch stirred. She smacked her lips as she slowly got to her feet, one leg at a time. She looked across the room at the sleeping bodies, her eyes droopy.

She caught sight of Blueblood and Redheart. She blinked at the ponies for roughly half a minute before grabbing her sunglasses and planting them on her nose. She stared for another half minute, rubbed her eyes, and then let a wide grin spread across her face.

“Aw, heck yeah, Redheart!” Vinyl Scratch shouted. The various ponies around the central room, plus one diamond dog, one dragon, and one changeling, either jolted awake or rolled over with a groan. Vinyl fluttered over the assembly, pumping her foreleg in the air. “Aw yeah! You go, girl!”

Luna peered through a tangled knot of ethereal, sparkly blue mane. She frowned. “When did this happen?”

Vinyl landed beside Redheart and wrapped a leg around her. “About time, too! Though let’s not get into the injustice of you getting a coltfriend before me. You rock!”

She jumped to the other side, thumping Blueblood on his back with a hefty pat. “Way to go! I’m gonna chain you upside-down to a subwoofer if you hurt her. You couldn’t ask for a better gal!”

Blueblood stared up at Vinyl with his eyebrow cocked and his jaw hanging loose. “I feel like I just won a sweepstakes.”

“And got a tax audit all at the same time?” Redheart mumbled in his ear.

“I wasn’t going to say that part aloud,” Blueblood muttered back.

“You’re all heart,” Redheart giggled.

Flash Sentry extended his wings and glided lazily towards them. He sat a short distance away from Blueblood, his ears dipping down to the sides of his head. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Luna.

“Blueblood,” the princess said, “may I have a word with you?”

Blueblood and Redheart shared a glance. She shrugged her shoulders. “Go for it? I guess?”

Blueblood got to his feet, tied his bowtie, and followed Luna down one mostly-empty corridor. She sat facing an empty cell, her muzzle scrunched up in thought. He sat beside her and eyed her.

“Well,” Blueblood said, “I get the feeling you have something rather—”

“You got over Twilight pretty quickly, didn’t you?”

Blueblood drew back. “I hardly think that’s any of your business!”

“Isn’t it?” Luna shot Blueblood a look out of the corner of her eye. “You dream about her almost as often as you dream about yourself. I consider myself the Princess of Dreams. Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?”

Blueblood turned away. “I admit to a severe infatuation with Twilight, which is exacerbated by our friendship.”

“Yes, that.” Luna’s back grew stiff. “And yet here you are, laying beside another mare, smooching the night away.”

Blueblood narrowed one eye. “You’re making it out to be a little raunchier than it actually was.”

“My point is…” Luna made a “tsk” sound. “My point is, are you going to stretch your heart thin with this? What is this, Blueblood?”

Blueblood folded his wings tight. “She approached me—”

“That is not what I asked!” Luna frowned at him, deep lines tracing across her face. “How serious are you taking this?”

Blueblood met her stare. “Dead serious.”

“And what is it,” Luna asked, “that you are taking deadly serious?”

Blueblood’s eyes went to his hooves. He breathed quietly for a time, mulling over his thoughts. “This is infatuation, yes. Respect. Perhaps healing.” He lifted his head and shrugged his wings. “It’s a start.”

Luna searched his face. She nodded, turned, and walked away.

Blueblood leaned against the cold stone wall and let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. He watched until the princess rounded a corner, then left in the other direction.

Charity peered through the bars of her cell.

Flash Sentry watched as the mares gathered around Redheart, eager for details from the night before. Strike that—the mares and Mandible, who was not above feeding on ambient love. He noticed that the nurse was hesitant with certain details of the story, as if she was considering what to share and what to keep private. She never blushed during those pauses, but sent nervous glances towards the archway Blueblood and Luna had escaped through.

She had an unabashed blush when talking about walking around Dream-Canterlot, though.

Spike sat beside him, his head propped up by his hands and a silly grin on his face. Flash leaned close to him and whispered, “How’re you doing, Spike?”

Spike gave him a thumbs-up and wriggled it. He kept smiling. “Not bad. I’m glad to see Blueblood get a happy moment, you know?”

Flash shrugged one shoulder. “Yeah. Happy moments are pretty sparse around here.”

“Aw, don’t say that.” Spike chucked him in the shoulder. “You’ll be having lots of happy moments once we save Twilight.”

Flash watched Pinkie subtly wipe a tear from her eye as she giggled. “Will I?” he asked.

Spike blew a puff of smoke out of his nostrils. “Whadda yah mean, ‘Will I?’”

Flash sucked in a breath, but coughed when he accidently caught some of Spike’s exhale. “Ack! Can, ahem, can you keep a secret?”

“If it isn’t gonna hurt anypony,” Spike said, “sure.”

“After Blueblood blew up—at his going away party, remember?—and Twilight stalked off… I got mad. I was gonna chase after her and… probably do even more damage.”

Spike crossed his arms. “Except that you could probably have fought off the Nightmares.”

“I don’t think so.” Flash shook his head. “That’s not important. The thing is, I was gonna charge off. Cadence stopped me, and said she would cast a spell to let me see things how Twilight saw them. I saw…” Flash felt his mouth dry out. “I saw a very dear friend of mine. She’s gone now, but… I think that Twilight…”

He cleared his throat. “I think Twilight loves Blueblood.”

Spike interlaced his fingers. “Well, sure she does. They’re friends.”

“No, I mean—” Flash clomped a hoof on the floor. “You know what I mean. I—Spike, I…”

Flash let his wings droop. “I loved Sunset. And I saw Sunset, so maybe Twilight feels that way about—”

“Hold up.” Spike raised his hands. “You mean Sunset Shimmer?”

Flash turned towards Spike and put a hoof on his shoulder. “How do you know who she is?”

“I… I mean, Twilight and I…” Spike gave Flash an uneven smile. “We met her.”

Flash’s hoof dropped. “And?”

“And she’s fine. She’s fine, now.” Spike stood and rocked on the backs of his feet. “She’s got friends. She’s, um, she’s gonna be alright. She’s okay.”

Flash bowed his head. Spike walked up to him and hugged his foreleg. “And Twilight’s gonna be alright, too. She loves you, I can tell. Not just as a friend. She’s gonna need you.”

Spike stuck a hand out and waved it in an arc. “She’s gonna need all of us.”

Flash Sentry stood up, his jaw clenched tight. He patted Spike on the shoulder. “Thanks.”

Spike continued rocking as Flash walked over to a bag and pulled out a sack of sand. The baby dragon went back to watching the mares—and changeling—talk, that same silly grin on his face.

Meanwhile, Wishbone snored uproariously.

The cool, foggy morning chilled Sombra to the core. He never quite liked the mountains, preferring instead the flatlands and valleys of the Crystal Empire. He decided at that moment that he would move the capitol from Canter Mountain to the ground, in the event of glorious conquest.

Glorious conquest, at the moment, was not quite exactly on the plate.

Twilight walked in front of him through the silent streets of Canterlot’s industrial sector. She still wore the white coat and curly mane of her Rarity disguise, which distracted Sombra to no end. She had the look down right, and the voice was nigh-identical, but she was still so… off. There was no other way to describe it.

Rarity would walk with her head held high, but not with her nose in the air. Her eyes moved lightly from object to object, a sparkle behind them, searching for beauty. She walked with a fluid grace that swayed her body just so, allowing her mane to shift and bounce in a million captivating angles. Rarity carried herself like a princess.

Twilight’s ears were perked and attentive, collecting every sound, every word. She walked with a steady, purposeful stride that never faltered. Her eyes flashed sharply to this side of the street or that, just long enough to deem an object either worthy of attention, or unworthy. She carried herself like she was researching the world.

Like she was deciding which parts to keep and which to discard. “Sombra, keep your eyes on the road.”

Sombra realized that he had been staring. He rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth. “Apologies. I was thinking.”

“About crrryyyyssstttaaalllsss?” Lyra asked. She cackled as she pulled alongside him. “Wow, you really are every ‘Sombra’ joke come to life.”

Sombra sneered and backed away from the minty Nightmare. “You are an expert in the genre?”

“Naw, that’s my buddy Vinyl Scratch.” A distant look came to Lyra’s eyes, but she shook it off. “She compared me to you once, actually.”

Sombra lifted an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Yeah. She said, ‘You remind me of a very feminine Sombra.’” Lyra smiled a tight smile that only showed her front teeth. She looked like a rat about to pounce on cheese. “You know, she’d probably be into you.”

“I’m taken,” Sombra growled.

“After today?” Lyra shook her head. “Pfft. Yeah right. You’ll be lucky if anypony’ll want to see you.”

“I didn’t bring you along to socialize, Nightmare Lyre,” Twilight snapped. “Cut the chatter. We don’t want to wake the whole city.”

Sombra briefly considered doing just that, if only to tick Twilight off. A bruise on his back chose that moment to give him a twinge of remembrance, and he kept his genius thoughts to himself. “Apologies.”

They came to one factory in particular. A quick glance told Sombra that it was fairly new, judging by the lack of soot and dirt caked on the windows. Carts carrying wood, metal, and gemstones waited outside, locked up with a variety of spells and latches.

Twilight nodded. “This is the place. Bluelight Special.” She flicked an ear. “Nightmare Apple, I need you to open the door.”

As Braeburn trotted up to the wooden door, Lightning Dust leaned against the wall. “Yeah, let’s add ‘breaking and entering’ to our list of offences. No sweat.”

“Shut up,” Twilight mumbled. She stared at an exhaust funnel that sat atop the building. Her horn started to glow white. “I need to concentrate.”

A low hum built up within the factory. Sombra took a step back as magic and smoke began to drift out of the stacks. “Are you—?”

“Starting the furnaces,” Twilight said. She focused on her horn until it started sparking.

Soarin flapped his wings. A snap of static shot through his feathers. “Doesn’t that usually require a whole team of—?”

“Did you miss the part where I said to shut up!?” Twilight’s face scrunched up. “Is that stupid door open, yet?”

Braeburn fumbled with the lock, a ring of keys jangling between his hooves. He shrugged.

Lyra sniggered. “I don’t even want to know where you got those.”

Any further comments were cut off by a roar that tore through the entire facility. Everyone jumped back, save for Twilight herself. She brushed sweat off of her white forehead and walked up to Braeburn. He met her glare with an uneasy grin before passing the key ring to her.

“It’s simple, Nightmare Lyre,” Twilight said as she selected the proper key. “I own them.”

The door swung open, admitting them into the factory. “I own it all.”

Great engines chugged, bellowing forth an acrid mix of excess magic and soot. Conveyer belts carried planks of green wood from one end of the workshop to the other. Machines embedded large gemstones, either rubies or emeralds, into carved pieces of wood.

Twilight waved Lyra forward. “You watch the belts. If you see any wood that’s dead, toss it into the furnace.”

She pointed at Soarin and Lightning Dust. “Nightmare Storm, Nightmare Dust, you two guide the lift arms along their routes. I don’t need a torso going to where the legs get drilled.”

She looked at Sombra and Braeburn. “You two are on assembly. Sombra on the gems, and Nightmare Apple on the wood and metal. You’ll follow the blueprints I’ve already set out for the forepony.”

Sombra looked around at the chugging factory, bewilderment on his face. “What in the world are we building?”

Twilight walked over to a large, billowing canvass. She yanked the cover off, revealing a long row of robotic ponies. Their emerald eyes glinted in the light from the fiery furnace. “Blueblood’s Artificial Servants. Automatons that have the ability to understand and follow specific orders. Blueblood had it in his head that the world would benefit from robotic servants.”

Sombra’s mouth dropped open. “Wood and metal golems. Ingenious.”

“I know, right?” Twilight brushed past him towards the assembly area.

He followed hot on her heels. “But why do we need golems? Do we not have the Nightmares? Do we not have power?”

“Tonight, we’re going to the Gala,” Twilight said. “We’re going to appear before Celestia and petition that she close Tartarus altogether. We’ll free Blueblood, and allow the Nightmares to find a new home.” She rolled her shoulders as Braeburn put together a new robotic pony. “That’s Plan ‘A.’”

Sombra set the three gemstones into place, a ruby at the heart and two emeralds for the eyes.

“These things,” Twilight said, “are Plan ‘B.’”

She shot a spell through the ruby heart. The automaton groaned and sputtered as magic flew through it. Its emerald eyes glowed green as it stood upright of its own accord. “Or-ders, ma’am?”

“If Celestia tells us ‘no,’” Twilight hissed, “then we’ll just march over to Tartarus and tear it apart stone by stone.”

Redheart crunched her porridge with a smile on her face. Her blue eyes sparkled as she gazed at Blueblood, who was in the middle of a conversation with Flash Sentry about the merits of enchanted sand. The added crunch, munch of her fellow porridge eaters tickled her insides and caused a giggle to escape her.

“This is awful,” she chuckled.

Vinyl Scratch bit down hard on a spoonful of something that was supposed to be a little bit softer. “Y’ think?”

Rarity smiled through a mouthful of gravel. “Love is the best seasoning, I’m told.”

“I thought that was hunger,” Rainbow Dash said. She pointed her spoon at Rarity. “Actually, I’m a hundred-percent sure it’s hunger.”

“Details.” Rarity waved a hoof. “Regardless, I must congratulate you, Redheart. If there is anypony who can knock some sense into that stallion, it’d be you.”

Redheart shook her head slightly. “Actually, he knocked sense into my head first.”

“Really?” Rarity settled herself into her temporary bedspread more comfortably. “How so?”

“Well…” Redheart squinted at the past. “He trusted me to do something, even when I didn’t trust myself. He knew I could do it.”

“Ooh, trust. Biggy right there.” Rainbow Dash hovered in the air with her chest puffed out. “I’ve always said, ‘If you can’t trust your friends, they ain’t your friends’”

Pinkie Pie tilted her head. “You’ve never said that.”

“Well, I’ve said it in my head then.” Rainbow Dash settled down. “Bottom line, trust is important. You can’t be loyal if you don’t trust.”

Rarity hid her grin by taking a sip from her canteen. “Relationship advice from Rainbow Dash. That is unique.”

Rainbow Dash raised a hoof and opened her mouth, but Rarity added, “But still true.”

Dash sat up and spread her wings. “Yeah, that’s me. Awesome in the air, awesome in the social arena.”

Pinkie laughed. “You’ve been hanging around Rarity a lot, haven’t you?”

Rarity smiled softly. “Kindred spirits, Pinkie Dear.”

“Kindred?” Redheart leaned on one foreleg as she lay. “I don’t think I’ve seen two ponies more different than you two.”

Rarity grinned. “Then you haven’t seen me and Applejack, darling. Rainbow Dash and I shared a”—she looked over at Dash—“what would you call it?”

Rainbow Dash grinned ruefully. “‘Alicorn envy’?”

“More or less.” Rarity pressed her lips together. “I’m dreadfully sorry. It’s just that so many ponies were ascending at the time, and we felt…”

“Left out,” Rainbow Dash said. “No offence.”

“I don’t think it’s offensive.” Redheart chewed thoughtfully on her porridge. “I understand why you would feel that way.”

“I’ll be honest with yah,” Vinyl said. “I wasn’t shooting for alicorn when I was puttin’ together that music player.”

“I sure wasn’t trying to ascend when I was in the middle of that food poisoning outbreak.” Redheart’s brow furrowed. “Weird.”

Rarity and Rainbow shared a glance. “You think we’re trying too hard?” Rainbow Dash said.

“You know,” Pinkie said, “there’s a whole bunch of sayings that basically boil down to: ‘Good things come when you least expect them.’”

“Great,” Rainbow Dash groaned. “The world is messing with us.”

“Heh.” Vinyl reluctantly shoveled porridge into her mouth. “Maybe you just gotta trust it’s gonna happen, huh?”

“Ugh. Ouch.” Rainbow Dash covered her forehead with a foreleg. She shot Vinyl a dastardly grin. “How are we friends again?”

“Association, baby!” Vinyl clomped a hoof. “To know my friends is to love me.”

Redheart looked outside their circle and saw Blueblood duck down a tunnel. She held back a grin and stood up. “I think I need to walk off this porridge. Later.”

“Yeah, see yah.” Vinyl poked her food with her spoon. “I’ve still got a little chiseling to do.”

Redheart trotted after Blueblood, her wings fluttering. She found herself in a strangely-empty corridor, with maybe only one cell occupied. A bat pony rested inside, watching Redheart pass with lidded eyes. Redheart hesitated outside the cell, hemmed and hawed a bit, then said “Hello.”

“Hi,” the bat pony answered. “If you’re looking for him, he’s further that way.”

“Uhuh.” Redheart grinned. “Ah, thanks.”

“Don’t mention it,” the bat pony said. “To anypony.”

Redheart walked down the hallway with a quicker pace than before. She craned her neck around, looking for any sort of side-corridor he might have ducked down. It was, thankfully enough, a straight route. “Blueblood?”

“There’s a Blueblood here,” a gravelly voice said. “It’s just not the one you were lookin’ for.”

Bluebones walked out of the shadows, his cloak wrapped tight around his body. He stumbled through the last few steps, before catching himself with a small hop. “Do you know wot you just got yourself into?”

“I’m sorry,” Redheart said. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Do you have any idea,” he croaked, “wot you just did to yourself? Your life is over, mare.”

Redheart stood tall. “My name is Redheart. Feel free to wear it out.”

“When you get tah be as old as oi am, then you can choose wot folks call you.” Bluebones clutched his chest as he coughed. “Now shut up, oi’m tryin’ to tell you somethin’ important!”

Redheart sat and crossed her forelegs. “You’re not making it very easy to listen to.”

“Don’t you even know ’bout the Blueblood Curse?” Bluebones took a step back when Redheart’s face twitched. “No, oi didn’t think so. It says that everything we Blueblood love has to get hurt.

“Moi wife? Dead. Four hundred years ago, she died. Taken from me, just like that. Moi idiot son never loved nothin’ but hisself. He’s gone. Moi grandson’s wife, your Blueblood’s mum? She’s gone, crushed by her own carriage.” Bluebones’ cowl fell away from his skeletal face. “Are you startin’ tah see the pattern?”

Redheart shuffled back. “Oh, my gosh. It was real?”

“Of course the curse is real!” Bluebones shouted. “Wot reality are you—?”

“Hush!” Redheart stood, and found herself grateful that alicorns were slightly taller than the average pony. “I’m talking about Blueblood’s dream. He remembers it like it was yesterday.”

She chewed her lip for a second before nodding to herself. “Yes. I know what I’m getting into. And I’m okay with that.”

“But—but everything we love…” Bluebones held his hooves out. “It get taken from us, trampled, struck down, destroyed—”

“I can’t just leave him alone.” Redheart shook her head. “No. That’s… that would be selfish on a level that… He needs me.”

“Stop that!” Bluebones reached up and rested his hooves on her shoulders. His face lay uncovered before her. “This is wot he’s gonna become! This is what he’ll be, and all you’ll be is a bitter memory! You gotta walk away! You gotta leave!”

Redheart stared into his empty eye sockets. She lifted a hoof and placed it against his bare cheek. “I know how curses work, Bluebones. I know they can be broken. They have to be broken.”

“But…”

Redheart wrapped Bluebones in a hug. “You gave up so long ago you forgot you could fight. But I can help. I have to help.”

She pulled back and smiled at him. “Maybe you’ll be ready to help, too. Grandpa.”

She walked away and left Bluebones wobbling in the corridor. He gave one last “But…” before sitting down.

Luna materialized out of the shadows behind him. “You tried.”

“Oi failed.” Bluebones pulled his hood over his face. “It’s over.”

“Not over.” Luna watched Redheart trot though the hallway. “No. I think she is right. We can help.”

Bluebones craned his neck to look at her. “How?”

“The first step is following her example,” Luna said. “Being there.”

“He don’t want me there,” Bluebones mumbled.

“That’s his problem.” Luna strode past him and waved a wing. “Come on, let’s mingle. If I cannot attend the Gala today, I might as well party as only Pinkie Pie can while in a dark, cavernous prison.”

He bowed his head and followed her. They went some ways before Luna spoke up again.

“Next time, I’m making the porridge.”

Author's Note

Next chapter, you are cordially invited to the Grand Galloping Gala.

Best Flight Ever

The Grand Galloping Gala opened up below them. Light burst forth from the ballroom as nobles, celebrities, and well-connected ponies walked inside. Music poured forth, drifting up the mountain to the resting place of the Nightmares.

Twilight Sparkle wrinkled the facsimile of Rarity’s nose that sat on her face. “Tonight’s the night. Best night ever.”

Smoke crept along the ground beside her. It drifted up to her ear and a voice crackled forth. “The Nightmares are in place, as you specified, My Queen. Just in case Celestia finds something to disagree with.” Shadowfright’s face blossomed out of the shadow. “But I believe Sombra is still reluctant to play his part.”

“He needs to stand around and look handsome.” Twilight Sparkle waved Shadowfright away from her ear. “As long as he keeps his mouth shut, we’ll be fine.”

“He isn’t the most verbose, I’ll give you that.” Shadowfright looped around her. He spread his smoky wings and pointed at the gala. “And you? Are you willing to play your part?”

“The Nightmares will have their home. There’s going to be a completely reasonable resolution to this whole mess.” Twilight exhaled through her nose. “I can taste it in the air.”

“Taste it?” Shadowfright lifted a pseudo-eyebrow. “Your tongue is prophetic now?”

Twilight grimaced. “I mean it’s tangible, you numbskull! Celestia is my friend. There’s no way I can’t make her see things in a new light.”

Shadowfright smirked. “Even after a thousand years in her state of mind?”

“She’s open minded,” Twilight said. “Perhaps she’s merely never had a different solution presented to her.”

“Right.” Shadowfright leaned over the edge of the mountain and floated in midair. “What if Sombra tries something?”

“Simple.” Twilight stood and turned her back on him. “If he refuses to perform the duty given him, he will fill the role of scapegoat.”

Shadowfright chuckled as he slipped away into the night.

Sombra walked down the road to the gala, the disguised Twilight Sparkle’s foreleg looped around his own. He swallowed a lump in his throat. He stared at Twilight and fought against his desire to toss the mare off the mountainside. She was no longer subtly acting different than Rarity, she had given up pretenses altogether. She slouched every time they passed a group of ponies talking. She sneered openly at the guards flying overhead in a search pattern. She wet her lips as she approached the entrance to the gala, preparing a speech in her head.

Her eyes didn’t sparkle once. Not once. They could not be Rarity’s eyes.

The sound of metal hooves marching reached his ears from the far side of Canterlot. He saw the dark shapes of Lightning Dust and Soarin flitting over the rooftops as they neared the Celestia Flagship that hovered over the city. He knew that the mechanical servants were following underfoot, ready to staff the airship.

Lyra nudged his flank. “Hay, muscles. Look lively, huh? We’re going to a party, not a funeral.”

“Right,” Braeburn grunted. He displayed a cheesy smile that had absolutely no true mirth in it. “Like this.”

“If he smiled, it’d break his face,” Twilight said. “Now shut up. We’re getting close.”

The marching tromp remained faint but steady. Sombra had a brief flashback to leading a victorious army into the Crystal Empire. His reverie was dissolved when he realized Twilight Sparkle was humming in time with the beat.

“At the gala,” she said.

“At the gala,” Lyra replied.

Soarin grinned as he approached the airship.

“At the gala
The dirigible
I’m going to beat them all
All the sailors
I will throw them off the airship.”

“At the gala,” one robot said.

“We’ll commandeer
All the controls
With weapons big and small
And I’ll never be alone
If we win at the gala!”

“We’ll resolve all our wants right here at the gala,” the robots said. “At the gala.”

Braeburn tilted his head down.

“At the gala
Ah will find it
The way that ah should go
Ah will blaze it
Ah will pave it
My true path won’t be unknown
And ah’ll find what ah’ve been missing
In mah broken compass!”

Sombra rolled his eyes as the ponies around him carried on. A twinge of something hit his heart, and Rarity’s eyes flashed through his mind. He gritted his teeth as a deep baritone rolled up from his chest.

“At the gala
With the Nightmares
For the lady Rarity
It’s her only hope for happiness and laughter.”

“At the gala!”

“I will be it
Her prince charming
I’ll fill the roll fully
For there are none quite as regal
Not at the Grand Gala!”

Lightning Dust touched down on a rooftop and looked down at the marching robots. She looked up at Soarin as he hovered. She gave him a wink. “Race yah to the ship.”

She shot forward, a trail of static in her wake.

“Been fightin’
I’ve been trainin’
To reach the level they put out
The Wonderbolts, they turned me down
Wait until they see me now!
’Cuz Nightmare Dust is the best
And you can cuss all the rest
They’ll have to say I’m what they needed at the gala!”

Lyra guffawed as she pranced through the crowds. She bared her fangs and scared one petite mare, causing the pony to faint. She licked one canine as she searched for another victim.

“I am here at the Grand Gala
And I’m scary as can be
All the idiots thought Lyra was a skittish mare, you see
Oh watch her run and hide from all the changelings attacking
But they’ll fear me
And they’ll tremble
Away from my great power!”

“Fear and terror permeate the gala, at the gala!”

Sombra halted at a tug on his foreleg. Twilight took a deep breath in through her nose and let it out her mouth. She straightened her back, set her eyes forward, and walked steadily into the ballroom. Celestia waited on the podium, greeting every pony personally.

Twilight sighed.

“At the gala
With the princess
I’m going to debate
I’ll explain the options calmly
To change Prince Blueblood’s fate
Nightmares will get their new home
My solution will be top rate!”

A huge, muscular pegasus stallion lifted a sheet of paper. He read the next line and bellowed at the top of his lungs. “Prince Dark Shadow Lightning and Lady Rarity! Yeah!”

Celestia’s ears perked up. She lowered her eyebrows. “Rarity? Really?” She raised a regal hoof. “Come forward. I would like to speak with the Bearer of Generosity.”

Sombra felt his heart beat rapidly in his chest as he moved towards his mortal foe. The crowds parted as they approached, with several guards near the edge taking keen interest at the unfiled horn upon his forehead. It wasn’t exactly a popular style, after all.

Twilight bowed before Celestia. The Diarch of the Day bowed her head out of respect. “Rarity,” Celestia whispered, “I thought you’d be at Tartarus with the others.”

“That’s what I’d like to speak with you about, Your Majesty,” Twilight said in a clipped distortion of Rarity’s accent. “There’s been a development.”

Celestia’s jaw tightened. “You had to wait until we were in the middle of the gala to tell me? Doesn’t Spike still use the dragonfire spell? What possible reason would you have to spring this on me now!?”

“Because it needs to be settled now!” Twilight stomped a hoof. The hoof ignited with green flame, which rose up along her leg. Dark purple hairs appeared where the fire had licked the enchantment away. The limbs grew longer and leaner as the magic spread to other limbs, and then up to Twilight’s body. Wings sprouted from her back as her cutie mark returned to its true form. The violet in her mane turned midnight, save for the lavender strip that shone like the morning sun.

Twilight Sparkle, Twilit Queen of the Nightmares, stood tall before Celestia.

Celestia screamed.

Sombra’s jaw dropped as the Matriarch of the Morning, his hated enemy, buckled at the knees. Her chest heaved as she fought for breath, for the very power to speak. Her eyes were pierced through with horror. With loss.

A thousand thoughts ran through Sombra’s mind.

She’s weak, finish her.

Destroy her at last.

Take the throne.

Vengeance for a thousand years of ice.

Hate her.

Tear her apart.

Annihilate all she loves.

What would Rarity say?

The last thought stung his eyes.

“What—” Celestia gasped. “Twilight, what have they done to you?”

“They gave me the ability to fix this whole mess.” Twilight strode up to Celestia and brought their faces inches apart. “So I’m gonna fix it.”

“No,” Celestia said. “No, not you. Anypony but you.”

“Listen closely, Princess.” Twilight turned and motioned to the ceiling. “We might not have much time.”

Nightmares dropped from the sky. Bêtes Noire, Night Terrors, and Phantasms flooded the ballroom, sending ponies running in panic. The guards leapt forward, but were quickly restrained by a hundred mechanical ponies. Lyra saluted Twilight from her perch up above. “Nice timing, huh?”

“Shut up,” Twilight said. “Celestia, I would like to petition that the Nightmares, henceforth referred to as Living Dreams, be removed from Tartarus and allowed to have a home of their own.”

“Twilight,” Celestia said, “Twilight, do you realize what you’re doing?”

Twilight frowned. “Of course. I am giving you a completely reasonable solution to the Tartarus problem. The Living Dreams shall have their new home, Blueblood will be free to live his life, and we can continue to—”

“No.” Celestia bit her lip. “No, Twilight, we can’t.”

Twilight Sparkle scoffed. “Honestly, I didn’t expect this from you, Celestia. I’ve always know you to be a reasonable—”

“Twilight, the Nightmares are already citizens of Equestria.”

Twilight stiffened. She turned her head slowly to look at Celestia. “Huh?”

“I made them citizens after my sister and her followers were banished to the moon.” Celestia extended her wings. “They have a home, Twilight.”

“But…” Twilight gritted her teeth. “Why are they imprisoned?”

“Scorpan,” Celestia said. “He led the Nightmares in a revolt, in an attempt to take Equestria away from the ponies.” Celestia swallowed hard. “They face the consequences for their actions.”

Twilight shivered as Celestia spoke quietly, “You can end this insanity now.”

“No,” Twilight whispered. “No, I can’t. I can’t just leave Blueblood. I promised.”

“There are so many ways to help Blueblood, Twilight.” Celestia put a hoof on her shoulder. “Be there for him. Spend time with him. Help him at Tartarus. Be his friend. You can be such a good friend.”

“I can’t turn back.” Twilight pulled away. “I can’t stop now.”

“Twilight…” Celestia shook her head. “Twilight, you have to break away from the Nightmares. They’ll lead you down a road that will ruin your life forever. They twist you, mold you into something darker. They steal your sense of self. But it’s a lie!”

Celestia brought her mouth beside Twilight’s ear. “The Nightmares’ greatest lie is that they convince you that you are not in control. That’s wrong, Twilight. The Nightmares only have whatever power you give them. All you have to do is reject them. All you have to do is push them out.”

Twilight’s eyes shimmered. “I… I can’t.”

Sombra stepped away as Twilight Sparkle backpedaled from the princess. The Twilit Queen was hyperventilating. She clutched at her chest and shook her head. “No. No, no, no, no, no. No, I can’t fight her. I can’t fight Celestia. I won’t.”

Sombra opened his mouth. He took a deep breath, thought better of it, and let his mouth shut. He looked from Celestia to Twilight and back again. Twilight crumbled to her knees, and Celestia stood over her.

“Twilight, we can work it out,” Celestia said. “You just have to trust me.”

Nightmares edged away from the podium as they sensed Twilight’s resolve dissolving. Only the passionless robots stood fast as she began to sob. “I can’t… I can’t…”

Sombra watched.

Destroy them both.

Take what’s mine.

Finish the deed.

Revenge.

Return.

Rarity.

I love Rarity.

I can’t see her in despair.

I won’t see her in despair!

“Enough!” Sombra shouted. He slammed his hooves into the ground and sent giant spikes of crystal jutting up all around. “There’s only one way this ends, princesses!”

He stared straight at Twilight. “Run.”

He opened his wings wide as his eyes glowed with purple fire. “With me on the throne!”

He batted Twilight towards the door with one wing. “Run.”

“What!?” Celestia reared up as rage colored her eyes bright white. “Sombra!? You’re behind this!?”

“From day one! Run.” Sombra grinned at Princess Celestia. “It was I who freed the Nightmares from Tartarus! Run.”

One Night Terror whispered to his neighbor. “I thought that was Bluebones?”

“Run.” Sombra fired a beam of darkness at Celestia, who dodged nimbly to the side. “And now I shall take control of your kingdom with an army of Nightmares at my side! Run!”

Twilight’s hooves skidded on the marble floor as she bolted from the ballroom, Lyra and Braeburn in her wake.

“I shall enslave your entire kingdom! Pony by pony!” Sombra snarled. He braced himself, flinching away as he faced Celestia down. “Starting with you precious former Element Bearers!”

The dam broke.

Guards from the outside dove in through the windows to demolish the mechanical ponies and free their comrades. Nobles and celebrities stampeded away from the battle as Nightmares scrambled to escape. Sombra lit his horn in preparation for another attack.

Celestia’s mane burst into bluish-white flame. Her eyes shone with the light of the sun as she grasped Sombra in a vice-like grip. He wriggled as much as he could, but there was no standing against the Sun’s Chosen Bearer. He flew back in a fiery flash of magic and barreled through the wall. Masonry crumbled as his back turned it into stone dust.

He didn’t stop until he hit the outer castle wall.

He coughed. He rubbed his nose, and his hoof came away white with the dust. He tried to rise, but felt a series of sharp pangs in his sides. He rested among the rubble, his energy spent.

Celestia descended upon him. She set one of her gold-shod hooves on his chest and pushed him down. “I think we can conclusively say that your plan is an utter failure, monster.”

Sombra coughed again. It was getting difficult to breath. “That depends… on which plan you mean.”

Celestia tilted her head. The fire never left her eyes. “Your plan to overthrow me.”

“Oh, yes…” Sombra chuckled, though it was more of a strangled gasp. “That plan sucked.”

Celestia’s mane waved around like fire crackling over logs. “Then what—?”

“Simply this,” Sombra said. “How distracted are you feeling right now?”

Celestia jerked her head up. She spun around, bringing the Celestial Flagship into view. It was drifting aimlessly over Canterlot, a trail of metal and wood leading up to it. A closer inspection revealed that the trail was made up of Automated Servants, who were stacking atop each other and climbing up to the airborne vessel. She could see the sailors abandoning ship, utilizing parachutes, ropes, or Glory-given wings to escape.

The captain stood alone, until Soarin grasped him in a telekinetic cloud and threw him over the side. He was quickly caught up by his flying first mate.

“Sombra,” Celestia said, “what have you done?”

“Tartarus must fall, Celestia,” he said. “It is the only thing that will free Twilight from her obsession. That, in turn, is the only thing that will bring her back to her friends.”

Sombra flinched away from the sharp pain in his wings. “That is the only thing that will make Rarity happy again.”

“You old fool. She could have been saved right then and there!” Celestia’s mane extinguished as the flagship pulled away from the mountain, firing potshots at whatever guard happened to be within range. It turned out that the golems were horrible shots. “So many years, and you still don’t know anything about people.”

Sombra scowled. “I know what they fear. I know how easily they are controlled by that fear.”

“Then you don’t know yourself.” Celestia spread her wings and took a deep breath. “You ended up being the most fearful of us all, Sombra.”

She flew after the flagship, though it was flying far faster than she was capable of. A few pegasus guards joined her in the pursuit, while the remainder fought to demolish the robots that remained in Canterlot.

