Mark turned around frantically as panic started to invade his very soul. Yet, all he could see was darkness. Black to the left, black to the right, up, down, front and back. Everything was darkness. Even when it could have been a simple nightmare, Mark still felt that presence around him. The very same presence that gave him chills when he heard it before.

Suddenly, an evil yet soft laugh echoed through the whole place. The voice, while evil, had certain charm on it. It’s like when you find home after being lost for a long time. And then, your mother goes out, shouting angrily at you. It’s something truly terrifying, yet comforting at the same time. However, it only sounded charming, not comforting.
“We meet again, handsome.” Mark’s mane went rigid while his eyes widened in surprise and panic.

Turning his head slowly due to the fright he felt, his eyes were invaded by black fur, a dark blue armor and a pair of cyan cat-like eyes.

Nightmare, upon seeing the young pony’s reaction, simply rolled her eyes in mock amusement while walking away.
“You know… I really was hoping you would tell me something. It is considered rude not to answer a greeting.”

Mark, upon remembering something about proper etiquette, shook his head to get out of his panic induced state.
“Sorry… got distracted back there. Hello to you, too.”

Nightmare stopped walking suddenly. While her head turned slightly, her ears turned fully to him. She also had a curious expression portrayed on her face. Suddenly, she started to giggle.
“My, my… I wasn’t expecting such a greeting from you. Hasn’t Celestia taught you better?” She said as she turned fully to him.

Yet, as she turned around, she got authentically surprised: there was the prince, standing relatively still and calmed.
“You know...” She started to say as she walked slowly towards him. “... You are awfully calmed. Even more so when you’re in MY presence.” More to her surprise, Mark simply shrugged.
“I really have no reason to be afraid, you know?”
“Oh? And may I ask why that is?”
“Simple, actually. You haven’t killed me. That means you plan to keep me alive… for now, at least.” Mark said as he glanced nervously at the “ground”. Suddenly, he felt her again right in front of him. Mark lifted his head slowly, only to see Nightmare’s eyes inches away from him.
“... For now.” She said in a menacing tone. Slowly, she raised herself until she was straight once again.

Mark gulped nervously as he watched her walk away. Yet again, his malish instincts got the better of him as his eyes got glued to her rump. If he had to compare it, he would say that it was slightly bigger than Luna’s…
…
!!!
“What the hell, dude!? Get a hold of yourself!!” He scolded himself as he suddenly realized what he was thinking.
“Enjoying the view?”

Much to Mark’s horror, he realized at that moment that he had been staring at Nightmare’s rump the whole time. In a panic, he turned his eyes towards her eyes. Yet, what he saw left him shocked: Nightmare didn’t seemed to care in the slightest. In fact, she seemed to enjoy it.

Mark’s shock was replaced with annoyance as his expression changed to that of a disapproving frown.
“... You enjoy getting the whole attention for yourself, don’t you?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Nightmare replied in a naughty tone while she bent slightly forward.

Annoyed and slightly ashamed of himself, Mark turned his eyes from her to try and get his ideas in order. Suddenly, he started to wonder something important.
“... Why are you keeping me alive?”

Nightmare stopped her little “tease” to turn to the prince. Even when he tried to look serious, the intense blush on his face contrasted fully with its original purpose.

As Mark turned again to her, his blood froze as he noticed her naughty look had been replaced with an evil gaze.
“Straight to the point, huh, human?”
“There must be a reason for you to keep me alive. Unless you plan to use me as- did you call me a what now?”
“Oh, and here I was thinking that you had brains on that head of yours.” Nightmare said in a mocking tone as she turned to him. Mark’s eyes widened suddenly as he realized something.
“Exactly, what did HE told you about me?”
“Oh, he just said that he wanted me to test you.”
“Test me?”
“Yes. However, he also said that you might be my second chance to find my destiny.” Suddenly, NIghtmare’s eyes started to shine with evilness as she suddenly took him by the neck, not with the force to choke him. “... And I intend on fulfilling my fate as…THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT!!!”
“Like hell you will!!!” Mark thought as he noticed the height he was at: perfect for a quick kick.

