Equestria Aflame.

     Twilight Sparkle had trouble sleeping through that night.

     Twilight found herself walking on a stone road. She looked around and studied her surroundings. It was day and the sky was complete overcast. The road was going through the Equestrian grasslands; but instead of the grass being the vibrant, vivid green, it was a bleak, dull grey. The few trees were leafless and their limbs were twisted. As she walked she took a deep breath, the air was cold and bitter but not overbearingly so. She continued to walk down the road, her hooves making very muted clops on the stone. Twilight didn't know why she was walking, she just did. Her walking finally brought her to a fork in the road: one path going right and the other left. There were no signs pointing the correct direction.

      Twilight couldn't choose which way, then something unexpected happened. She heard footsteps coming from behind, loud and deep footsteps. She spun around and saw another pony behind her, a stallion. Only this pony was nothing she had ever seen before, he was huge, larger than Celestia. He was too far away for Twilight to see his features but what she did see was that this stallion was covered in black and rusted combat armor. His helmet blade was extremely exaggerated, it was monstrously large and was dripping something. His horn was bleach white and his eyes were glowing red. He reared back and bellowed a hollow and raspy roar and he charged towards Twilight at a frightening speed.

      Twilight gasped and ran down the path towards her right, she no longer cared about the choice of direction she should go. She just wanted to get away from that thing. She tried to fly but her wings were stuck to her sides, she couldn't move them. She ran as fast as she could. She could feel the massive pony gaining on her. Her surroundings were getting progressively darker and darker. She could feel the pounding of hooves behind her. Then the road stopped and went out into a black void. Twilight didn't notice this and she ran headlong into the maw of darkness.

      She plummeted downwards, her wings still weren't flapping no matter how hard she tried. She tried to scream but her voice was gone, nothing came out of her open mouth. She fell until she hit a river, she sunk into the viscous liquid and she resurfaced to take a breath. She realized the river she was being swept in was a dark red. She tasted the liquid that forced its way into her mouth and the strong taste of metal overtook her. She was swimming in blood. Twilight panicked at the revelation and she tried again and again to fly but to no avail. The river of blood ended and it spewed her out over a waterfall and she fell again. She hit the ground but felt no pain from  the impact.

      Twilight was appalled by her drenched fur. Her once purple coat was now a blackish red, she was dripping blood. One drop of blood dripped from her horn onto her bottom lip causing her to spit furiously. She tried to use her magic to wash off the disgusting liquid but her magic didn't work either. She shook herself like a dog, droplets flew into all directions. She sat down in a miserable state. "At least that thing is gone." Twilight thought. She was sitting in a black void, she couldn't see anything. Then the unthinkable happened.

      She heard a scraping noise and she shot her head in the direction of the sound. She saw the glowing red eyes of the black armored pony. Fear took Twilight's soul as she tried to run again; but her legs were stuck, they wouldn't move. All she could do was watch the armored behemoth approach her. The stallion moved close to Twilight and she could see his features underneath his helmet, all she saw underneath was a white, scarred skull. The stallion then spread it's wings which were nothing but a skeleton of what they should be. He had no coat of fur, just bones underneath his armor. His eyes were just bright red pupils in empty sockets. His horn was radiating a black magic. His armor was incredibly damaged and rusted. Twilight had never been this scared in her life. She was frozen in fear she wanted to look away, to run as far away as she could. But she couldn't look away from it. Twilight knew she was staring directly into the face of Death himself.

      The beast leaned in, his massive helmet blade dripped even more blood on her already soaked body. He moved his head so close to hers they were almost touching. Twilight could smell the rust and the beast's decaying teeth.

      The alicorn of death then spoke very slowly in a hollow and menacing voice, "You have chosen...poorly."

      Twilight, went from fear and terror to outright panic. She attempted to scream and yell "No!" and "Help me!" but her voice was gone, as if it was stolen from her. But her tears did work and they flowed. The death pony reared back and brandished his blade, ready to bring it down upon Twilight.

      A bright, white light appeared in Death's chest and grew in intensity. He finally vaporized from the light and bits of bone and metal flew into all directions. Twilight opened her eyes and saw Princess Luna appear in a swirl of dark blue magic.

      Twilight gasped in joy and found out that she can move once more. "Princess Luna!" she shouted, "Oh, thank you, thank you." She wrapped up Luna in an embrace.

      Luna accepted the hug then said, "Your gratitude was appreciated, but not necessary." she then motioned her hoof towards the black void surrounding them, "This is a dream."

      Twilight was a little stunned, but not surprised, 'Of course!' she thought. She then spoke, "If this is a dream does that mean you're...?"

      "I am as real as you are." Luna, interjected. "It is my duty."

       Twilight remembered Luna's ability to go into ponies' dreams. "This nightmare was the worst I've ever had." she said looking down in reflection.

       "So I've observed. But if you have a dream of this intensity then it must mean something." Luna explained, "Dreams are often recreations of the past, or a simulation of a desire, and sometimes signs of the future." Twilight and Luna were now walking side by side throught the void, Luna's horn provided enough light to see each other.