Captain Stonewall walked up to Sombra with a medical team in tow. “You the tyrant we’re supposed to pick up?”

Sombra gurgled a response, before passing out in the rubble torn from the castle wall.

Twilight Sparkle busted down the door to the cabin. Lightning Dust tumbled out of the way as she charged inside. “Who’s flying this thing!?”

Soarin saluted from his position behind the ship’s wheel. “At your service, Your Majesty.”

“Tell the robots to stop firing on Canterlot, they could hurt somepony!” Twilight paced around inside the cabin as Lyra and Braeburn entered. “What do we do now? What can we possibly do now!?”

“Yah know what ta do, Twilit Queen,” Braeburn drawled. “Yah always do.”

“What’s wrong?” Lyra said with a smirk. “Don’t tell me you got cold hooves.”

“I can’t fight Celestia!” Twilight screeched.

Lyra and Braeburn stumbled back under the force of Twilight’s voice. The towering alicorn mare snorted steam as she continued her tirade. “This is evil! I didn’t want to be evil! I didn’t want to burn every single bridge I’ve spent my whole life building! I just wanted to help a friend, not lose all the rest! I just wanted Blueblood safe!”

She stomped a hoof and cracked the floorboards. “What’s wrong with me!?”

The Nightmares around her fell silent. They looked at each other, biting their lips and rubbing the back of their necks. Braeburn stepped forward. “You sayin’ you really don’t know what to do?”

“Yes!” Twilight slumped to the floor. “Yes. I am…”

Braeburn shook his head. “Yah gotta know what to do. You gotta know the right path. You can’t get lost. You gotta be there to show me the way.” He reached down with a strong foreleg and grasped Twilight’s hoof. He dragged her to her feet and snorted. “Yah gotta be there in case ah get lost! You promised! You promised!”

Twilight jerked away from him. She trotted over to the back of the cabin and looked out the porthole. She could see Canterlot receding in the distance. “I’m sorry.”

“Th—there was somethin’ I needed your help remembering,” Braeburn said. “It was somethin’ important, and ah know it’s there. I just can’t see it.” He blinked back tears. “What was it ah was supposed to remember, Your Majesty? What am ah missin’?”

Twilight’s breathing slowed. “I don’t know.” She looked over her shoulder. “I can’t remember.”

Lyra chuckled, low and wary. She looked to the left and right as a shiver ran down her spine. “Yeah, right. Lots of forgettable ponies onboard this ship. Crazy.”

“T—Tartarus,” Twilight said. “Tartarus. We just need to go there and… and free Blueblood. Then the Nightmares will have their home.” She chewed on the edge of her mane. “Then everything will turn out okay, right?”

“Yeah,” Soarin said. “Yeah. Then we won’t ever have to be alone.”

“Or lost,” Braeburn mumbled.

“Or afraid,” Lyra hissed.

“Or worthless,” Lightning Dust coughed.

“Or helpless,” Twilight seethed. “T—to Tartarus, then. We’ll break it apart.” She grinned uneasily. “Hay, it was always plan ‘B,’ right?”

“Yeah.” Lyra licked her lips. “Ahuh.”

Twilight looked around the cabin. She stuck her head outside. “Hay, has anypony seen Shadowfright?”

Author's Note

Apologies for the song, but I like to indulge myself now and again.

Lies and Slander

Discord twiddled his thumbs as he attempted to drown a goldfish. The fish blubbed happily in the deathtrap the draconequus had constructed for it. There was no escape from the doomed, watery grave.

The goldfish wiggled a fin as it munched pebbles of food.

“Just you wait, Goldie Pox,” Discord said. “Any moment now, you won’t be able to hold your breath anymore, and then… well…” He shrugged. “You’ll sleep with the fishes.”

Goldie Pox blinked his fishy little eyelids.

“Stop that,” Discord said. “It’s unnatural.”

“You’re no stranger to the unnatural, Discord.”

Discord looked up. His room was dark and shadowy, the strange glow of Goldie Pox’s fishbowl the only light. “And dost thou speakest of the devil?”

One shadow in particular drifted down. The beaked face of Shadowfright materialized, his purple eyes burning out of the black. “I’m natural enough. I was born. I live. Perhaps one day I shall die. Maybe.”

Discord raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t know it was even possible for your kind to die.”

“Our regenerative properties have been deemed astronomically impossible by the ponies for centuries.” Shadowfright smirked. “But then, nopony’s tried to split my atoms in a long while.”

“Well, I certainly hope I’m there for the show,” Discord growled. “I’d be happy to participate.”

“Participation is overrated.” Shadowfright slithered up to Discord and wrapped a tendril around his middle. “It’s much easier to take the side path and watch all the pieces fall together. One by one.”

Discord tried to stand up, but Shadowfright held him down. He teleported a meter away and stuck out his tongue. “Neener, neener.”

“Far be it from me to give out unwanted hugs,” Shadowfright said. “I suspect you get lots of those from your dozens of friends.”

“Of course,” Discord said. He crossed his arms. “I’m a nice draconequus now. Friendship is magic, yadda, yadda.”

“Certainly, certainly.” Shadowfright glanced at the pile of friendship reports that had been rolled into balls atop Discord’s couch. “No doubt you care for your friends as they care for you.”

Discord mumbled something.

“I’m sorry?” Shadowfright said.

“I will call the princesses if you don’t leave right this second,” Discord said.

“Oh, aren’t you the responsible one, now?” Shadowfright guffawed. “I tremble at the Lawful-Good draconequus. A paladin’s paladin!”

“Hay.” Discord rolled up the fur on his arms like sleeves. “Them’s fighting words.”

“Oh, I haven’t even gotten started.” Shadowfright wrapped his dark body around Discord. “You’re nothing but a failure.”

Discord struggled against Shadowfright’s grip. “What are you—?”

“You come to Equestria as the conquering King of Chaos, and now?” Shadowfright tsked. “You’re nursemaid to a bunny rabbit.”

Discord sunk through the ground, leaving Shadowfright hovering above the floor. The Nightmare floated down as Discord fell from the ceiling.

“And they don’t even appreciate your gestures of friendship.” Shadowfright brought his cheek alongside Discord’s. “They treat you like a reprobate. An ex-convict. A nuisance. You’re just a nuisance to these ponies. They aren’t your friends.”

Shadowfright shrugged with a sigh. “In fact, I doubt they ever were.”

“You quit that right now, you hear me!?” Discord snapped his talon and conjured a thousand swords, which all pointed at Shadowfright’s core. “Fluttershy is my friend. She will be forever. She was willing to give everything up to show me—”

“How powerful her control over the weak-minded was?” Shadowfright sneered. “She was manipulating you, Discord. They all were. That’s all they’ve ever done. For a great master of chaos”—he hid his face as he smiled—“you act like a child seeking approval, but unwilling to do the good deeds required of it.”

Shadowfright wrapped a wing around Discord’s shoulders. “You’ve just woken up Hearth’s Warming Morning to find bags of coal under your tree.”

His eyes shifted to peer at the draconequus. “Now, I’ve been away a while. What do you do with coal, again?”

Discord gnashed his snaggletooth. “You burn it.”

“Yes, that’s right.” Shadowfright nodded. “It makes for quite the blaze. How did that saying go? ‘Liar, liar, pants on fire?’”

“They lied to me,” Discord said. “I fell for it. Hook, line, and sinker.”

“Friendship is how the weak seek protection from the strong,” Shadowfright said. “Who is stronger than you?”

“Nopony.” A scraggly grin spread across Discord’s face as his eyes burned. “I guess I should have known. They’ve never treated me like a friend.”

“It’s so true it hurts.” Shadowfright shook his head. “Tea parties and play dates are cheap.”

“Never stuck their necks out for me,” Discord said. “Never showed me an ounce of kindness.”

“Mm.” Shadowfright melted into the shadows. His purple eyes stared out of the gloom. “Such a shame to let such delicious bitterness go to waste.”

“Well, if they refuse to be my friends…” Discord cracked his knuckles. “Maybe it’s time Ponyville became the Chaos Capitol of Equestria once again.” He snickered. “And they with no little Elements of Harmony to send me back to Rockytown”

“Ponyville is nice this time of year,” Shadowfright said. “But if I might make a suggestion?”

Discord squinted at Shadowfright. “What do you want?”

“I want a door opened.” Shadowfright scowled out of the blackness. “A door to the pit of chaos itself. A door that, when opened, will unleash such devastating chaos that Equestria will never recover.”

Shadowfright wrapped Discord in an embrace. “A door to the pit of Nightmares. The doorway of Tartarus itself.”

Discord gulped. “When do we start?”

Shadowfright wrapped tendrils of Nightmare essence around Discord’s body. It entered the draconequus’ eyes, ears, nose, mouth. Discord trembled.

“We just did,” Shadowfright said.

Author's Note

Oooh, snap.

The Day the Nightmares Came to Visit

Spike burped up bad news. This by itself was not unusual, since most news that came from Celestia often required that he and Twilight move outside their comfort zone. What was unusual was that Twilight herself was the bad news.

Twilight Sparkle and Nightmares on their way. Defend the Prison.

Celestia

“Well, poop.” Spike rolled up the letter and handed it to Flash Sentry. “What are we gonna do?”

Flash read over the letter before handing it to Luna. “We’re gonna do what she says, Spike. We’re gonna defend the prison.”

“How bad is it?” Blueblood asked.

“The letter was written hastily,” Luna said. “The ink was blown by winds, as if she wrote it midflight. I believe she, herself, is on her way.”

“That’s pretty bad.” Pinkie Pie bounced up to read over Luna’s shoulder. “Do you think Braeburn will be with them?”

“If Celestia herself is coming here, I think they’re throwing everything they’ve got at us.” Flash Sentry paced around Tartarus’ central room. “We’re talking about all the Nightmares that’ve been turned, all the Nightmare Forces that Luna hasn’t tracked down, and whatever else they’ve scrounged up.”

Rarity frowned. “Tell me again why there isn’t a garrison of guards mounted around this prison?”

“Too many holes for Nightmares to escape through.” Luna tore the letter up and marched for the doorway. “Come on. We have to be ready for them.”

Mandible rubbed his hooves together, his eyes wide. “But we don’t have any weapons!”

“They’re our friends!” Vinyl said. She pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes. “I ain’t gonna use weapons against Lyra.”

“She is correct,” Luna said. Her horn glowed as she passed a few bags around. “We must use the Nightmare’s power against them. We must free our friends from the terrible dreams they have been trapped in.”

She handed the last bag to Blueblood, who eyed it from leg’s length. “We must bring the battle to them,” she said. “To their hearts.”

Redheart peeked inside her bag. “Sand?”

“The enchanted sand we used to rescue you from your Nightmare,” Flash said. “We’ve got to split into teams, with one unicorn or alicorn apiece. Then we’ll divide and conquer. Try to seek out the Nightmare who you’re closest to. We’ll fight to free our friends, and then they’ll be able to help us against the others.”

“Wait,” Mandible said. He clicked his fangs together. “What happens if we get attacked while we’re dreaming?”

“I will defend you,” Luna replied. She drew up alongside Flash. “Though I have the most experience with Dreamhopping, you all know your friends far better than I do. I am also the most powerful magic user present. It is a matter of calculated risks.”

Blueblood nodded. “And then Celestia can help you when she arrives.”

“Correct.” Luna pointed her horn at the diamond dog resting on a pillow a few meters away. “They’ll be attacking from the air.”

Captain Wishbone grumbled. “So you need the captain and ship? Been drafted once already.”

“He’s also been compensated,” Blueblood said.

“Heh.” Wishbone tipped his hat back. “We talk compensation later.”

They walked as one group to the entrance of Tartarus. Redheart paused and looked over her shoulder. Blueblood was still in the center of the room, examining his bag of sand. “You coming?”

Blueblood’s head jerked up. He gulped down a bit of nervousness before responding. “I’m the warden, Redheart. I have to stay here and make sure the prisoners don’t escape.”

She galloped up to him and put her hoof on his cheek. “You don’t have to be a martyr.”

“No, perhaps not.” He covered her hoof with his own. “But I have a responsibility. Stay safe, Redheart.”

Her jaw clenched. She blinked her eyes and turned away.

“I adore you, Redheart,” Blueblood said. “I look forward to learning how to love you.”

She paused halfway to the hall. She grinned at him. “See you when all this is over.”

Blueblood watched her until she disappeared into the darkness. Blueblood stood alone amongst the Nightmares. For a moment.

“You didn’t have to stay.” Bluebones clutched his cloak tight to his ribcage. “You could have gone out there and helped them. You would have been with your friends.”

“And it would have left you alone in here should a Nightmare get through.” Blueblood straightened his bowtie. “You of all ponies should know that’s a bad idea.”

Bluebones said nothing. Blueblood said nothing more. They sat in the silence of the prison and waited for fate to knock.

Luna patted Cerberus on his side as the giant dog sniffed the air. His beady eyes scanned the shadows that surrounded Tartarus. The moon was not yet high, leaving the entire mountain range in foggy blackness. The hum of an engine started up as Wishbone’s new airship rose from the ground.

“We ready when Nightmares ready,” he said. “Can I sniff his butt, now?”

“No.” Luna shook her head. “He doesn’t like it.”

Cerberus growled.

“D-do you think they’ll just fly in,” Mandible said. “Like changelings?”

“Possibly.” Rarity rubbed Spike’s back as they both sat on a rock. “Though if Twilight’s with them, they’d need some way to carry her, wouldn’t they?”

“Unless she’s one of them,” Rainbow Dash mumbled.

“That’s an awful thing to say!” Rarity shot Dash a glare. “She’ll be perfectly alright.”

“Braeburn got taken.” Pinkie rubbed her face with both hooves. “I think just about anypony could.”

“Well,” Rarity said, “we’re here to make sure that there will be no more.”

“I hear that,” Vinyl said. Her ears twitched. “And… something else.”

Luna looked up at the foggy sky. She squinted as she caught a glimpse of movement. “There’s something out there.”

“What is it?” Rainbow Dash spread her wings. “Should I go see?”

“No, stick with the group for now.” Flash Sentry ran up to the airship. “Get ready to take us on board.”

“You get on now, we be ready.” Wishbone peered through a spyglass. “Too dark to make anything out.”

“You sure about that?” Rainbow Dash pointed up, her mouth pulled back in a tight grimace. “Yeah, I think I can see it.”

All collected ponies and otherwise followed her hoof. There was an almost audible moan from each of them as a large shape rolled through the fog like a ship across the ocean. A giant envelope carried the Celestial Flagship aloft, and large propellers pushed it along. Along the sides, large flags bearing the Celestial Emblem and the Lunar Emblem hung. The flagship turned, revealing its broadside to Tartarus. The flags were rolled away, and several portions of the hull opened up.

Nozzles poked through the holes.

“Take cover!” Luna shouted.

Fire, lightning, ice, pure sunlight, and a dozen other forms of magic and radiation shot forth from the flagship’s cannons. Rock burned, shattered, and disintegrated as the blasts impacted the mountain. A boulder next to Luna disintegrated into a fine powder.

“On second thought, get to the airship!”

They piled on as quick as their legs and wings could carry them. Luna brought up the rear and shoved Spike on board with a flash of her horn. She pushed against the airship with her hooves and flapped her wings. “Get under the flagship! Get under it!”

Wishbone nodded and turned the yoke. His other paw gripped a lever and eased it forward, getting his propeller up to speed. They rocketed forward, and the ponies inside tumbled head over tail. Pinkie Pie righted herself first. She stared up at the flagship as it poured its firepower into Tartarus.

“Move it to the far side!” Luna said. “We can approach from port!”

The wind kicked up as Wishbone struggled against his steering yoke. He clutched his hat to his head as he looked around. “Too many mountains for wind! What’s wrong?”

Flash Sentry poked his head above the side of the airship. “There’s magic in the air. It’s not natural!”

Lightning blasted out of the fog and struck the airship. Spike nearly tumbled out, but was caught by the timely glow of Rarity’s horn. Mandible’s multifaceted eyes gazed into the gloom.

“Aw, crud,” he said. “I see an alicorn in there.”

A bluish streak flashed by the ship. Lightning followed in its wake, careening dangerously close to the airship’s envelope. Rainbow Dash caught it in one hoof, held it close to her chest, and then let it zing towards the ground.

Redheart gaped at her. “How did you do that!?”

“Alicorn envy!” Rainbow Dash gripped the rope that secured the balloon to the hull. “I’ve been training!”

Lightning flashed again, though this time it missed them completely. Rainbow Dash glared at the source. “It’s Lightning Dust! She’s mine!”

Rainbow Dash dove into the wind and was soon swallowed up by the churning fog. She swerved to avoid rocky outcroppings that popped up out of nowhere. She scanned the ground and air, looking for more flashes. A sudden weight on her back sent her into a spin, which she corrected almost immediately.

“You’re getting better at that,” Lightning Dust said.

Rainbow Dash flared her wings out to the side, cutting her speed. She sent all four hooves into Lightning Dust’s chest. Lightning gasped for breath. Rainbow wrapped her forelegs around the alicorn in a tight hold.

“No!” Lightning’s horn flared, drawing static from the surrounding fogbank. Thunder pierced their eardrums as pure energy struck. The two of them were blasted apart, and they tumbled onto a rocky ledge below. Lightning Dust picked herself up and chuckled. “I’d like to see anypony but an alicorn survive that.”

Rainbow Dash stood up, her eyes burning and her wings smoldering. She smirked. “Like what you see?”

Lightning froze. Her mouth opened wide in a roar as she charged across the mountain towards Dash.

Luna flew beside the airship as they rose through the sky. Their deck came level with the flagship’s. Flash Sentry jumped overboard, spreading his wings and catching one of the more controlled updrafts. He looked down on the flagship, made a few notes, then spiraled down to the others. “It’s Blueblood and Twilight’s robots! They’re staffing the ship. I think I saw Lyra and Braeburn on deck!”

“Then you got to get us closer, darn it!” Vinyl shouted. “I can’t fly in these conditions!”

“I can’t fly at all!” Pinkie said.

“What you suggest?” Wishbone’s hat was torn away by a particularly strong gust. “Too much wind! We get close to big ship, little ship crash! Then there be no more little ship!”

Flash Sentry ran his hooves along the deck. “Maybe a rope bridge? Could we cross like that?”

“Too stupid!” Wishbone shook his head. “Still too close!”

“Hang on!” Luna said. “I’ll keep you from crashing.”

She wrapped the airship in a tight bubble of magic. She dragged it along, fighting against the air that swirled around them.

Lyra was the first to see them approach. “Hay, Nightmare Apple. Check it out.”

He came up alongside her. She pointed over the deck railing. “See that airship? Looks like our buddies have come to rescue us.”

Her horn glowed with golden light. She felt along the sides of the smaller airship, up the rigging, around the envelope. She grinned wide. “Details, my friend. The devil is in the details.”

Her horn sparked and went out. “In this case, the devil is me!”

A screw came loose. A single screw, but an important screw. It was a screw that held together a joint that had already been damaged by lightning a few moments prior. The screw spun and popped out of its hole. The airship shuddered.

Wishbone looked up with dismay as his rigging started to completely disassemble. “Woof.”

He pulled a lever, revealing the wings built into the sides of his airship hull. The wind caught them immediately and sent him twisting towards the flagship. The last of the rigging collapsed and tumbled away. The envelope was free.

Spike felt a tug at his foot. He looked down and found himself caught in a loop of rope. That rope was attached to the balloon that was floating away on the wind.

He sighed.

The airship went one way, and Spike went the other.

“Spiky-Wikey!” Rarity screamed. She tried to get a hold on him, but he was moving too fast for a spell.

Flash Sentry dove out of the airship and flapped his wings as hard as he could. His chest burned as he neared the adrift dragon. He bit down on the rope and chewed.

“Hay! Hay, you’re gonna make me fall!” Spike stared at the ground below. “It’s a long way down!”

Flash gripped onto the rope with his hind legs. “I’m getting you free!”

Wishbone howled as he attempted to regain control of his airship-turned-glider. Landing wasn’t really an option anymore. There was only crashing. Crashing against a mountain was a bad idea.

Crashing into an airship was a bad idea, too, but so what? He angled the glider towards the deck of the flagship.

“We can’t leave them behind!” Redheart shouted.

“We not!” Wishbone pushed the yoke down. “They just fall behind a little!”

Another screw glowed amber and came loose. The entire glider jolted.

Redheart opened her wings in surprise. The wind caught them and dragged her right out of the ship. Vinyl linked hooves with her, but couldn’t hold on. Redheart spun through the air, her eyes shut tight. Hooves wrapped around her middle. She opened her eyes and saw Luna setting her on course.

“It looks like Flash and Spike need a little help!” the princess said. “Think you could help them out?”

“Yeah!” Redheart flapped her wings. “I’ll try!”

“Don’t fight the wind! Ride it!” Luna waited to let go until Redheart’s wings slowed. “Find the current that will carry you where you want to go!”

“Yes, princess!” Redheart gasped as she was released. She fought against the buffeting winds for a moment before she allowed herself to calm down. She neared the detached envelope, chewing her lip all the while.

Wishbone looked back at his passengers. Pinkie, Rarity, Vinyl, and Mandible stared back with wide eyes and gaping mouths. “We gonna crash now, okay?”

“No!” came the unanimous response.

Wishbone turned back to the front and smiled. He pulled back in the yoke, letting the bottom of his hull face the deck of the flagship. There was the sound of splintering wood and cracking beams as they came to a jolting stop. The small airship tumbled onto its side as one of the wings collapsed. They leaped overboard before the ship could capsize on top of them. Mandible took one look at the Automated Servants on deck and rushed underneath the relative safety of the crash.

Wishbone frowned at the wreckage. “You owe me new airship. Again.”

Lightning Dust fired lightning bolt after lightning bolt at Rainbow Dash, who batted them aside like they hardly existed. Sweat beaded on the alicorn’s brow. “Y-you’re going down, you hear? You’re not gonna humiliate me again!”

“I’m not here to humiliate you!” Rainbow Dash said. She caught a blast of lightning on the tip of her wing. The electricity zinged across her feathers. “I’m here to stop you from doing something stupid. Again!”

Lightning snarled. She looked at the ground, then at her hooves. A wicked grin overtook her face. “Hay. Alicorns have magic from all three tribes, right?”

Rainbow halted, her wings still glowing with lightning. “Yeah?”

“Eat it!” Lightning’s hooves glowed red as she stomped on the ledge with all her might. Fire crackled out of the ground as the rock split. The ground tilted beneath Rainbow Dash, and she slid backward.

There was a mighty sound of rock snapping. Rainbow Dash tumbled towards the valley, a giant boulder following her down.

Flash Sentry had almost chewed through the rope. Spike had almost passed out with terror.

“Please don’t let me drop!”

“I’m not gonna let you drop!”

“You’re not holding on to the rope very tight!”

“You try to hold on to a rope with hooves!”

“Gee, I’d try if I had them!”

“Pipe down, I’m almost through!”

“Then I’ll be through!”

Flash let go of the rope and glared. “Would you just gimme a second!?”

What was left of the heavily frayed rope snapped.

Flash dove after the falling dragon. He reached out with his hooves to grasp the end of the rope still tied around Spike’s leg. He squinted his eyes against the onrush of wind.

Redheart slipped under Spike and caught him on her back. Flash Sentry threw her a salute as he soared past. She looked back at the dragon and ran her eyes along his body. “You’re not hurt, are you? Can you move your foot?”

“I’m fine,” Spike said. He gripped onto her coat and bit down to keep from screaming. The wind whipped at his eyes as Redheart took a tumbling spiral path to the ground. He looked around, hoping to take his mind off of the rapidly-approaching earth. His eyes caught a glimpse of something through the swirling fog. Eyes.

Glowing eyes. Glowing lavender eyes that were so familiar to him.

“It’s Twilight,” he said, pointing a claw. When Redheart turned to look, the apparition had vanished.

“I don’t see anything.”

“She was there, I know it!”

Spike looked back at the flagship, which was now so far above the ground. “We have to head back to Tartarus.”

Redheart shook her head. “They’re still bombarding the entrance! We’ll be killed!”

“They aren’t going to bombard if Twilight’s there, will they?” Spike blinked away tears from both the stinging typhoon and the very thought. “Not if she’s with them!”

Flash Sentry drew alongside Redheart. He touched a wingtip to Spike’s shoulder. “Are you sure it was her?”

Spike nodded repeatedly.

“Redheart, I’m going to need your help to cast the Dreamhopping spell.” He grinned. “You remember how to do it, right?”

“This is crazy!” she said.

“I never said it wasn’t!” Flash looked back at the flagship. The rate of fire had died down slightly. “But it might be our best chance to stop this!”

“Fine!” Redheart angled towards the Sleeping Mountain. “But I’m blaming you if things go south!”

The boulder crashed in the valley, splintering lesser rocks and bones of all shapes, sizes, and creatures. Lightning Dust descended, laughing maniacally. “Snooze you lose, Rainbow Crash! More like Rainbow Splat, now! Lost between a rock and a hard place, huh? You know how it feels to have everything you care about crushed, don’t you!?”

“Yeah, I do.” Rainbow Dash walked over the boulder, her wings glowing with electric fire. “And I’m sorry it had to happen to you.”

Rainbow Dash launched herself at Lightning. She crashed into the alicorn’s torso and carried her up into the storm. They left a trail of flashing electricity as they soared together, trading blows with their hooves. Rainbow Dash took a particularly hefty blow to the side of the head, and was forced to let go. Lightning roared and dove after her, beginning a chase through the mountain peaks.

Vinyl Scratch hobbled to her hooves. She looked around the deck, and found herself and the others surrounded by robotic ponies. “Aw, come on. Did we really need mooks?”

“Always, Vinyl.” Lyra stepped forward. “It’s cute you think you need to save me.”

“I think I know I do.” Vinyl glared over her glasses. “You’re scared, aren’t you? Redheart was scared. That’s how they attacked her. How’d they attack you?”

“They didn’t attack me!” Lyra stomped a hoof. “They freed me! Made me strong!” She grinned, her draconic eyes glinting in the light of a lightning flash. “They’ll make you strong, too. You just gotta embrace it.”

Rarity held out a hoof. “You can’t turn to the Nightmares to make you strong, Lyra. You need help to stand against the storm of life. Help from your friends!”

“You guys never helped me when I needed it!” Lyra paced around the outside of the automated ponies, her eyes trained on the ground. “I practically begged for help, and all you did was tell me it’d be alright!”

Vinyl Scratch rubbed her eyes. “Sometimes all we have is words.”

“Words are cheap.” Lyra looked at the drones. “Tie them up and take them below.”

The mechanical golems failed to respond, as they were too busy being blown up by Luna’s spells. One by one, they fell to ice, fire, and telekinetic force.

Lyra leapt back, her wings outstretched. “Nightmare Apple! Attack!”

Braeburn rumbled up to the group. His horn was lowered in preparation to shock the invaders into obedience. Pinkie Pie saw him, gasped aloud, and met his charge.

She tackled him with the force of a freight train.

Lyra lowered an eyebrow as her partner was assailed by a tiny pink blur. He attempted to throw it off, toss it away, roll over it, and squirm away from it, but it was unstoppable. It wrapped its hooves around his neck, held him down, and pressed its lips against his.

Lyra looked up at Vinyl. They shrugged, then continued to watch.

Pinkie finally let her husband up for air. “You’ve been away too long this time, Braeburn Apple!”

Braeburn’s eyes were wide. “Who are you? How do yah know me?”

“Duh! Look at the hat! You think anypony but your wife would look this good in your hat?” She took the cowpony hat off of her head and placed it on his. “So you can stop being a Nightmare now, okay?”

Braeburn squirmed underneath her. She clutched him tight and called out to Rarity. “Bring the bag! This guy needs some serious loving!”

“So many ways that would be wrong out of context,” Rarity mumbled. She hefted the bag of enchanted sand and held it over Braeburn and Pinkie.

“You put that down!” Lyra shouted. “Or the diamond dog gets it!”

Wishbone found himself pressed against the railing that surrounded the upper deck. He groaned as he looked down. “Plus three thousand for hazard pay.”

An explosion rocked the ship as more robots were disintegrated by Luna’s rampage. Lyra shut her eyes and intensified the glow around her horn. “I’m gonna drop him if you don’t let Nightmare Apple go!”

Vinyl walked closer to her friend. “Lyra, this isn’t you. Don’t do this. Come back to us, come on!”

“You stay away from me!” Lyra lowered her head and glared at everyone present. “I’m strong now! See? I’m stronger than any alicorn! I’m stronger than this stupid diamond dog! I’m stronger than those darned changelings!”

Mandible poked his head out from under the wreckage. “Somepony call me?”

Lyra’s mouth dropped open as she let go of Wishbone. She took a hesitant step forward. “Is that—are you—?”

She surged forward, her face twisted in rage. “Changeling!”

Vinyl tackled her midflight. The momentum carried them most of the way to the glider. Lyra ignored Vinyl and attempted to crawl the rest of the way towards Mandible. “I’ll rip your wings off!”

“I’ll grow them back!” Mandible yelped. He tried to back into the wreckage, but felt his progress halted by a wood beam. “You really shouldn’t try!”

“I’ll break your horn in half!” Lyra bellowed. “I’ll use your hooves to grate cheese for my salads!”

“Dude,” Vinyl Scratch said, “you need to work on your threats. These stink.”

“I’ll turn you into goop!” Lyra stood, with Vinyl hanging from her neck. “You and every changeling ever are going to die!”

Vinyl pulled her bag of enchanted sand out. She held it in front of Lyra’s face. “Not happening, sister!”

She pulled the bag opened and dumped in all over Lyra Heartstrings. Lyra tried to buck her off, but only succeeded in spreading the sand to both Vinyl and Mandible. Before long, all three of them were slumped together in a pile, fast asleep.

Pinkie looked up at Rarity and nodded. Rarity took a deep breath, positioned herself over the spouses, and dumped the sandbag on top of them. They were out like a light.

Wishbone looked at the two piles of sleeping ponies. He brushed his vest off and ran towards the cabins, where hopefully there weren’t any crazy alicorns or robots or monsters that wanted to eat him.

Author's Note

Fat chance of that, Wishbone. Sorry, buddy.

Dreaming of You

Twilight Sparkle landed amidst the red glow of molten stone. The bombardment from the flagship eased up as she neared the front door. Her brow furrowed as she inspected the chains that secured it. There wasn’t a single scratch to be seen.

“Highly enchanted. Magic lock with three keyholes.” She shut her eyes as her horn glowed. “No actual tumblers within the locking mechanism, so the keyholes must be purely for show.” She opened her eyes and tested the resonance of the enchantments. “Or symbolic.”

There was a weak “rowlf” to the left. Cerberus eased his three heads around the mountainside. One head stared at her with suspicion, the second in recognition, while the third merely licked its paw and whined. Twilight held out a hoof to him and smiled. “Come here, boy. That’s a good boy. Remember me?”

Cerberus came forward slowly. Twilight could see burn marks on his coat as he closed the distance. “That’s okay. I’m a friend. Good boy! You’re such a good boy.”

He sniffed cautiously at her hoof, then licked it. She patted each of his heads in turn and rubbed his side. “You see this door, boy? Door? Can you open it? Huh, boy? Can you open the door?”

Cerberus looked from Twilight to the doorway. All three heads made a low growling sound.

Twilight’s voice was like iron against iron. “No. Bad dog. Don’t growl at me.”

Cerberus lowered himself under her glare. He looked to the lock, his tongues hanging out.

“All you have to do is open the door.”

The middle head tilted back and let out a howl. Soon, another head joined in. The third gave its paw one final lick before adding its noise to the three-part harmony. The howl intensified, and purple sparks danced between his collars.

Twilight looked at the lock. It, too, was producing magic sparks. “Atta boy. Atta boy!”

“Twilight, stop!”

Cerberus ceased howling and turned towards the new noise. The sparks died down.

“No!” Twilight rose into the air on her wings. She bared her teeth at the pony that would dare interrupt her. “Just who do you think you are?”

“Twilight…” Spike dismounted Redheart as she touched down at the base of the mountain. He rushed up to Twilight, his arms outstretched. “Twilight, you gotta be alright!”

“Spike?” Twilight flapped backwards and bumped into the mountain. “What are you doing here? You should be back in Ponyville, where it’s safe!”

“I couldn’t leave you.” Spike clenched his fists. He walked over a melted rock like it was nothing. “I need to be with you. I need to help you.”

“No. No, no, no, no.” Twilight landed and spread her forelegs wide. “You can’t help me. What I’m doing will get me in trouble as it is. I can’t drag you into it, too!”

“I’m not going to help you with this”—Spike waved a hand around—“I’m going to help you come back. All you have to do is leave Tartarus alone.”

Twilight Sparkle turned away. “No. I can’t abandon my friends in their time of need.”

“I need you!” Spike ran the rest of the way and threw his arms around Twilight’s neck. “You’re my best friend, Twilight, and I can’t just sit and watch you hurt yourself like this!”

“But…” Twilight hesitated before wrapping a leg around him. “But Blueblood—”

“Is fine. He’s fine, Twilight.” Spike sniffled. “He’s getting settled in, and he’s looking forward to getting visits from us. He knows how important Tartarus is. You know, too.”

“But…” Twilight turned her head to look at the door. “But this isn’t the ideal solution.”

“No. But it works.” Spike gave her a lopsided grin. “‘Don’t fix what ain’t broken,’ like Applejack says.”

A pebble tumbled down next to Twilight. Her ear twitched. “This whole thing is broken.”

“Twilight, wait!”

Twilight pushed Spike away and looked up. Flash Sentry was balanced on a ledge above her, dumping the bag of enchanted sand. Her horn glowed.

The individual grains hung in the air, suspended in her telekinesis. They glowed orange as she poured magic into them. She flew up to Flash Sentry’s level and brought the sand up beside her.

“No,” she said.

The grains of sand shot towards each other and fused into one clump of hot glass. Twilight threw it across the valley, where it shattered against the far mountain. She pressed Flash against the ledge with a spell and slammed her hooves into the rock beside his head. Cracks spread.

“I thought I loved you,” Twilight said.

“I know I love you,” Flash said.

“I thought you loved me, too!” Twilight smashed the stone beneath them. The ledge became a small avalanche of rubble, taking Flash Sentry with it. She hovered in the air and watched him fall. He spread his wings and tried to bolt away, but a stray boulder crushed his joint.

“Flash!” Spike ran, his arms outstretched to catch the pegasus. “Twilight, help him!”

Flash’s descent slowed at Redheart gripped him in a protective bubble. She set him on the ground and examined his wing. “It’s broken, alright. I think you got lucky.”

“Darn right he got lucky!” Twilight sneered. “Now go away and let me do my job!”

“It’s not your job!” Spike shouted.