Lifting his leg, he delivered a harsh kick to Nightmare’s stomach, making her grunt in pain while Mark fell on his back on the floor.
“You little scum, excuse of a pony!” Nightmare shouted as she held her stomach, turning her head to give her most poisonous look at the prince. The prince started to get to his feet, but his look was one of a warrior ready to fight.
“I can’t let you do that. It’d be too dangerous.” He said as he adopted a fighting stance. Even when Nightmare couldn’t exactly remember what kind of fighting that style was, she started to get up, chuckling evilly.
“Do you really think you can beat me?” She asked as she fully stood up again. Once done that, her wings flared out while her horn started to shine. “You don’t have any chance against an alicorn.”
“Maybe not... ” He said as he hardened his eyes, trying to look tough. “... But that doesn’t mean I can’t try.”

They both proceeded to dash against the other one, Nightmare using her wings while Mark simply ran against her. Both, with fire in their eyes, proceeded to plan their attacks. Nightmare raised her fist, ready to deliver a devastating hit right to the prince’s chest. Her evil smirk grew as she got closer to the prince.

Her smirk was replaced with that of authentic surprise as she saw the prince suddenly dropping to the ground, sliding on his legs, causing her fist to totally miss the target. Meanwhile, on the prince’s face, an evident mocking smirk was reflected on it.

Almost immediately, she stopped suddenly and turned around, only to notice the prince running against her. Seeing this, she got in guard as fast as she could. Once again, surprise showed on her face as the prince jumped, spinning quickly as a harsh kick was delivered on her defending arm while his other hoof quickly hit the same arm again, effectively breaking her defenses.

Nightmare barely had time to react as yet another series of kicks and punches were delivered at her abdomen, waist, legs and arms in an attempt of not allowing her to be able to create any defense or offensive. Every second, yet another hit would cause pain to assault her, which slowly caused her to try to go back in an attempt of stopping the pain.

After a minute of delivering as many hits, as hard as he could, and as certain as he could, Mark finally found himself tired. stopping for a moment to catch his breath, he suddenly noticed Nightmare recovering, too. With his last amount of strength on him, he jumped, once again spinning while his leg started the hit from his back, making a full 180 degree spin, providing it with more force as he focused the last of his strength on it, aligning it with her chest.

As if in slow motion, Mark watched as his hoof collided with her breastbone, causing her to groan loudly in pain while her body clenched in pain at the same time it was sent flying backwards, shards of her armor had been also destroyed.

As Mark fell to the ground, panting from exertion, Nightmare fell on her back, still groaning in pain. A smirk grew on his face as he got up, still panting, and walked towards her.
“You lose, Nightmare.” He declared as loudly as he could before turning around and starting to walk away.
“Do you really think so?” Mark’s mane stood up as a chill ran through his back upon hearing again Nightmare’s voice.

Even before he could stand again in guard, when he turned around, Nightmare’s fist collided with his abdomen.

Mark felt in that instant as if all the air on his body escaped from his lungs and stomach while an intense pain settled on his abdomen. Not a single sound escaped from his mouth as he suddenly found himself on the ground, holding his stomach in pain while breathing difficulty.

Even when the pain blocked some functions on his body, he still noticed Nightmare’s covered hoofs clicking next to him. After a few painful moments, he felt himself being lifted from the ground while his breathing got cut by a hand closing itself harshly on his throat. Soon, his eyes found again the very well known turquoise of Nightmare’s eyes, almost trying to kill him with only her look. Suddenly, her eyes softened slightly.
“That hurt.” She stated simply as she held her stomach with her free hand. Mark could notice the several hits inflicted by him very clearly on her exposed fur through the broken armor, the main reason being those spots in a darker color.