       Twilight thought about Luna's words, "So, can this be a sign? Or is this just a manifestation of a subconscious fear?"

       "It is impossible to tell." Luna said, "Since we can't be sure, we need to gather all the information we can on your nightmare. Judging by how haven't awoken yet, there is still more to come." she then halted their stroll and turned to face Twilight.

       Twilight knew exactly what was coming, but she asked anyway, "What do we do then?"

       "Let the dream continue." Luna deadpanned.

       Twilight didn't like what she heard, but it was the only way. "Alright." She said with a brave look.

       "I will watch from the shadows." Luna said, putting a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. She then nodded and Luna dissappeared in a vapor of darkness.

       Twilight found herself alone in the black void, she looked around. After a few seconds she saw the glowing red eyes approach her. She didn't bother running, she was no longer afraid. Death fell upon her and brought his blood drenched blade down. Twilight closed her eyes for the impact, but felt nothing.

       She opened them and found herself sitting on a cloud overlooking Canterlot. But it wasn't the Canterlot she knew. She looked harder downward and what she saw horrified her. Canterlot was in ruins, its once beautiful and ancient architecture was now rubble and piles of debris. There were few towers left standing, the palace itself was destroyed. Fire engulfed the obliterated capitol. She then saw on the plains below the city: hundreds, no, thousands of earth ponies and unicorns killing each other. All of them clad in armor and using weapons of iron and bronze. She could hear the booming of artillery being fired at the ranks, battalions were being annihilated. She saw swarms of pegasi hacking at each other in the sky above the battlefied as well as above Canterlot. The road leading up to the city was pouring blood down like water running downhill. Soldiers were slaughtering each other. One side was trying to make it to Canterlot, the other was trying to defend it. Twilight couldn't tell the difference from one side to the other, to her it just looked like a massacre of unbelievable proportions.

        Twilight got a closer view of the battle, her face was in utter shock as she saw entire ponies turned to paste from cannon shells and blood pouring from open wounds. She saw death take thousands on the battlefield. She flew up to Canterlot and saw the fighting make its way to the gates themselves. That is where she saw her brother, Shining Armor, and a legion of the Crystal Imperial Army dug into their positions. All of their spears were pointed downwards towards the advancing enemies. Twilight couldn't understand how anypony could tell the difference from one another.

        Shining Armor yelled, "Protect your princess! Hold the line!" His armor was still the bladed combat but it still was adorned with the dark purple shade and brass engravings. "This is where we stand! This is where we hold! This! is where they! FALL!" The Crystal battalion howled their warcries as the advancing army of the opposition approached. Their spears were down and hungry, Shining Armor's horn was glowing with magic as well as the other unicorns who were in the front line. The army charged up at the crystal ponies, unicorns blasting magic and the heavily armored earth ponies pounding the ground. The earth ponies' connection with the earth gave them a special kind of magic, the combined charging of the earth ponies caused the ground to shake. The army was getting closer. Shining Armor screamed, "NOW!" and a rainbow of color erupted from the front. Lethal magic rained upon the attackers. Dozens dropped dead mid run, their bodies tumbling into the blood soaked dirt. Spears fianlly met iron and flesh as the two forces collided. Shining Armors spear gored another unicorn, he reared back and the wooden shaft snapped. An earth pony charged at the soldier next to him who had fallen back a few feet, Shining Armor then jutted his helmet out and the right underblade snagged the earth ponies neck, going through his chainmail crinnet. Blood spurted from the wound on to the side of his face, coating the right side of his helmet in blood. He then brouhgt his forehooves up and back down, parrying a spear from another ironclad earth pony. The spear dug into the ground and snapped, throwing the earth pony off balance. Shining armor used that opportunity to lunge forward and burry his foreward blade into his opponents neck, goring it through completely. the earth pony yelled in pain and Shining Armor removed the blade and threw him to the ground.

       Twilight couldn't believe what she was seeing: her own brother slaughtering others. She then heard booms off towards the city.   They were cannon shots coming from the spires of Canterlot, what few towers remained were converted into artillery towers. Shells rained and crushed the charging army of thousands. Twilight could see many soldiers mutilated by the high velocity projectiles. She could tell that her brother was still alive, defending the gates. He and the Crystal army were fighting so passionately for the lost city.