“Shut up!” Twilight dragged Cerberus to the door. “Open the door, you stupid mutt!”

Instead of howling, Cerberus barked. It was a resounding, threefold, magically-amplified bark that shot straight into Twilight’s chest and filled it with stark, raving terror. She screamed and covered her head with her wings. Cerberus placed a paw on her back and pushed her down. She struggled, but it was a panicked struggle that left her trapped firmly under Cerberus’ mercy.

The weight on her back disappeared in an instant.

Twilight peered through her midnight-purple feathers. Her draconic eye fell on a small, black, three-headed puppy, who was busy chasing its own tail. She tilted her head, her mouth dipping open. “What in the heck?”

Spike stood stiff as a board as he pointed up. Redheart and Flash also looked up, causing the hairs on their backs to stand up.

Spike choked up. “O-oh. No…”

“Greetings, denizens of Tartarus!” Discord said. The rock caught fire behind him, framing him with a hellish glow. His yellow eyes held slit pupils. His fur was a dirty brown. His mismatched limbs all held sharpened claws, talons, or cloven hooves. His tail whipped behind him, where a barbed blade sat on the end. He was covered from head to toe in armor roughly reminiscent of Nightmare Moons, angular and purple. His horns sparkled with magic as he picked Cerberus up and petted him. “He’s such a cutie when he’s not munching on your foot, isn’t he?”

Twilight Sparkle stood, slack-jawed. “D—duh, huh? Discord?”

“Please, that name is so ten seconds ago.” He transformed the Cerberus puppy into an ice cream cone with three scoops. He watched as it began to melt in the heat. “Call me by my assumed name which nopony’s ever actually going to care to remember.

“Nightmare Entropy.”

Flash struggled to his hooves, his broken wing hanging from his side. “What do you want, Discord!?”

“What did I tell you?” Discord shrugged and snapped his fingers. Flash Sentry vanished in a flash, and was replaced by an orange and blue mosquito. “Go annoy somepony else for a while, m’kay?”

“Turn him back right now!” Spike stomped a foot. “Right now, you hear me?”

“Gasp. I shiver in fright. I quiver in fear.” Discord yawned. “Or what?”

Spike charged. He leapt at Discord with his mouth open, and chomped down on the draconequus’ goat hoof. Discord screamed and flailed his leg around, but Spike wouldn’t let go.

“Stupid! Little! Baby!” Discord stomped his foot, but Spike shrugged off the blows. “Quit!”

“Spike, let him go!” Twilight grasped the dragon and tugged him away from Discord. “And you, stop hurting Spike!”

“Hurting him?” Discord pointed at his foot. “Who has teeth marks where, Your Royal Hinies?”

He slapped at his neck. A little orange and blue mosquito flew away from him at something close to mach speed. He dropped the ice cream cone on the ground and summoned a flyswatter. “I’ll show you, you little crud bucket!”

“Discord!” Twilight snapped. “Do I miss my guess, or are you here for a reason?”

“For heaven’s sake. ‘Nightmare Entropy!’ Know it, love it, use it, ponies.” Discord crossed his arms. “And, ironically enough, yes I am.”

He snapped his fingers. Flash Sentry returned to his original form, which included his broken wing. He fell from the air with a scream, and Redheart rushed to his side. She sent a soothing anesthetic spell into the limb.

“I am here to complete that task we set out for so long ago.” Discord cracked his knuckles. “Well, not you specifically, Princess. The other Nightmares and I.”

Twilight backed away, Spike struggling in her super-strong grip. “You’ve been working with Nightmares?”

“Oh, Discord hasn’t.” Nightmare Entropy grinned, showcasing a full set of fangs. “But while I’ve seemingly inherited some of his fun-loving personality, I’ve hidden most of his more troublesome quirks deep in the back of his mind.”

Twilight’s eyes went wide. “Shadowfright?”

“The one and only.” Nightmare Entropy stretched his arms upward. His spine cracked all the way down. He summoned a fiery ball of ice and juggled it. “Back, and far more powerful than I could have possibly imagined!”

He turned to the doorway into Tartarus. “So, I seem to recall some sort of plan revolving around failsafe spells and powerful amplification. Ring a bell?”

“Do—” Twilight pushed Spike to the side. He could do no more than watch with watery eyes. “Do you think it will work on the prison?”

“One way to find out.” Nightmare Entropy held out a megaphone and pointed it at the mountain. “Princess Celestia, open this gate! Princess Celestia, tear down this wall!”

Sand stung Rarity and Pinkie Pie’s eyes. Wind whipped their manes around as they sought shelter. They could barely see the hooves in front of their faces, let alone a place to hide.

“This isn’t working!” Rarity shouted over the howling gale. “We can’t find Braeburn in this mess!”

“There aren’t any other messes to find him in!” Pinkie snapped. “This is it, sister. The final lap! The last hole! Round three, ding, ding, ding, fight!”

“There’s nothing to fight!” Rarity wiped tears off of her cheeks. “There’s just this horrid storm and sand and wind! We can’t fight nature!”

“It’s not nature!” Pinkie pressed on. “It’s just a bad dream. Braeburn! Where are you!?”

She tripped over something and went sprawling. Rarity rushed up to her and helped her to her feet. “Are you alright?”

Pinkie held a hoof over her eyes to block the wind. She gasped, and leaped toward the thing she’d tripped over. She began digging in the sandy ground. “Help me, Rarity!”

Rarity stood still for a second. “Help you with what?”

“Digging!” Pinkie pushed a mound to the side. “Hurry!”

Rarity tensed up and stuck a hoof into the sand.

Pinkie squinted at her. “There’s more sand in the air than there is on the ground.”

“Fine.” Rarity dug into the ground with both hooves. “I’ll have you know I’d only do this for you.”

Pinkie blinked. She smiled. “Thank you, Rarity.”

“My pleasure, Pinkie,” Rarity said. “Now, what are we— Goodness!”

A cowboy hat lay on the ground, barely sticking out of the sand. Pinkie tugged on it with her mouth. “This is what I tripped over. Braeburn’s in here!”

Rarity looked around. “Well of course he’s in his own dream.”

“Not just the dream! Here! He’s under here!” Pinkie threw dirt to the side like a dog mining for a bone. “Help me!”

Rarity doubled her own efforts. She dug cautiously, to make sure she didn’t hurt anything that might lie below the surface. After a few minutes, Pinkie squealed. “He’s here! Help me dig around him.”

They circled around, shaping out a pony-sized trench around Braeburn. With a mighty tug, Pinkie broke him out of the pit and carried him to the surface. “You’re okay! You’re okay!”

Braeburn coughed up sand. It dribbled out his ears and nose and crusted over his eyes. “Hon?”

Pinkie squealed and wrapped her forelegs around him. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“How… how did you find me?” Braeburn blinked back salty tears. “Ah can’t even see where ah am. How did you find me?”

“I never stopped looking!” Pinkie Pie kissed his forehead and brought his head to her chest. “I knew that if I looked everywhere, I’d find the one where that had you in it.”

“Ah’m so lost.” Braeburn wrapped both his legs and his wings around Pinkie. “Ah’m so lost and don’t know where to go. Ah don’t know where to go, where ah’m at, and ah don’t think ah even know where ah came from anymore!”

He sobbed. “Ah can’t take you from Ponyville. Ah can’t take mahself from Appleoosa. Ah for sure can’t take mahself away from you. Ah don’t know where to go… Ah’m so lost.”

The wind howled harder. Rarity looked into the sandstorm and saw the glimmer of a Night Terror stalking around the perimeter.

“Maybe it doesn’t have to be like this,” Pinkie said. “Maybe being lost isn’t so bad.”

Braeburn reared away from her. “What? What the hay you talkin’ about? How ain’t it bad?”

Rarity pushed through the sand, her horn glowing as she reached out to the Nightmare. She found herself unable to get a grip. Every time she got close, it would vanish into the dust.

“Maybe being lost doesn’t matter so much.” Pinkie placed a hoof on Braeburn’s cheek. “I don’t mind being lost if we can be lost together.”

Braeburn gasped. A spark flashed in his mind’s eye. He leaned forward and kissed Pinkie, cupping her hooves in his.

The sandstorm died down. The Night Terror looked around, its eyes wide. “Whoops,” it whispered.

“That’s better,” Rarity said, shaking sand out of her mane. “Now, how did Princess Luna put it? Ah, that’s right…” She squared her hooves, held her head up high, and grinned. “I am Lady Rarity, Former Bearer of the Element of Generosity and Knight of Harmony! These little ponies are under my protection!”

Rarity giggled into her hoof before continuing. “You can return to your rightful place in Tartarus,” she said, “or you can face much more dire consequences!”

The Night Terror looked from Rarity to the ponies behind her. It bowed its head, but she couldn’t help noticing the smirk on its face. “I surrender.”

Lyra stared at the dozens of Lyras that surrounded her. They stared back.

She sought to flap her wings, but they weren’t there. She was just a unicorn. So were most of the doppelgangers, except for the tall one in the back that was an alicorn. She gritted her teeth.

“Murderer,” they all seemed to whisper.

“Lyra!” a familiar voice blared. “What’ve you got yourself into this time!?”

“Aaah!” Lyra jumped into the air. Her doppelgangers’ heads followed the movement. “Who’s there?”

Vinyl Scratch flew over the crowd, a strange black pony behind her. “It’s your old buddy. Don’t tell me you actually forgot.”

“N-no.” Lyra went back to watching the duplicates. “No, I’ve just got other things on my mind right now.”

Vinyl Scratch looked at the Lyras sitting all around. “Yeah. Some sort of fan club?”

“Murderer.”

“No,” Lyra squeaked.

“Okay, that was creepy,” the funny little black pony said. “What’s the Nightmare?”

“They’re gonna kill me.” Lyra swallowed.

Vinyl shot Lyra a look. “What? Why’re they gonna do that?”

“Because I killed their queen.”

As one, the doppelgangers’ blank faces grinned in a not-quite-Lyra way. Nasty, with long fangs poking out of their mouths. Their eyes flashed green. Their horns ignited with green fire, which consumed their bodies and replaced them with something dark, hard, and cold. Hooves with holes, membranous wings, crooked horns, multifaceted eyes. An army of changelings emerged from the fire, all wearing Lyra’s manestyle. Lyralings.

Lyra screamed and cowered under her hooves.

Vinyl screeched. She took to the air, but paused when she saw Lyra shivering on the ground. She landed in front of the unicorn, her horn glowing bright. “A’right, you mangy horror rejects. Come and get me!”

The black pony gulped, took a deep breath, and burst into flames. A changeling stepped out of the fire, small and nervous. “Y-yeah. Me, too.”

Lyra tilted her head as Mandible appeared. “What the—?”

The changelings attacked. Vinyl beat them away with hoof and horn. Her wings flapped to knock a few out of the air. She gripped one by the tail and spun it into its fellows.

Still they came.

Mandible grappled with one, his hooves pressed against its. “What did you do to their queen!?”

“I killed her.” Lyra curled up into a protective ball. “I killed Chrysalis. They hate me!”

“Wait…” Mandible pushed against the Lyraling and got his face closer to Lyra. “You’re the one who took down Queen Chrysalis?”

Lyra peered through her bangs. Her eyes shot wide open. “Changeling! Get away from me!” She took off at a dead run through the Lyralings swarming around.

Vinyl turned her head as she punched one changeling’s face in. “Lyra! Get back here!”

She tried to run after her friend, but was overtaken by a huge mod of her foes. They piled on top of her, dragging her to the ground. “Lyra!”

Mandible flew after Lyra. When he saw her tripped up and assailed by a group of Lyralings, he lit himself on fire. “Gangway!”

He dove for the ground and impacted the monsters with a small explosion. He bucked backwards, kicking two Lyralings off of Lyra. He turned and planted his hooves around her in a protective cage. “Leave her alone!”

Lyra looked up at him with terror in her amber eyes. “Don’t hurt me, please!”

“Hurt you?” Mandible raised a chitinous eyebrow. “Why would I do that?”

“B-because I killed your queen… I’m a murderer.”

Mandible punched another Lyraling before speaking. “No you’re not.”

He took a step back and looked her in the eye. “Queen Chrysalis was bad news. Bad, bad news. She was gonna hurt a lot of people, Lyra. She was gonna burn, and pillage, and enslave…” He kicked out with a back leg. A Lyraling fell to the ground with a goofy look on its face. “She wasn’t in it to help the changelings anymore. S-she just wanted power.”

He gulped. “S-so you saved someone’s life, and Chrysalis just paid the consequences for her actions. You saved Blueblood and hundreds of others. You, like, freed all the changelings who didn’t want to be ruled by her, too. You’re a hero.”

Lyra stared at him with wide eyes. Her mouth moved without making a sound.

Mandible grinned sheepishly. “You’re my hero, anyway.”

He was bunted to the side by the alicorn Lyra’s flank. It transformed from a copy of the princess into a strange amalgamation of Chrysalis, Nightmare Lyre, and the Lyralings. “No! She’s a murderer! A dangerous monster! She will be hunted down and killed!”

Queen Lyralis placed a holey hoof against the side of Mandible’s head. She pressed down. “She and all her associates!”

“No!” Lyra stood, her horn aglow. She wrapped Queen Lyralis in a crushing bubble of magic energy. “Leave him alone!”

She threw the queen at the pile of Lyralings dog piling on top of Vinyl. When the queen hit the soldiers, it was like an explosion of minty green and black. Vinyl burst through and flew over to Lyra and Mandible. “You guys okay?”

“Kinda.” Mandible rubbed his head. “I’m very kinda.”

“B-better.” Lyra wiggled her shoulder blades. “Th-thanks for coming in after me.”

“Hay, what’re friends for?” Vinyl stared down the army of Lyralings that collected across the dreamscape from them. “Can we take ’em?”

Mandible rose to his hooves. He fluttered his wings. “Maybe.”

A spark flashed through Lyra’s mind’s eye. She grinned wide. “Oh, yeah we can. Together!”

Her body glowed the color of her golden magic. She grew. Wings sprouted from her back as her horn got longer. She stood beside Vinyl, fully an alicorn again. “Who’s up for some knock-off knockout?”

Queen Lyralis groaned as the three charged at her. “Aw, crackers.”

Rainbow Dash couldn’t keep blocking lightning forever.

She flinched as a bolt cut into her side. It left a gash that made it very painful to move her wings. She locked them in place as she glided on the violent winds.

Lightning Dust drew up beside her and punched the gash. Rainbow Dash screamed.

“Yeah, you better holler!” Lightning punched her again. “How dare you? How dare you!?”

She smacked one of Rainbow’s wingtips downward, sending the pegasus into an out of control spiral. “Correct that mess, jerk!”

Rainbow Dash held her wings against her sides. She plummeted like a rock, waiting until she could feel the wind blowing the direction she needed. When she reached that point, she braced herself and opened her wings. The gash burned and stung and pulled and screamed, but she held on.

Lightning Dust came down on top of her and drove her into the side of a mountain. The Alicorn Princess of Flight lit her horn and grabbed on to Dash, dragging her along the rocks. She brought them both to a halt and stood over her foe.

“How dare you compare your pain to mine!?” Lightning shouted. “How dare you say you know what it’s like to lose everything!? When have you lost anything, you brat!? You’ve had life handed to you on a silver platter!”

Rainbow Dash wiggled her tongue around in her mouth. After a moment, she spat a tooth out. She gritted her teeth and stuck her tongue through the new gap.

“Are you even listening!?” Lightning Dust roared in her face.

“I said I know how you feel.” Rainbow Dash moved her foreleg to prop herself up. “I didn’t say I’d lost everything, I just know how you feel.”

“Oh wow, Rainbow Stinking Dash, the psychiatrist.” Lightning Dust stomped down on Rainbow’s wing. “How does that make you feel, loser!?’

“I’ve watched my dad work a dead-end job because he missed out!” Rainbow Dash screamed through the pain. “I’ve watched my best friend convince herself she’s worthless! I’ve watched a good friend give up everything to follow his duty! I’ve seen the end of the world a dozen times! I’ve watched Cloudsdale tumble to the ground!”

Lightning Dust lifted her hoof. Rainbow Dash clutched the wing to her side.

“I’ve seen you get kicked out of the Wonderbolts because of a stupid accident. I know how it feels because I’ve lived around it my whole life. I’ve been down and out, too.” Rainbow Dash bit her lip. “But I kept getting back up. My friends keep getting back up because I won’t leave them alone until they do. I’m done watching ponies lose everything. I’m done!”

Rainbow Dash fought against gravity and stood tall beside Lightning Dust. She looked the alicorn in the eye. “I want to help you join the Wonderbolts. I want you to realize that losing everything doesn’t have to be the end. When you hit the bottom, there’s nowhere to go but up.”

She brushed a lock of yellow mane out of her eyes. “I wish I’d helped you sooner, but I was so jealous of you—”

Lightning Dust swung a wing and swatted Rainbow Dash off the mountain. She looked over the side and watched the pegasus drop. She gnashed her teeth together.

Rainbow Dash flared her wings out and slowed her fall. It wasn’t quite enough. She screamed as the wind whipped by her gash. Her eyes met Lightning Dust’s in a two-way glare.

Lightning Dust’s muscles tensed. “No.” Her wings opened up. “No, this is wrong.”

She flinched back as fire burned in her eyes. “No! Rainbow Dash was our wingpony! She betrayed us! She deserves to fall!”

She threw a hoof out and grasped at the rock. “I can’t just let her die!”

“Let her die,” Nightmare Dust said. “I’m all we need now.”

“Shut up!” Lightning Dust jumped off the cliff. Black smoke leaked off her body as she flew down through the air. She brought her wings to her sides and dove at top speed. The smoke surrounded her, pulling and snapping at her. She lit her horn, drawing flashes of lightning all around.

A face formed before her, like a mask with empty eye- and mouth-holes. “You need me!” the Phantasm said. “You’re worthless without me!”

She blasted the Nightmare apart with a bolt of lightning from her horn. She reached out and clasped Rainbow Dash’s legs with her own. Rainbow grunted as they both shifted directions.

“You were serious about that?” Lightning Dust said. “You weren’t just saying things?”

“Of course I meant it.” Rainbow Dash grinned. She wrapped a foreleg around Lightning’s neck to help with balance. “You and me together? Now that was a team to be reckoned with.”

She turned her head, getting an eyeful of the flagship. “Nice boat. What’s it for?”

Lightning Dust’s eyes went wide. She let out a tiny whine. “It’s how we were gonna transport the Nightmares from Tartarus. Oh, crud.”

Luna melted an Automated Servant into its base components. She grasped another and shoved it into a canon just as the weapon was about to go off. She jumped into the air as a piece of the hull was torn off by the resulting explosion.

She landed and looked across the deck. Most of the robots were demolished, or were operating equipment below deck. The six dreamers were safe.

That left finding the pony steering the ship.

Luna ran towards the cabins. She didn’t stop when she reached the door. She just hit it with her shoulder and ignored the splintered wood left in her wake. She followed the signs that pointed through the hallways to the ship’s wheel.

She nearly tripped over Captain Wishbone Fluorspar. “What are you doing in here?”

“Um…” Wishbone shrugged. “Finding captain. Stopping ship. Not hiding, no, that cowardly.”

“Then come.” Luna strode through the corridors. “We must work quickly. The others are counting on us.”

“Um…” Wishbone pattered along after her. “Right behind you.”

Luna busted down the door to the main cabin with a single buck. She charged in, her horn glowing. She was blasted back by a torrent of hot air.

Soarin flapped his wings, his magic sparkling, as he churned up a hurricane-force gale within the confines of the cabin. Wishbone dug his claws into the wood walls as he was carried off. Luna drew her wings tight to her sides and shot magic at the ship’s wheel.

The blast of magic hit the wheel and tore it to pieces. Soarin shouted and jumped to the side. The entire ship jerked as the steering vanes outside tilted whichever way the wind was blowing. He slid across the tilting deck and slammed his head against a metal bar.

Luna brushed her mane back. “Well, that’s one way to halt a threat.”

Soarin leapt up and charged at Luna. He tackled her in the chest and carried her through the corridors. They hit the back wall, and then went through it. She spun midair and tossed him away. “Soarin, Captain of the Wonderbolts! We do not have to fight!”

Soarin flew into the air. Frost collected on his wings as the storm around them turned cold. Hail flew at Luna from the fog, battering her wings. She flapped away until she could get to the top deck of the flagship safely.

“Stop this nonsense!” Luna shouted. “Lives are at stake!”

“I won’t be alone again!” A hailstone the size of a pony rocketed towards Luna. “I won’t!”

The hail melted before it even reached the ship. The glow around Luna’s horn died down. “Soarin, you aren’t alone! You just see things that way!”

Lightning Dust gripped Rainbow tight. “Can you fly?”

“I can glide…” Rainbow Dash looked away from the fight between the princess and the Wonderbolt. “Why?”

“I need a distraction.” Lightning Dust smiled. “I’ll take him from below—”

“While I get his attention.” Rainbow Dash nodded. “I’ve done stupider things.”

Rainbow Dash let go and spread her wings, wincing once again as the pain shot through her side. She narrowed her eyes and stretched her forelegs out towards Soarin. Lightning sparked along her wings as she neared him. “Hay, Cap’n!”

Soarin turned just before she slammed into his back. His strength allowed him to keep his balance in the sky, spinning around to fling the pegasus off. She held on tight, sliding her forelegs around in a tight martial arts hold. Before long, all he could move were his wings.

Lightning Dust streaked in from below, her face frozen in a determined grimace. A hailstone smacked against her face, driving her off-course. “Shoot!”

Rainbow Dash bit down on Soarin’s ear, breaking his concentration. He hollered and slammed the back of his head into Rainbow’s snout. She gasped as her grip slacked. He twisted his body and threw her off.

Luna soared in and caught Rainbow Dash in a telekinetic grip. She brought her onto her back, pulled up, and punched Soarin in the face.

The Wonderbolt Nightmare reeled. He blinked as he tried to uncross his eyes.

He didn’t even see Lightning Dust coming that time.

She collided with him, her static and his own causing a burst of energy that expanded through the entire mountain range. She carried him along at high speed. Neither was sure where they were going.

They crashed into the side of the Celestial Flagship’s envelope. Canvas tore and burned as they ripped a hole in it. Metal melted and collapsed as it was superheated by lightning. Gasbags leaked as the entire construction collapsed.

The flagship tilted, buckled, and sank towards the ground. Soarin and Lightning exited out the opposite side of the envelope, unscathed.

“The others!” Rainbow Dash pointed to the sleeping ponies on the deck of the flagship. “We have to help my friends!”

“Too true!” Luna flew for the flagship as it sank lower between the mountains.

Wishbone waved up at them. Mandible was draped over his shoulders. “I got little one, but how we get off?”

Luna lit her horn and placed Rarity, Pinkie, and Braeburn onto her back. “I can carry these four to the ground. I’ll be back for the others.”

“Hay!” Lightning Dust flew down to join them. Her mane was blackened from the fire. She lit her horn and picked up Vinyl and Lyra. “I’ve got these guys. Doesn’t this thing have lifeboats?”

Lightning struck the deck beside Lightning. She yelped and jumped to the side. “Maybe we’ll talk about it later!”

“I’ve got an idea!” Rainbow Dash held out her hoof. “Grab on, Wishbone!”

Wishbone held her hoof. She looked at Lightning. “Now you grab the other side!”

“Ingenious solution, Rainbow Dash!” Luna smiled as Lightning Dust linked with them. “We shall share the burden!”

“Sounds like a metaphor for life.” Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth as Soarin approached. “Let’s go!”

They leaped off, Wishbone screaming all the while.

The hull of the ship smashed against the side of a mountain. The wood splintered as it was dragged along by its own momentum. It began to capsize in midair, rolling down the mountainside. It crashed in the valley and was driven forward to the entrance to Tartarus.

The prow stopped a few feet away from Twilight Sparkle’s face. She sneered. “Well, there’s always plan ‘B,’ I guess.”

“Are you ready for your greatest performance, Twilit Queen?” Nightmare Entropy said. He wrung his hands, generating gobs of chaotic magic. “We are on a limited timetable as of now.”

Her horn glowed white. Her eyes shimmered to match as she stared at the lock. “We’ll do it on my mark.”

Spike gripped her back leg. “Don’t do it, Twilight!”

“Three.”

Flash Sentry stood up. “You don’t have to open the door! We can think of another way!”

“Two.”

Redheart ran up to Twilight. “Think about Blueblood! He’s still in there!”

“One.”

Spike tried to stand between Twilight and the door, but was pulled away by Redheart. “Twilight!”

“Mark.”

The air chilled as a massive wave of magic rolled forth from Twilight. The magic was grasped by Nightmare Entropy, who molded it into the shape of a key. He hefted the key as Twilight continued to pour magic into it.

“You can never go home again,” he chuckled.

He speared the lock with his key, tearing it into tiny shavings of metal and magic. He continued to press the key forward, first demolishing the chains, then cracking open the petrified door. Wind poured out of the opening as magic poured in.

The ground rumbled as four centuries’ worth of enchantments fell away from the prison.

Twilight Sparkle strode purposefully inside, flanked by Nightmare Entropy.

He rubbed his hands together with glee. “Oh, ho. Time for a little jailbreak.”

Luna touched down and laid her charges out. She examined each one for injuries. “They seem fine. I hope they wake up soon.”

“How long do dreams usually last, anyhow?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“There’s no way to truly predict it.” Luna scanned the skies for Soarin. “And we should not wake them before they manage to free our friends.”

“So we’re stuck here.” Lightning Dust paced around the perimeter of the sleeping creatures. “We can’t even help the others because we can’t leave these guys alone.”

“It’s sad but true.” Luna braced herself as a tremor ran through the ground. “That was Tartarus.”

“Dangit!” Lightning stared in the direction of the crashed flagship. “They’re gonna free all the Nightmares! Shadowfright wants an army of Nightmare Alicorns, and he’s gonna use it to take over Equestria! We gotta stop them!”

“Shadowfright?” Luna stormed over to Lightning. “Shadowfright is dead!”

“Yeah, well, you’d better tell him that.” Lightning pouted as she met Luna’s glare. “We gotta leave these guys. They’ll be safe in the valley.”

“No they will not!” Luna drew herself to her full height. “I will not leave these ponies to be devoured in their sleep by Neverdeads!”

Wishbone tapped a claw against the ground. The hair on his back rose as he looked into the shadowy fog. “Guys…”

“Neverdead?” Lightning looked at Rainbow Dash, who shrugged. “What’s a Neverdead?”

Wishbone yelped. He ran between the arguing alicorns and sprinted into the tall rocks. “Gangway!”

“Get back here, you coward!” Luna shouted. “Rainbow Dash, Lightning Dust, stand fast!”

“What?” Rainbow Dash staggered to her hooves. “What is it?”

“Nightmares in Tartarus,” Luna said, “Neverdeads in the mountains, and us stuck between them.”

A massive, bony foot appeared out of the gloom. Three claws scraped against stone as it gripped the ground. Another foot followed after it as the tip of a skeletal tail waved through the mist. A face appeared, dead and white. It had sharp fangs, deep nasal passages, and two empty eye sockets. Another face followed it out. And another. And another. And yet another.

They were all connected to long necks, which in turn were connected to the same ribcage. The monster took another step forward, and came fully out of the shadows.

“It’s a stinking undead hydra?” Rainbow Dash stared at it, slack-jawed. “Why do the bad guys always get the good stuff?”

Author's Note

Because the author loves you, Rainbow Dash.

Awake, O Sleeper

Blueblood felt the world shift beneath his hooves. Soon after, the world around him exploded.

Lightning coursed through the ground, slid up the walls, and licked at the ceiling. A great groan rose from the hallways, like a giant that got the wind knocked out of its lungs. The clank of chains mingled with the shriek of monsters as the Nightmares sent up a cheer.

Blueblood looked at Bluebones. Bluebones clutched at his chest and fell to the side. Blueblood sighed.

“Oh, dash it all.”

A black wave overtook them as the Nightmares flowed out of their cells and into the central chamber. Blueblood fired a quick, weak blast from his horn and clipped a Bête Noire in the ear. The Nightmare continued to rush for the exit.

A face flashed in Blueblood’s mind’s eye. His father’s face, disapproving of his every action. He shook his head and the image disappeared.

Bluebones dragged himself to the wall, away from the center of the room. His horn lit as he tried to speak. “Blueblood! Get yourself to the edge, boy!”

Blueblood stood atop the compass star embedded into the floor. He kicked at a nearby Night Terror. A feeling of loneliness gripped his heart and was gone in an instant. “What? Why?”

“Because they’re loose!” Bluebones broke into a coughing fit. He steadied himself by pressing his legs against the wall. “The oath is broken!”

Blueblood frowned. He fought against his adrenaline as he searched his memories for the exact wording. “Thou rotten beast, restrained for now—Who battles won and heroes cowed—Who led the Nightmares in their war—Be ye restrained forevermore.”

Blueblood fired a blast at a Phantasm. A flicker of a memory, where he hid behind a cake-splattered Rarity, shot through his veins. He bit back a shout. “It’s talking about… Scorpan.”

“And what happens when the Nightmares are freed, boy!?”

“As long as life flows through my bones—This Sleeping Mountain shall be your home.” Blueblood swallowed as bile rose from his stomach. “As long as Nightmares in iron lie—Shackles hold back every sigh.”

The ground shook again. The sound of metal straining came from beneath. “Chained to make all ponies free…”

Blueblood looked down as cracks appeared across the compass rose. “The prisoners here: You and me.”

Bluebones slumped to the ground as heat burst through the cracks.

The stones on the ground splintered and cracked as a mighty forced shoved them aside. Bat-like wings flapped as the rubble tumbled down into the depths of Tartarus. A jagged horn glowed as it ripped the rose apart. Manic, wrong eyes searched for something to hurt.

Scorpan wagged a leg as his chains tumbled down into the pit. “You are both idiots. To cast a spell that linked the Nightmares’ imprisonment to mine? Foolhardy!”

The entire mountain trembled. Scorpan looked down and laughed. “Even now, the Sleeping Mountain awakens! The Nightmares and we are not the only prisoners here!”

“Bluebones!” Charity ran into the chamber, her wings flapping as she ran. “There was a sound and the doors opened— No!”

Scorpan smiled as brightly as he could. His enlarged canine teeth made it loop right back around to wicked. “My dearest Charity! Thank you. Without you, none of this would be possible.”

Charity dropped to her belly and covered her face with her wings. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!”

Bluebones clawed his way across the misshapen floor. “Without you, none of this would ’ave ’appened, Scorpan!”

Scorpan pursed his lips into a tight smile. “Too true. And without you, none of us would be here.”

Bluebones struggled to his hooves. “You get down off your high horse and face me pony to pony, you mongrel!”

Scorpan dipped his head in a bow. His horn lit up blood red. “No.”

Two boulders shot across the room and smashed together, with Bluebones in the middle.

“Grandfather!” Blueblood jumped into the air and fired a blast at Scorpan. The Wrong Alicorn dodged easily. He grasped the young alicorn in a strong bloody glow and flung him towards where Bluebones lay. The freed prisoner wailed with laughter.

Blueblood shook his mane free of dust. He blinked until his doubled vision cleared up.

Bluebones lay in a crumpled heap before him. The skeletal unicorn’s head lay cradled in Charity’s forelegs. His horn glowed a weak blue as he tried to speak. “Buh— Buh—”

“Congratulations, Bluebones,” Scorpan laughed. “You are free from the curse! Enjoy the last thirty seconds of your life!”

Blueblood rushed up to his great grandfather’s side. “What does he mean? What does he—?”

“It literally—” Bluebones’ horn flickered, briefly cutting off his speech. “It literally says that oi can’t die.”

Charity shut her eyes tight and recited.

“Neither life nor death
Shall victory bring
Neither love nor friendship
Shall hold relief
A prisoner here
As long as time
Dead to the world”

She sniffed. “He can’t die, because death would be a relief. Don’t die, Bluebones! You can’t!”

Bluebones lifted a fractured leg. He ran his hoof across Charity’s cheek. “Oi can’t help it.”

“Blueblood!”

Blueblood lifted his head at the sound of his name. Twilight Sparkle ran into the room, a grin on her face. “I’m so glad you’re alright!”

Discord followed close behind her. He was changed; he wore heavy armor, and his eyes burned with hatred and triumph. He lifted his arms. “To freedom, my Nightmares! The world awaits pure terror!” He slithered through the air towards Scorpan’s rapid flaps.

A wave of fear flowed towards the front door.

Scorpan smirked as he eyed Nightmare Entropy. “Shadowfright, I presume.”

“Prince Scorpan,” Nightmare Entropy said. “It is an honor to finally meet.”

“And the plan?” Scorpan watched Twilight run towards Blueblood out of the corner of his eye. “It will proceed like we agreed?”

“To the letter.” Nightmare Entropy chuckled. “Even the princesses will be here. Both of them.”

“Excellent!” Scorpan tilted his horn at Twilight. “And the girl?”

“Well, you know how it is…” Nightmare Entropy snorted. “Now that she’s finished her job, she can play the part of scapegoat.”

Scorpan giggled. His giggles rose to guffaws. His reddish-green eyes twitched. “Then let’s get the party started, shall we?”

“Indeed,” Nightmare Entropy said as he vanished in a flash.

Twilight nearly tackled Blueblood to the ground with her strong embrace. “I was so afraid this wouldn’t work! I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you!”

“Twilight!” Blueblood pushed her away. He stumbled back as his eyes ran across her midnight coat, her dark mane, and her reptilian eyes. “You didn’t do this! You didn’t! Tell me you didn’t!”

Twilight Sparkle tilted her head. She looked at Blueblood as though he was mad. “What do you mean? Of course I did! I told you I’d get you free!”

“You just unleashed a horde of Nightmares on the world!” Blueblood pointed to Scorpan. “You freed an insane alicorn warlord!” He stomped a hoof. “Our friends are all in danger, Twilight!”

“Blueblood!” Bluebones gasped. He scraped a hoof against his ribs as his marrow burned. “Blueblood!”

Blueblood rushed past a silent Twilight. He bent down, bringing his head level with his grandfather’s. “Hold on. Don’t try to—”

“Don’t… you dare… say ‘don’t try to talk’!” Bluebones prodded his grandson’s chest. “Oi’m… havin’ moi say!”

Bluebones wheezed. “Wot… ever happens… Stand, boy. Stand! No matter what!”

Blueblood took Bluebones’ hoof in his. “Of course I will. Of course!”

“Stand for the ponies!” Bluebones’ voice cracked. “Stand for what’s right!”

He rolled into a ball as a jolt of pain ran through his body. “Stand where oi fell...”

Bluebones screamed. As he screamed, his body changed. First, his bones were covered with pink. White hair grew all across his legs and torso. His head grew a long, blond mane. Blue eyes looked into Blueblood’s. A strong hoof gripped the prince’s own. Bluebones wheezed.

