The Nightmare: A Forgotten Legend

by Music Brush

Rating: teen
Tags: Dark, Alternate Universe, Adventure, Anthro
Length: 1712

A small party of ponies discover the legend of Nightmare Moon and seek to stop it.

When a forgotten legend of a dark calamity is uncovered by unsuspecting travelers, what horrors will be unleashed upon the world?

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2015-08-25 18:24:18 UTC

Seeds of Darkness

The Nightmare:

Written By Music Brush, with the assistance of Princess Aurora/Iana Universa and Mechafone.

Seeds Of Darkess

In a time before the land was full of unity and development, the land of Equestria was small. The few towns were only being started and were wide spread from one another. The only city worth mentioning was the great city of Canterlot, where the royal monarch ruled the land in a time of peace and happiness after a number of dark tragedies.

The first of these dark ages was the betray of two brothers. The eldest, Tirreck and his younger brother, Scorpan. The two began to scatter across the land, stealing all the magical energy from every creature they met until their power was so great, not even the royal sisters could stop them. No matter how hard Celestia and her sister, Luna tried, their combined strengths were no match for the power the two brothers stole from the world. They sister were left with no other choice, but to call upon their trickster, Discord, the Spirit of Disharmony.

With his conning wits and unpredictable humor, Discord managed to convince Scorpan to change his ways. Scorpan betrayed his brother's power to the sisters and their joker's will, leaving Tirreck to fend for himself. Without his brother at his side, Tirreck was tricked by Discord's pranks and stripped of the mass power he had stolen from the world. With his strength and power gone, Tirreck was shackled in chains and locked into the deepest pits of Tartarus, guarded by the three headed dog, where he could never again gain control and force the world into slavery.

After Tirreck's tyranny was over, Discord began to become more rebellious in nature. His great feat in tricking the most powerful being in the world fed his chaotic nature and he began to flip the world upside down, quite literally, to fit his own personal desires. The ponies of the world, who had regained their strengths, were now running in a world of chaos, where ponies acted like dogs, animals were more savage and vicious, the clouds were made of candy and filled with chocolate and the grass took the design of a chess board. Discord took on an earth pony mare as his daughter to spread his chaos as her greatest joy. With a giggle that would make one quiver in their horse shoes, she gladly served the chaotic spirit in turning the world upside down.

The sisters, Celestia and Luna, was forced to take action and free the ponies from the one they trusted most. Having no other option, they ventured deep into the dark forest to seek out the Tree of Harmony, and use its precious stones of power to stop Discord and free the land once again from a dark hand. With the Elements of Harmony in hand, they raced back to the city, where they would face Discord. The chaotic spirit simply laughed at their futile efforts only to later be trapped in stone by the sisters as they used the Elements against him.

It took many days and nights for the sisters to return the world back to the way it was, even with the Elements of Harmony at their command. The ponies rejoiced at their monarch's victory. Now, with only the sisters left to rule the growing country, the two sisters agreed for one to take charge of the day and the other to command the night. Luna eagerly chose to rule the night, her mind flooded with ideas of painting the skies with sparkles of light throughout the night as well as being tasked with commanding the moon. Celestia accepted to rule the day, when all were awake and at work.

The earth ponies tended to the farms of the land, planting food for all to enjoy. The pegasi planned the weather over the land, giving the farmers water fresh from the sky to help plant the crops. And the unicorns studied magic to help improve the lives of those living in this proud, growing country. All the ponies of the land spend more time out during the day than any other time, since the sun gave light and warmth, aiding their daily works.

Princess Luna spent months painting the night sky as well as tending to the dreams of the sleeping ponies. But as the ponies slept, none were able to see her night sky. She filled the deep blue and purple skies with brilliant lights to be with the moon, many of which formed familiar patterns that took the forms of animals and ponies. With no one to see her beautiful work, she slowly began to grow sad and jealous of her older sister, who seamed to be taking all the praise during the day time. One night after another with no ponies to bask in her glorious night, she increasingly grew worse. She began planting nightmares instead of pleasant dreams. She avoided her sister as much as possible, even lashed out at her a few times as they met one another between night and day.