       Twilight heard a deafening roar from the bottom of the road. "No." She whispered to herself. The Alicorn of Death could be seen, his hulking black form was a truly menacing sight. He brought his forehooves down in an earth shattering pound and the ground shook harder than before. The road split down the middle. The cliffside collapsed and thousands of tons of rock fell to the plains below, taking hundreds of horrifed ponies on both sides with it. The screams of the falling outweighed that of the bleeding. The Alicorn of Death then spread his bony wings and, surprisingly, took off the ground. He flew straight towards Canterlot, his bleached white horn glowing an eldritch black. Shining armor was overtaken with fear. His eyes widened in shock at the sudden split in the earth and the appearence of a monstrous alicorn. He blasted a flare spell skyward, purple magic flashed like a firework. The next second, Princess Cadence and an entire legion of elite pegasi screamed over the crystal battalion. Cadence was clad in a decorated brass coated steal giving her an appearance of beauty and lethality.  The pegasi swooped down and flanked the opposing army on all sides and the sound of steel against flesh sounded. Cadence shouted her warcry, charging her horn as she charged at the Alicorn of Death. A blue energy beam erupted from her horn, but she did not stop moving forward. The powerful energy blast was met by an otherworldly black beam from the alicorn's horn. It met with the sound of magic colliding and Cadence's beam was quickly overtaken and she was engulfed in the black magic. Her muffled screams could be heard as dark swirls constricted her and she fell to the earth. She tumbled and rolled to a stop amidst hundreds of dead and dying bodies. Her coat covered in the blood drenched dirt. She brought her eyes up for her last time to see the alicorn chargeing at her. Like a rhinocerous, he bucked his head down then up and the massive, rusted blade sliced Cadence up the middle. She didn't have time to scream and her body flew into two directions, blood gushed from the body splitting into two lengthwise halves.

        Shining Armor witnessed this from afar and he immediately screamed in emotional pain at the loss of his bride. He was completely overtaken in bloodlust and broke rank, charging towards the alicorn as fast as he could. The alicorn saw him coming and he swung his blade back then sliced as soon as Shining Armor was upon him. He was completely oblivious to what the alicorn was doing and he charged any. The slice cleanely decapitated Shining Armor and his head flew up and bounced off the alicorns rusted peytral. His body, which was geysering blood from the neck, slid underneath him.

       Twilight Screamed a drawn out, "NO!" and tears formed in her eyes. Even though she knew this was a dream, it still shocked her to see her brother die. She looked back at Canterlot to see two figures emerge from the gates. One was clad in the brass coated steel. The ornamentation of her armor was finely done and she looked even more regal than she already was: Celestia. The other was coated in black armor lined with polished steel; her helmet blades were serrated giving her a frightening appearence on the battlefield: Luna.

       "Luna?" Twilight whispered, her eyes still red with tears. She then saw the real Luna appear next to her in a fast swirling of magic. She was incredibly interested in what was going on. Twilight gazed back down to the battle.

       Celestia glanced towards Luna. Twilight and the real Luna got closer to hear what they were saying. "I'll buy you some time." Celestia said grimly, she looked at the ground. She then talked in almost a whisper, "Do what you have to do."

       Luna's reply was just a nod.

       Celestia then spread her majestic white wings and blasted towards the approaching alicorn. Her horn glowing with the magic of the light. Tears ran down her face as she screamed and blasted at the alicorn who met her blast with his own. This time the black magic didn't immediatly overtake death's opponent but their blasts were slowly trying to gain power, with Celestia's magic slowly fading. The recoil from the blasts made them both slow down and settle on the bloody ground. Celestia's magic glowing an incredibly blinding light and Death's magic radiating an enrapturing black. Clelestia couldn't stand the fight long enough and the black magic overtook her. It swirled about her, she screamed and screamed from the feeling of death gripping her very soul. Her screams were glowing more and more hollow and death was just about to clame her. When a blast of dark magic pounded against death's rusted helmet. He broke his spell and looked up to see Luna, no...wait, that wasn't Luna.

       Twilight and Luna weren't paying attention to Luna when Celestia was battling the alicorn. They saw her and noticed that her coat was completely black, and she grew a little bigger along with her armor. Twilight gasped.

       "You think you know the true power of darkness!" A more sinister voice than Luna's escaped the black alicorn's lips. It was Nightmare Moon.

       "Even darkness can't hide you from death." the alicorn replyed coldly.

       Nightmare Moon snarled and she powered her horn. It seemed darkness itself was seeping into Nightmare Moon giving her power. She screamed as the full power of the night erupted from her horn. Nothing this powerful had ever been thrown at him.

       He roared and blasted his own magic. The two magics colliding produced an incredible shockwave, striking the surviving soldiers dead and sending Nightmare Moon and the Alicorn of Death reeling backwards. Nightmare Moon was too stunned to recover quickly enough and she was engulfed in the same black magic as Celestia. Screams of fear and anguish escaped her lips and she was thrown to Celestia's comatose side. The two rulers of Equestria were brought down to just two more bodies on the battlefield. Death slowly walked up to the bodies readying a finishing blow. His horn glew that familiar black.

       He than shot his head towards twilight and said with a voice that sent a chill down her spine, "This is the result of your mistake." He then vaporized the two princesses in a final blast.

       "NO!" twilight screamed, jumping up in bed. She was panting and sweating from the exprience. She was so scared, even if it was just a nightmare.

       She looked around her room and saw Luna teleport right to her bedside. Her face was that of shock and concern, "We need to talk." she said.