A tear rolled down Bluebones’ fleshy cheek.

“The curse…” Charity sobbed. “The curse is broken!”

Bluebones gasped as air filled his lungs for the first time in four-hundred years. “Blueblood!”

The reborn unicorn stallion wept. Bursts of pain tore at his legs, his chest, and his head. He coughed as liquid filled his lungs. “Oi don’t—” He choked. “Oi don’t wanna die! Oi don’t wanna die!”

His legs whipped around, battering Charity and Blueblood. “Oi won’t die! Oi won’t!”

His eyes met Charity’s. He sniffed. “Oi don’t wanna leave.”

Charity bent down and pressed her lips against his. She drew back and wiped her nose. “We can dream, Bluebones. We can dream one more time.”

Tears dripped from Bluebones’ chin. “Oi want to.”

Charity gazed up at Blueblood. “Please, just watch us for a moment? Please, just guard our dream. Just for a minute?”

Blueblood cast a quick look around the room. The Nightmares had left, Discord was missing, Scorpan had flown back into the pit, and Twilight stared into nothingness. “I have to… help. I have to help my friends.”

He swallowed hard. “And… I suppose that includes you, Grandfather.”

Bluebones cried. Tears fell unabashedly from his eyes. His shoulders shook. “Oi’m… proud of you… Son.”

Bluebones and Charity fell asleep. Blueblood stood still for a moment, his mouth hanging open. A lump stuck firmly in his throat.

He turned to Twilight.

Bluebones sat in a field. He felt Charity’s side move against his as she breathed. The pain was gone. He felt life in his limbs. He felt the breeze in his mane.

He watched snowflakes fall.

“I never meant for this,” Charity said. “I wanted the curse broken so that you could be free, too.”

“It was moi own stupid idea to go it alone.” Bluebones blinked back the tears that welled up in his eyes. “Moi own stupid idea to take all the responsibility moiself. And moi whole family paid.”

Her forelegs wrapped around his. “And now Blueblood’s got to clean it up,” Bluebones said.

She nuzzled the bottom of his chin. “I’m sorry.”

“Oi am, too.” Bluebones sucked in a breath that turned into a sob half-way down. “Oi’m sorry for the part oi paid in tearin’ everything apart. Oi’m sorry for not bein’ honest.”

He lowered his head to the ground. “Oi’m sorry for how bad it got.”

Charity looked at his body. He had grown paler, dimmer. “Let’s not talk about that.”

“Then wot we gonna talk about?”

“What we’ll do while we dream.”

Bluebones laughed. He ran his hoof across his eyes. “First, oi wanna build a snowpony.”

Charity giggled. She could see through Bluebones. A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye. “A unicorn with a carrot for a horn?”

“Naw.” Bluebones nuzzled behind her ear. “A bat pony. For you.”

“I’m flattered,” she managed to gasp. “I… then what?”

“Snowcones.” He tapped a clear hoof against a single blade of grass that rose above the snow cover. “Raspberry flavor for me. You have a favorite?”

“Lemon.” Charity strained to make sure his fading eyes were still linked with her own. “I… love the way it makes my mouth pucker.”

“Lemon.” He nodded, his wispy, ethereal mane shaking behind him. “Lemon for moi Charity.”

“Of course, you wouldn’t want to miss hot cocoa.” Charity’s left ear dipped down. “With marshmallows?”

“Mini marshmallows,” he chuckled. “They melt faster, and leave a noice bit of foam. And then the chocolate is so creamy…”

“Don’t burn your tongue, though. It’ll be numb all day.”

“That wouldn’t be very good for kissin’, would it?”

“No.” Charity blew a breath through her lips. “No it wouldn’t.”

“But we almost missed the best part.”

“What’s that?”

His voice faded. “Sittin’ together by the fire. Watchin’ the flames flicker and dance. Listenin’ to the crackle of the logs. Smellin’ the spicy ash scent. Lettin’ it dry out coats and warm out hearts. Layin’ together while we talk about the day. Talk about the fun we had together. Together.”

He shut his eyes. “And just bein’ warm while the winter blows all ’round us.”

He leaned towards her. Their lips met.

“I love you.”

Charity sat alone in a field.

Blueblood spared the sleeping ponies a glance. He turned back to Twilight and squared his shoulders. “Twilight?”

She met his eyes with a quick movement. “Blueblood! You’re alright!”

“No, I’m not!” He gritted his teeth and tried again, quieter. “No, I’m not.”

Twilight shook her head. “You have to be. I followed the plan. I freed the Nightmares. They’ll find their new home, and you won’t have to guard Tartarus anymore.”

“Their new home is going to be all of Equestria, Twilight.” Blueblood placed a hoof on her shoulder and gripped firmly. “You have to see that this is wrong. Ponies are going to get hurt, Twilight!”

“Ponies were already hurt!” Twilight snapped. “You were hurt most of all!”

“All the work the princesses have done to keep us safe,” Blueblood said, “all the soldiers who gave their lives to free Equestria—”

“It’s worth it to see you freed!” Twilight lunged at him and wrapped her forelegs around his neck. “It’s worth it to say this.”

She kissed him. Blueblood felt his stomach churn. He tried to pull away, but her grasp was too strong. She broke it off herself and spoke in a breathless whisper, “I love you, Blueblood. I love you so much.”

“Stop this right this instant!” he shouted.

She jumped back with flared wings. He flared his right back. “This is not you, Twilight! I know you! You care for others! You spend your whole life helping, and teaching, and building! Look, deep inside yourself! Look at what you’re doing!”

Twilight’s eyes darted around Tartarus, hopelessly lost. “But… but I freed you. I love you.”

“Think beyond yourself!” Blueblood wiped his mouth. “Don’t you see these Nightmares have taken what you wanted for good and twisted it? Don’t you see how they’ve steered you down a wrong path?”

Twilight’s mouth moved without sound.

“Can’t you see,” Blueblood said, “that you have allowed pride to steal your heart? Like it had mine, so many years ago. You have to let go of this path, Twilight. It’s destroying all that’s good in you.”

“It can’t,” Twilight pleaded. “Because I love you.”

“I love you, too, Twilight.” Tears ran down Blueblood’s cheeks. “You are, and always will be, my friend.”

Twilight stared into space again. Her eyes grew hard. Her pupils focused on something over Blueblood’s shoulder. “A friend. Just a friend!?”

She snapped her teeth in front of his nose. “How dare you!? How dare you!?”

She shoved him to the side. As he spun, he spotted what she had focused on: Spike, Redheart, and Flash Sentry stood at the door, looking on in horror.

Twilight hissed at them. “It’s that Redheart, isn’t it? She wanted you, and now she’s got you.” A flash of red leaked into the whites of her eyes. “Well, that’s fixable.”

Twilight’s horn glowed. Redheart’s eyes bulged. The nurse brought her hooves to her neck as she was lifted into the air.

“Put her down, now!” Blueblood screamed. “Twilight, don’t you dare!”

Twilight’s horn blazed pure white. Her eyes burned to match.

Blueblood flapped his wings and flew between Twilight and Redheart. “Stop!”

The magic struck him dead-center. He dropped like a stone down into the pit.

Twilight froze, her mouth gaping. She ran for the hole and slacked her grip on Redheart. “Blueblood! No!”

She pounded her hooves into the lip of the hole. “No! No! No! No!”

Redheart ran up behind her and leaped into the hole without a second thought. Spike wrapped his arms around Twilight’s neck.

“Please come back, Twilight,” he said. “Please come back.”

“No!” Twilight screamed until her throat was sore. “No. No. What have I done?”

Flash Sentry stood at the halfway point between the door and Twilight. His broken wing hung limp at his side. His breath came in quick spurts.

“Twilight,” Spike said, “please come back. I miss you so much.”

Black smoke leaked off of Twilight’s body. She howled as her body seemed to double for a moment, and then returned to its usual shape. It happened again, almost quicker than a blink. With a final croak from her throat, the doubled form split.

Chastity, sister of Charity, tumbled away from Twilight, her mane trailing black smoke. She sobbed, drawing her legs to her belly and wrapping her wings tight around herself. She rocked back and forth where she sat. “I can’t be her anymore! I can’t take it! I can’t stand it! What have I done?”

Twilight coughed up phlegm as her coat and mane returned to their original purple shades. She looked over at the bat pony with a shiver. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way. It was supposed to be good.”

Twilight stared into the pit as Spike rubbed her back. “What have I done?”

Flash took a hesitant step forward. His lips trembled. “Twi.”

Twilight lifted her head. Her ears drooped. “Flash.”

She hid her face from him. “I’ll never be able to apologize for this.”

Flash Sentry’s jaw clenched. Tears stung his eyes. “You don’t have to.”

Flash turned towards the door. He looked over his shoulder. “I’ll be here. When you’re ready to talk.”

He galloped out the doorway.

Charity woke up sobbing. Chastity lifted her head out from under her wings. “Sister?”

Charity rested her head on Bluebones’ body. “He’s dead, Chastity! And it’s all my fault!”

Chastity said nothing. She crawled over to her sister, sat behind her, and draped her arms around the other’s shoulders. They sat there quietly, waiting, as the prison rumbled around them.

Mere meters away, Twilight and Spike did the same. “They’re never going to forgive me, Spike. I betrayed everypony. I betrayed the princesses, I betrayed my friends, I betrayed you…”

“You can try to leave me all you want,” Spike said. “But I ain’t leaving you. None of us are. That’s why we’re here.”

He took her chin in the palm of his hand and turned her face towards his. Her ears perked up and faced forward, to catch what he was about to say.

“We love you, Twilight, like Blueblood said.” Spike rubbed her cheeks with his thumbs. “And we’re gonna help you make this right.”

Dream's Deep

Luna erected a swift, one-sided shield. The hydra’s middle head smacked into it less than a second later.

“Get them out of here!” She pushed the shield back, and the hydra with it. The other heads were catching wise, however, and were circling around. Lightning Dust fired a bolt of lightning at the leftmost head, which shrunk back.

“That trick’s not gonna work every time,” Rainbow Dash said. She hefted Pinkie Pie onto her back. “Help me out.”

“We can’t carry them all.” Lightning dumped Vinyl, Lyra, and Mandible between her wings. “We need some sort of miracle.”

The hydra hissed air through its vacant nostrils. Lightning shouted into the air. “Hay! I said we need some sort of miracle!”

She shrugged. “That usually works in the movies.”

“Run!” Rainbow Dash leaped aside as a head bit the space she’d just been standing in. She looked over her shoulder at Rarity and Braeburn, who lay in reach of the snapping jaws. “Grab ’em! Drag ’em or something!”

Lightning reached out with her magic and scooped them up. Her knees wobbled. “Whoa. Not used to this whole multitasking thing, Dash.”

“Duck!” Rainbow Dash bucked her back legs and hit the hydra on one of its snouts.

“Did you miss the part where I told you to retreat?” Luna said. “Be gone!”

“We can’t go anywhere.” Lightning Dust blasted the hydra with a burst of wind. “If we carry just a couple, it’ll leave the other to get mauled.”

“Then we stand together!” Luna cracked the ground with a mighty stomp. “Join me, sisters in arms. We face the hydra united!”

The three of them held their ground, faces set in stone, as they stared down the hissing Neverdead hydra. Two horns glowed, and three sets of wings extended.

Rainbow Dash’s ears perked up. “Hear that?”

“Don’t get distracted, Dash,” Lightning said.

“No, behind us.” Rainbow Dash looked back. “Oh.”

“What is it?” Luna asked.

“Bad news.”

Lightning Dust looked back as well. Her jaw dropped. “Oh.”

“What are you—” Luna joined them. “Oh.”

With the doors to Tartarus blown wide open, Nightmares poured through the opening like a sea of darkness. They swarmed towards the downed airship, the mountain passes, and the unconscious ponies lying before a hydra.

“Cuss,” said Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash.

The hydra tilted its heads. The middle head rose into the air and hissed. It was joined by the heads immediately next to it, and then the outermost heads. The air was filled with hisses and rattles as the hydra shook its neck bones. The rattling was answered.

Out of the mist crawled a herd of Neverdead creatures. Manticores, chimeras, wolves, big cats, cockatrices, a quarry eel… all those and more. The Nightmares and Neverdeads regarded each other for an eternal moment.

The Nightmares screamed as the bone monsters charged.

It was an incomprehensible melee between the two armies of monsters. Luna took to the sky and dragged Rarity and Braeburn with her while the hydra was distracted. “Go!”

Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust split, each carrying their burdens. They circled around the edge of the large valley in front of Tartarus, staying out of the greater portion of the fighting.

Lightning scanned the roiling mass of combatants and cringed. “That wasn’t the miracle I was hoping for.”

Flash Sentry stumbled out of the prison. He looked over the carnage with a gaping mouth. He brushed a hoof through his mane. He hid behind a rock and started to wrap up his broken wing. “Stupid.”

He bit the gauze, snipping off a length. “Stupid.”

He leaned back against the rock. “Stupid.”

The gauze roll ricocheted off a nearby boulder. Flash slumped over. “So stupid!”

He’d forgiven her. He had. He’d decided to forgive her long before he was certain she’d been Nightmared. She was sorry, and she was forgiven. That’s all there was to it.

Except it wasn’t.

“I wanted to be the hero, just this once.” He stood up and flung a stone. “Is that too much to ask!? To be her knight in shining armor!? Just once!?”

“I think you mean Knight in White Armor.”

Flash spun. He came nose-to-nose with one of Blueblood’s robotic servants. Its emerald eyes glowed green. He stumbled back and collided with another robot. He squared his hooves and pivoted his head. There were twenty of the Automated Servants, all of them with their built-in laser-eyes trained on him.

“Lasers eyes come standard,” Soarin said. “Weird, huh?”

The Nightmared stallion stared at Flash with wild eyes. Froth collected in the corners of his mouth. His mane was burnt and unkempt. He staggered on his hooves. “I’m alone now.”

“Soarin…” Flash twisted his body to give the golems a smaller target. “Soarin. It’s me, Flash. Your old buddy from the Guard.”

“Yeah, I know you.” Soarin scraped a hoof along the jagged rocks. “You took them away from me.”

“Who?” Flash shook his head. “No, no. I didn’t take anypony from you.”

“You did. You helped. Now I’m alone.” Soarin gazed around the battlefield. “So alone.”

Flash extended a hoof to the alicorn. “Listen to me, Soarin. You’re not alone. We’re here to help you.”

“You’re here to stop me!” Soarin hissed. “You’re here to make sure I’m alone!”

“Think of something besides being alone!” Flash flinched as the robots snapped to attention. “Think about Derpy and Dinky.”

Soarin tilted his head. “Who?”

“Your girlfriend. Her daughter.” Flash lowered his hoof to the ground. “They have to miss you just as much as you miss them. I’m sure of it.”

“I don’t…” Soarin’s eyes crossed. “I can’t…”

“You aren’t alone, not really.” Flash Sentry breathed a sigh. “Not as long as you can remember your family.”

“But…” Soarin sucked in air. “I…”

“Oh, please. You’re both alone.”

Nightmare Entropy flashed into existence on a throne of melted, sticky suckers. He pulled a blue one from the armrest and popped it into his mouth.

Flash shook his head. “What?”

“You’re alone,” Nightmare Entropy said. His mouth stretched in an unnatural grin. “You’ve been abandoned. You can’t protect your princess because you hate her.”

“I don’t hate her!” Flash yelled. “I couldn’t—”

“Then why didn’t you go to her?” Nightmare Entropy leaned forward and pulled a string out of Flash’s ear. It kept coming for a long time. “Why did you run? You didn’t even let her apologize.”

“She doesn’t have to!” Flash said. He turned his head in an attempt to watch each of the robots, Soarin, and Nightmare Entropy all at once. His chest heaved. “I’ve already forgiven her. She doesn’t have to apologize!”

“You don’t actually believe that,” Nightmare Entropy said. He spun the string around in his hands, playing cat’s cradle. Twilight's face appeared among the knots. “You think she’s abandoned you. You don’t want anything to do with her.”

“I. Love. Her.” Flash folded his ears against his head. “And I’ll stay by her side. No matter what.”

“Like you did just now?” Nightmare Entropy pulled a single string and caused Twilight to vanish from the cradle. “Good job, there, Lover-boy.”

Flash’s heart caught in his throat.

“You don’t actually want to forgive her. Not after all the hurt she put you through. Not after the way she treated you.” Nightmare Entropy shook his head and tutted. “You know she doesn’t deserve it.”

“It doesn’t matter if she deserves it or not.” Flash shut his eyes. He could hear the artificial ponies turning towards him, magic humming in their torsos. “What matters is what I’ve decided.”

Flash’s shoulders slumped. “I’ve decided to love her. Regardless.”

Nightmare Entropy blinked. He giggled. “Wow, this guy’s a real downer. You know what to do, Nightmare Storm. Clean up the mess.”

Soarin blinked cloudiness from his eyes. He focused on Flash and nodded. “As you command, Nightmare Entropy.”

He lifted a wing. “Robots, open fi—”

Celestia dropped from the sky and drove Soarin into the ground. A golden shield appeared around her and Flash, blocking the green death-rays shooting from the servants’ eyes. Another spell from her horn sent sunbeams tearing through half of the robots, which then turned to slice the rest in half. She stepped to the side and looked down into the crater she’d created. Soarin was unconscious and battered. “He’ll be fine for now. We have a prison break to deal with.”

Flash looked across the field at the Neverdead hydra. Several royal guard pegasi were buzzing around it, battering its heads and drawing it away from Luna and the others. They were airlifting their sleeping friends to a safe mountaintop.

“Um.” Flash looked up at the princess. “Turning point?”

Celestia smiled. She steadied her rear hooves and flicked her tail. “Let’s hope so.”

“Yes, yes, yes. Hope, hope, hope. Such naïveté!” Nightmare Entropy’s sucker throne disappeared in a red cloud. He snapped his fingers and a foil appeared in his talon. “En garde, mon Capitaine!”

Celestia gripped the sword in her telekinesis and bent the point back towards Nightmare Entropy. “You know, I thought you’d reformed.”

“Ha!” Nightmare Entropy crossed his arms. The foil slithered away as it took the form of a snake. “So did Discord, but I managed to convince him to let loose again.”

“What?” Celestia lifted a hoof and lowered her head. “You’ve been possessed by a Nightmare.”

“Nope,” Nightmare Entropy said. “Just a bad dream.”

The boulder beside Flash and Celestia came to life. It swung a rocky fist at the pegasus. He rolled beneath its legs, while Celestia kicked it across the valley. It smashed against a mountainside.

“Rock monster! Ooh-ahh!” Nightmare Entropy danced around, clicking his nails in time. “Rock monster!”

Rocks all around groaned and crackled. Boulders of all shapes and sizes stood up. They tramped towards Celestia and Flash.

“I think you’ve taken your previous victories for granite, Celestia.” Thunder rumbled as Nightmare Entropy wrung a rain cloud between his fists. He stretched it like it was made of rubber. “Let’s rock and roll your corpse home!”

He let the cloud fly like a rubber band. Celestia vanished in a golden teleport, causing the cloud to explode against the biggest rock monster. The giant toppled and split into fragments. Nightmare Entropy clicked his tongue. “You have a bad habit of being hard to hit.”

Celestia bucked his head from behind. His eyeballs popped out of their sockets. “I have a worse habit of hitting hard!”

He ran his hands along the ground, searching for his eyes. He snarled. “That wouldn’t have worked if it wasn’t funny.”

Celestia kicked him with her front legs. “You’ve poisoned my friends, harmed my subjects, and threatened my kingdom! I’m not trying to be funny!”

After a moment, she realized that she was just hitting an inflatable Discord punching bag. She spun this way and that looking for her opponent, but found nothing.

“Strange,” Nightmare Entropy said. “I’m having a laugh.”

Rock monsters surged against Celestia. Flash rode on one’s back, pounding helplessly against its head. The princess dodged and weaved, but couldn’t land a good blow in the close quarters.

“You’re funny. I’m laughing. We’ll have a blast.” Nightmare Entropy appeared on the mountainside. He looked up at the vast bowl-like dormant volcano. “We’re about to have a real, honest-to-goodness blast.”

He leaned on his knees and watched them struggle against the monsters. “So tell me, oh princess, how do you plan to get out of this one? Who’s gonna save the savior?”

A blue hoof tapped his shoulder. He turned, and got a face-full of sand. Luna grinned at him.

“Thou art a blackguard and a fool.” Luna pushed him over with a small tap. “We shall enjoy tearing your Nightmare apart.”

Nightmare Entropy’s eyes closed, and the rock monsters tumbled apart. Luna knelt before him with a glowing horn. “To arms, sister.”

“Yes. Of course.” Celestia gave her sister a nuzzle. “Nice timing.”

“You as well.” Luna tilted her head towards where the Royal Guard was fighting the Neverdead hydra. “We wouldn’t have lasted much longer.”

“Soon we can imprison these Nightmares again, and all can be well.” Celestia growled. “All will be well.”

“It won’t be a simple battle,” Luna said.

“With Discord, it never is.”

“It’s more than that.” Luna’s eyebrows lowered. “He is possessed by Shadowfright.”

Celestia found herself at a brief loss for words. “Shadowfright’s dead.”

“Not anymore, if he ever was.” Luna glared at Nightmare Entropy. “He is very much alive.”

Flash slipped up beside them. “I’m coming.”

“Nay,” Luna said. “We need you to keep a lookout, in case the Nightmares decide to take advantage of two unconscious princesses.” At his crestfallen expression, she added, “We trust you to do the job, Centurion Sentry.”

He nodded. “At your command, Your Majesties.”

Luna and Celestia locked gazes. “Together, we will guard the night,” they said, and promptly fell asleep.

Blueblood hit something hard. His chest boiled with agony. He didn’t realize he had stopped falling until the gritty sand pressing against his cheek became wet with tears. He opened his eyes and saw Scorpan casting a spell on the ground.

The Wrong Alicorn turned with a manic grin. “Ah, good. You’re here. I was afraid you’d miss the show.”

For the first time, Blueblood noticed Scorpan’s cutie mark: Three pairs of scissors.

“Scorpan,” the ex-prisoner said, “is derived from the same root word that brings us scorpion. ‘To cut.’” Scorpan fluttered his bat-like wings. “And I aim to cut deep.”

Blueblood gurgled.

“Pardon? I couldn’t hear you over the sound of you dying.” Scorpan tilted his head as his eyes went wide. “Don’t worry, it won’t take. Not with that Neverdead spell on you. You get to live with your death for a good long time. You might even live through today. Maybe.”

Scorpan patted Blueblood on the head. “You see, unlike your oath, my curse on you is not reliant on me being a prisoner of Tartarus. Your great-grandfather was stupid like that. I suppose he was working with what he had all those years ago, alone against my army of Nightmares, but still so stupid.”

Scorpan kicked an empty shackle. “These chains can’t hold me without prisoners. There is nothing you can do anymore.” He threw back his head and laughed uproariously. He stopped in an instant. “You can’t even die properly.”

Blueblood groaned. He lifted a hoof. Fur fell away, revealing dry bone.

“Ah. There we go.” Scorpan nodded with jerky movements, like a puppet on loose strings. “Welcome to my army of Neverdeads. You know, I could never get the others to do as I commanded. Seems living death makes people and animals uncooperative. Fair enough. However, if you defy me I’ll be forced to kill you again.” Scorpan’s left eye twitched. “Just harder this time.”

Scorpan’s horn lit with a dark, terrible glow. He shot a beam at the floor and drew a ragged outline. “When I wake this sleeping super-volcano and rain fiery death on all Equestria, it will be a very hard death, don’t you agree?”

Blueblood situated his four bony legs beneath his body. Hot air whistled through his rib cage as Scorpan drilled. His horn glowed. “Come…”

Scorpan looked over his shoulder. His mane and beard were singed from the rising heat. “Come again?”

“To…”

Scorpan rolled his eyes. “You really need to work on you enunciation—”

“Life!” Blueblood sent a spell towards one of the chains. A come to life spell. The same spell that brought him to ascension. The same spell he’d practiced and honed for ages. His last resort.

The chain looped through the air and snagged Scorpan’s hoof in its shackle. The Wrong Alicorn jerked back in surprise. “What!?”

A laser burst from Scorpan’s horn and sliced the chain in half. He snickered. “Fool. Without prisoners to satisfy your oath, these are mere chains!”

A harsh spell cut through the rock just above Blueblood’s head. “You’re more trouble than your amusement is worth!”

Redheart pulled Blueblood out of the way as a molten rock crashed into the ground. She stood between Scorpan and Blueblood. “You—you just stay back! I’m warning you!”

“Warning me?” Scorpan smiled with a crooked, toothy grin. “Warning me against what?”

“It—it would go against everything I stand for to hurt another.” Redheart bit down hard on her lip. “I’ll break my own oath to save Blueblood.”

Scorpan finished cutting a chunk out of the ground. The air shimmered as the mountain rumbled. “Oh really? And what can a little mare like you do?”

Scorpan lowered his head and charged at Redheart. Her horn flickered. His ankle twisted around. He screamed as he tumbled.

She winced and deliberately didn’t look at his dislocated hoof. “How do I cure him!?” she screamed. “How!?”

“You…” Scorpan coughed up phlegm. “You saw his grandfather. If he dies, he’ll stop being a Neverdead.” He laughed. His laughter echoed through the entire cavern. The mountain roared from within.

“This volcano will erupt and take every last pony with it!” He gasped for breath even as laughter took him again. “You with it! Him with it! I will blot out the sun with a cloud of ash! I will inhabit the Nightmares of every pony! Equestria will be a wasteland with me as its king!”

Redheart’s jaw dropped. “You’re sick.”

“And you’re dead!” Scorpan shook with laughter.

The floor fell out from beneath their feet, and fire rose up to greet them.

Celestia and Luna stood before a small, baby-faced draconequus. He played with a pile of letter-faced blocks which, though he knocked them down and built them back up at random, always seemed to spell out “Friends.”

“You know,” he said in a voice very much like Discord’s, though higher-pitched, “I hate structure.”

They looked around. Straight lines. Mathematical equations. Perfect rows of corn. Clothes that were of the same design, but which held a rainbow of colors. A sun that slid by at a constant rate and a moon that followed at an even pace.

Clocks. Ticking, clicking, tocking, knocking, ringing, pinging, clanging clocks. Clocks everywhere.

“So this is Discord’s Nightmare.” Luna lifted an eyebrow. “I expected scarier.”

“This is absolutely horrifying,” the young draconequus said with a level voice. “All the powers of chaos at my disposal…”

He flicked his current tower of blocks. It tumbled, and the letters lined up to spell “Friends.”

“And I can’t even mess up this bunch of kid’s toys.”

Celestia glanced around the dreamscape, attempting to discern a way to break the Nightmare, while Luna sat beside the young draconequus. “Discord,” Luna said, “why do you dislike what the blocks spell out?”

Discord picked up a block and threw it. It clattered to the ground a few meters away. “’Cause they don’t care about me.”

He kicked the blocks to punctuate every sentence. “They don’t care about what I want! They don’t care about what I need! And you know what? Who needs them anyways?”

He crossed his arms and hovered in the air. “I care about what I want. And I don’t need them or anypony. I got me covered.”

Celestia sniffed a cornstalk. “Yes, that is of course why you allowed yourself to be possessed by a monstrous alien.”

“Oh, Celestia,” Shadowfright’s voice boomed. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!”

The sky darkened. The corn transformed into a shadowed, misty, giant bramble patch. The tick, tock of the clocks grew slower, deeper. The sun turned red, and the moon turned sickly green. Straight lines became jagged. The blocks were swallowed into uneven ground.

A gray cloud loomed over the princesses. Two eyes, glowing a sinister purple, appeared. A beak formed, snapping at them from afar. A crackling laugh grasped at their hearts and chilled their spines. Shadowfright filled the sky of the dreamscape.

“This ends now!” Celestia jumped into the air and beat her wings furiously. She charged at the mighty Nightmare with her horn aglow. Shadowfright smirked. A vine shot out of the ground and wrapped around Celestia’s rear legs. She was dragged into the bramble patch kicking and screaming.

Luna stayed at Discord’s side and fired a moonbeam from her horn. Halfway it changed from silver to green, and vaporized into a fine mist. Shadowfright shook his head. “I control this world, Luna. You dreamhopping prowess is nothing to me.”

Brambles surrounded her on every side. Discord started to wander off, his face the picture of boredom, but she wrapped a leg around his neck in a tight hug. “I have faced Nightmares and won, Shadowfright. I have faced you and won. I am the Mistress of the Night, the Keeper of Dreams, the Watcher in the Stars. I will protect my little ponies… and apparently this draconequus… from every bad dream that comes their way.”

Shadowfright shook his head. “Luna, Luna, Luna… I am Discord now. I have his body. His magic. His skill. I have added it all to my own. All he has now is”—he pointed a pseudopod at the little Discord—“that.”

Shadowfright barked out a harsh laugh. “With the power of the Nightmare combined with the might of Chaos, there is nothing to stop me. Simple as that.”

“What’s simple,” Luna said, “is that Discord can defeat you easily.”

She leaned down to whisper in the draconequus’ ear. “All you must do, Discord, is face your real fears. Then you will see that what he tells you is all a lie.”

“So?” Discord turned away from her. “Why should I care?”

Luna sneered. “You should care that the fate of the world is in the balance! You should care because every last pony who calls you friend is in danger! You should at least care that you are now a prisoner of a tyrant!”

“And that’s different than before how, exactly?” Discord turned his nose up. “Prisoner of Celestia, prisoner of Shadowfright, what’s the dif?”

“We gave you freedom—”

“To twiddle away my days in tea parties and staying out of trouble. Bleh.”

Luna snorted steam. “And being a child stuck in your own Nightmare is far better!?”

Lightning struck between them. “I’ve had enough of this,” Shadowfright said. “I have a world to conquer!”

A new tingle ran down Luna’s spine. “Besides,” Shadowfright continued, “this isn’t really Discord’s Nightmare. Not anymore.”

A row of brambles parted. The world grew red hot. The air grew stifling. Luna shielded her eyes away from a blinding light.

With her shrunken pupils adjusted, Luna lowered her hoof.

A tall, white alicorn faced her. Her mane was alight with a rainbow of roaring flames. Her body was adorned with golden armor which seemed just this side of molten. Her eyes were harsh and draconic. Her smile betrayed a sinister set of fangs.

Celestia opened her mouth wide with crazed laughter. “The day shall last forever!”

“Not Discord’s Nightmare at all,” Shadowfright said. “It’s yours.”

Flash Sentry stood sentinel over the princesses. His eyes flickered to them as they stirred. Celestia hissed in pain, and Luna moaned in fear. He gritted his teeth and continued to watch the battle in the valley.

Nightmare Entropy giggled. Flash narrowed his eyes.

“This is insane,” he muttered. “I can’t just—”

His eyes spied Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash tucking their friends in between the boulders. He put a hoof to his mouth and gave them a sharp whistle. Rainbow looked up first, spotted him, and tugged on Lighting’s wing. They gave the area a quick look-over to be sure it was clear of monsters, then flew over, Dash on Dust’s back.

Rainbow Dash waved. “Flash! How’s Twil—”

“Fine for now,” he said. He wanted to wash those words off of his tongue. “I need to get into this dream.”

Lightning Dust hovered back a pace. “Whoa, really? You think you can help the princesses? Isn’t this their thing?”

“It doesn’t matter if I can help them,” Flash said. “I need to help them.”

“Hay! Cool your jets!” Rainbow Dash pushed him back with both forelegs. “It’s not gonna do anypony any good to get yourself killed!”

“Yeah, I’m in enough trouble without assisting in Suicide by Nightmare.” Lightning touched down and folded her wings. “Can’t you help in other—?”

“I have been beaten down, bruised, broken, battered, blamed, and betrayed.” Flash Sentry shook his mane. “I am bound and determined to give the Nightmares a little taste of their medicine. Twilight is safe for now, so that leaves it my job to keep the other princesses safe.” He nodded to Lightning. “Including you, Your Highness.”

Lightning shrugged.

“And right now, the mother of all Nightmares is fighting for survival. If it wins, the world is doomed. If we don’t fight back, we’re all gonna be sucked in.” Flash Sentry bopped his hooves together. “I think we can do something. Even something little could turn the tide in the princesses’ favor.”

“So you wanna send us into a Nightmare to be creepy-monster bait.” Rainbow Dash flicked an ear. “Right.”

“Something like that,” Flash said, waving a hoof. “But, you know, nobler.”

A hiss and a rattle issued forth from the Neverdead hydra. It was plowing through Nighmares on its way towards Tartarus. The Royal Guardsponies were having difficulty keeping it pinned.

“And what happens when that thing reaches us and we’re all asleep?” Rainbow Dash said.

“We won’t all be asleep.” Flash pointed at her. “You’ll be awake.”

Rainbow Dash squinted. “I’m injured.”

“I have a broken wing. Checkmate.” Flash puffed his chest out and turned to Lightning Dust. “So? We gonna save the world or what?”

Lightning Dust’s eyes flickered from Rainbow to Flash. “Eh, why not?”

He lay beside Luna and pulled the sandbag out of her grip. He handed it to Lightning. “On your mark.”

Rainbow Dash put a hoof on Lightning’s shoulder. “This is super-stupid.”

Lightning Dust shrugged. “Yeah, but you got a better idea?”

Celestia shrieked. She sat up, her eyes bloodshot, and lay back down in the space of a second. Luna growled into the dirt. Nightmare Entropy chuckled to himself.

“Fine,” Rainbow Dash said. “But don’t let him get killed.”

Lightning Dust sucked in a breath. She let it out slowly as her brow furrowed. “’Kay. Let’s do it.”

Flash Sentry opened the sandbag.

Flash Sentry and Lightning Dust were in the Unencumbered Unconscious. Lightning looked down with a gasp and tottered. Flash caught her before she could fall.

“Holy cow,” she said. She looked around and saw dreams gleaming all around like stars. “Are we in space?”

“Um…” Flash let go of her as she found her footing. “Maybe? Let me know if you see a Nightmare.”

“How’s about a hundred Nightmares?”

Flash turned around. Whereas before a Nightmared dream was easy to pick out of the stars, it being red and roiling while the others were white and twinkling, now there was a sea of red stars. They were all connected by streams of blackish-reddish smoke, flowing and wriggling and feasting on visible Fear. The connected Nightmare spread with every moment, swallowing up more stars in its trail through the Unencumbered Unconscious.

“My gosh…” Flash Sentry’s knees trembled. “He’s seeping into other dreams…”

“All at once,” Lightning croaked. “To create his army of Nightmares.”

The star at the center of the maelstrom of Fear was pitch black. Flash indicated it with a wingtip. “That one. That’s at the heart. That’s our destination.”