As he kept inspecting it, her horn lit up. Mark’s annoyance grew as he first saw the dark patches on her fur glowing and then curing themselves. Nightmare then put her free hand in front of him, three of her fingers closing while her thumb held her index.

In a single movement of her index, Mark was sent flying several feet away, landing harshly on the ground with a severe hit on his forehead. With the pain, Mark’s body answered with pumping his body full of adrenalin, causing him to get to his hooves quickly.

Now, Mark was authentically scared as he realized just what kind of strength an alicorn possessed. Meanwhile, Nightmare walked slowly towards him, with a hand on her hip and a sword on the other one.
“WHAT THE- WHERE DID SHE GET THAT SWORD!?”
“You have fought well, handsome one.” She said as her horn lit up once again. With a flash, she was gone from sight. Yet, with another one, she was standing just a few inches away from him. “But not well enough.”

Petrified by fear, Mark suddenly felt the edge of Nightmare’s sword on his throat.
“I still need a vessel to accomplish my goal. But I still can use Luna’s body. So tell me, young one. Will you help me, or will I have to do it by myself?”
“... Death, I think I’ll be seeing you very soon.” Mark thought as he turned his head away from hers, telling all she needed to know. Retiring the sword from his throat, she proceeded to lift it, ready to sink it into his chest.

Mark lifted his sight to another place, ready for the familiar feeling of dying. Yet, his eyes widened as he saw a figure in dark robes, holding closely a scythe.
“Oh, trust me, we will.” Death said as it walked towards him, stopping a few feet away from him. On his bony face, an evident smirk grew as he turned slightly towards Nightmare, making him turn his head, too. Mark was confused as he noticed doubt and concern on Nightmare’s eyes. “... But it’s not your time yet.”

Just as the sword made contact with Mark’s flesh, drawing a small speck of blood, two beams, a golden one and a blue one sent Nightmare flying away, sending Mark again to the ground. Lifting his sight, he noticed a light shining in the distance while two figures flew closer towards him.

Still with pain on his body, he got up, still staring at the two sisters whose beams had just saved him. After a few instants, both of them landed in front of him.
“Caeruleo! Are you hurt? Are you alright?” Celestia asked hurriedly as she let him go and started to inspect his seriously injured body.
“Yes, I’m alright… I just got the beating of my life… or at least, of what I’m able to remember.” He said with obvious sarcasm on his voice, something not too pleasing to the white alicorn.

Before she could answer, a loud shout sounded through the place. Luna turned around while her horn lit up, causing the very same sword she used before to appear on her hand, just in time to block Nightmare’s attack, producing a loud metallic sound.

As Mark turned around to see them, he noticed both of them glaring each other as hard as they could. Yet, the more he observed them, the more he realized Luna’s eyes being filled with fear, desperation, hate and despair.

It never was a good combination of feelings when fighting, and that gave him a bad feeling. Letting go of Celestia, he turned to her.
“We gotta help her. She’ll lose if we don’t do something.” Celestia looked at him seriously, running her eyes through his hurt form.
“No. I will help her. You stay here.”

While her wings flared up, a larger sword appeared on her hand, surrounded by a golden glow. With a single movement of her wings, she went full speed ahead.

Nightmare, however, noticed her before she could do something. Knocking away Luna with a swift kick, she planted her sword in front of her, clashing swords with Celestia. Both of them held their ground as they glared at each other. Suddenly, a grin formed slowly on Nightmare’s face.
“It is a pleasure to see you too, Celestia.” Celestia’s glare intensified as she pushed harder on her sword.
“You will not hurt more ponies anymore, Nightmare.” The grin on Nightmare’s face grew even more as she pushed harder. Much to Celestia’s surprise, she wouldn’t be able to hold against Nightmare’s push.

In a single movement, Nightmare pushed Celestia several feet into the air, while a blue glow in the distance started to shine brighter. Soon, both sisters stood on guard against the nightmare pony. Yet, Nightmare merely smirked while her eyes started to shine.

