The deep Outlands changed very little from the outskirts if anything they grew worse, at least on the outskirts water had some presence while the farther you walked from it the dryer the land became until the land was hard as rock and cracked with dryness. Nothing grew here but the few trees who managed to find a home here never bloomed, instead they remained leafless and their branches twisted into dark hands. All over the dead landscape the only thing that outnumbered the sun bleached bones that dotted the ground were the ponies that lived there and the termites that lived on the ponies. Very few of the ponies there were actual batponies, Nightmare gave the title to her most loyal followers, one of which were called Onyx Gemstone a black unicorn stallion with tints of green on his hooves and a white strip on his neck he had green eyes. He had a black and green mane with a matching tail, though he didn't possess wings he was one of Nightmare's most trusted ponies and was known for his twisted evil mind. The second was a purple former Pegasus now turned flying batpony stallion named Blazing Fury, he known for his tall size and bright red mane and tail which darker red accents. He had light purple patches on his chest, face, back, and left leg he had dark brown eyes and a small goatee of red that matched his mane and his left ear had a chip in it at the top splitting it into a V shape. Blazing, obvious to everyone except Nightmare, was deeply in love with the mare and strived to try to gain her favor and attention in hopes of becoming her mate, which caused him to grow jealous of Thunder who seemed to be the only pony that Nightmare paid attention too.

Blazing walked toward a thin tree passing a few ponies fighting over a stick for their training and a third pony digging in the ground in hopes of finding something to eat most of Nightmare's herd however were just trying to avoid the heat by laying in the shadows of the termite mounds. "Thunder, Thunder, Thunder Discord didn't even raise her, he was a statue even before she was born" he complained smirking as he spotted a young red filly named Red Comet with a short muted red-purple mane with dark pink accents and a matching tail with light yellow eyes, she was an earth pony and like most of the ponies that lived here she was thinner then she should be but where most of the ponies here were usually blood thirsty and filled with rage Red mostly just trained and fought because it was all she knew. But despite this as Blazing was walking over she was tugging hard on the root of the dead tree growling as she waited for her play mate Thunder to return.

"Oh hey Red, where's the little termite Thunder, the chosen one?" Blazing sneered but when Red only responded with a glare Blazing pushed on it and easily breaking the weak root to send Red sprawling, causing Blazing to laugh as the filly struggled for a moment to shift from her back to her hooves once again.

"Blazing, where's Thunder? Did you leave her out there on her own again? Red glared openly at Blazing as she stormed almost importantly over to the much larger pony who was now studying the root.

"Hey it's every pony for himself out here that little termite has to learn to be on her own" Blazing snorted sitting down to scratch hard at the actual termites biting at his skin, he seemed to suffer the worst from the small creatures.

"Nightmare's going to be mad, she told you to watch her!" Red's voice grew harder, she didn't get a lot of attention from Nightmare either but unlike Blazing she was content with that, she was just happy that she got to play with Thunder.

"Oh who cares, I should've been the chosen one," Blazing complained which continuing to scratch at his fur "I'm her greatest supporter, I'm the strongest, I'm the smartest- OH THESE TERMITES!!!" Blazing nearly screamed the last part biting and rolling around to try to ease the itch that crawled over his skin. "I could be a leader if she's just give me a chance" Blazing continued dragging himself along the ground toward Red.

Red however merely smirked at him "Yeah right" she replied with a snort and a roll of her eyes, clearly not believing him "Why don't you tell that to her" she challenged, knowing he'd take her bait.

"Yeah? Don't think I won't!" He sat up taller puffing his chest out a little with an air of importance as he stuck his nose in the air causing Red to chuckle at his expense.

"Oh yeah? Well here's your chance" Red watching with dark satisfaction as Blazing faces turned from arrogant condescension to confusion and surprise, unlike Blazing who had been facing Red, Red has seen Nightmare's approach with Thunder placed protectively between her wings.

"What?" Blazing turned spotting the same thing that Red saw and smiled widely "Nightmare, Nightmare hi!" he let out a nervous laugh as he bound toward the dark mare. "Nightmare I found you some apples for your dinner I left it over by the uh.... um... okay..." his eager expression faded a little as Nightmare passed him without a glance but he quickly regained his smile and dashed after her as she set Thunder on the ground near Red.