“You—” Lightning coughed. “You sure this isn’t Suicide by Nightmare?”

Flash narrowed his eyes. He spread his wings, which both worked just fine inside a dream, thank you very much, and flew. “Trust me.”

Lightning Dust gulped down the frog in her throat. “Oh, gosh it is. He’s gonna get himself cussing killed.”

She soared after him. “Hay, just so we don’t die with stuff hanging on our chests, I’m sorry about almost killing your girlfriend.”

Flash Sentry blinked. “You what!?”

“Look, I was trying to impress the Wonderbolts so I totally created a tornado to bust a few clouds and I guess maybe your girlfriend got caught in it.” Lightning smiled, though neither of them were convinced by it. “So, sorry?”

“Ah.” Flash hovered above the web of Nightmares. “You’re forgiven. I guess? Everything turned out alright, right?”

“Kinda.” Lightning Dust slumped in midair. “Not really.”

“Well, um…” Flash reached towards the core Nightmare. He hesitated. “I forgive you. You know, I had no idea that was you. You could have kept it a secret before going into this especially-difficult fight where we need to trust each other.”

“Well, that’s kinda why I said it.” Lightning Dust gave him a lopsided smile. “Plus, confession’s good for the soul and stuff. I feel better after saying it, at least. No dark cloud hanging over my head.” She looked up at the Nighmare web. “Except, you know, that one.”

Flash Sentry glared at the center. “I guess I’ll try to remember that.”

He touched the star.

Lyra bucked another Lyraling in the face. The fiftieth Lyraling, she was sure. “These things just keep coming!”

Vinyl smashed two into the floor and wiggled their heads like vinyl disks. “Maybe it isn’t a Nightmare anymore. This is pretty cathartic.”

“I dunno.” Mandible walked up beside Lyra and pointed his horn at Lyralis. “This is all pretty creepy to me, still.”

“Hay. Buddy.” Lyra gave him a sideways hug that squeezed him just a bit too tight. “As long as I got confidence, as long as I got friends, we got this.”

Lyralis snarled at them. She paused. She blinked. She looked up. She smiled.

“We got this,” Lyra said. “I think.”

Lyralis flew into the air. The skies turned from their usual blank white to dark red. An enormous buzzing filled the air. “Bow before your new ruler, pony scats! Shadowfright the Forgotten!”

A sinister, beaked face appeared out of the sky. Shadowfright’s beak opened wide, and a horde of changelings poured out. “Fear! Fear is your entire world now!”

Lyralis grew in size, surrounded by a ruddy glow. The changelings were so numerous and tight-packed that it seemed they were a single, massive monster.

Mandible clutched Lyra tight. “I think that’s the single scariest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Lyra squinted at him. “But you’re a changeling.”

Vinyl Scratch pulled her sunglasses off. Both lenses were broken. She tossed them to the side. “Heartstrings, I’m starting to think there’s some things even changelings won’t do.”

Pinkie and Braeburn held each other close as the wind picked up, sending stinging sand into their faces. The hot sun above turned blood-red, and was soon half-covered by billowing black clouds.

“I don’t understand!” Pinkie said. “You beat the Nightmare! We’re together!”

Rarity yelped and released the Night Terror. It hovered in the air while it took on a reddish sheen. It grew, hissing with delight all the while. “At last! He has returned,” it whispered.

“Who!?” Pinkie shouted. “Who’s returned? Who wants to hurt us!?”

“The King of Nightmares,” the Night Terror said. “Shadowfright!”

Shadowfright appeared in the sky, his glowing purple eyes the only thing visible through the sandstorm.

Pinkie Pie held onto Braeburn as tight as she could. They inched their way towards Rarity, until they were a leg’s length away. Pinkie reached out. “Hold on, Rarity! Grab my leg! We’ll all be lost together!”

Rarity crawled towards Pinkie. She reached out and grasped hooves. “Pinkie, there’s nopony else I’d trust to get me lost in just the right way!”

They huddled together in the middle of the storm, hoping against hope that they could wait it out.

“You’re all fools!” Shadowfright said. “You think there’s hope? You think you can stand together? I am your worst Nightmare. I am your deepest, darkest secrets! I am your hidden desires! I hold you in my clutches! You can’t help yourselves from doing my bidding!”

Pinkie Apple-Pie and Braeburn Apple kissed for a long time. Rarity hugged Pinkie even as she rolled her eyes. “And I’m the fifth wheel again, naturally. Que sera, sera.”

“You can’t escape!” Shadowfright’s face appeared at the top of a cyclone, with the three little ponies at the bottom. “I am everywhere! I am in everything! I am in your very thoughts! I will spread Fear until it blankets the continent!”

His glowing eyes glinted like amethysts in fire. “And you—yes, you!—are next!”

Author's Note

And that means you.

Reality's Collapsing

Flash Sentry appeared beside Shadowfright’s enormous face. Every hair stood on end. He dove towards the ground as fast as physics would allow.

“New arrivals?” Shadowfright said. “Didn’t I mention this party was by invitation only?”

“Hay, jerk-face!” Lightning Dust shouted. “Chew on this!”

She fired a bolt of lightning that passed right through Shadowfright. He growled. “I thought you were on my side.”

“Yeah, well…” Lightning Dust crossed her forelegs. “That was before.”

A tornado of smoke and shadow spun below her and sucked her up. She screamed as she rolled out of control.

“I love a good ironic death, don’t you?” Shadowfright said. “I was just going to have you possessed again, but if you’re going to be this pugnacious…”

Flash Sentry shot through the sky and knocked Lightning Dust out of the spiral. They arced over the bramble patch and crashed into the thorns.

“You’re going to make me chase you, aren’t you?” Shadowfright sighed, and the dreamscape trembled. “I hate running.”

Flash brushed broken branches and thorns out of his coat. A long, shallow cut ran down his side. “Lightning? Are you there?”

Celestia landed in front of him, bruised and battered. She leapt to her hooves and charged at a dark apparition across the patch. The monster reared up and laughed. “The night shall last forever!”

“No!” Celestia said. “I’m not going to lose you again!”

The two ancient alicorns locked glowing horns. The air shimmered with fire and fury. Flash ran up to help Celestia, but he was pushed back by a mighty blast of light. He lay on the ground and covered his head until the brightness dimmed.

He peered up. Celestia and Nightmare Moon faced each other, each taking in deep breaths. Both were hurt, one limping on a leg, the other nursing a drooping wing.

Celestia looked at him. “Run.”

Flash shook his head. “No, I’m here to help y—”

“Run!” Celestia shouted in the Royal Canterlot Voice. Flash’s heart leapt as he moved to obey the magic command on instinct.

He thundered through the thorns, willing his legs to slow so that he could return to the fight. He turned his head to look back, just in time to miss the alicorn princess running in the other direction. Lightning Dust and Flash Sentry thumped their heads together and collapsed on top of each other.

She stood first. “You gotta hurry, dude!”

“We need to go back,” he said.

“Celestia’s been possessed!” she shouted.

“Luna’s been— Huh?”

“Celestia’s gone full Nightmare, man.” Lightning Dust’s chest heaved as her eyes glazed over. “Oh geeze, oh cuss, we’re all dead.”

“But…” Flash’s eyes flickered left and right. “But I saw.”

He shut his eyes and listened. Sounds of battle came from both before and behind him. “Lightning, it’s just a dream.”

“Tell that to the thorn that got stuck in my b—”

“No, seriously, it’s just a bad dream.” Flash Sentry waved a hoof as he ran past Lightning. “Come on!”

He broke through the brambles and had his theory confirmed. Luna faced off against a Nightmarish Princess Celestia in flaming gold armor. Discord sat off to the side, a bored expression on his young face.

Flash gripped Lightning’s shoulders. “We gotta make them meet.”

“You wanna do what!?”

“We have to make them meet. Celestia and Luna can work together. Right now they’re just playing the Nightmare’s game!”

“How do we do that!?”

“Um.” Flash Sentry hit the side of his head. “I dunno. Cut down the thorn bushes. Can you do that?”

Lightning Dust gaped at him. “Do I look like a gardener?”

“Fine.” Flash Sentry gritted his teeth. “Celestia forgive me for what I’m about to do.”

Lightning Dust tilted her head. “What are you—?”

“Hay, Nightmare Cakebutt!” Flash said to the false Celestia. “Yeah, you! You’re so fat, you blot out the sun!”

Nightmare Celestia snarled and spat fire from her horn. Flash Sentry ducked just in time to avoid being turned into charcoal. The brambles behind him, on the other hoof, didn’t duck. The entire patch of thorns began to crackle and crumble.

“Catch me if you can!” Flash said, and disappeared into the bushes.

The Nightmare roared and thundered after him, her mane aflame.

Lightning Dust and Luna looked at each other. Luna rubbed her eyes. “What is the fool doing now?”

“He’s, um, saving you.” Lightning Dust shrugged. “Or, you know, committing Suicide by Nightmare. One of the two. That wasn’t your sister, by the way, just an illusion.”

“A very dangerous illusion!” Luna nodded. “Come, we must save the idiot.” She waved a wing. “Discord, are you—”

She took one look at the disinterested draconequus. “Never mind. You have had your chance.”

The princesses galloped away, leaving Discord alone. He stood up, pulled a zipper out of thin air, and stepped through the resulting hole. He zipped the dream back up behind him, and floated off into the Unencumbered Unconscious.

Flash broke into Celestia’s clearing, the illusion hot on his heels. “Celestia! That’s not you sister!”

Celestia bucked Nightmare Moon in the chin. “What?”

“It’s just an illusion!” Flash opened his wings wide, framing the monster behind him. “See?”

Celestia’s eyes widened as her doppelganger lit her horn. “Duck!”

A wave of heat flashed over Flash as he dropped to the ground. Celestia took the brunt of the fire with a shield. While she was focused on the one Nightmare, Nightmare Moon moved in from the side.

“Never again shall you darken my sister’s dreams!” Luna yelled. She tore a hole through the heavy growth and tossed a thorn at her own counterpart. “Nightmare Moon is no more!”

“I’m always waiting, Luna!” Nightmare Moon said. “Always lurking beneath the surface! Always ready to take what’s mine!”

Flash rolled away as Nightmare Sun stomped the ground. “I am everything you could be, Celestia. If you would just give in, you could have all that you wish and more!”

“I don’t want you!” Celestia gripped her double’s throat between her hooves. They grappled, balancing on their hind legs. The dirt turned to glass under their combined fire. “I never wanted you!”

Nightmare Moon and Luna circled around each other, firing blast after blast of moonbeams, lasers, and any other spells they could think of. Luna slid on a patch of ice, and the Nightmare moved in with a paralysis spell on the tip of its horn.

Lightning Dust ran up beneath Nightmare Moon. She leaped from underneath it and threw it onto its back. She dodged the paralyzing horn, and rushed back to the brambles.

As Nightmare Moon stood back up, Lightning returned and bucked her upside the head. Before the Nightmare could react, she was back under cover.

“Stop hiding and face me!” Nightmare Moon barked.

Luna wrapped vines around Nightmare Moon’s limbs, knotting them together. The monster tumbled off-balance. “You are far too easily distracted, do you know that?”

Nightmare Sun roared. Its body burned, scorching the surrounded plants. The entire bramble network collapsed bit by bit.

Celestia grabbed Flash Sentry. “We must break free before we’re all crushed! I’ll burn a path, you and the others fly to safety.”

“I’m not leaving you—”

“You are leaving me because I said so!” Celestia said. “I’m tired of other ponies paying the consequences for my mistakes! You have your own princess to go home to, Flash! I’m not going to be the one to tell her you died defending me!”

Flash skittered out of the way of a tumbling branch. “Am I supposed to tell her you died saving me?”

“You’d better have something to tell her when this is over,” Celestia said. “Do you understand me!?”

Nightmare Sun growled and stalked towards them. Flash gulped. “I think I will.”

“Good.” Celestia fired a sunbeam straight up. “Go!”

“Luna, Lightning!” Flash waved them over. “Up! Up, up, up!”

With one final knot, Luna left Nightmare Moon trussed up under the flaming branches. The three soared upwards, with Celestia following close behind. And she with Nightmare Sun on her heels.

Nightmare Sun bit Celestia’s tail and pulled back. “Prpr tr diii!”

Celestia looked down with a furrowed brow. “What was that?”

Nightmare Sun spat the tail out. “I said, ‘Prepare to d—!’”

Celestia kicked the Nightmare in the face. The illusion tumbled down into the fire. Celestia turned to continue upward, but her way was cut off by two burning branches. Her wings got caught in the brambles. She gathered power in her horn for a teleport.

“Not so fast, Celestia,” Shadowfright chuckled. “I’m afraid I don’t play by the rules.”

A vine snaked its way around Celestia’s neck. Its thorns dug into her flesh. She was unable to concentrate on the spell. She couldn’t gather enough power. The fire grew closer.

Silver light slashed through the bushes. The blackened plants withered and crumbled under focused moonbeams. The fire did not die out, but it was held back. Luna held a hoof out to her sister. “Come on, sister. Save the sacrifice for when it’s truly needed.”

“With pleasure,” Celestia said. She gripped Luna’s hoof and allowed herself to be pulled out of the fire.

All four of them flew above the conflagration. Shadowfright sneered down at them.

Luna puffed her chest out. “Your Fear will never conquer us, Shadowfright. Not so long as hope exists!”

“Yes,” Shadowfright said, “I know.”

Nightmares Sun and Moon rose from the fire, none the worse for wear. The hovered beside Shadowfright and laughed.

“You’re fighting an endless fight, Royal Sisters.” Shadowfright rolled intangible shoulders. “My minions and I are tireless. We cannot be stopped. We cannot be slowed. We cannot even be contained. Especially not by wimpy unicorn brats with a curse. All your hard work is for naught. All your effort in vain. We rule Equestria.”

He grinned. “Or what’s left of it.”

Celestia glared with eyes of steel. “What have you done?”

“As we speak, Scorpan is releasing the binding on Tartarus. The seal to the Sleeping Mountain. When that volcano erupts, the soot and ash will coat Equestria in total darkness for months. Maybe even years. In that time, my Nightmare Army will have been complete as your little ponies utterly abandon hope.” Shadowfright glanced at the Nightmares on either side of him. “Despair and Fear are law now. My law.”

“How much longer is thy speech, vagabond?” Luna said. “I wish to pummel thee.”

“Get in line,” Shadowfright said. “Nightmares, tear these fools—”

Lightning Dust flicked her horn and sent a bolt of electricity into Nightmare Moon’s chest. She looked at a surprised Flash Sentry. “What? I only have the one trick, but it’s a good one.”

“Just kill them!” Shadowfright roared. “Kill them all!”

Discord touched a dream floating in the void. He watched some pony or another face their worst fears for a moment, and then moved on to the next one.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie has no audience!”

He smirked, and then continued down the line.

Why should he care? The world could burn, the skies rain ash, and the seas boil over, but what would it matter to him? He would still exist, and he’d finally be free. Free from the dumb ponies and their rules, and their chains, and their tea parties.

He touched a dream and saw Applejack lying in her deadened field. Her limbs were small and scraggly. Her coat was mangy and greasy. Her eyes were dark and hollow. “Granny… Big Mac… Apple Bloom… Somepony, help… Ah can’t do this on mah own.”

“Serves you right,” he said as he floated past.

Friendship. What had they ever done for him? When had they stuck their necks out for him? When had they ever treated him as anything but a nuisance?

He touched a particularly shaky dream. He saw Lyra and Vinyl beating off changelings with bats as they swarmed around like a black cloud of locusts. Another changeling stood between them, kicking at any monster that happened to get close.

“Well, gotta admit,” Lyra said. “This is probably the way I’d have chosen to go.”

“Surrounded by an army of soul-sucking monsters?” Vinyl asked.

“Hay!” Mandible said. “That’s a negative stereotype.”

“Naw.” Lyra smashed another Lyraling’s face in. “Fighting alongside my friends. Having a good time. Hanging out. Stuff like that. You gotta look at it abstractly.”

“Eh,” Vinyl said. “Fair enough.”

“S-sorry for freaking you out earlier.” Mandible put a Lyraling in a chokehold. “I didn’t realize you had a phobia.”

“No biggy,” Lyra said. “Anyways, you probably cured me of it. You rock pretty hard, dude.”

Mandible beamed.

“Weird,” Discord said. He moved on.

He touched the next dream and found a sandstorm. Rarity, Pinkie, and Braeburn clutched each other tight.

“Ah’m sorry ah got us into this,” Braeburn said. “Ah love you, Pinkie.”

“I love you, too, Braeburn.” Pinkie nuzzled his neck. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be right now.”

“Ah’ve decided somethin’.” Braeburn snatched his hat as it was blown away by the wind. “Ah’m movin’ to Ponyville. To stay close to you.”

“B-but your farm!” Pinkie gripped his foreleg. “Who’ll take care of Appleoosa!?”

“The Apple Family’s strong in Appleloosa. Ah’ll give it to mah cousin Russet.” Braeburn smiled. “You’re more important, Pinkie. Ah can work at Sweet Apple Acres. We can get a nice little cottage on the outskirts of town. With a nice big backyard to throw parties in!”

“Is this really the time to talk about this?” Rarity squealed.

“If’n we might not get another chance,” Braeburn said, “then yeah. It is.”

Discord took a step back. He watched the dream bob and weave through the ether for a moment. “These ponies are all crazy. Why would he just up and give away his life like that?”

Several dreams waited, standing by to share their contents with Discord. He counted them off. “Eeny meeny miney moe. That’ll do.”

He touched the dream, and was thrown into a Nightmare.

A dark house creaked all around him. The windows were boarded up. The furniture was pushed against the doors. The fireplace was dark. The only light came from the moonlight snaking in through the holes in the boards.

Fluttershy huddled in the corner.

“I tried… So hard…”

“Fluttershy?” Discord crossed his arms. “What’s eating you?”

“D-Discord?” Fluttershy smiled, before sadness overtook her features. She lay back down with tears pouring out of her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

Discord looked around the room. “Where are we?”

“M-my cottage. It’s all I have left.”

Skitters could be heard from above. Fluttershy leapt into the air. She breathed so shallow and quick that she threatened to hyperventilate. “No! No, no, no, no, no. They’re inside!”

“Calm down, Fluttershy,” Discord said. “It’s just a dream.”

“B-but it feels so real.” Fluttershy’s lower lip trembled. “I saw such horrible things. My animal friends… they hate me.”

A thump came from the door. One of the boards splintered as a bear paw busted through. Discord jumped back. “Geeze! Missus Grizzly needs an attitude adjustment.”

“No, they’re hungry.” Fluttershy pushed herself against the wall. “They’re all so hungry. I tried to feed them, but it was never enough. I gave them so much, but they just hated me more. Now they want to eat me, too.”

Discord snapped his fingers to change the Nightmare in some way. Turn the bear into a kitten, or make the world full of flowers, or something. Nothing happened.

“Please, Discord,” the bear said in Shadowfright’s voice. “Don’t imagine you have any power over dreams. This is my domain, and that mare is my property.”

“Hay,” Discord said. “This wasn’t part of the deal!”

“It was, though,” the bear said. It clawed its way through the door. “All of Equestria will burn, and you get front-row seats to watch!”

“Fluttershy, you big dummy,” Discord said. “Why would you let them take so much away from you? Why did you keep giving and giving until there was nothing left to give?”

“Because…” Fluttershy wiped tears from her eyes. “I had hopes that… that a little kindness could change you. I understand now, though. I can’t do anything to make you change. But I learned too late.”

Fluttershy hid behind her mane. “And now there’s nothing left.”

She shrieked as she was dragged back by horrible shapes. Shapes with gangly limbs, sharp teeth, bitter breath, and hairless bodies. She struggled against them, but there were too many. They were in her tail, grasping her legs, biting her sides…

The bear tore the doorway open. It was as large as a carriage. Its fur bristled. Its eyes glowed red. Its mouth opened up wide to tear into Fluttershy.

Discord jumped between them, wound up, and socked the bear in the jaw. Shadowfright screamed as he went flying through a wall. Discord reached into the churning mass of monsters and pulled Fluttershy out. He unzipped the dream, stepped outside, and zipped it back up before the Nightmares could get out.

“You did all that for me?” Discord said. “You went through so much pain for me?”

“I did it because you were my friend, Discord. I hoped that it meant something.” Fluttershy buried her face in his back. “But nothing ever matters to you.”

Discord blinked. He didn’t notice it, but his young features were maturing as he sat between the stars. Soon he was back to his full height. “I haven’t been that good of a friend, have I?”

“No,” Fluttershy said. She slid off his back and looked up at him. “You haven’t.”

“How did that old saying go?” he asked. “‘You need to be a friend to have friends?’”

“It’s true,” Fluttershy said.

“Huh.” Discord rubbed his chin. “Go figure.”

Twilight Sparkle stared down into the hole. She heard laughter rise out of it. Laughter from the Wrong Alicorn.

“I need to do something.” She stood up, but her legs fell out from beneath her. “Ow.”

“You’re going to be pretty weak for a while,” Charity said. “Your bond with Chastity was very strong.”

Twilight looked back at the two bat ponies. “But every decision was mine, wasn’t it?”

Chastity lifted her head. Her eyes shimmered. “I couldn’t think for you. I just… I just focused you. I think… I think I went overboard at the end. I’m sorry. I had to free my sister. You understand, right?”

“Of course I do.” Twilight Sparkle rolled onto her side and hugged Spike close. “But I shouldn’t have condoned it. I shouldn’t have agreed. We’re both to blame, I guess.”

Redheart’s shriek came from the pit. Spike shuddered. “Isn’t there something we can do to help? Even if we can’t go down there… Something in the prison, or— I don’t know, just something!”

“I don’t know. There’s almost nothing left of the prison.” Charity shrugged. “Just loose chains and a bunch of empty cells.”

Twilight bit back tears. “I’m such an idiot. I’m such a—” Her eyes grew wide. She pointed a hoof at Charity. “Say that again.”

“Just—” Charity shrugged. “Loose chains and empty cells.”

“The curse! No! The oath!” Twilight tried to stand up but flopped over on her other side. “Dangit! Spike, drag me to a cell!”

“What?” Spike gripped her foreleg. “Why?”

“The oath said that as long as the Nightmares were imprisoned here, Scorpan would be, too!” Twilight wiggled her wings. “I’m as much a Nightmare as anypony right now.”

Spike tilted his head. “You don’t look like—”

“We all need to get in cells!” Twilight rolled into a sitting position, propped up by Spike. “I’ll need you two to help. It’ll take all four of us to restrain an alicorn as strong as Nutso the Clown down there.”

“I can’t go back.” Chastity gripped her sister tight. “Charity, I can’t go back. I can’t. Oh, gosh, I can’t!”

“Y—you don’t have to,” Charity said. “I’ll go. I’ll do it.”

She stood up and leaned Twilight against her side. She looked down at her sister. “I have to do it for Bluebones. I have to right some kind of wrong. Somehow.”

“No!” Chastity crawled forward. “I don’t want to lose you again!”

“You…” Charity shrugged, a small smile on her face. “You can visit me any time.”

“Oh—” Chastity slapped the stone floor. “Oh, fine. Take me in, officer. At least we can be together.”

Spike and Charity led Twilight and Chastity to the closest cell. The door hung ajar, and the floor was strewn with uneaten porridge.

“Yuck,” Spike said. “Ladies first.”

The four of them climbed in. Spike gave the pit one last look before he shut the door. “Fingers crossed.”

The door sizzled with energy as it sucked magic out of the air.

Blueblood and Redheart shambled away from Scorpan. The Wrong Alicorn landed in the middle of the room with a triumphant grin. “You feel the ground shake? Do you feel the earth scream to be let free? The volcano awakes!”

The ground cracked under Blueblood’s hooves. He stumbled as magma poured through the holes. Redheart pulled him away. She scowled at Scorpan. “Just let us go! I don’t care about your stupid plan for world domination!”

“Domination?” Scorpan laughed. The ground beneath him split in two. He leaped into the air. “I am for world decimation!”

Far above, the lock on Twilight Sparkle’s cell clicked shut.

A chain looped through the air and snagged Scorpan’s hoof.

“What!?” Another chain snagged another hoof. Then two more chains grasped at him, until all four of his legs were restrained. The chains tightened, dragging him back to the floor. Magma poured from the ground as more cracks appeared. Pressure built until it felt like their skulls were being crushed.

Redheart flapped her wings and took to the air. “Link hooves, Blueblood! I’ll lift you up!”

“You’ll do no such thing!” Scorpan shouted.

His horn glowed red, and wrapped a lasso of anger around Redheart’s waist. He dragged her towards him, along the molten floor. Her coat became patched with burnt spots as she neared the source of the heat. “Let me go! Let me—”

“Shut up!” Scorpan tried to shake the chains free, but they were enchanted with a very familiar spell. “You— You tricked me! You’ve trapped me again, you fool!”

He looked up. The air shimmered. Embers floated up through the pit. “You’ve killed me! But no, this isn’t the end, my dear!”

He stumbled as part of the floor fell away. He just barely managed to move his hoof away from the molten rock boiling up. “If I’m to be trapped down here, I’ll drag you down right alongside me!”

Redheart fought at the spell, but Scorpan wouldn’t give an inch. Her hooves dragged along the rock. “No, let me go! Please!”

“Please!” Scorpan laughed. His wild eyes sparked with rage. “Is that the best you’ve got!?”

The skeletal body of Blueblood landed on his back, throwing him off balance. They tumbled to the side, within mere inches of the magma. Blueblood pushed Scorpan’s face into the hot floor, searing his beard.

“You stupid—” Scorpan giggled as the smell of burning fur filled the air. “You don’t get it. I killed your great-grandfather. I murdered your grandfather. I crushed your mother!” Scorpan knocked Blueblood’s hoof away. “You’re just the last in a long line of failures!”

He roared and cast a cutting spell at Blueblood. The prince rolled off of him, and the spell hit the wall. A fresh-cut boulder rumbled towards them, ready to crush anything in its path. Blueblood sat still, his bare teeth agape. Scorpan howled with mad laughter.

Redheart flew by and picked Blueblood out of the way of the rolling rock.

The stone crashed through the ground beside Scorpan, upsetting what was left of the floor. The Wrong Alicorn flapped his bat wings to fly away, but the chains held fast. The last shard of dry ground sunk into the fire, and pulled Scorpan in after it.

The last Blueblood saw of Scorpan was a Neverdead alicorn attempting to rise from the magma, before its bones burned to ashes.

Redheart set Blueblood down just outside the pit. She collapsed to the ground in a heap of burnt hair and feathers. He put a hoof on her side as it rose and fell from her deep breaths.

She giggled. “I get to chose where we have the second date.”

Spike stuck his head through the cell bars. “Oh my gosh, they’re alive! Where’s Scorpan?”

Blueblood’s horn lit with a hazy blue light. “Dead.”

“Well, that’s a reli—” Spike squinted. “Huh? Is something wrong with your face?”

Redheart and Blueblood stumbled up to the four prisoners. Twilight covered her mouth. “Oh no. I killed you.”

“Had. Worse,” Blueblood said.

Redheart pursed her lips. “Really?”

“No.”

Twilight chewed her mane. “Well, maybe I can find some sort of cure. Maybe. I’ll work on it… after…” She shrugged. “After I get out of prison, I guess.”

“We have to get you out of here right now.” Redheart fumbled with the door. Blueblood handed her the keys. “Thanks, Blue Eyes. This whole place is a volcano. If it erupts it’ll cast all of Equestria into darkness and probably kill a whole lot of ponies.”

“What?” Spike gripped the bars. “How do we stop it?”

“We… we can’t.” Redheart opened up the cell door and led them towards the exit. “I think all we can do is get as far away from the boom as possible.”

Celestia panted and sweated. Nightmare Sun panted and sweated.

Luna snarled and sneered. Nightmare Moon snarled and sneered.

Shadowfright yawned into a shadowy wing. “Aren’t you dead yet?”

“We’re going to fight for as long as it takes!” Flash Sentry shouted. “Even if it takes forever!”

“Yeah!” Lightning Dust shouted. “Wait, did you say ‘forever’!?”

“My power grows by the minute!” Shadowfright crowed. “How long do you think you can hold out?”

Lightning Dust puffed her chest out. “Fifteen minutes, give or take! Yeah, that’s right! Take that!”

Shadowfright rolled his eyes. “You four are no longer amusing.”

“I’m back, baby!”

All eyes turned at the sudden appearance of Discord. He hovered proudly above the burning brambles, his fists on his hips. “Shadowfright, this is a combination of an eviction and an exorcism. Hit the road, buddy boy.”

Shadowfright laughed. “What caused the change of heart?”

Discord narrowed his eyes. “You put my friend in danger.”

“You friend?” Shadowfright bent low. “I thought you didn’t have friends. I thought you wanted Equestria to burn.”

“I’m talking here!” Discord reached up and grabbed Shadowfright’s nose. He pulled the Nightmare down and pressed his face against it. “I realized that I haven’t been the best of friends. I haven’t been exactly trustworthy. I mean, look at me, I’m committing a coup. But the thing is that I’ve decided to become the bigger man. To say that I was in the wrong. Or at least to assume the cost of the damages.”

Discord rolled Shadowfright up into a cylinder. “Truth is, we just made Fluttershy cry. I don’t know what’s more evil than that.”

“Attention everyone!” Discord waved his paw and the Nightmares dissolved. “This dream is officially over!”

Discord awoke with a throbbing sensation in his stomach. When he opened his eyes, he realized that it came from Shadowfright, who was still firmly rooted in his belly.

“You’re such a ditz,” the Nightmare said. “Did you think it would be so easy?”

The ground shook. Boulders split. Steam poured out of holes in the ground.

“That volcano is going to erupt whether you want to play nice or not.” Shadowfright looked on as Celestia and Luna came to. “It’s over. I win.”

Celestia stared at Tartarus as it shook. “Look!”

Redheart galloped out of the gateway with Blueblood in tow. Twilight followed them out with Spike on her back. Chastity and Charity brought up the rear.

“Where’s Scorpan?” Luna said.

“Chained up and dumped in the lava,” Redheart said.

Twilight cleared her throat. “Actually, before eruption it’s called mag—”

“Don’t care,” Redheart said. “Because it’s still going to erupt. What are we gonna do?”

“Bluebones and I were able to seal it away the first time Scorpan attempted this.” Celestia sat down hard. “But it is too far along, now.”

Discord’s ears drooped. His face hardened. “I can contain it.”

“What?” Celestia turned to him. “Discord, there’s too much power behind—”

“Celestia, have you forgotten the benefits of phenomenal cosmic power?” Discord snapped his fingers. A patch of melted ice cream on the ground reformed into a very confused Cerberus. “It’s the good stuff.”

He vanished, taking Shadowfright along with him.

Luna blinked at the roaring volcano. “Do you think he can do it?”

“Regardless,” Celestia said as the dreamers on the mountaintop came to, “we have to get us and them as far away from here as possible. Run! Run!”

Discord hovered above the pit. Magma flowed underneath him, roiling and boiling and a lot of other “-ing” words. He regarded it coolly.

“Well?” Shadowfright grumbled. “Aren’t you going to do something?”

“What can I do?” Discord said. “I can’t hold back the eruption.”

Shadowfright grinned. “So you lied to them in order to escape!”

“No,” Discord said. “I’m going to let it erupt, but I won’t let the explosion escape the prison.”

Shadowfright’s smile disappeared. “What?”

“There’ll be a big boom, no mistake, but it’ll all be right here.”

“But…” Shadowfright gasped. He shook his head from side to side. “But with that much kinetic—violent—superheated…” His glowing eyes shrunk to dots. “We’ll be blasted to atoms! Smaller than atoms! There’ll be nothing left but quarks!”

“Yes.” Discord chuckled. “We’re gonna be blasted to smithereens.”

Shadowfright bolted for the door. Discord snagged the tip of one smoky wing. “Ut, ut, ut. We’re still bonded together for a reason. I wanted you to share this moment with me.”

He touched a claw to his lip as Shadofright struggled. “We’re both immortal in the strictest sense, I think. It’ll be interesting to see how long it takes you to regenerate. Two-hundred thousand years, do you think? Three-hundred thousand? Whenever that is, it’s future Discord’s problem. Heck, maybe you’ll have mellowed out by then.”

“You’re insane!” Shadowfright shrieked. “You’ll be torn apart, too!”

“That’s no big deal for a draconequus…” Discord blinked slowly. “At least I don’t think it’s a big deal.”

He shrugged. “Eh, time to find out.”

Equestria shook.

A bubble surrounded Tartarus in its entirety. The bubble filled with a blinding white light. When the light faded, all that was left of the mountain was ash and soot.

The Neverdeads hissed and retreated into the mountains. The Nightmares grouped together in the center of the valley, staring up at what was left of their prison. A cheer rose up.

Then the princesses appeared with a thundering shout. The Nightmares geared up to continue the fight.

Then the rest of the Royal Guard’s forces arrived.

Airships buzzed around. Earth ponies erected barriers. Pegasi cleared the skies. Unicorns aimed dangerous spells.

The Nightmares surrendered rather than be blown to bits.

Twilight Sparkle leaned on a rock, watching as the escapees were carried off. She cried. Not great, heaving sobs, but tiny whimpers. She watched as her friends mingled with the ponies they’d rescued.

The High Princesses supervised the Nightmares’ captivity. Pinkie and Braeburn were singing a soft song. Vinyl, Redheart, and Lyra shared their first conversation together for months. Rarity spoke with Mandible about how the events of the day might inspire a new wardrobe. Rainbow Dash and Lightning Dust were all but overjoyed to be in the presence of the restored, yet slightly groggy, Soarin. Wishbone slunk around while Cerberus attempted to avoid him. Blueblood lay on the side of a mountain, looking very much like a dead pile of bones.

Spike sat beside her, snoring gently.

Twilight didn’t bother to wipe away the wet tracks that streaked down her cheeks. “I would have given you up, too,” she whispered. “How could I do that? Do I really not care? Am I really that wicked?”

“I don’t think so,” Flash Sentry said.

Twilight looked up at him as he walked toward her. She turned away. “I’m sorry. I really don’t know what else to say.”

“I don’t think there’s anything you can say.” Flash winced. “I didn’t mean—”

“Yes you did. You’re right.” Twilight wrapped her wings around her body. “Nothing I can say or do will ever make up for this.”

Flash Sentry lowered his ears. “That… isn’t how forgiveness works. If there are conditions to it, then you aren’t really forgiven. To be real, forgiveness has to be completely and utterly unconditional.”

“And who’s going to do that?” Twilight snapped. “Those ponies I conscripted? The people I put in danger? The friend who was just trying to do his job? The princesses whose lives I made a living Nightmare?” Her shoulders trembled as her face grew pink. “Or you, Mister Perfect Stallion, who I tossed aside like you meant nothing to me? Will you forgive me for what I—?”