What could only be described as darkness, both sisters suddenly found themselves being thrown away while their swords fell down. Nightmare’s evil laugh started to sound through the whole place.

Mark started in shock while, in front of him, landed a pale pony with pink mane. Getting down to help her, he suddenly noticed something else: Her eyes.
“How kind of you to drop by.” Mark said as he helped her onto her hooves.
“This isn’t time for jokes, Caeruleo.” Celestia said in a voice that still resembled to hers, but a couple of millennia younger. “We must find a way to stop her!”

Just as she finished saying that, her sword landed in front of them. The look of determination on Celestia’s face grew as she saw it.
“I hate to say it, but we actually might be needing your help.” She said as she started to walk towards her sword.
“Sure thing. Let’s go.” Mark said as he started to walk towards Nightmare’s destination. Yet, he stopped as he noticed Celestia wasn’t following him.

Turning around, he observed the younger Celestia trying to take out the sword from the ground, failing miserably. She tried with all her strength just to move the sword an inch out of the ground. Yet, it didn’t work.

Mark got deeply concerned as he saw something that put a knot on his stomach: Celestia with a look of fear on her face.
“Celestia, what’s wrong?”

Before she could answer, he started to walk. However, he stopped suddenly as he felt something under his hoof. Looking down, his heart sped up as he noticed thousands of corpses on the ground. On the distance, both saw Nightmare laughing loudly while stomping a flag that showed Celestia’s sun.

Mark instantly understood what was wrong. It was a nightmare. Celestia’s nightmare. To fail in protecting her subjects, her dear ponies.

That was Nightmare’s true power: fear. One’s most terrifying fears.

Turning around once again, he saw Celestia’s eyes starting to form tears.
“Celestia! This isn’t real! Don’t fall for it!” As he started to run towards her, the world suddenly started to get darker around him.
“CELESTIAAA!!!”

As he found himself once again on solid ground, he lifted his head, trying to see something. Shock invaded him as the tip of a sword came into view. Turning his head up, Princess Luna came into view.
“Do not move, you wretched being!” Luna said as she pushed the tip slightly harder.
“Have you gone insane, you crazy mare?” Mark said as the sword managed to spill some drops of blood from his neck.
“Silence, you evil being!”

As Mark paid even more attention, he saw Luna’s eyes shining with fear. Obviously, she wasn’t thinking straight.
“Luna… princess Luna… It’s me… Caeruleo...” Mark said in a cautious tone, trying not to force her to do something risky. Fortunately for him, Luna started to doubt.
“... How do we know you aren’t Nightmare?”
“... Ehh… Good question… ” Mark said as he started to get nervous. Suddenly, the sword was found again in danger of slicing his throat.
“... What is my true name?” Luna said as her eyes showed no fear, but terror. Mark’s fear was replaced with confusion.
“... You got a second name?”
“You don’t remember?” Mark simply pointed to his head with his characteristic annoyed look. “... Oh, it IS you… ” Luna said as she withdrew her sword.

Mark simply sighed in relief as he felt his neck free from the cold metal of the sword.
“You know, for a moment, I felt like if you really were going to kill me… ”
“And I would have… if you were Nightmare, that is.” Mark simply stared at her with a mix of fear and anger.
“... You know? Sometimes you can be quite scary.” Mark said as he started to look for his sword. It was then that he noticed that Luna had gone silent.

Turning to her, he instantly became concerned. Luna’s shoulders had drop while her sword simply hung from her hand. Mark couldn’t see her face, but he could take a good guess that she was trying hard not to cry.
“... Luna, listen… I didn’t mean that-”
“Then, what did you mean?” Luna said while her voice started to sound strained.
“... Luna, I-”
“WHAT DID YOU MEAN!!!” Luna turned fully to him, shouting. This time, tears started to fall from her eyes, which showed anger and sadness.

