The Nightmare Awakens

"Is everything ok Cadence?" Twilight asked as she hurried down the corridor to her beloved sister-in-law.

"They've been talking all morning." Cadence pointed a hoof at Shining Armor and Princess Luna, who were deep in conversation. In fact, Shining Armor looked quite worried about something.

"That's it?" Twilight asked. She was dragged out of bed at 7 in the morning so Cadence could point out that Shining Armor and Luna were having a little chat. "It's not like he's cheating on you, Cadence. He's not interested in older mares, especially mares who are 1000 years old."

Cadence chuckled and regained her serious composure. "Luna is the Princess of the Night. She's also the guardian of dreams, Twilight. She can see other ponies' dreams, and understand what they are about. Shining Armor seemed a little out of it earlier when we got up. I think he had a nightmare last night."

"So? Everypony has nightmares. I once dreamed that I lost my Magical Compendium Volume 6 book, I didn't sleep a wink for 3 weeks." Twilight said to the older alicorn.

"What I'm trying to say is, you're his sister. I want you to talk to him, maybe try and get him out of his panic. He has a long speech to make at the opening ceremony later, and you know what happens when Shining Armor mixes Public Speaking with stress." Cadence informed her sister-in-law.

Twilight shuddered, his Canterlot University Graduation Speech would always be burned in her mind.

"Thank you so much, Princess Luna!" Shining waved as the dark alicorn walked away from him. Twilight decided to make her move.

"What was that about?" She asked her BBBFF.

"Oh, um.. nothing. I was just asking Luna about the position of the moon. Remember the mirror portal you went through to the other world a while ago?" Shining Armor lied.

Twilight saw right through her brother's fib.

"Shining Armor! How dare you lie to your sister. I want you to tell me what you were talking to Princess Luna about right this instant!" The purple alicorn demanded.

"Ok ok! I.. I had a nightmare last night, and I wanted to ask Luna if she knew what it meant."

"What was your dream about?" Twilight asked.

"Well, it all started when I saw Nightmare Moon. She told me that someone's been messing with my magic, and that it's very powerful. Then I saw King Sombra, and he told me that 'not all magic is pure'. I went to ask Luna what my dream meant as soon as I woke up. She said she's never heard of such a strange dream, but she'll have a look through a journal she's kept of weird dreams ponies have had."

Twilight was stunned. "Nightmare Moon!? King Sombra!? This is serious Shining Armor! Didn't you go and see a Nightmare Moon cult yesterday? They could have done something to you!"

Shining Armor gasped in shock. "You might be right! I felt a little funny when we were leaving, they have to have done something to me. We need to find Cadence and Princess Celestia!"

The siblings galloped at top speed to the dining hall, where everypony was eating breakfast.

"There y'all are!" Applejack waved to the duo. "We were wondering if y'all were even gonna show up."

"Cadence, dear.." Shining Armor whispered to Cadence as he sat down beside her. "We need to talk. Alone. After breakfast..."

"Ok?" Cadence nodded in confusion.

"Whatever took you so long, Twilight?" Rarity asked as Twilight sat down.

"We were just talking. Today's a busy day and we were just making sure we had everything under control."

After breakfast, Shining Armor explained to Cadence about his dream. The couple were now on their way out into the snowy plain where they had met Tenebrae and her goons the previous day. Hopefully they would get some answers.

As they arrived at the camp, they found everything packed up, except for a wooden box sitting in the snow with a note attached to it.

"What does it say?" Cadence asked her husband. Shining Armor read it aloud.

Our glorious mother will soon return!

-Tenebrae

"This is bad. They really did do something to me! Whatever it was, Nightmare Moon could return!" Shining Armor quickly opened the box that was left there. Inside was a red cloak and silver shoes, another note inside.

They will be put to use when the time comes.

Upon reading the note, Shining Armor's eyes began to glow a bright green, a purple haze spewing out of the sides.

"Shining Armor!?" Cadence panicked. Her husband collapsed in the snow, his eyes still glowing.

"I see you have received out gift, Shining Armor." A voice said to him. Shining Armor looked up. He was in the Everfree Castle again, but this time, instead of talking to Nightmare Moon, Tenebrae was before him.

"What do you want with me?" He demanded.

"Nothing much, you'll know soon enough though..." The elderly mare smirked mysteriously.

"Tell me what you want from me!" The unicorn screamed.

"If I told you, what would the fun in that be?" Tenebrae smirked again.

"Urgh!" Shining Armor growled, before he found himself back in the icy landscape beyond the Crystal Empire.

"You're ok!" Cadence hugged him. "What happened?"

"We're in a lot of danger, Cadence.." Shining informed his wife.