“I don’t know!” Flash shouted.

Twilight’s wings flared out. Her eyes widened. Her mouth dropped open. “What?”

“I don’t know if I can forgive you,” Flash said. His rump hit the ground. “I don’t know if I can just forget all the hurt… It hurt, Twilight. It hurt so much.”

Twilight sank low to the ground. Her shoulders hunched.

“When you said, ‘I thought I loved you,’ did you mean it?” Flash watched her sit and do nothing for a long moment. He broke the silence. “Did you mean it when you told Blueblood you loved him?”

Twilight opened her mouth, but all that came out was a croak.

“Please answer me, Twilight.” Flash Sentry ran his hooves through his mane. “Please, if you ever cared about me at all, just answer.”

“I meant it when I said it,” Twilight choked. “But right now I don’t know what I mean. I’m so sorry for hurting you, and I can’t do anything about it.” She lay down on the rocks and shut her eyes. “I wish things could be like they were before.”

Flash shook his head. “They can’t, Twilight. We have to live on in the world we’ve made.”

Twilight Sparkle reached a trembling hoof up to wipe her eyes. She looked up at Flash. “I want to make things right with you so badly.”

“I want to forgive you so badly,” Flash Sentry said. “I want to follow my promise to myself. I promised that I’d already forgiven you.” His jaw clenched as tears burned in his eyes. “I just don’t think I’m strong enough. I’m not strong enough.”

He jumped to his hooves and paced. “I’m never strong enough! I’m never the hero! I’m just… not a hero. I’m not your hero, and I don’t think I ever will be.”

“Don’t say that!” Twilight propped herself up on her forelegs. “You’ve always been a hero! You’ve always given your life to help others! You were… you’ve always been there for me. Even…” She took in a shuddering breath. “Even when I thought I didn’t want you. Even when I pushed you so far away. Right up until now.”

Flash met her eyes. “And… maybe now is when you need me most.”

Twilight stared into his eyes. She nodded. “Except… now is when I deserve you the least.”

Flash shifted his weight from hoof to hoof. “Maybe I can forgive you bit by bit. Work my way up. I’m not strong enough to forgive you all at once, but… Bit by bit?”

Twilight looked down. “I want to believe you could do it. I just—”

Flash Sentry wrapped his forelegs around her and pulled her close. She collapsed against his chest with a small sob. He put his mouth close to her ear and whispered, “I forgive you for running into me in the Crystal Palace. Step one.”

She giggled briefly before the tears returned. She cried softly for hours as he held her tight.

Author's Note

Next chapter will finish with the good old fashioned denouement!

In Which Much is Wrapped Up

Rarity walked into Canterlot Castle’s dungeon with her head held high. She wore the finest makeup, the glitziest jewelry, and the fanciest hat in her arsenal. She took a seat beside a dark, gloomy cell without looking inside.

Sombra shifted his bruised body. Chains clinked together. “Well?”

“Beg pardon, Darling?” Rarity said. She looked into the cell and spied the rumpled, deposed king. “Did you want me to say something?”

“You know who I am.” Sombra’s eyes glowed green in the darkness. “Why did you come?”

Rarity sighed. “To say that I’m sorry.”

Sombra’s eyes dimmed. “What?”

“I lie awake at night, asking myself how I didn’t realize who you are.” Rarity scuffed a hoof on the floor. “How I didn’t understand that my big, strong, noble Dark Shadow Lightning was really…”

Rarity met his eyes. “I am appalled at what I discover. I didn’t respect you.”

Her curl bobbed behind her as she shook her head. “I never paid any attention to you at all, not really. I was always concerned about what you meant to me. A pretty face to accompany mine to a party. A business partner to share fashion secrets with. Strong hooves to hold me tight. But I never concerned myself with who you were, or what you wanted, or what you did.”

Sombra opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off.

“And now I find that not only is my beau, my dream stallion, the Tyrant King of the Crystal Empire, he also sacrificed himself to allow Twilight Sparkle to proceed to Tartarus, in order that she could free Blueblood and in turn be freed of possession.” Rarity dabbed a handkerchief across her eyes. “Yes, that big, dumb lunk of a stallion did all that because he sought to make me feel better. Do you realize how conflicted I feel?”

Rarity shook her head. “There I go again, thinking only of myself. You are… simultaneously my worst fear and my greatest wish. How do you do it?”

Sombra shrugged. “I tried to please you. I have… decided to love you.” He dropped his chin to the floor. “If you will not have me, I cannot force it on you. I realize that you have no reason to trust me anymore, not with who I am…”

“I have grown enough to understand that ponies are capable of change, Sombra.” The name felt strange on her tongue. “The fact that you lied to me is far more hurtful.”

“You surprise me every day.” Sombra brushed his tangled mane out of his face. “Where does this leave us?”

“I don’t know.” Rarity bit her lip. “I honestly don’t know.”

She tapped a hoof on the ground. “How long is your prison sentence?”

“After my actions were explained?” Sombra did the numbers in his head. “A year, after which I am under house arrest for another year, after which I am under heavy parole for the rest of my very, very long life.”

Rarity smirked. “With an army ready to come down on your head if you decide to take over another kingdom.”

“Yes, with that.” Sombra chuckled. “I think my days of conquest are over.” He looked to the cold, damp floor. “Perhaps I’ll start my fashion design business again.”

“Perhaps you should.” Rarity leaned this way and that. “I’ll be happy to help.”

“You would?” Sombra shook his head. “Even after all that’s happened?”

“Especially after all that’s happened.” Rarity stood up as the guards came to escort her out. “I truly am sorry, Sombra. For everything.”

“I’m sorry, too.” Sombra stood up and bowed. “Until next we meet.”

“How does next Thursday sound?” Rarity asked. “I’ll be in town, and it’ll just be a short jaunt to the spacious and glamorous Canterlot Dungeon.”

They shared a laugh.

“This is the last of them?”

The guard at the helm of the prisoner-filled airship nodded. They were flying low over a green valley. A waterfall flowed on the far side, while trees of all shapes, sizes, and species grew below.

“You know the rumor is that these things came from the stars, just like the space aliens in your comic books. How nuts is that?”

“Super nuts.”

“So why are we supposed to drop them off in the middle of nowhere? Is there some sort of super-secret Tartarus-two we weren’t told about?”

“I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

“Seriously?”

“Heck no. Nopony told me anything.”

The two guards yelped and grabbed their weapons as a bright light filled the cabin. A flowing, ghostly shape appeared. It danced around until it was between the guards’ spears.

“Is this the Iron Bird airship?” the ghost said.

“Um… Yeah?”

“Excellent. Then I assume you are carrying a payload of captured Nightmares?”

“That’s right.”

“Doubly excellent. Please give Celestia my good wishes.”

“We don’t normally speak with Her Majesty.”

“That is probably about to change very quickly.”

“Who are you?”

The ghost might have bowed. “I am Luscious, King of Living Dreams. This is our home, and we are very happy to receive our deviants back now that we have… facilities to hold them. Please remain calm as my people move the self-proclaimed ‘Nightmares’ to our holding areas. I’m told our appearance can startle newcomers, but be assured we are for all intents and purposes harmless.”

Luscious vanished in a puff of glitter. The guards looked at each other.

“Seems like a nice guy.”

“Sure does.”

There was quiet.

“Harmless. For all intents and purposes.”

“You need to pee as bad as I do?”

“Oooh, yeah.”

Twilight Sparkle stood in a circle of alicorns. They had rounded up all the ponies they could find whose magic would be powerful enough to perform her spell. Celestia and Luna stood to either side of her, their throats bobbing.

A Neverdead alicorn prince stood in the center of the ring, his head low, but his stance hopeful. Blueblood turned to Redheart, who smiled. It was a very, very nervous smile.

“Okay, we’ve got power, we’ve learned the instructions, we’re all set up.” Twilight Sparkle squared her hooves. “What could go wrong?”

She laughed. “I mean, aside from the spell messing up and turning Blueblood into a dead pile of bones, or bringing his flesh back but disappearing his bones, or changing him into a cactus—”

Celestia covered her mouth with a hoof. “Twilight. Please.”

“Trust in Trixie,” Trixie Lulamoon said. “My magical power is incredible. There’s no spell I can’t perform given enough practice!”

Flim Flimflam raised an eyebrow at her. “How much have you practiced this spell?”

“Not at all, since we only just learned it.” Trixie’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

“Don’t worry, dearies,” Cup Cake said. “We’ll pop his body right back to normal, don’chya know?”

“No kiddin’,” Vinyl Scratch said. “With this much power, I’ll be surprised if we don’t just blow him right to the moooon!”

Blueblood’s bones chattered nervously.

“Chill it, guys,” Soarin said. “You’re gonna make him lose his nerve.”

“Everypony!” Twilight said. “Everypony! Just calm down and… and calm down! We need to start the spell right now. On my mark.”

She lit her horn and counted down. “Three… two… one… mark!”

Magic flittered all around as the alicorn princes and princesses of Equestria combined their powers to undo the curse on Blueblood. Without killing him, that is. That was the important part. Magic joined and flowed into his limbs. A tingling sensation ran through his bones, deep into his marrow, climbing up until it reached his horn.

Blueblood added his own part of the enchantment: A modification of his own “Come to Life” spell. He stretched his wings out as his whole body shimmered with power.

A gasping breath from Blueblood nearly caused Redheart to break her concentration.

The spell ended, the glow faded, and there was a dark spot where Blueblood was just standing a moment ago.

Lyra Heartstrings pouted. “Well, crud!”

The air flashed with an explosion, and an alicorn stallion burst out of its epicenter. He tumbled to the ground, a tangle of limbs and fur and feathers. Blueblood groaned as he picked himself up off the ground, brushed himself off…

And was promptly knocked back to the ground by Redheart’s loving tackle. “You’re alive!”

“As far as I know,” he said. He coughed black clouds of soot. “I hope I don’t have to go through that again.”

Redheart grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss.

Twilight Sparkle sighed. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Blueblood.”

Blueblood would have answered, but he was busy at the moment. The kiss continued in this manner for a while.

Celestia coughed into her hoof. “I think we’d best give them a little room. To catch up.”

“Quite.” Luna waved to the rest of the alicorns. “You have our thanks and Blueblood’s gratitude!”

She looked down at the prince, made a “hmm” sound, and turned back to the crowd. “His deep gratitude! Please join us for refreshments in Ponyville tonight!”

Twilight Sparkle shuffled her hooves. She walked close beside Celestia. “Is it time?”

“In a few hours,” Celestia said. “Your friends should be arriving soon.”

“So,” Celestia said, “here’s where we stand.”

Twilight Sparkle, Lyra Heartstrings, Braeburn Apple, Lightning Dust, and Captain Soarin bowed before her. Discord sat in a nearby wheelchair, his body covered with a wrap of gauze and bandages. All the ponies from the battle at Tartarus were present, as were a few close friends and relatives.

“You have all fallen to the Nightmares. You have all been possessed.” Celestia pressed her lips together. “Whether we like to admit it or not, that has made you all susceptible to future possession. It has made you vulnerable to similar manipulations in addition to those of the Nightmares. It makes you dangerous.”

She looked to her left, to where Luna stood. “However, that is not the whole of the matter. Much like my sister has been freed, you also were freed. Also much like my sister, you must not bear this burden of possible corruption alone.

“Each of you must have a pony who you will confide with on a daily basis. They will ask questions, you will give them answers. You will speak of any ill will you hold, and they will help you work through it. They will stand by your side unwaveringly.” She inclined her head. “They will keep you accountable.

“Because of the long-lasting nature of this situation—you will never be fully immune—I will ask for volunteers from those close to you. Who among you ponies is willing to stand by their side and share in the responsibility?” She looked down the line. “First, Lightning Dust.”

Lightning Dust walked forward. She turned to the crowd and gnawed her lip. “I don’t think—”

“’Ay! That’s us!” Artful Dodger pushed through the crowd, slipping various valuables into his oversized coat as he went. Ember and Amber walked behind him. They stood beside Lightning and puffed out their chests.

“Y’ didnae think ye could get outta oo’r help, didja?” Ember said. She fluttered her wings. “We’re yer family!”

Lightning scooped them up in a hug, though Artful tried to pull away. “Missed you guys.”

“Don’t forget about me!” Rainbow Dash said. “We’ve got a daily training regiment we’re starting ASAP. Sounds like a perfect time for a little ‘Q’ and ‘A’!”

“Very good,” Celestia said. “Soarin?”

Soarin couldn’t even step forward before he was swamped by Derpy and her daughter Dinky. Derpy hugged him close. “You’ve got a little explaining to do, stallion,” she sniffed. “You don’t call, you don’t write…” She choked out a laugh. “It’s good to have you back.”

He nuzzled her. “It’s good to be back.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna keep him honest, too,” Spitfire said. She walked up and punched him in the shoulder. “Can’t let the third-best flier on the team go bonkers again.”

Soarin grinned. “That’s truly touching.”

Celestia smiled. She pointed her horn at the next in line. “Braeburn Apple?”

Braeburn turned around. Pinkie Pie stood next to him. “How long’ve you been there, darlin’?”

“Not long enough,” Pinkie said before planting a quick kiss on his mouth. “Not by a long shot.”

Granny Smith trotted up, followed by Big Macintosh, Applejack, and Apple Bloom. “We’re gonna be hogtied before we leave an Apple high an’ dry,” Granny said. “Especially if’n he’s gonna be workin’ the farm!”

Celestia chuckled and sent Luna a wink. “I know somepony who’s gonna want to dance with you…”

“Hush,” Luna said. “Lyra Heartstrings? Do you have somepony?”

Lyra tapped a hoof. “Well, you know—”

“Heck yeah, she does!” Vinyl Scratch called out. She marched up and nudged Lyra in the gut. “This gal here ain’t gonna survive long in this world if I don’t stick close. Believe me, she’s had this coming.”

Lyra smirked. “You are simultaneously the coolest and most annoying friend, you know that?”

“Maybe I need to work harder,” Redheart said, wrapping her foreleg around Lyra and nuzzling her cheek. “I figured I can either outshine her in coolness or annoyance. Which is it gonna be?”

“Let’s shoot for coolness, alright?” Lyra chuckled. “Alright.”

Somepony cleared their throat. The three looked down to see Mandible rubbing his foreleg. “Hay,” he said. “I was kinda thinking… You saved my life, and I kinda helped save yours… and I’ve done the whole ‘evil soul-sucking monster’ bit, so I kinda know what it’s like… Mind if I hang with you sometime, Lyra? Swap stories. Keep each other in check…” He shrugged. “Get to know each other?”

Lyra grinned. “How can I say no to that?”

Vinyl made an officious cough. “And the award for weirdest bunch of friends in Equestria goes to…”

Celestia’s smile fell when she faced Twilight. “And Twilight…”

Twilight bowed her head. “Yeah.”

She felt a hoof on her shoulder. Her mouth fell open as she lifted her eyes. Flash Sentry gave her a small smile. “I forgive you for knocking me into the buffet table.”

Spike’s claws gripped her as the baby dragon skittered onto her back. “Don’t worry, Twilight. We got this.”

“Yeah, me too!” Rainbow Dash said as she glided across the room. “What? You didn’t think I was an exclusive confidante, did you?”

“Sure as shootin’ ah’ll be there right beside yah.” Applejack grasped one of Twilight’s shoulders and gave it a friendly shake. “We’re here for you, gal.”

“All of us,” Rarity said. She ran her cheek over Twilight’s. “To the very end.”

“An end that’s a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, llllooonnnggg time coming!” Pinkie bounced over. “And now you’re legally and morally obligated to spend time with us! Won’t that be spectacular?”

“Don’t worry, Twilight,” Fluttershy said with a hug. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure you don’t relapse into a horrible, selfish, maniacal monster bent on the destruction of Equestria.”

“Thanks.” Twilight cringed, but her expression soon softened. “Just… thanks, everypony.”

Celestia sighed. She looked to the back of the room. “And finally, Discord.”

He snorted. “Looks like it’s just me and you, Celestia. I think my goose is well and truly—”

Fluttershy flew over and hugged him. He sputtered. “What are you—?”

“I’ll stay with you, Discord, if you promise me one thing,” Fluttershy said. “Try to be a good friend, okay?”

Discord’s ears drooped. “Of course I will. Of course.”

“I think that it would be a great disservice to my new friend not to also help.” Blueblood trotted up, adjusting his blue bowtie. “In the event that you ever get over your disgust of the cinema, perhaps you should browse the works of Shy Llama Long.”

Discord gaped. “But why would you of all ponies want to help me?”

“Was I or was I not your first attempt at making a new friend?” Blueblood lifted an eyebrow. “I have the feeling you are a being of great potential, once you learn to apply your chaos constructively.”

“I don’t even care that that’s an oxymoron,” Discord said. He laughed, then groaned as his chest muscles protested. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Blueblood stood by the train as he and Twilight Sparkle prepared to depart. They stood a meter away from each other, each alone with their thoughts.

“I remember the days when we could look each other in the eye when we talked,” Blueblood said.

Twilight laughed. Once. “I miss that.”

Her shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you.” Blueblood tisked. “I’m sorry, too. For blowing up at the party. For not telling you the truth. Such a large part of this mess has me to blame. Me and me alone.”

“And I just led an army of Nightmares to bust you out of Tartarus and thus send Equestria into an eternal Nightmare.” Twilight nodded, a smile crossing her lips. “Yup. What you did is definitely worse.”

Blueblood gave her a sad smile. “At least you still have your sense of humor.”

“Only because I still have my friends.” Twilight fluttered her wings. “How about you?”

“I think I may have come out of this with more friends than before.” Blueblood looked over his shoulder. “Isn’t that right, Wishbone?”

Wishbone Fluorspar carried a briefcase full of insurance claims behind him. He grinned. “Want ride on new airship when Wishbone finishes it?”

“No thank you,” Blueblood said. “I think I’ll stick to my own two wings.”

“Suit yourself.” Wishbone stopped, gave Twilight a wink, and then bounded onto the train.

“Not to mention Mandible.” Blueblood walked beside Twilight down the train corridors toward her cabin. “Have you seen him around?”

Twilight shrugged. She looked at her ticket. “Last I saw of him, he was hanging out with Lyra and Vinyl. Here’s door number five.”

She slid the door open with a spell. Mandible the Changeling and Lyra Heartstrings lay inside, their forelegs wrapped around each other and their mouths pressed together.

Lyra popped up, her mane standing on end. She stared at Blueblood and Twilight for a long instant. “First of all, this isn’t what it looks like.”

Mandible waved at them with a dopey grin on his face.

She pointed a hoof at them. “Second of all, yeah, okay, this is exactly what it looks like. Third of all, privacy? Hello!”

She slid the door closed with a golden glow. The door opened again. “First joke about me really getting over my phobia of changelings gets thrown off the train at speed!”

Twilight stood still as the door closed again. She looked down at her ticket. “Door six. Right.”

“Well…” Blueblood pressed his teeth together. “Good for Mandible, I suppose.”

Bluemane sat on the balcony of the Blueblood suit. He surveyed the city as the lights came on little by little. “Night in Canterlot is beautiful, isn’t it?”

“It always was,” Celestia said. “Though there was a time I didn’t notice.”

Bluemane nodded. “Lots of things don’t get noticed around the castle, don’t they?”

“Too often.” Celestia looked up at Luna’s Observatory, where her sister watched over dreams. “But sometimes we get a second chance.”

Celestia leaned close. “They’re having something of a celebration in Ponyville. An end to all this Nightmare nonsense. You should go and be happy for your son.”

Bluemane stood, his wooden leg thumping against the railing. “Will he welcome me?”

“It may take time to heal,” Celestia said. “But you should make the effort. Especially since it seems that you’ll have a new daughter-in-law before too long.”

Bluemane jerked his head up. “When did this happen?”

“Not quite yet,” Celestia chuckled. “But when you live as long as I do, you start to see patterns.”

Luna took a deep breath. She bowed to the ponies standing in a semicircle around her. “It is a pleasure to accept your induction into the newly-formed Dream Guard.”

She tapped her horn against the forehead of each pony she passed. “Lightning Dust, your assistance in the Battle of Tartarus proved your perseverance. Vinyl Scratch, your quick-thinking will be invaluable towards the defense of our little ponies.”

She stopped and gave the last pony a warm smile. “Granny Smith, there is none other I would rather have at my side.”

“Shucks, Yer Majesty,” Granny Smith said as she stood tall and proud, “ah’m right pleased to be able to finally help yah outta yer own mud hole.” She leaned close to the princess’ ear. “Now what say you an’ ah leave these two fillies in charge o’ the dreams tonight and head down to Ponyville for a good old hootenanny?”

“Hay!” Vinyl Scratch said. “I got friends down there, too! I got just as much right to be down there as you do!”

“So much for the proud Dream Guard,” Luna laughed. “Our duties as guardians of dreams do not start for another few hours. We shall all go to Ponyville and frolic.”

“Frolic with a particular stallion, hmm?” Granny Smith’s eyebrows danced.

Luna grinned. “Perhaps I will.”

“I’ll stay here,” Lightning Dust said. “I think I need to stay away from Ponyville for a while.”

“Nay!” Luna wrapped her foreleg around Lightning’s neck. “Rainbow Dash will be most sorely disappointed that her newest friend did not come! Not to mention Ember and the others.”

“Well…” Lightning Dust shrugged. “If you say so.”

“We do,” Vinyl Scratch said. “Believe me, we do.”

Fluttershy pushed a large wheelchair through downtown Ponyville. Discord sat in it, covered from head to tail-tip in bandages. He grumbled as she spooned applesauce into his mouth.

“That was very brave of you,” Fluttershy said.

“Don’t remind me.”

“You should be proud of yourself for having chosen the right decision.”

“Can I be proud of myself after I no longer ooze pain from every orifice?”

“No need to be a grump.”

“I am trapped in a body cast.”

“It could have been worse. Oh, and Celestia said you should only need it for a month or two. That’s wonderful for you to be able to heal that many broken bones so quickly!”

“How did I manage to break every bone except for the ones in my inner ear? The world may never know.”

“Angel Bunny was very excited to hear that you’d be staying with us that whole time.”

Discord’s eye twitched. “I can imagine.”

Pinkie gave the signal, and Neon Lights started the record.

The party filled the entire park. Braeburn and Big Macintosh had spent the better part of the day clearing out a section where Pinkie and Rarity could set up the tables, food, and the streamers. Soarin and Rainbow Dash collaborated to clear the sky. Luna paid special attention to the angle of the moon, and bathed the clearing with silver that complimented the gold from the firefly lanterns.

The dance floor was full for the entire night. Soarin and Derpy monopolized the slow songs. Vinyl taught Mandible a leprechaun jig. Luna grabbed Big Mac and swung him around like a wrecking ball every time the tempo picked up. Braeburn started up a square dance, which had all the dancers laughing when he and Pinkie pushed aside other dancers to be continually reunited.

Flash Sentry held a hoof out to Twilight Sparkle, and they danced a waltz. Before long, Rarity tapped his shoulder to ask to cut in. She and Twilight twirled away, leaving the guard to shake his head.

Celestia nudged Bluemane towards Blueblood. The aged stallion sucked in his stomach, squared his hooves, and spoke quietly with his son. A smile broke out across Celestia’s face as the two embraced.

Discord rocked back and forth in time to the music. He chuckled when Fluttershy joined in with the singing, and then wheezed as pain racked his bruised ribs.

Redheart nuzzled Blueblood’s neck. He nuzzled her back. He took her hoof in his, and led her in a magnificent dance around the party.

He stubbed her hoof, and she snorted with laughter.

Author's Note

There you have it, folks! This is my second ever novel. It's better than my first, but I'm very well aware that it is no literary masterpiece. Oh well. Live and learn, right? At the very least, this story has taught me many things, which I will no doubt apply to whatever story catches my fancy next.

I hope that you've enjoyed Blueblood's Ascension despite the rocky road along the way! Thank you very much for reading.

Until next time!

Chapter the Very Last; or, a Short Epilogue

Blueblood, Prince of Equestria, worked feverishly at his workbench. Wood flew in his magic grasp, iron and steel bended to his will, and intricately carved crystals fastened themselves to his creation. A final scrape with his wood carver and it was complete, his latest and greatest creation.

Blueblood was not a fool, nor was he what one would call “lazy.” He was rather the hard worker, especially when he applied himself. Fortunately for posterity, he applied himself in nearly every aspect of his life, even when it wouldn’t have an immediate and positive effect on his goodself.

Before the prince stood a wood-and-metal pony with emeralds for eyes and a ruby for a heart. He circled it, searching for any flaws or imperfections in his masterpiece. Finding none, as usual, he sighed contentedly and sat before the artificial pony.

“Automated Servants Mach Two,” he said to the newly-crafted statue. “You will now ‘Come to Life,’ if you please.”

His horn glowed blue, and the pony glowed to match. A few moments passed as the spell warmed up, gaining power until Blueblood was certain that it would work. A flash, a spark, and the whir of machinery signified the spell’s completion. The Equestrian prince sat back and waited.

The woodwork pony twitched, vibrated, and sputtered to life. It took a bow and addressed Blueblood, “I am at your service, master.”

Blueblood chewed his lip. “This is a little too much déjà vu for me.”

“Time to throw a wrench into things,” Redheart said. She pushed the door aside and plopped a bag on the ground beside the robot. “What’s new about this model?”

“It is utterly incapable of harming ponies.” Blueblood came up beside her and rubbed his cheek against hers. “Notice the complete lack of laser eyes. Notice the servos which have difficulty lifting anything heavier than one hundred pounds. Notice the all-encompassing friendship report programming.”

“Dear Princess Celestia,” the robot said, “I was right all along!”

“And I do mean ‘all encompassing.’” Blueblood kissed her ear. “How was your day at the hospital, Dr. Redheart?”

“Busy,” Redheart said, her voice growing quiet. “And… surprising.”

“Oh? Surprising?” Blueblood laughed. “My dear wife, I’ve become an alicorn, orchestrated the robot apocalypse of Canterlot, travelled to a parallel world, fought a changeling invasion, met my undead great-grandfather, battled Nightmares, watched my friends turn into monsters, watched my friends turn back from monsters, dueled a mad alicorn inside a volcano, and faced death and come out nearly unscathed. I am now friends with a diamond dog, a ranch hand, an ex-evil overlord, and a shapeshifting creature that eats love. I create lifelike machines for a living, partnered with a pony that has invented a magic mirror. Please, I beg you, surprise me.”

“I’m pregnant,” Redheart said. “With our baby, that is.”

Blueblood licked his lips. He gave her a curt nod. “That’ll do it.”

He keeled over in the middle of the workshop floor.

Author's Note

Now it's wrapped up! Kinda!

A Dreamy Prince

Good day, friends! It seems you have stumbled upon yet another Blueblood story, and are ready for it to begin, hmm? Fancy that, so am I!

Dreams are a little bit like wishes, I suppose. Really, really big wishes. Sometimes they are wishes so large that you spend your entire life working to make them come true. As the title indicates, Blueblood is no stranger to dreams.

What he is a stranger to, however, is deciding how to pursue a dream. It’s a particularly sticky wicket, especially considering what comes next.

So, let us eavesdrop on the prince himself as he lives out a certain dream in the comfort of his own home…

***

Prince Blueblood found himself mere inches away from a delightful smooch with Twilight Sparkle, Princess of Harmony.

It was the perfect moment. The fireplace was the only source of light in the room, casting its ruddy, flickering glow across the two alicorns. The cushions beneath them were soft, almost as soft as the honey buns they had been sampling a moment before. They stared into each other’s eyes until they reached that invisible line, that unmistakable yet inexplicable moment where they were close enough to close their eyes and let their lips meet. It was the perfect moment.

That was about the moment Blueblood began to suspect that something fishy was going on.

He knew that a night as perfect as this one would have been eternally burned into his memory. Conversely, he found himself unable to remember the conversation they had been having, the activities they had participated in prior to entering the sitting room, or even what vintage of aged grape juice they had drunk.

He hadn’t even kissed her yet, and his mind was already fuzzy. Either that was some darned good grape juice, or there was something… ulterior going on.

“Enjoying yourself, nephew?”

Blueblood’s eyes shot open. He swiveled his head to see his aunt-several-times-removed, Princess Luna of the Night, standing within his sitting room. She was munching on the remaining honey buns with leveled eyebrows, her eyes more on the fireplace than on the pony she had spoken to.

“I suspect you shant be too pleased at my interruption of the proceedings, but I am the currently-acting ruler of Equestria, and as such I would have a dialogue with you.”

Blueblood blew a tired breath between his lips. “Meaning this could not wait until the morning?”

Luna nodded as she licked her hooves clean of honey bun morsels.

Blueblood turned back to the still-puckering Princess Twilight. “Oh, darling, I am terribly sorry about all this—YEEEK!”

Twilight flopped to the ground, thin as a sheet of cardboard. Blueblood’s hoof went over his heaving chest, as if to restrain his heart from plowing its way into the outer world. His pupils became pinpricks as he searched Twilight’s flattened body for any clue as to what in the blinking applebuck was going on.

“You know, Blueblood,” Luna said with a wave of her ethereal blue, starry mane, “ponies usually understand that they’re inside a dream the very instant I show up. What’s keeping you?”

“Perhaps is has something to do with the fact that I live in the same building as you!?” Blueblood growled. He choked on his own spittle, pressing his hoof into his chest for a different reason than holding back a heart attack. A deep breath in through the nose, a deep breath out through the mouth, and he was calm and collected once more. “In any case, a visit from you is surprising, not improbable.”

Luna shrugged as the room around them melted into a variety of muted colors, then vanished into a blank whiteness. “Fair enough. Regardless, t’was not the point of my visit.”

He stood before her, still a head shorter than the elder alicorn. It was at this range that he noted the lines decorating her face, wrinkles forming at every crevasse. They nicely complimented the black circles surrounding her eyes.

He gulped in air. “So, what was it you wished to tell me about?”

She shook her head. “I’m afraid it would be far easier to show you, Blueblood.” Her eyebrows raised in concert. “I am truly sorry about this next bit.”

Her horn glowed, and the world swirled around Blueblood. His head seemed to spin, and colors burst behind his eyes. The prince felt himself being dragged along as if by magic, though it could easily be described as tearing at his very soul.

He regained consciousness a moment later, his face resting on a soft shag rug. He wiped away a spot of drool and shot a glare at his nearby aunt.

“Sorry,” she said. “Dreamhopping is always disorienting the first time you experience it.”

His eyes widened. “So that means that I—”

“Am in another pony’s dream, yes.” She walked forwards, beckoning him to follow. “It is somepony who you have familiarity with, if my sources are correct.”

His eyes jumped to and fro, searching the building for signs to spark his familiarity. The purple-striped walls and ponnequins dotting the landscape stuck a sickle of ice into his heart. “We’re in Carousel Boutique, aren’t we?”

“An approximation,” Luna said with a nod. “A half-remembered figment of Lady Rarity of Ponyville’s imagination.”

She pulled aside a curtain, and Blueblood could see a white unicorn mare weeping into her intricately-curled purple mane. A yellow pegasus sat beside her, placing what tried to be a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “It’s alright, Rarity. Applejack will have that dress done in no time at all!”

“That’s—” Rarity coughed as her mascara ran in black streams down her face. “That’s what I’m afraid of!”

Blueblood glanced away at a nearby door, one that seemed to have rumbles of noise issuing forth from it. He turned back to the scene of the cry and was forced to do a double take as the yellow pegasus morphed into a purple unicorn.

“According to my research,” Twilight Sparkle, the suddenly appeared pony, stated, “the critics and fashion moguls waiting on the other side of that door are fifty percent likely to love your outfit!”

“I don’t exactly like those odds,” Rarity murmured.

“Wait!” Blueblood squinted at the purple unicorn. “Why isn’t Twilight Sparkle an alicorn?”

“It’s possible that Rarity still sees her friend as a unicorn,” Luna mused. “At the very least, this dream utilizes memories of her as one.”

Twilight Sparkle suddenly sprouted two more horns, replaced her fur with scales, and grew spikes out of a long tail.

Luna blinked. “Or, it is possible that Lady Rarity is just tripping.”

Applejack trotted past them and into Rarity’s changing room of shame. “Howdy, Rares! Ah made you this here dress!”

Rarity cringed at the monstrosity, arrayed as it was in fifty shades of pink, alighted with gemstones of varying qualities and types, and topped with an absolutely garish crown. “It’s hideous! It looks like it was designed by a three year old!”

“Well, it sure as shootin’ should!” Applejack exclaimed. “Ah used your old preschool drawin’s tah put it together!”

Rarity swooned, her hoof on her forehead and her eyes rolled back beneath the lids. She was unable to gain the unconsciousness she so desired due to the fact that she was neck deep in her own dream. The next instant found her wearing the alleged outfit and pacing slowly towards the noisy door.

Blueblood shook his head. “All this jumping about is making my head spin.”

“Dream logic,” Luna said. “You get used to it.” She placed a hoof on Blueblood’s shoulder and pushed him forward. “Come, this is the important part.”

They followed Rarity on her indomitable walk to the door. She plodded along as though dragged by unseen forces that refused to allow her to retreat. She lifted a hoof slowly and placed it on the door handle, squeaking in protest as she did so.

The other side of the portal was an enormous room, filled to the brim with ponies wearing regalia of the priciest sort. A long runway stretched before Rarity, lined with lights and cameras and potential patrons of her work. She set forth, slowly making her way to the end of the aisle.

“What’s this then?” one nearby pony cried out. “Who does this pony think she is, assaulting our eyes with this garbage!?”

“She is indisputable dimwitted if she thinks to woo us with such disgraceful adornments!” a pony looking very much like a wingless Blueblood helpfully pointed out.

Blueblood himself cringed as the Blueblood-alike threw popcorn at Rarity. “How on Earth did he find popcorn at a fashion show?”

“You’re being too literal, nephew,” Luna mumbled out of the corner of her mouth. “Look at what’s happening. Do you understand what it means, yet?”

Blueblood glanced around at the crowd of ponies riling themselves up for a fashion riot. “I’m afraid not. To the best of my reckoning, it seems that Lady Rarity is merely having a bad dream.”

Tomatoes flew through the air to splatter against Rarity, Blueblood, and Luna. The prince among them shook himself off and glared at his dreamy counterpart. “Alright, that’s enough of you!”

He grasped the false Blueblood with a quick telekinetic spell. The figment of Rarity’s imagination soared through the air to crash headfirst into one Hoity Toity. The fashion patron crumpled to the floor, crushed beneath a tower of unicorn muscle.

“She has slain Hoity Toity!” a pegasus mare said. “Avenge him! Avenge hiiiiiim!”