Suddenly, both of them heard several gasps in the distance. Turning around, they noticed several faces that Mark didn’t recognize at all. However, one face in the distance was easily differenced from those of the others.
“Princess Luna.” Celestia spoke, not in her own voice. ”... You have committed several crimes against ponykind...”
“Tia?” Luna started to walk towards her, still with tears on her face. However, “Celestia” kept talking.
“For all those crimes, you will be sent away to the moon, but this time, you will not be allowed to come back.” “Celestia” spoke seriously as her horn started to shine.

Mark suddenly turned towards Luna after she let out a loud scream. Fear invaded him as he saw Luna transforming slowly into Nightmare Moon.
“Get her out of here!” Another voice shouted in the distance.
“We don’t want her here!”
“Get rid of that monster!”
“Yeah, Monster!”
“MONSTER! MONSTER! MONSTER!” The whole place was filled with a chorus of angry voices.

Mark turned around to see Luna bending slowly on her knees while trying to cover her ears with her eyes closed.
“SHUUUUT UUUP!!!” Luna shouted at her most powerful voice while releasing a torrent of magic in every direction, almost hitting Mark.

After a few moments, both Mark and Luna turned around to see the bodies of many of those who were shouting at her in the floor, dead. Turning once more to Luna, Mark started to worry as her breathing became fast and unsteady.
“... no...”
“Luna, this isn’t real. It’s a nightmare.” Mark said as he started to walk towards her.
“Yes, it is a nightmare.” Another voice sounded. Mark’s eyes went wide as he heard the familiar voice of Nightmare.

Luna started to turn around, searching for her.
“Show yourself! We won’t fall for it!”
“Oh, but you already did, dear Luna.” Nightmare’s sounded as a mirror materialized in front of Luna. “Don’t you think?”

Luna’s eyes started to water as she looked at her reflection, showing her like Nightmare moon, while the corpses of the ponies in the floor became more evident.
“Just look at them, Luna… do you remember? All of those who fought at your side, only to fall miserably while you were sent to the moon, under the category of Villain...”
“... Stop.”
“... Evil sorceress… ”
“... Please...”
“... The evil queen of the night.“
“... STOP!!!”
“... as Nightmare Moon.”

It was then that Mark realized what Luna’s true fear was. To fall again under Nightmare’s domain and become evil. To transform into what she wasn’t.
“LUNA!” Mark shouted as he took Luna’s sword from the ground.

Before he could reach her, the ground under him started to break. Before he could do anything, the ground broke.
“LUNAAAAA!!!”

After a few seconds of falling, Mark finally touched ground. Making sure he still had the sword on his hand, he got up, only to face the one causing the whole thing.
“Two down, one to go.” Nightmare said, her voice filled with confidence as she started to walk towards the prince, who had stood up in a fighting stance.
“Do you really think that will work against me?” She asked mockingly.
“You know me. I won’t fall without giving fight.”
“Oh, so you like to fight, huh?”

Mark’s stance remained the same while his eyes narrowed at Nightmare after her last sentence.
“... I hate fighting.”
“Is that so?” Nightmare said as she suddenly teleported at his side.

Taking him by the neck and taking away his sword from his grasp, Nightmare finally looked at him quietly yet curiously.
“You seriously aren’t what I would call ‘normal’.” Suddenly, her horn started to shine brighter as her gaze turned malicious. “I’m so curious to see what’s inside your mind.”
“... Go to hell.” Mark said as he tried to free himself.
“... Let’s see about that.” Nightmare’s eyes turned white as the brightness of her horn became blinding, forcing Mark to close his eyes.
“... Tell me your fears.” Nightmare’s voice was the last thing he heard before falling once again to unconsciousness.

Author's Note

In case you're wondering what kind of style Mark fought on this chapter, here it is:

TAE KWON DO!!!
The very same style I have been practicing during the past few months. That's one of the reasons the other chapters have been delayed.
The second one is, as many of you already know, I'm back in school. And I got such classmates... Huff.