The Nightmares Return

The group arrived at Canterlot, only to find DD on the ground. Twilight gasped. “DD! WHAT HAPPENED?” The Captain struggled to look up. “I’m sorry Miss Sparkle. There was nothing I could do.” The Nightmares were left on the ground as the group rushed inside.

Princess Celestia was struggling to keep standing. Twilight gasped. “Nightmare Moon.” The black alicorn turned to the group. “Ah. I remember you.” The Nightmare wore several pieces of blue armor. Her mane was flowing magic that replicated the night sky. “The Elements of Harmony.” She spat the words out. “Come here to put me away again? It won’t be so easy this time.” A bolt of lightning shot from her horn at Celestia. She fell to her side. “PRINCESS!” Twilight teleported over to Princess Celestia, and whisked her away to a safe area. “While you’re at it, take her too.” She kicked the unconscious Princess Luna over to the group. The dark blotch on her flank had disappeared. Fluttershy carried Princess Luna away. “She’s still alive. That’s good.”

Twilight reappeared back in the room. “You will pay for this.” Nightmare Moon cackled. “Trust me. When I’M through with you, you’ll be running back to the home that I destroyed!”

“You mean US.” Jester walked up to the front. The Preludes of Chaos swirled furiously around him. “YOU?” The Nightmare snarled. “I thought I knew you.” Jester closed his eyes and lowered his head as all eyes turned to him. “I thought I knew you too.” Black flame erupted around him in a black twister.

Thick heavy obsidian armor covered him now. Black flames came from his neck and rear. Red energy streamed from his blood red eyes. But something was different. Only three Preludes of Chaos were in his armor. The remaining three disappeared into the ground. A great crack echoed through the room, and fire shot from the crack in the ground. A great staff rose from the ground. On one end was a wicked spike, sprouting from the diamond at it’s base. On the other end sprouted three spikes, each burning black, with two diamonds at its base.

“Prepare for your defeat Nightmare Moon.” He grasped the staff, and held it out in front of him in a battle stance. Red lightning arced back and forth across the staff. The Nightmare frowned, and with a small flash from her horn, more armor appeared, and attached itself to her. A bright light flashed from behind Jester. Twilight walked up, her white magic radiating off her back in majestic wings. Her staff held at ready, she spoke. “You can’t win this fight alone Jester.”

A hollow chuckle echoed from Jester. “I know.” He spun his staff in the air. When he swung towards the Nightmare, a blast of black and red energy shot forth. The Nightmare held up her wing and deflected it off to the side. The explosion was heard for miles around. “Is that all the wielder of the Preludes of Chaos can do? I almost feel bad.” Jester rushed forward, sweeping his staff low and powerful. The Nightmare simply dodged. Jester continued the spin, leaving the image of a lotus flower in the trail of magic his staff created. Still the Nightmare weaved to and fro. Jester struck out quickly, successfully hitting the Nightmare square in the chest. The Nightmare slid back a few feet from the blow. Twilight flashed in, and struck the Nightmare across the face, sending her reeling towards the wall.

The Nightmare turned to see Applejack flying in with her gauntlets. Applejack pulled a successful strike to the face, blowing the Nightmare and herself straight through the wall. Both were sent flying down the mountain. The Nightmare kicked Applejack off her and righted herself with her wings. “Enough of this nonsense.” Rainbow Dash flew down through the hole and caught Applejack on her large pole arm. “Ready Applejack?” Applejack nodded. Rainbow Dash swung her pole arm, launching Applejack at incredible speeds towards towards the Nightmare. Applejack collided with the Nightmare, and both flew over into the royal garden. Applejack flipped away before the Nightmare exploded in a blue flame. “ENOUGH!” Lightning struck, and Applejack flew backward. The Nightmare looked up in time to see Rainbow Dash coming down with impossible speeds. She cracked the ground with the force, striking lightning down on the Nightmare. Rainbow Dash was blown away from the crater, electricity sparking across her. “Pitiful. Simply pitiful.” The Nightmare walked out of the crater and smoke, seemingly unscratched.

“RAWR!” two shadows darted in close. Nightmare Moon held up her front hooves to block Pinkie Pie and her shadow. The pair flew around Nightmare Moon, striking wherever they could, but to no avail. Nightmare Moon struck out at Pinkie Pie, only to have her disappear. “Strange.” Bright chains of pink energy suddenly wrapped around the Nightmares neck. “What?” The Nightmare flew backward from it’s pull. “surPRISE!” Pinkie Pie released a relentless string of strikes upon the Nightmare. Each one hit home, but still the Nightmare remained unfazed. Pinkie Pie escaped with a quick twirl around just before a fast jab struck out.

Rarity pulled back on her string. “Stand still for a moment longer...” Her bow glowed, and magical white wings appeared on the frame of her bow. She released the string. Arrow after flaming arrow flew from the bow, seemingly endless. The Nightmare turned in time to get struck by the first of many of the explosive projectiles. Fire and smoke filled the air as arrows continued to fly into the cloud. Rarity fired arrows for as long as she could, for each arrow drained her magical energy. Finally Rarity let up, and the smoke stopped rising. When the smoke cleared, Nightmare Moon stood there, her wing held up. It was mangled, but Nightmare Moon remained still untouched. “Foals, thinking they could best me.”

White chains wrapped itself around the Nightmare. “WHAT?” She was yanked from her position towards Twilight Sparkle, who was standing nearby. “Remember me?” Twilight struck out with her staff, crackling with purple white magic. Blow after blow the Nightmare took, and blow after blow Twilight threw at her. The Nightmare skidded away. Nightmare Moon ducked to avoid a large magical razor. Twilight rushed in and struck a powerful blow to the Nightmare. She flew backward. “Curses, how powerful ARE they?”

“RAAA!” Jester charged the Nightmare and struck with a resounding pound that rippled the air. The Nightmare was blown away from the impact. Jester rushed again. Blow after blow he struck, hitting the Nightmare every which way. With an earth splitting force he struck the Nightmare down into the ground. “Pinkie Pie! Ready those charms!” Jester swirled his staff around, and red lightning crackled and arced across it. He jabbed the Nightmare square in the front, sending the lightning leaping across the Nightmares body. She froze, paralyzed from the shock. Pinkie Pie dropped in, charms in her hoof, three in total. She stuck one on her forehead, and one on each wing. The Nightmare froze, and her eyes grew small from the effects of the charms.

The Obsidian armor that clung to Jester disintegrated into black ash. The powerful staff that had been wielded by Jester cracked and shattered leaving the three Preludes of Chaos floating in the air. Jesters blood red eyes faded back into a deep brown. The Preludes came to him, and orbited lightly around. Fluttershy rushed to aid the others. They had been injured in battle, and some more so then others.