Ponies climbed up onto the runway, grasping for Rarity’s hem and constantly bombarding her with rotten fruit. She screamed and collapsed to the floor, weakly fending off her attackers.

Blueblood’s mouth fell open. “Oh, dear. Did I do that?”

“Yes, yes you did.” Luna leaped over Rarity and lifted the ridiculously-garbed mare in her forelegs. She carried her aloft, to the rafters and to safety.

Blueblood noted that the safety was merely relative. “They’re climbing up the walls! They’re— Good Heavens!”

He shuddered as the ponies began to morph from a frenzy of fashionable furies, to a storm of sinister spider-ponies. Six-legged, multi-eyed, fanged, and furry creatures of ill intent slobbered their way towards Rarity and Luna.

“Don’t you see, Blueblood!?” Luna called out. “Lady Rarity is having no mere bad dream…” Her horn glowed as she cast a shield around the unicorn beside her. “It is a Nightmare!”

Blueblood gasped and took to the air as the runway was overrun with spider-ponies. He flapped and fluttered this way and that to avoid the dripping fangs and swiping legs. He halted his flight as the fashion show hall morphed into a horror land filled with enormous webs and chittering monsters. The sky was a hazy brown, and what could be assumed to be the sun was all but blocked by the dastardly smog.

The rafters the princess and the fashionista were perched on likewise morphed into a few thin lines of webbing. Blueblood landed beside them and faced down a particularly-irritated monster. “Do your worst! I can’t be hurt inside my own dream!” He glanced back at Luna with pleading eyes. “Right?”

“Blueblood,” Luna said. “This isn’t your dream. It’s Rarity’s.”

Blueblood screeched and ducked a swipe of the cloven hooves of the spider-pony. His balance lost, he swung beneath the line, grasping it between all four of his legs and holding on for dear life. There was a flash, and the spider-pony fell past him, tumbling into the void.

Luna blew a trail of smoke off of her horn. “Wings, Blueblood. Wings.”

Rarity twitched and cowered beside her, repeating something of a mantra. “I just want to go home… I just want to go home…”

Blueblood released his death grip on the line and flew over to his aunt. “Sorry, I seem to forget at the worst of times.” He looked down at the terrified Rarity and raised his hoof to place it on her shoulder. He thought better of it, and instead turned to Luna.

“Nightmare it is, then,” he said. “How to we awake her from it?”

“Horrors of this magnitude are usually crafted by a Night Terror.” Luna turned around and searched through the crowd of oncoming creatures. “Either one of those monsters is the terror in disguise, or he is hiding in some part of the dream. Perhaps in the scenery or some such nonsense.”

“I just want to go home…” Rarity mumbled. “I just want to go home…”

Blueblood flew upwards to get a bird’s eye view of the landscape. Each and every spider-pony looked the same, right down to the eight eyes on their foreheads. Spider webs of great enormity stood as tall as skyscrapers, trapping entire houses in their silky, sticky threads. His eyes lit up as he recognized several establishments from the town of Ponyville.

He flew back with a smile on his face. “Lady Rarity! Do you recognize any of those buildings?”

She looked up with a cry. “Ponyville! They have eaten Ponyville!”

Luna knelt down beside her. “No, Rarity, they have not. This is just a dream, Ponyville yet stands! But if you wish to awake from this nightmare, you must concentrate.”

“Rarity,” Blueblood said. “Can you find your house?”

Rarity’s ears stood up straight. Her eyes glided across the buildings caught up in the webs, and soon found what she was looking for. “There! Right over there!”

Shee pointed to a small house sitting beside Ponyville’s windmill, one that had escaped the brunt of the spider-ponies’ entrapment. “Rarity,” Luna said, “that’s not Carousel Boutique.”

“No,” Rarity replied. “It’s home.”

Luna and Blueblood exchanged a glance. “Right, then,” the prince exclaimed. “Let’s get you home, and out of this blasted nightmare.”

They flew above the screeching hoards, Rarity upon Luna’s back. The three of them made good time to the little house. Blueblood knocked on the wooden door and awaited an answer.

“Who is it?” a soft voice asked.

Rarity spoke up. “It’s me; Rarity! Oh, please, please let me in!”

There was silence for a moment. “Of course, deary. You just step right in out of the cold…”

The door opened, and Rarity stepped inside. It was not that much later that Blueblood and Luna’s ears were assaulted by a high-pitched scream from the same unicorn. They rushed inside and were instantly tangled up in the webs that had filled the inside of the home.

Blueblood struggled, and was soon left immobile by the twirling threads. “Unhand us at once, villain! Show yourself!”

A softness passed down Blueblood’s back, leaving his fur tingling. He twisted his head around as much as he could in his efforts to catch a glimpse of the being beside him.

He was met by the sight of a nearly-shapeless mass of red, drifting along as if it was a translucent blanket. The ends were frayed, and danced liken to cobwebs hanging from a slow-rotating fan. At the front of the thing was something of a head, pointed and sporting two deep red eyes that seemed to see nothing and everything.

The soft voice from before spoke again, coming from the shapeless thing before him. “Three dreamers for the price of one. It is my lucky day.”

“You, um…” Blueblood struggled against his bonds, but made a negative amount of headway. “You won’t get away with this.”

“Silence, dreamhopper.” The Night Terror slithered through the air to Rarity. “I have my good work to do.”

Luna hissed through her teeth. “I wouldn’t do that if I was you.”

“You aren’t,” the terror said simply.

“Then know who I am, creature!”

The terror cowered as the room filled with bright light, and the spider webs were burned away. Luna stood tall before it, her face hard and her horn aglow. “We are Luna, Princess of the Night and Guardian of Dreams! This little pony is under Our protection!”

“No.” The creature flopped back and forth as if buffeted by winds. “No, you were imprisoned. You were inside the mooooon.”

Luna stomped a hoof; the entire building shook. “Yes, monster. But now, after a thousand years, We have returned to defend Our kingdom once more!”

“No,” the Night Terror whispered. “Noooo…”

“You can return to your place in Tartarus,” Luna growled, “or you can face much more dire consequences.”

Blueblood sat with his mouth agape as the world around him transformed from the dark and diseased dreamscape into that of a blank, four-walled room. Light came from everywhere at once, driving the Night Terror lower and lower to the floor.

“No…” it hissed. The sound was like a balloon’s air being let out through a pinprick. “I won’t go back.”

The ceiling blew off of the top of the room. The terror stared through the new hole and came face-to-face with a full moon. A moonbeam blasted its way through the ethereal creature, tearing it asunder. The dismembered bits and pieces of cobweb-like immaterial floated down to rest at Luna’s feet.

The princess turned to the ponies accompanying her, her face serene. “Lady Rarity, are you well?”

Rarity’s entire face had gone limp. Her mouth was ajar, her ears flopped, her very nostrils seemed to sag slightly. A twitch had developed in her right eye, nicely accompanying the tick in her left. “Ahuh?”

Luna’s horn glowed, scooping up what was left of the Night Terror. “Then I shall leave you to your rest. Do try and get some deep sleep, you will feel much more rested.”

“Ahuh?”

“Blueblood!” Luna grasped his foreleg with hers. “We return to your unconscious mind! Farewell, Lady Rarity!”

“Ahuh?”

Blueblood felt that pull again, the one that had left him utterly disoriented and discombobulated after his last dreamhopping trip. He briefly considered telling Luna that, no, he was perfectly fine staying within the dream for a little while longer, just to get his bearings. He would also have like a nice chocolate chip frappuccino, while he was wishing for the impossible.

They found themselves in his sitting room once more, the fire burning brightly and the cardboard cutout of Twilight lying on a pillow. Blueblood let out a sigh and slumped down behind it. “A Nightmare. A real live Nightmare.”

“Do you understand now?” Luna asked. She sat down beside him, her eyes going to the fire before them. “Do you know why I have shown you this?”

“I’m… afraid not.” Blueblood scratched at his mane, and one ear flopped down. “I will say that it is truly astonishing that a Nightmare, a Night Terror, no less, exists in this day and age, but what does that have to do with me?”

Luna lifted the tattered remains of the terror. “Blueblood, I have come to talk with you about your grandfather.”

“That old coot?” Blueblood chuckled. “He died years ago! Lot a bet with a river serpent, if the rumors are to be believed.”

“No, Blueblood,” Luna said. “Your great-grandfather.”

“Oh.” The smile fell from his face. “Oh. Oh, no.”

“He has summoned you to Tartarus.” Luna stood and circled about Blueblood. “He wishes to speak with you about a matter of most importance. I am sure you know by now exactly what he wants to say.”

“But… b-but…” Blueblood rose to his feet and stomped a hoof. “It-it isn’t fair! He promised! He’s the one that made the oath! It is his duty, and his alone!”

“He is dying, Blueblood!” Luna sucked in a breath of air and let it out slowly. “His time is coming, and it falls to the next in line to fulfill his oath.”

Blueblood shook his head fervently. “But… But me!? The warden of Tartarus!? I am not fit for the role! I am not the pony you want!”

“You are the pony we need!”

Blueblood was blasted back by the force of his aunt unleashing the Royal Canterlot Voice; that magically magnified speech that was so prevalent in the affairs of royalty. Luna’s mane waved in an inexistent wind, blown as it was by the mystical forces she called unto herself. Her face became hard, her eyes glinted, and her teeth clenched.

“I understand that you have neither the desire nor the skills needed to hold back the forces that would harm Equestria. The fact remains that an oath was sworn long, long ago, and it falls upon you to keep it. You will not be alone, but it will not be easy.”

“I… I’m not a guard. Or a soldier,” Blueblood said. “I’m an inventor! A-a scientist! I must perfect my automated servants! Or continue my research of the other world! You can’t do this to me—”

“I am not ‘doing this’ to you!” Luna shouted, her face growing purple. “I am relaying a message! I am informing you of a decision that was made hundreds of years ago! And there is nothing that either of us can do about it!”

The two alicorns glared at each other from mere feet away, their chests heaving. Blueblood flinched away first. “How much time do I have?” he asked.

“Two weeks,” Luna said quietly. “I told him that you would be there in two weeks.”

“Two week’s notice,” Blueblood muttered. “Time enough to get my affairs in order.”

“Yes,” Luna sighed. “You must be about your business. Tie up your loose ends, as the saying goes.” She tilted her head. “That is how the saying goes these days, is it not?”

“Close enough.” Blueblood lowered himself onto his pillow. “Is there anything else?”

Luna gently rocked her head side-to-side, her eyes closed. Blueblood nodded. “Then please, Aunt Luna, leave me be.”

Luna’s horn shown with power, and a portal appeared beside her. She frowned at Blueblood. “You will question your fate, nephew, but remember this thing…”

Blueblood lifted his head, his wet eyes meeting Luna’s hard ones.

“You are not royal by blood.” She lifted her head and looked down at him. “Your stature beyond alicornhood is a gift, and one that was hard won, indeed.”

She passed through the portal, and it was closed up behind her. Blueblood stared at the spot for a long moment. His lids began to droop as he felt the dream take him once more, the lady beside him nudging him and asking what was wrong. He turned to answer, but his lips felt as though they were made of lead. His head flopped down on the pillow, and everything went dark.

He awoke the next morning as the sun came up over the horizon. He blinked his bleary eyes, still drowsy from the adventure of the previous night. He sat up and rubbed his unruly mop of mane. A yawn came next, one that he saw no reason to hold back.

“Good morning, nephew. I hear you had an interesting night.”

The yawn transformed into a hasty exhale that was followed up with a cough, which left Blueblood red-faced and breathless. His eyes widened at the white alicorn princess that sat beside his bed, her pastel mane flowing in the sunlight.

“Aunt Celestia!” he shouted politely. “Good morning how are you!?”

Celestia, Princess of the Sun and Diarch of Equestria, smiled. “Just fine, Blueblood.”

Her smile melted away, as if it was ice cream unable to keep its shape in the heat of the sun she guided. “And you? How did you take the… the news?”

Blueblood leaned back on his headboard. “I suppose the way you might expect me to react. Words were exchanged, feelings were hurt. The usual Blueblood drivel.”

Celestia sighed, her mouth melting further into a frown. “I wish I could have been the one to tell you the news, but you did have to see what was happening.”

Blueblood’s ears perked up. “Wait. What was happening? I mean, beyond that a Nightmare escaped from Tartarus?”

“It wasn’t just the one Nightmare, Blueblood.” Celestia’s shoulders sagged. “As your great grandfather grows weaker, so does his hold on Tartarus.” She eyed him pleadingly. “Nightmares are appearing all over Equestria. Just small ones now, but how long until the more powerful ones break free?”

Blueblood’s eyes grew wide, and his brows peaked. “So, it seems that I am the only one who can save Equestria from total and utter despair.”

“Believe it or not, Prince Blueblood,” Celestia said with a sad smile, “you’re our only hope.”

Princess Luna flew over the countryside, her eyes peeled for one landmark in particular. She found it in the form of a tall mountain, covered in ice near the peak. She dived to the bottom, a rocky landscape barren of any life save for mold and moss. It was a short walk that took her to the gates; large, iron plates that could hold back a dragon. The chains locking it closed were enchanted with the highest-level spells, and the lock itself required knowledge of both the combination and the possession of three distinct keys.

That, or the possession of a diarch’s crown. “It is I, Princess Luna of the Night. I bid you let me enter!”

A snarling and howling came from the side. An enormous, black-coated, three-headed bulldog pounced from the shadows. Its fangs opened wide, all three sets of them, as it barked right in Luna’s face. The princess took it in stride. “Down, boy. Sit!”

The dog obeyed instantly, sitting on its haunches and lolling its tongues out in hope of a treat. “Good boy, Cerberus,” Luna said. “No treats today, but I shall not forget on my next visit.”

The dog rolled onto its side, all three heads begging for Luna to rub its belly. She gave Cerberus a small smile as she complied. “You are incorrigible.”

Her ears perked up as the chains came loose, and the doors parted with a screech of metal and a creak of ancient hinges. She trotted inside the darkness, flitting her eyes about for any sign of trouble, or the proprietor.

“Bluebones?” she called out. “Bluebones, are you here?”

“Of course oi’m ’ere!” came a harsh, coughing voice. It waited for the coughing to die down before continuing. “Where’ve oi been, all these long years since… since.”

Dim lanterns lit a long corridor, leading Luna deeper underneath the mountain. She followed the voice and lifted a small container. “I have brought an escapee, a Night Terror that sought to drive one of my little ponies mad.”

“Foolish of it t’ show itself so soon,” the voice wheezed. “I would’ve thought it would enjoy the illusion of freedom, instead of riskin’ bein’ caught.”

A pony stood at the far end of the corridor. It was cloaked in brown sackcloth, completely shrouded from view. It stood still and allowed Luna to come to it.

“Freedom isn’t always an illusion, you must realize,” Luna said with lowered brows. “Even your efforts down here have kept innumerable ponies safe and free.”

“Big lot of good it did me,” the pony mumbled.

“Suck it up, old horse!” Luna growled. “Perhaps you could think of positive things, for once in your life!”

“Awroight, then,” the pony said. “Gimme somethin’ to be positive about, eh?”

Luna frowned. “I didn’t come here to discuss outlooks with you. I came so that we could do our duty and be done with it!”

The hood lifted slightly, but still fully obscured the face beneath it. “Well you ain’t the one with the curse, are you? You ain’t the one that’s gorra live in this dank, dark little cave ’cause of some maniac and his little band of backstabbers.”

“No.” Luna steeled her gaze. “But I was not the one given the choice to do so.”

The hood tilted, and then nodded. “Then hand over the Night Terror.”

Luna balanced the bottle holding the shredded tatters of the terror on her hoof. She extended her foreleg to the pony.

The leg that met hers was bare bone.

She hissed, pulling away as soon as the other pony held the bottle. The Night Terror was soon hidden beneath the folds of the cloak, in the darkness where nopony dared look. “Good day, Princess.”

Luna stared at her hooves for a moment before nodding to the pony. “Good day, Bluebones.”

Author's Note

I'm excited about this one, dear readers! There shall be dreamhopping, monster fighting, world building, and plenty of fun moments between Blueblood and the ponies around him. And yes, that [Romance] tag implies that Blueblood's gonna be smooching somepony by the time the final chapter rolls around.

Whereas the previous stories have had a separate, tangent plot running alongside Blueblood's, I want to keep this story centered on the prince this time around. This does not preclude subplots, just that we'll have a distinct focus on his royal hiney.

Friendship and Other Ailments

Blueblood stared at himself in the mirror. A brief flash of magic threaded his bow tie around his neck, its blue complimenting his eyes. Said eyes felt a bit heavier as he brought his hooves up and manually tweaked the adornment. “Feh.”

Two week’s notice was more than enough time to get his affairs in order. Far, far more time. Only a week had gone by, and that left seven whole days to agonize about his fate. Seven more days until he would be shipped off to Tartarus to begin his life-long service to ponykind.

“Nothing to do but wait for the grand old send-off,” he mumbled.

He levitated a cup to the sink and turned on the “cold” faucet, expecting clear mountain water to flow forth. Instead, he got a heaping helping of neopolitan ice cream. His lips parted momentarily. Deciding to press his luck, he switched off the cold and turned on the warm faucet.

“If there is any justice in this world,” he said as he preformed the action, “it will be hot fudge.”

Black goop did indeed pour from the faucet, but it was not fudge. “Boiling tar. How very keen.”

Blueblood set down his cup, now filled with ruined dessert, and walked out of the bathroom. “Kibitz! Kibitz! Where are you, old boy?”

Kibitz, the Royal Scheduling Advisor for HRH Princess Celestia (and by extension, her household), heard the prince coming and was regretfully unable to turn around fast enough to escape his attention. Blueblood trotted up to him with a purpose, one which Kibitz was sure would put a bit of a kink in an otherwise well-oiled day.

“It seems that Discord feels the need for a bit of mischief,” Blueblood told the servant. “Would not today be just a wonderful opportunity for him to visit Lady Fluttershy?”

Kibitz ruffled his moustache with a harrumph. “I work for the royal family, Prince Blueblood. Not the other way around.” He turned his nose up and began to walk away. “And if you think for a moment that Sir Discord follows any of my schedules, well, you are sorely mistaken.”

Kibitz had not gone three feet before an explosion opened up a hole in the ground in front of him. Discord leapt out of the hole wielding a ringing alarm clock and bunny ears. “You’re late!” the draconequus cried out.

He stuffed the ears onto Kibitz’s head and the clock into the servant’s outstretched forelegs. “You’re late! It’s twenty minutes after eight!”

He spun around and punted a screaming Kibitz into the hole with his cloven hoof. “You’re missing your appointment! Fly! You’re late, you’re late, you’re late!”

Discord zipped up the hole with a smirk and turned to Blueblood. “That’ll liven up old brush-face’s day. Did you have something to share with the class?”

Blueblood raised an eyebrow. “I don’t believe I have time for this, I’m afraid.” He brushed past Discord and loped towards his suite.

Discord floated alongside him at an easy pace. “Oh, I think you have nothing but time.” He chuckled and produced an hourglass with sand that flowed upwards. “Both too much and too little.”

Blueblood slowed to a walk so that he could address the other half of the conversation. “What is it you want with me?”

“Direct, aren’t you?” Discord chuckled. “Not much for tact, huh? I like it.”

Discord produced a flannel graph from absolutely nowhere and stuck a be-toweled effigy of himself upon it. “You did something very strange to me, Blueblood. You surprised me.”

Blueblood lowered his head, a frown deepening on his lips. “How?”

Multiple flannel ponies appeared on the flannel graph. They took on a life of their own; either running from the fake Discord, or cowering in terror. “Most ponies react in the sensible way when they meet me. Either through a good old fashioned panic, or instant appeasement.” Discord rolled his eyes as six specific mares wearing six specific articles of jewelry appeared and stared angrily at his representation. “And then you get reactions like the former bearers of the Elements of Harmony.”

The graph disappeared in a poof of bats. “But then you come along and buck tradition. In. The. Face.”

Blueblood knitted his eyebrows. “I’m not sure I follow.”

“There it is!” Discord shouted. “That same exact expression! You just don’t know what to do with me, do you?”

The prince sat and placed a hoof to his chin. “I must admit that I don’t particularly like you.”

“But!” Discord raised a talon to Blueblood’s lips. “You don’t particularly dislike me either! With me, that’s practically a blank slate.”

Blueblood grimaced. “I don’t particularly dislike you yet,” he whispered beneath his breath.

“What’s that?” Discord scrubbed his ear out with a feather duster. “I couldn’t hear you over the sound of how our friendship is blossoming.”

Blueblood returned to walking down the hallway. “I seem to recall, the last time you broke loose, transforming into a donkey and being forced to pull piles of rocks up a hill.”

A huge grin broke out across Discord’s face. “I remember that! That was because I thought you were a gigantic jack—” He coughed and pulled his face into a neutral expression. “But it is time to begin anew, Blueblood. A reformed me, a slightly reformed you… I see potential.”

“Yay. Whoo…” Blueblood’s expression remained blank. “Just in time for me to be carted off to prison.”

It was Discord’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “Perhaps…”

Just as they reached the doorway at the end of the hall, it flew open to reveal a very dirty, very angry Kibitz. Discord’s eyes lit up. “Ah, Jeeves! Bally good to see you again! Wot, wot!”

“My name is Kibitz, good sir.” The Royal Scheduling Advisor’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “And Prince Blueblood has a visitor.”

The doors opened further, admitting a white unicorn stallion with a blue mane. A smart moustache graced his upper lip, and a monocle sat snugly wedged upon his cheek. “Blueblood, it’s been too long!”

Blueblood’s eyes grew wide as a smile spread across his face. “Fancy Pants! I don’t think we’ve met since this whole silly alicorn business began!”

They clasped hooves and shook mightily. Discord leaned his chin on his paw and sighed. “And here I was half-hoping it was that cute nurse chick.” He turned to Kibitz and gave a curt nod. “That will be all, Jeeves. Wot.”

Kibitz glared at Discord with the fire of ten thousand suns. He spun on his back hooves and trotted brusquely away. He never noticed the length of toilet paper roll that the draconequus surreptitiously stuck to his left rear hoof.

Fancy Pants’ expression became serious as he released Blueblood’s hoof. “So, how are you holding up? It’s not an easy thing that you’ve been asked to do.”

Blueblood released a breath through his lips. “I’ve been spending my days making sure everything fits together, along with time set aside for moping. Nothing out of the ordinary, I’m afraid.”

“And do you have any appointments for today?” Fancy asked.

“None that I can’t particularly ignore,” Blueblood answered with a glance at Discord.

“Splendid!” Fancy Pants slung a foreleg around Blueblood’s shoulders. “I know just the thing to get you out of your dumps. A fantastic day on the town!”

Blueblood allowed himself to be led out the door, despite some niggling thoughts. “I’m not sure I—”

“Blueblood, you have enough time to mope when you’re warden of Tartarus,” Fancy interrupted. “For now, you are going to have some fun with your old friend.”

“Aha!” Discord appeared beside them with a toothy smirk. “That does sound like a great idea! With us three out and about, there’s a great day ahead!”

Fancy Pants started at his appearance, his blue mane standing on end. “I say, Blueblood, did you invite him? I suppose it’s alright if you did, but…”

Blueblood shot the smiley draconequus a defeated sigh. “I don’t suspect we could uninvited him now, could we?”

“Well this was a complete flop.”

Fancy Pants and Blueblood turned to Discord with annoyance. Blueblood lifted a hoof to his lips to shush him. “You aren’t supposed to speak at the cinema!”

Not that it quite mattered, most other patrons had shifted rump to leave the dark, enclosed room that now contained a draconequus.

“Why not? The movie’s practically over, anyways.” Discord rattled his bucket of popcorn kernels. “And my snack is gone.”

Fancy Pants’ jaw dropped. “But the movie only started a half-hour ago!”

“Oh for goodness sakes.” Discord’s lion paw detached from his wrist and moved on its own to grasp Fancy’s chin. “That mare right there? She’s going to fall hopelessly in love with… let’s see… that rugged, stubble-bedecked stallion there. They probably won’t realize it until the night before their major confrontation with the villain.” He rolled his eyes. “The villain is so over the top, he’s obviously going to do himself in, in the most ridiculous way possible. It’ll save the hero from dirtying his hooves, too! I’ll bet they have a battle on a Manehatten skyscraper. Whooop! Down he goes!”

Fancy Pants pursed his lips. “I fail to see the problem.”

“It’s so darn ordered!” Discord groaned. “Everything out of Applewood is the same exact thing every time. Mix it up a little!”

“Rubbish! Utter rubbish!” Fancy leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. “It’s all about the journey, not the destination.”

“Is it still an adventure if you walk down the same road fifty times?” Discord smirked.

“It depends on if there are pirates lying in wait this time,” Fancy replied.

A slow grin curled around Discord’s mouth. “Variation within structure?”

Fancy Pants nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.

Discord’s grin turned manic. “I hate structure.”

With a poof, the three beings disappeared.

They reappeared in the grandstands of Cloudsdale’s coliseum, a rounded cloud-based building that played host for a variety of sports. Blueblood’s gasp of fright at sitting on a cloud was drowned out by Fancy Pants’ panicked screeching. “I can’t fly! Help me! Somepony, please help me!”

Discord, rather than let him drop to his doom, held him aloft by a series of puppet strings that were tied to each of the pony’s hooves. “Now here’s where structure disappears! The racecourse!”

A flight of pegasi soared past at speeds nearing the velocity required to create a sonic rainboom. “Dozens of fleshy ponies barreling down the road at forces that could crack an egg! So many variables at play that it would take naught but a momentary distraction to send the entire thing crashing to the ground!”

Blueblood felt the force of the pegasus-generated wind tearing his bowtie from his neck. His mind flashed to the image of a garrote. “May we return to the movie, please?”

Discord snorted. “Some ponies just don’t appreciate good chaos.” He snapped his fingers…

And they found themselves in the theater once again, beholding a teary-eyed actress weeping at her own backstory. Fancy Pants’ windswept mane was combed down as best he was able. “That was an experience.” He sent a sideways glare at the draconequus. “I suppose you’re the type that goes to the race for the crashes.”

“Sometimes, life is painful,” Discord said with a chuckle.

“And when it’s not, what is it?” Fancy asked.

“Short,” muttered Blueblood.

Discord arched a brow. “What’s gotten into you?’

“Haven’t you heard?” Fancy shifted in his seat, hoping against hope that he could become comfortable with a draconequus by his side. “It’s the talk around Canterlot. Blueblood is next in line to fulfill a family oath in Tartarus. He’s to become warden of the dreadful prison.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard.” Discord’s eyes narrowed, though with varying widths. “I admit that Tartarus is a little after my time, but don’t oaths only bind the pony that gives them?”

“I beg your pardon,” Blueblood said, “but as I only have a week ’til I am to leave, may I spend this day having fun in peace?”

“Fun?” Discord gasped. “Watching Ponies Punch Each Other: The Movie CXIII!? Oh, gak! You need to do something out of the ordinary! Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!”

Fancy blinked; a slow, arduous feat. “I was trying to get him out and—“

“Whadda yah want, a medal?” Discord shoved a chocolate medallion in Fancy’s mouth. He turned to Blueblood and wrapped an arm around him. “So, tell me, Blueblood. What is the one thing you’ve always wanted to do, but never had the guts to try? Sky diving? Carriage racing? Spelunking?”

Discord chuckled. “Don’t mind me, I won’t tell a soul!” He shot a wink at Fancy Pants. “You do have a soul, don’t you, Trippy Trousers?”

Fancy grumbled around a mouthful of chocolate.

Blueblood watched as the main actress swapped spit with the main actor. His eyes narrowed. “There is one thing that I wished to do, and we may make it before it is too late.”

Discord raised his talons, ready to snap them at a moment’s notice.

“How would you like to visit a factory?” Blueblood asked.

Author's Note

Featuring the comedic stylings of Discord.

I can almost guarantee that this is the first fanfic to feature Kibitz. Almost. I'm willing to be proven wrong.

Begging Your Pardon

There are some who would describe Blueblood’s voice as high-pitched for a stallion. He would deny it, of course, saying that it was well within the normal range. Some, though, might even go so far as to say that his voice came out as a constant whine.

“I’m not whining!” Blueblood would whine.

“That,” they would say. “That right there. That’s what I mean.”

Blueblood was not very fond of some.

“Some” in this case referred to a pony who had far more interest in Blueblood’s political stature than his person. He was a pegasus stallion by the name of Salacious P. Boysenberry, whose special talent revolved around remembering the exact details of any cutie mark he came across, even long after the first viewing (indicated by a cutie mark consisting of opera glasses that reflected a clump of berries in its lenses).

Blueblood couldn’t especially think of a good use for that talent, but ’twas not his concern.

Salacious had inevitably come to the conclusion that to impress the prince, he should give a detailed critique of the royal’s foibles. Oh yes, Mr. Boysenberry, he most certainly appreciated having the sound of his voice put into question! Please do go on! Perhaps next you shall critique the color of Blueblood’s eyes, or perhaps the curvature of his buttocks!

Then again, Salacious had already committed Blueblood’s compass-star cutie mark to memory. Dash it all.

Blueblood, for his part, sat quietly. If a bit grumpily. He merely gave Salacious P. Boysenberry the lesser share of his attention. The remainder of his thought-process carted over to the events of the night previous.

“How stupid of me.”

Salacious blinked rapidly as he brought opera glasses up to his eyes. “I beg your pardon?”

Blueblood jolted out of his reverie. “Oh! No, I beg your pardon. I admit to my mind being elsewhere.”

The pegasus nodded in understanding. “Is that why you wore your underpants to work today?”

Blueblood started. He would have followed up with a mighty, “Now I really must beg your pardon,” but that was before he took a gander to his aft section. Plain as day there sat a lovely set of black boxers that were decorated with white polka-dots.

“So this is one of those days, is it?”

Salacious nodded. “I’ll say. Especially since this is ‘Wear Your Stockings to Work’ Day.” He held up a forehoof and jiggled it before Blueblood’s face. It wore a many-colored, striped sock made up of at least ninety-percent cotton.

It was a nice sock, Blueblood admitted, but he began to realize he had absolutely no idea what was going on. A glance back at his rump revealed that his boxers had shifted color to that of the always classic white-with-red-hearts. “Um…”

Princess Twilight Sparkle walked past, her legs bedecked with neon-green trappings. “Hey, babe, what’s with the groovy pants?”

Her wingtip touched Blueblood’s shoulder, sending jolts of electricity down his back. “I-I-I absolutely must beg your pardon!”

Before she could answer, the mighty voice of Princess Celestia towered over all. “Cease this tomfoolery!”

The sovereign marched forwards into their midst. She wore a wide-brimmed straw hat that extended far past her person in all directions. The overalls were also a nice touch.

“Get thee to mine fields and work ceaselessly, for harvest is nigh!” The bit of straw in her mouth traveled from one side to the other. “Blueblood, thou art to be secured to mine plow.”

Salacious shrugged at Blueblood. “Should have worn the socks.”

Twilight pouted. “Groady, Dude Celestia! My peeps and I were just chewing the fat—”

“Cease thy butchering of slang,” Celestia drawled. “Thou art not to assist in Blueblood’s labor. Now fly!”

Blueblood’s next thought came in the form of the yoke being set around his shoulders. It felt heavy, but it seemed beyond sheer weight. It felt as though it dragged him down of its own accord. Despite that, he pulled. He pulled, and he sweated, and he heaved, and he fought.

A glance back showed that his progress amounted to exactly five inches.

That, too, was classic, he decided. Wholly expected. Completely unorigin—

At that point, he stopped caring about it one way or the other.

Atop a hill, on the far end of the field, was an image of beauty. The sun rose behind a mare of pure white, whose mane was pink as the sun-kissed clouds. Princess Nurse Redheart’s flowing dress blew in a wind that he couldn’t feel, and her mane waved about in the loose bun she usually kept it in. She looked his way, batting her eyelashes all the while.

Homina, he thought to himself.
He took a step forward, but found his progress arrested by the weight of the yoke and the plow. He snorted and gave a harder pull. The reverberating “clank” that answered let him know that he had hit a rock, unbreakable as any other.

Twilight Sparkle appeared beside him, her horn aglow. He gasped and raised his hooves. “Don’t! Celestia said you can’t help me!”

She lifted the rock aside and grinned at him. “Don’t sweat it, babe. Smooth sailing from here on.”

At that moment, she closed her eyes and puckered her lips.

Blueblood stared at her for a while, his jaw hanging loose. He turned back to the distant Redheart to find that she was just a meter away from him, also puckering. Silence descended as everything became still.

“Ooh, have we come to the part where this becomes Freudian?”

Blueblood stood up straight, the weight of the yoke forgotten. “Hullo, Father.”

Bluemane Blueblood trotted up at a brisk pace. Blueblood thought it odd that his father didn’t seem to be hampered by a false limb, but the wooden leg appeared the instant the notion entered his head.

“I’m afraid I must beg your pardon,” Blueblood sighed. Upon his bum, his boxers gained an array of smiley faces.

His father waved a hoof to the two mares to either side. “I suppose I should apologize for interrupting whatever’s going on here, hmm?”

“Oh, not at all, not at all,” Blueblood said. His eye twitched towards Twilight, whose every fiber had grown static. “Though, I hesitate to thank you, since I don’t appreciate these intrusions on my dreams.”

A smirk found its way onto Bluemane’s face. “Consider this a little reality check. A little tap on the shoulder letting you know that you messed up.”

Blueblood pursed his lips. “I believe I have enough reality in my life, thank you very much.”

“Take these two mares for example,” Bluemane said as he brushed past his son. He ran a gentle hoof across Twilight’s cheek. “This one was only trying to help, but you spat in her face.”

Blueblood drew back. “I did not—”

“And this other,” Bluemane continued, laying his hoof on Redheart’s back. “She you strung along, rather than reject her outright. How much false hope did that one little dance give her, hmm?”

“Get out.” Blueblood pointed a hoof at his father. “Get out of my dream. Get out of my head.”

Bluemane chuckled. “There’s that whining again.”

Blueblood opened his mouth to protest, but got nary a word out before Celestia entered the scene. “Verily, what transpires?” Celestia asked. Her overalls shifted as she extended her wings. “Art thou wigging thyself out, Blueblood?”

“Wait, what?” Blueblood asked between rapid bouts of eyebrow raising. His eyes bounced between his father and the others present. “Am I seriously dreaming all this?”

Bluemane shrugged. “You tell me.”

Celestia’s head tilted upwards. “Forsooth! Something foul stirs upon the breeze!”

The moon appeared in the sky, though far more enormous than in reality. It shone far brighter as well, its radiance bathing all present with the soothing body lotion of the Royal Canterlot Voice.

“Blueblood! It’s time to get up!”