One night was the beginning of a horrible calamity. As the moon filled the midnight sky, she stepped out onto her balcony and began to sing to the great city, calling to the children, who listened to who gentle voice. She carried the children away in her magic that night. The next morning when all the city awoke to find the children had gone missing, Celestia knew something was wrong, but when she confronted Luna about the previous night, she was met with only anger.

"Did you think I would sit idly by while everyone basked in your sun?!" Luna snapped. Celestia gasped as if struck in the heart by a sharp, red hot poker.

"Luna, please..." Celestia pleaded, but her words were getting nowhere fast.

"It is obvious there can only be 'one' princess in this world!" Luna barked. "And that princess-" she paused as she stepped up to her older sister "... will be ME!!!" Luna stomped her foot into the ground! The earth trembled at their feet as a dark cloud blew through the palace windows, shattering them as it flew! The light of the sun began to darken. Celestia looked up to find the moon eclipsing the sun, casting the land into darkness! She looked back to Luna.

"Luna! Stop! Please!" Celestia pleaded.

"Luna is dead!" Luna replied sharply as the cloud twirled around her body, lifting her into the air. "There is only..." Luna's form began to change. He body grew taller and her form more full. A sight that would attract any straight stallion or filly fooler. The cloud filled her body and vanished to reveal, not Luna, but someone completely different. The figure stood before Celestia. Her fur black as pitch, her wings sharp and bat-like. Fangs were visible in her teeth and her eyes were slit like a dragons. With this dark creature came a dark, depressing and cold sensation. One that you would feel in the worst nightmare you could ever have. "... Nightmare Moon!" The creature finished the sentence, making Celestia gasp in fear and heartbreak. Nightmare Moon cackled in victory before she cast her dark magic at Celestia, sending her flying back into a pillar, causing it to shatter.

Nightmare Moon cackled at the sight of the white mare laying dead on the floor. She raised her arms and head to the sky, the cloud returning over her body, covering her in a dark armor and transforming her main and tail to a dark cloud full of weak stars. The skies were filled with a cold, dark wind as the sun slowly faded behind the moon, darkening the land in an ever lasting night.

A weak groan caught Nightmare's attention and she turned to see Celestia getting to her feet from the rubble. Celestia gave Nightmare a weak glare. "Y-y-you leave me no choice, sister." She groaned. Nightmare glared fiercely at her opponent.

"You fool!" Nightmare snapped as she charged at Celestia. Celestia leaped into the air and flew around Nightmare, casting offensive magic to her. Nightmare easily dodged her weak magic and quickly countered with her own dark magic. The magical battle shattered parts of the castle and frightened all within range to see it. This new monster who just appeared so soon after Discord's chaos. Celestia was losing the battle fast with her weakened state, as well as the knowledge her sister was within this monster. She had to figure out a way to save Luna without harming her. But Nightmare Moon was not going to make it easy for her.

With the heated battle costing Celestia her strength and castle, she was forced to resort to the only option she had left. But she knew is she took this option she would never see her sister again. She had no choice. She had to stop this Nightmare before it was too late. She turned tail and flew back to the castle, Nightmare close behind. At the heart of the castle she pressed a hidden button which opened a door in the floor, from which a statue with six arms stretching out, each of which carrying a stone from the Tree of Harmony. Celestia gathered the Elements in her magic and with a tear down her cheek she turned to Nightmare, who was cackling as she charged.

"I will destroy you and make all bask in my glorious night!" Nightmare cried out.

"You leave me no choice, sister." Celestia whimpered. Nightmare stopped above her opponent. Celestia raised the stones in her magic, each started to glow and twirl around her. Nightmare glared.

"No you don't!" She charged. Celestia closed her eyes as a fresh tear fell down her cheek. The Elements flashed in a brilliant light, casting a pure rainbow the shot straight to Nightmare. Nightmare stopped and screamed as if in pain. A scream that screeched into Celestia's ears as Nightmare was carried off by the rainbow toward the moon. The Elements began to settle, Celestia shaking as she sobbed. The moon now with a new shadow upon its surface. A shadow if a silhouette of a mare looking down upon the earth. Waiting.