The ground shook as Celestia, Twilight, and Redheart dissolved into nothingness. The world fell away beneath Blueblood’s hooves, sending him tumbling into darkness. The image of his father’s gray, grinning face was the last thing he saw before wakefulness came.

***

Blueblood shot upright, his wings unfurled and his teeth on edge. There was a faint ringing in his ears. He turned slowly and carefully to look beside his bed.

Princess Luna, Princess of the Night, Mare of the Moon, Lady of Dreams, Empress of the Crystal Empire, and Waker of the Sleeping Alicorn Prince, stood over him. Her mane flowed in all its starry blueness, and her eyes were as flinty as flint itself.

That is, they could probably start fires.

“Thou art late!” she yowled. “Th—you—should already be on your way to the port!”

Blueblood glanced at his chronometer with bleary eyes. “I beg your pardon, but the airship doesn’t leave for another hour.”

“With an hour’s prep!” Her horn glowed as she whisked his blanket away. “If you wish your personal items to be on board, you will march your blond bonce to the station, pronto!”

Luna could be very convincing, as Blueblood found out in the following minutes. Before he could say so much as “Good morning,” he was at the front gates of the palace, his bowtie askew and his back heavy with saddlebags.

He threw his head back and trotted down the street, a subtle sparkle of magic adjusting his bowtie. His ear twitched as Luna flew on overhead. He shrugged and maintained his comfortable pace.

The city of Canterlot sparkled in the sunlight. Shops clambered with ponies buying, selling, and bartering for goods. Fountains flashed as the wishing bits within reflected the sky. A street musician played a rousing rendition of the “Pony Pokey,” eliciting giggles from his onlookers as he danced around with his accordion.

Blueblood missed it already.

A rainbow of color shot through the sky, and the faint sound of an electric guitar riff drifted on the breeze. Rainbow Dash skidded to a halt beside him, narrowly missing an opportunity to bowl him over. She brushed hair out of her eyes, not especially giving much care to where it went instead. “Hay, Blueblood. Already on your way, huh?”

Blueblood snickered all of once. “Apparently, airships require an hour of preparation that includes the passengers.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t know anything about that.” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Sorry that I didn’t come to your party last night. We had a wicked storm over the Everfree. Took the weather team all night to fight it back from Ponyville.”

“Hmm.” Blueblood carried on towards the airship docks. “Well, you’ll be happy to know that the party was a bust, then.”

Rainbow Dash scrunched her muzzle up. “Hay, just ’cause I couldn’t enjoy it doesn’t mean I don’t want anypony to enjoy it. What happened?”

Blueblood’s attempt to keep up his pace didn’t quite pan out. “Twilight tried to free me from the Tartarus oath.”

Rainbow Dash blinked. “And that’s… bad.”

“She tried to free me from an enchantment that wasn’t there…” Blueblood took a deep breath. “So I blew up.”

Rainbow Dash blinked. Again. “I know Twilight has some issues getting control over new spells, but—”

“Emotionally, Rainbow,” Blueblood sighed. “I got angry. I yelled. I walked away mad.”

Rainbow Dash squinted. “And you haven’t apologized or something?”

“No, I—”

She slapped him on the back of the head with her wing. “Well, then when were you gonna apologize, dummy?”

Blueblood rubbed the sore spot. “I haven’t had the time.”

“Yeah, no time to waste!” Dash rifled through her saddlebags until she could produce a sheet of paper. It was a list of facts and figures on various weather patterns in and around Ponyville, most of which made little sense to him. “Here, write some sort of note on the back.”

He took the page and stared at it. He tripped over a loose stone and decided to keep his attention on the road. “I suppose that’s the least I can do.”

She gave him a pencil next. He tapped the eraser against his lips as he considered.

“Quit it,” she said. “I have to hold that in my mouth, you know.”

In a moment of weakness, he allowed a salacious grin to spread across his face. “Most mares wouldn’t mind, you know.”

She gave him a look, one that featured rolling eyes, bared teeth, and hissing breath. “Most mares don’t know you as well as I do. Write.”

Rainbow Dash listened to the pencil scribbling against paper. She couldn’t resist another eye-roll, nor the tiny “Feedbag” that escaped her mouth. The page flapped as Blueblood folded it over and held it before his face for a solid minute. He sighed as he handed it back to her.

“I think I’m getting better at this whole ‘apology’ business.” Blueblood waited at the curb for a speeding carriage to roll past. “I’ve certainly been getting practice.”

She tucked the scrap in her bag, gracing him with one of her more humorless smirks. “Yeah? Prove it.”

Blueblood grimaced. “Please forgive my indiscretion.”

“I’m gonna assume that means the same thing as ‘sorry.’” Rainbow Dash flicked her mane back and held her nose in the air. “You are forgiven for your indie sketching.”

Blueblood barked out in laughter, much to Rainbow’s bemusement. It petered out into a chuckle, which vanished completely as the zeppelin port rose into view.

Though, to call the flying machines “zeppelins” was a little unflattering, and perhaps entirely incorrect. Balloons triple the size of freight train cars rose into the air, filled with copious amounts of helium. Steel wire trail down from these canvas sacks, strong enough to hog-tie a herd of elephants. Beneath the balloons, arrested from downward movement by the wire, there was an immense variety of ships.

Small personal yachts floated alongside massive passenger ships. Some were made up of wood, some aluminum. A silvery bullet settled into port, while a sizable galley fit to sail the seas departed. The one similar feature among the ships was their narrow front, wider middle, and tapered aft sections.

A steely eye could pick out the Royal Airborne’s flagship watching over the port. A Pony-of-War around sixty meters long, it held eighty shutters that concealed various magical and mundane instruments of destruction. Sails as tall as the ship itself lay unfurled on either side of its hull, and the crests of both the Princess of the Day and the Princess of the Night decorated its sides.

Blueblood’s attention fell on none of this, however. He was more concerned with the largest vessel in the port, the one that would bear him to Tartarus. A wooden frame that nearly dwarfed Ponyville sat beneath three balloons that could have held up the Pony-of-War singlehandedly. Its sides were squared, only holding the smallest hint of an aerodynamic bend. The center of its hull had a door that was three decks tall, and collapsed into a ramp to allow easier entry onto the ship.

“The Sky Ark,” he breathed.

“I’ll admit it,” Rainbow Dash murmured at his side. “That’s pretty impressive.”

Their heads turned at the clomping of hooves. Princess Luna strode up to them, flanked on either side by Redheart and Vinyl Scratch. To the prince’s dismay, his father trailed along a few paces behind them.

“You’re late,” Luna said.

Blueblood lowered his eyebrows. “The Ark is still here, is it not?”

Luna snorted. “I’ll take your bags; you can say your goodbyes.”

She adorned her sides with his luggage and fluttered off towards the vessel. Blueblood chewed his bottom lip and attempted a grin. “So, what brings you two to the port?”

Vinyl’s frown nicely accompanied her reddened eyes. Redheart’s slightly-less disheveled visage cracked a grin. “We didn’t want to you leave alone. Er, didn’t want you to feel alone. Before you left.” She nudged Vinyl in the ribs. “Right?”

“Yeah,” the DJ muttered. “Hey, BB…”

Blueblood shrunk back infinitesimally as her eyes bored into him. “Yes?”

“Give those Nightmares heck, you hear me?”

He sighed through his nose. “You have my word.”

Redheart scuffed her hoof on the ground. “Th-thank you, Blueblood. For last night.”

A smile threatened to brighten his mouth. “I would say ‘you’re welcome,’ but I would have to ask ‘what for?’”

“For the dance.” Redheart swallowed. “And the talk, and… Thank you.”

His smile vanished, leaving a shallow grin in its place. “You are very welcome.”

Bluemane Blueblood’s brow furrowed as he watched his son and Redheart shuffle their hooves around. “I’ve also come to say goodbye. And… to ask a request.”

Blueblood squinted. “I’m not sure I care overly much about what you have to say.”

Rainbow Dash and Vinyl trotted backwards as they smelled a domestic dispute of a sort brewing. Redheart settled for a step towards Blueblood, standing not quite next to him, but not quite away from him.

“Don’t be a fool.” Bluemane’s eyes trailed to Redheart and softened, but quickly reset themselves on Blueblood. “The curse… you know of the curse.”

“Of course I know of the curse,” Blueblood scoffed. “I’ve heard of it since I was a colt. I haven’t seen anything to tell me that it’s anything but the consequences of your bad choices. I’m beginning to believe that curses aren’t real.”

“They are, too!”

They all turned to Redheart, who was biting her lip as her cheeks tinged red. “I mean, you might want to listen, Blue Ey—Blueblood.”

Bluemane’s mouth dipped open, emitted a few blathering noises, then clamped shut. “Very well, then. While you are in Tartarus…”

He sighed as he briefly glanced at every pony present. He met Redheart’s eyes and lingered. “Please find all you can about the one who cast it. Do everything you can to free our family from it.” He lowered his eyebrows and brought his chin to his chest. “Save us from the fate of my father.”

“Papa Bluehooves was always a little thick in the head,” Blueblood said, “but… I shall. For both our sakes.”

He looked at Redheart, Vinyl, and Rainbow in turn. “And thanks to all three of you for seeing me off.”

“No big.” Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. “You should probably get your rear into gear, ’cuz I think Luna’s almost foaming at the mouth over there.”

Blueblood would have said that she was not so much foaming at the mouth as erupting in the vein of volcanoes, but he would have digressed. “So it seems. Farewell, everypony.”

As he flew off, Rainbow Dash called out one last time, “I’ll make sure Twilight gets your note! You can count on it!”

She turned at the sound of horrified chokes. Redheart and Vinyl were both darting their eyes around the port, not quite settling on any one thing to look at. “What?” Rainbow asked. “What’d I say?”

Redheart turned to Vinyl. “I know we weren’t supposed to tell Blueblood about Twilight, but what about her?”

Though she was a bit shorter than them, Rainbow Dash was quite capable of glaring down at any pony she wished. “What about Twilight!?”

***

Although the size of the Sky Ark was impressive, the interior had a surprisingly small amount of room for a full-grown alicorn stallion to maneuver. Blueblood ducked beneath another support beam as he pulled himself through the halls. “I don’t suppose first class has better clearance?”

Luna bent down low, almost to the point of crawling on her knees, as she made her way behind him. “First class? What’s that?”

Blueblood gritted his teeth. “It’s this lovely little concept where a passenger can pay a little more money to be a little more comfortable on their trip.”

Luna’s horn impacted a support beam with a reverberating “twang.” “Eeeah! That seems a lovely sentiment.”

“Oh, for certain.” Blueblood’s wings pinned tight against his sides as he slid through a narrow doorway. “Another fork ahead.”

“Take the left path,” Luna grunted. “We’re close.”

Close indeed, for the next turn led them into a large, cavernous room lined with various woodwork tools and discarded scraps. In the middle of the room was a small, skiff-like construction. A meter-square roof was erected over a battered, haphazard ship’s wheel. Behind the wheel was a hefty, tin-plated boiler that appeared to have been pounded into a roughly round shape out of scrapped sheets. It was connected, via a pulley system consisting of a few threadbare ropes, to a series of propellers aimed towards the rear of the craft. Patchwork balloons hung from the ceiling, awaiting the moment when they would be filled with lighter-than-air gasses.

Blueblood suspected they would pop the instant they were filled. “What a piece of junk.”

“Yearling Hawk will get little pony where little pony needs to go,” a craggy, phlegmy voice piped up from within the ship. “Don’t need polish when gots character.”

Blueblood hid a smirk by studying the ceiling. “It certainly looks like it’s built a lot of character.”

A diamond dog poked his head above the side of the moored airship. His dirty white coat was broken up by a brown spot around his eye. He nodded at Blueblood. “Lots and lots of character!”

The prince smiled as he turned to Luna. “Now, what was the purpose of bringing me here?”

Luna gestured to the airship. “Captain Wishbone Fluorspar here”—the diamond dog waved enthusiastically—“is going to fly you to Tartarus.”

The grin froze on Blueblood’s face. “I beg your pardon?”

He wrapped a foreleg around Luna’s neck and led her a few meters off to the side. “He’s going to fly me?”

Luna nodded as she removed Blueblood’s hoof from her shoulder.

Blueblood gulped. “In that?”

She nodded again. “The path to Tartarus is treacherous. The Sky Ark shall carry you most of the way, but you need a smaller vessel to make your way through the Sleeping Mountains.”

She lifted a hoof towards Captain Wishbone and loudly declared, “Fear not, Captain Wishbone is the pilot most familiar with the route to Tartarus!” She took a step back and quietly added, “From an admittedly small reference pool.”

The boiler behind Wishbone hissed, prompting the diamond dog to scream and repeatedly bash a wrench against its side. The dog bared his teeth in an odd approximation of a smile. “Sometimes Yearling Hawk misbehaves. But Wishbone fix her. She build lots of character.”

Blueblood grimaced. “I suspect this is indicative of something, but I can’t quite put my hoof on it.”

Author's Note

So here we see a return to a little humor (and ridiculousness) while still trying to retain the themes of the story and holding on to the serious plot threads introduced in the previous chapters.

This is going to be a very interesting story to read and write.

The Space Lattice of a Crystal King

Rarity dropped her saddlebags by the door, shutting out the warm night. She ran a hoof over her eyes and blinked at the sudden light. Her eyes widened and an eyebrow rose at the sight that greeted her. “How long have you been waiting there?”

Sombra looked up, his red eyes twinkling. He grinned and stood up from the chairs beside Carousel Boutique’s dressing rooms. A quick flash of his horn set the magazine he’d been reading on a small table. “Waiting? I think you give me too much credit.”

He looked over her shoulder. “Where’s Pinkie?”

“She decided to stay with the Cakes tonight.” Rarity brushed her long curl behind her head. “Has Mandible gone home yet?”

Sombra shook his head. His lip twitched. “He said he had to finish a job before he left. I think he’s been stitching and pulling threads all day long.”

Rarity smiled. “Oh good. I know he’s been practicing—”

“Stitching and pulling the same threads all day long.”

Rarity tilted her head. Her eyes fell to the floor. “Well… I suppose that’s sweet of him.”

“Sweet?” Sombra hid a sneer from her. “He hasn’t done anything productive at all.”

“Well, what could he do?” Rarity shrugged. “He wants to stick around so that he can help if I need it. I think it’s sweet.”

Sombra sighed through his nose. He tilted his curved horn at the “Inspiration Room.” “He and Spike are in there now. Going around some sort of dress-making roulette, I imagine.”

Rarity looked toward the room. She lifted a hoof in its direction, but was stopped by Sombra’s hoof on her shoulder. “Let them be,” he said. “I have something for you.”

Rarity stood tall and looked at him with bright, blue eyes. “Something nice?”

Sombra nodded. He led the way to Rarity’s sitting room. He shut the doorway behind them, leaving the room illuminated solely by the burning hearth. They sat together on Rarity’s couch, and Sombra poured glasses of aged grape juice. The fire cast deep shadows around the room, which darkened the portion of their faces that weren’t facing the flame.

But still her eye sparkled.

Their glasses clinked together, and they both took a sip. Rarity leaned against Sombra’s broad chest and let a slow breath out. “This truly is something nice.”

Sombra smiled down at her. “It’s not all.”

“Mm, save it for a moment, will you?” she asked. “I do so love suspense.”

They sat quietly, listening to the crackle of the flames. Sombra chewed his bottom lip. “I hate suspense.”

“Pft!” Rarity giggled. “You obviously have no sense of patience! Very well.” She sat up and faced him. “What is the nice thing you wish to share with me?”

His horn glowed. Out from behind his back floated two glistening pieces of golden foil. He presented them to Rarity with a grin. “Lady Rarity, would you do me the great honor of accompanying me to the Grand Galloping Gala?”

Rarity touched a hoof to her chest. “Oh… oh my…”

“It’s just a few days away.” His eyes flicked toward the fire. “I would have asked you sooner, but I wasn’t able to acquire them until after that little going away party…”

She took his hoof in hers. “Oh, Dark Shadow Lightning, I would love to.” She drew his hoof to her chest. “But I can’t.”

Sombra blinked. The tickets fluttered to the ground. “What?”

“Dark, I…” Rarity rubbed her hoof along his foreleg. “Flash Sentry is gathering together a team to find Twilight. I’m going with them. Our first stop is Tartarus, and we’re leaving tomorrow.”

“B-but…” Sombra shook his head. “You’ll never find her and make it back before—”

“I’m sorry, Prince Lightning.” Rarity cupped his cheek in her hoof. “But I must prioritize. This could mean my friend’s life.”

“Yes.” Sombra sucked in a breath. “Yes, it might.” He picked up the two tickets and stuffed them away. “Yes, what was I thinking?”

Rarity patted his hoof. “You wanted to see me happy, and for that I thank you.”

“Of course,” Sombra said. His shoulders tensed. “But there’s only one thing that can make you happy at this time, isn’t there?”

Rarity shrugged one shoulder. “I must confess, the safe journey home of my friends would do a lot towards easing my worry.”

Sombra’s muscles bulged within his chest as he sucked in breath after breath. “Then shall they be saved.” He snapped his head towards her. “You said we leave tomorrow?”

Rarity nodded. “At dawn.”

“Yes.” Sombra stood. “Tomorrow we begin our journey to rescue Twilight…” His eyes widened. “Sparkle?”

Rarity made a small cry of surprise as Sombra bolted over to her. “You said her name was Twilight Sparkle?” he asked.

“Um…” Rarity smiled. “Yes! Haven’t you been introduced?”

Sombra stalked away from her. “Perhaps. Perhaps I never made the connection—” He slowed and looked back at her. “You said she was a ‘friend’”—he made air quotes with his hooves—“of the princesses?”

Rarity flicked a curl out of her eyes. “I think they are quite good friends, yes. Very good, in fact. Twilight was Princess Celestia’s personal student for years before the ascension.”

Sombra glared at the fire so that Rarity would not see his snarl. “Personal student. Her and her friends…” He shut his eyes tight and gritted his teeth. “I remember something about Elements?”

“That was ages ago, darling. We returned them to the tree.” Rarity tittered. “Though I still attempt to live up to the Generosity I’d been given.”

Sombra stiffened. He turned painfully to face Rarity. “You bore an Element?”

“Well, I don’t mean to brag.” Rarity bit back a smile. “I suppose you were going to find out sooner or later.”

“So…” Sombra felt his heart pound within his chest. “Nightmare Moon?”

“Reunited with her sister!” Rarity proclaimed. She lifted her glass into the air and took a small gulp.

“And…” Sombra sat down. “Discord?”

“Turned to stone!” Rarity laughed. “And then reformed. That was an odd time for all of us.”

“Queen Chrysalis?” Sombra asked.

“Well, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence put an end to her first plot…” Rarity tapped her chin. “I hear that Lyra Heartstrings blasted her off of a waterfall to save Blueblood’s life. Small world, it seems.”

“Then there was…” Sombra choked. “King Sombra?”

Rarity sneered. “That monster was blasted apart by the love and happiness of the Crystal Ponies, never to be seen again.” She waved a hoof. “I can’t say I had much of a hoof in his defeat, but I wouldn’t have been averse to giving the slave driver a little of his own medicine.”

Sombra spread his wings. He folded them back with a great degree of self control. “You… have… done much for the kingdom.”

“I hardly think it was that much,” Rarity said. She poured them both another glass of grape juice. “Sit down; I can hardly cuddle with you if you’re up and about like that.”

Sombra refused to meet her eyes. He gave her a peck on the cheek and trotted for the door. “I’m… I’m afraid today has taken a lot out of me. I believe it is time to call it a night.”

“Oh.” Rarity frowned as he left. “Well. I suppose I can’t begrudge…” She cast her eyes down. “Thank you for the tickets. Perhaps we can make it next year.”

Sombra paused at the doorway. “Perhaps.”

Rarity sighed and flopped back on the couch.

Sombra felt a bitter chill in the air. Sea spray splashed all around him. He looked down a sheer cliff and spied the massive, churning ocean below. He grimaced at the sharp rocks that lay where the land met the sea.

To his back sat rolling green hills and quaint farms. He suspected that a leprechaun was just on the other side of a hill, hiding its pot of gold where none could ever find it. The dark clouds overhead rolled almost as much as the sea below, threatening to spill their rain on unprotected heads.

Sombra frowned and wished for a hat.

A loud sob captured his attention. It was altogether too familiar. He looked over and saw the radiant Rarity, decked out in a long white dress and sobbing into a damp handkerchief. She looked up at him, with those beloved blue eyes, and cried all the harder.

Sombra flew over to her, landing lightly at her side. “Lady Rarity, what troubles you?”

Rarity shivered as a particularly irksome wave splashed up the cliff side. “Oh, it’s simply dreadful, My Prince! I can barely live with myself!”

Sombra wrapped his forelegs around her. “Whatever it is, I shall be by your side—”

“I kissed Sombra!” she wailed.

Sombra blinked. “I beg you—”

“I… I thought he loved me!” she continued. “I thought we were to be together forever! But…” she squeaked out a small cry. “But he’s a monster!”

Sombra snapped his mouth shut. He pried his teeth apart and tried to find the right words to say. “I’m sure… I’m sure there’s some misunderstanding…”

“He enslaved an empire!” Rarity threw her handkerchief into the ocean. It fluttered down until it was engulfed by a bitter deluge. “He harmed millions of innocents! He tried to destroy the princesses!” She looked up at him and clutched at his shoulders. “He caused an entire kingdom to vanish for a thousand years!”

She let go of him and walked backwards towards the cliff. “I thought he loved me.”

Sombra stretched his foreleg out. “Rarity!”

“I thought you loved me.” Rarity closed her eyes and let herself drop.

Sombra dove off of the edge of the cliff, his wings spreading wide. He grasped at Rarity and clutched her to his chest. He was about to pull up when a wave caught him.

He was under the waves, rolling with the current, unaware of which way was up. He lost his grip on Rarity and let out a bellow that filled his mouth with water. His eyes found her, sinking into the darkest depths of the sea. He swam at her, his horn glowing. He pushed the water away and brought a bubble of air to the ocean floor.

He took her shoulders and shook her. “I do love you! I love you, Rarity! I can’t lose you! I’ll never lose you, do you hear me!?” He bared his fangs as he roared. “Never!”

All was quiet. Sombra looked around. He was no longer on the ocean floor, but in a dark cavern. The chill was still there, only now it came from the massive ice chunks that made up the room.

“My…” Sombra pulled his leg out of a snow drift. “My prison.”

“Yes,” a voice said. “Your once and future prison.”

A dark shadow descended. Sombra stood over Rarity and growled. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

“Don’t worry so much,” the shadow said. It formed into the shape of two glowing, red-and-green eyes. “I’m here to help.”

Sombra looked down at Rarity, only to find that she was no longer there. “Where have you taken her!?”

“Look behind you.” The eyes pulled up in a sickening smile. “I think she’d find it fitting.”

Sombra spun. Rarity sat in the midst of a large crystal that grew from floor to ceiling. Her eyes were closed, as if she was asleep. Sombra ran up to the crystal and tapped at it. “Rarity, can you hear me?”

“Of course she can’t.” The eyes grew close. “She’s trapped, just like you were.” A chuckle. “Just like you will be.”

“You assume much, creature of shadows.” Sombra looked up. “What help do you think you can provide?”

“I can give you two a future.” The eyes sparkled. “A future where you and she can live in happiness. A future where you can rule together.”

“The king and the queen, side by side.” Sombra nodded, his eyes narrowing. “And the cost?”

The eyes also narrowed. “Did I say anything about ‘cost’?”

Sombra chuckled. “No.”

His horn glowed and an aura ensnared the eyes. The Crystal King threw them against the icy walls once, twice, thrice. A blast of pure malice struck the eyes, and they became little more than a dark blotch on the floor.

“Like I said, you assume much.” Sombra stomped over to the dark spot. “But so do I.”

He stomped on the mass as it transformed into a translucent, mask-like face. “Like I assume you are a Nightmare who thinks he can crawl into my dream and control my thoughts.”

The mask—a Phantasm—might have smirked. “Not control. Just influence.”

Sombra looked back at Rarity. “She’s not really there.” His eyes burned into the Phantasm. “This is a dream.”

“Give me some credit,” the Phantasm said. “This is a Nightmare.”

“Not anymore!” Sombra snarled. “Now it is your Nightmare!” His horn glowed, and shards of crystal ripped up from the floor. The Phantasm was caught between the points, unable to move. “Where are your fellows hiding!? What are you planning!?”

The Phantasm struggled for a moment before settling back. “We wish for nothing more than a kingdom of our own.”

“Save your pitiful excuses!” Sombra walked around the Phantasm. “You wish for a takeover, do you not? You are gathering an army!”

The Phantasm wiggled a little bit as it slid out from among the shards. “Nightmares are hard to come by in the wild.”

“Not if they’re gathered together in one prison!” Sombra knelt before the Phantasm and snorted. “So it will be: A whole army of possessed ponies as Nightmares. Enough to defeat even Celestia and Luna.”

“You know,” the Phantasm said, “it’ll be awfully difficult to convince Rarity that you love her while the princesses are on the throne.”

Sombra snarled. He fired a burst of darkness at the Phantasm and knocked it against the wall. “I’ll not be taken in by your words, creature!” He slammed a hoof against the Nightmare. “You will take me to your companions”—his horn glowed bright—“or I will destroy you utterly!”

The storm raged on within the Everfree Forest. Sombra clutched a cloak tight around his body. It covered him from head to tail, but even that could not keep out the rain. He surged forward through the undergrowth, following the white Phantasm as it bobbed among the trees.

“Keep your head down,” it said. “If you’re seen, the others will clobber you.”

Sombra growled. “Leave any overzealous watchdogs to me. You just need to get me to the hideaway.”

They came to a small clearing, crossed a creaky old bridge, and then they arrived.

The Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters sat dark against the backdrop of the storm. A lightning flash illuminated the ruined towers, tattered battlements, and crumbling walls. Sombra lifted his chin and marched inside.

He was tackled by what felt like a brick wall. A tan alicorn stallion, trailing sand from his mane, held Sombra against the ground with a hoof. The stallion snorted and pressed, as if he intended to crush the life out of Sombra.

Sombra blasted him back with a spark of telekinesis. He threw the stallion against the far wall and charged. His feet fell out from underneath him as the rocky ground shifted.

An alicorn mare, with a minty-green mane and coat, grinned down at his fallen body. “You should watch where you’re going around here.”

Sombra roared as he jumped to his feet. He lowered his horn at the mare and charged. He stopped just before reaching her, his momentum slowed by an onrush of wind. A blue alicorn stallion flapped his wings furiously, generating a whirlwind. Sombra’s hooves skidded against the stone as his wings caught the air and dragged him back.

He backed into the dusty stallion from before. The stallion wrapped his forelegs around Sombra and proceeded to crush his chest. Sombra growled, lit his horn, and teleported away.

He flashed back into existence among the rafters. He was about to send a fireball into the group of alicorns when he was kicked from behind. He tumbled towards the floor, and was caught by a turquoise alicorn mare. She flew to the ground, let Sombra drop, and then sat close by.

Sombra looked up. He wiped water from his eyes and blinked. He lay before a throne, occupied by an alicorn mare. She reclined against it with a great deal of familiarity, her cheek propped up against a hoof. Her coat was a dark purple, a shade just lighter than black. Her eyes were draconic, with a slit pupil in the center. Her mane was dark, save for the glowing, pink stripe just off-center.

Twilight Sparkle, Twilit Queen of the Nightmares, yawned in Sombra’s face. “You know, I’m actually surprised nopony’s recognized you before now. That magic is a dead giveaway.”

Sombra stood and scowled at the mare. “New wings, new pony.”

“Looks like.” She touched a hoof to her lips. “You’ve lost a lot of the dark spooky swirly magic that made you imposing in the first place.”

She sat up and lifted her snout into the air. “What brings you before the most powerful mage in Equestria?”

“You do, actually.” Sombra eyed the other alicorn Nightmares as they gathered around him. “It seems that my love’s happiness is directly tied to your freedom from these creatures.” He squinted at her. “I take it that you will not go willingly?”

Twilight slunk down the steps towards Sombra. “Please, is it that obvious?” She circled around him, examining him from front to back. She stood a head shorter than him, but she made up for it with an air of control. “I’ve got a thing I need to do. Rarity probably wouldn’t approve, but you know…”

She brought her mouth by his ear and hissed into it. “Not everypony can be happy all the time.”

A dark cloud rose up beside the throne as Twilight ascended the steps. A beak, wings, and glowing eyes took shape. “My Queen,” Shadowfright said, “what are we going to do with this… thing?”

“It depends.” Twilight reclined on the throne and smirked. “Nightmare Dust?”

Lightning Dust trotted up beside the throne. Twilight nodded to the sky. “Make sure he wasn’t followed.”

Lightning Dust left in a flash.

Twilight crossed her forelegs. “So, you said that Rarity’s happiness is tied to me, right?”

Sombra nodded cautiously.

Twilight grinned. “Would you say that your happiness is tied to hers?”

Sombra snarled. “You dare to—?”

“I dare a whole heck of a lot.” Twilight craned her neck to look at Shadowfright. “Don’t I?”

Shadowfright grinned. “She really does.”

“I dare to insinuate that you”—she pointed at Sombra—“aren’t really here for her good. You’re here to ease your own conscience.” She rested her forelegs on the throne’s armrests and tilted her head to the side. “How’s that going for you?”

“I’m here to get you out of captivity,” Sombra growled. “Of Nightmare design or your own.”

“Sweet of you.” Twilight crossed her rear legs and tapped her forehooves together. “What about your captivity?”

Sombra blinked. “What?”

“Gosh, are all stallions this thick?” She looked behind Sombra’s shoulders. “No offence, Nightmare Storm, Nightmare Apple.”

Soarin and Braeburn shrugged. Lyra Heartstrings snickered.

“Anyway,” Twilight continued. “Your captivity here in Equestria. Hiding who you really are, Sombra? That’s gotta be hard. Unable to just let loose!” Her horn glowed, and a pillar that had stood for ages against the weather crumbled into dust. “You need to rule, I can see it in your eyes.”

Sombra looked down at the ground. “Rule. What rule have I without her?”

Twilight sniffed and wiped her eye. “That has got to be”—she grinned—“the sappiest thing I’ve ever heard. You really are a thousand years displaced in time, aren’t you?”

She tilted her head and looked up, as if deep in thought. “Here’s where we stand, Sombra.” She looked down at him and spread her wings. “You can join us, help the Nightmares get a home of their own…” She waved a hoof. “And we can give you a little kingdom, too. Maybe someplace like Appleoosa. Or Hollow Shades! I hear you like it up there. Real dark and spooky.”

A chill ran down Sombra’s spine as the other Nightmares closed in. “Or,” Twilight said, “we can just beat you to a pulp right here, right now.”

Soarin and Braeburn each grabbed one of Sombra’s forelegs. Twilight smiled happily. “So, what’s it gonna be?”

Sombra’s horn glowed. He pushed the two stallions back, taking care to launch Braeburn on top of Lyra. He leaped into the air on beating wings, his horn glowing. “I’ll drag you back if I have to!”

Twilight sighed and shook her head. “Oh, you big dummy.”

She bolted into the air and collided with Sombra’s stomach. He felt the wind get knocked out of him as her hooves drove him higher into the air. He rolled away from her and dove towards the ground. He found his downward progress halted by a purple glow that encased his entire body. He was launched back up towards the ceiling. His back impacted a rafter and kept on going, his body having broken the stone into dust.

He was lifted up beside the hovering Twilight Sparkle. She scowled at him. “Did you miss the part—”

She slammed him against a wall and cracks spider-webbed across it.

“—where I said I was—”

He shot into the ancient ceiling, his horn leaving a deep scrape on it before he punched through to the outside. He groaned and clutched at his head as the storm raged around him. He opened his eyes and met Twilight’s violet ones. He gasped at the venom they directed his way, and at the awesome power behind them.

“—the most powerful mage in Equestria!?”

She flew around him as she held him steady with her mighty telekinetic grip. “So what’s it gonna be? Join us and rule, or become my throw rug?” She smirked. “Hay, if you choose that last one, I can just beat you every day. Not a bad deal.”

She let him drop. His wings flapped uselessly at his sides as he tumbled through his own personal Sombra-sized hole. She caught him again just before he hit the floor, and then set him gently on the ground.

“Think of it this way,” Twilight said. She touched down beside him and stuck a hoof on his chest. “You’re still helping Rarity, just in a more roundabout way. I’ll be free of my obligations just as soon as Tartarus is dust.” She leaned next to his ear and whispered into it. “You’re cool with that, aren’t you?”

Sombra stood and pushed back his cape. The two tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala fell out. Twilight snatched them up before he could speak. She stared at them for a moment before a grin spread across her face.

“Guess what guys!?” She held the tickets up and shouted into the castle. “I’ve just got our audience with the princess!”

Hoots and howls issued forth from the bowels of the ruined castle. Sombra felt another shiver run up and down his spine as Nightmares spewed forth, their dark, ragged bodies forming out of shadows or phasing through walls. The Nightmare-ified alicorns stood proud at the face of the Nightmares, their Twilit Queen taking point.

Sombra bumped into the steps that led to the throne. He looked back and saw Shadowfright smiling down at him. “Well?” the Nightmare said, “what’s your answer?”

Sombra swallowed the lump in his throat and spoke.

Rarity waited outside her shop, much as she had for the past hour. Spike rested his hand on her back, sending what little comfort her way that he could. Mandible trotted up, his face wrinkled with a frown.

“So,” the changeling said, “today’s your day to go?”

Rarity nodded.

“And…” Mandible sat beside her and Spike. “And you’re just waiting on the others?”

She nodded again.

“So…” He looked around. “Where’s Dark Shadow Lightning?”

Rarity shook her head. “He said he’d be there for me.”

Pinkie galloped up to Carousel Boutique, with Redheart and Vinyl Scratch trailing along behind her. “Come on! Flash is already at the train station! We’ve got to leave!”

Rarity chewed her bottom lip. “Can’t we wait just five more—”

“Rarity”—Pinkie cupped Rarity’s cheeks in her hooves—“we have to go. Now.”

With Spike on her back, Rarity made her way down the road. A hesitant cough caught her ears. “H-hay…”

Mandible walked beside her, his head lowered. “Um, since you’re, um, one stallion short… Mind if I tag along?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d kinda, you know, like to help in any way I can. I mean, if I even can help.”

Rarity gave one last glance around early-morning Ponyville. A cool wind blew through her mane as she nodded. “I wouldn’t mind in the slightest. Thank you, Mandible.”

“Anytime, Miss Rarity!” The changeling said with a bright smile. “That’s me, just helpful little Mandible!”

They walked into the morning mist, towards the train station. From there, they would go to the zeppelin port.

And then, Tartarus.

Author's Note

That chapter title is despicably nerdy, but it fits.