"Hey Thunder, wanna fight?" Red crouched growling playfully as Thunder found her hooves and grinned eager to play, growling back at Red, either one noticing at first when Nightmare, now free of the burden of Thunder turned to Blazing with a stormy expression.

"You were supposed to be watching her!" Nightmare roared in an angry booming voice as dark magic sparked from her horn, Blazing cowered backing away as he lowered himself to the ground to make himself seem less threatening.

Thunder looked back feeling bad for the bat pony and stood straight again from her play bow "I-It's not his fault, I went off on my own" she mumbled yelping a little as Nightmare turned toward her, though her horn lost its magical coating she was still a very scary presence.

"What were you doing?" She glared walking toward Thunder, who began backing away the second she started forward, Red scrambling out of harms way behind the small tree she had been attacking before, cowering and trembling at the threat of Nightmare's anger.

"N-Nothing" Thunder stammered keeping her body low to the ground as she backed away.

"Who has made us Outsiders?" Nightmare questioned uncaring of Thunder's fear.

"Celestia" Thunder answer fearfully sitting back in her hind hooves as she tried to look into her mother's eyes

"Who took away our chance to rule?" she kept moving forward, causing Thunder to fall onto her back.

"Celestia!" Thunder yelled back scooting away on her back in a desperate attempt to put space between them.

"What have I told you about them!" Nightmare finished nearly panting with her rage but even though she made no attempt to attack Thunder she still flinched covering her head protectively with her hooves.

"I'm sorry Mother" Thunder moved her hooves when she realized that her mother wasn't going to strike her or use her magic against her "uh...they didn't seem so bad...I-I th-thought we could be..."

"Friends!?!" Nightmare sneered leaning close to Thunder making her cower again, her eyes widening with fear before she straightened again and began circling Thunder's form like a vulture. "You thought you'd get to the daughter and Celestia would welcome you with open hooves? What an idea" she rolled her eyes toward the sky stopping and scoffing before her eyes widened and a dark smile creeped across her face. "What an idea!" she leaned close to Thunder causing the filly to gasp in surprise before pulling her toward her with Thunder's tail, pushing Thunder into a sitting position against her front legs. "You brilliant child, I'm so proud of you" she nuzzled Thunder roughly, not even attempting to make sure her horn wasn't scrapping against Thunder, making the filly groan in pain. "You have the same conniving mind that made Discord so...powerful" her voice was back to a loving purr, growling for a moment when Blazing made a noise of disgust, making him chuckle nervously, before picking up Thunder in her magic and heading toward her den.

Blazing only relaxed when Nightmare was turned completely away, scoffing under his breath "ugh, chosen one" he snorted glaring at his hooves as Red crept out of her hiding place and followed Nightmare, Blazing taking up the rear.

Nightmare dropped Thunder, who grunted at the impact, on her nest a small stump that had a tall torn up back and slightly arching rims, almost like a throne. "I now see the path to our glorious return to power!" she spoke softly but her voice echoed in the large space, while several ponies who were nearby stomped their hooves in approval.

"But I don't want-" Thunder began but Nightmare quickly cut her off

"Hush!" she snapped before her voice turned soft as butter once again "Hush, my little one, you must be exhausted." she purred moving Thunder's tail so it curled around her. "Sleep, my little Thunder let your dreams take wing, one day when you're big and strong you will be a queen" Nightmare nuzzled Thunder softly making the filly smile.

"Good night..." she mumbled her smile wavering with sleepiness.

Nighmare smiled back "Good night my little princess, tomorrow your training intensifies." She answered a confident smirk appearing on her face as she headed deeper in her den sliding through the darkness like she was born in it "I've been exiled, persecuted left alone with no defense when I think of what that brute did I get a little tense" she leapt through her den her anger growing until, thinking of what Celestia had done her horn burn with magic. "But I dream a dream so pretty that I don't feel so depressed cause it soothes my inner filly and it helps me get some rest" she passed some of her loyal followers who watched her as she walked, though she paid them no heed climbing and leaping through her den, her hatred leaving her as she pictured her favorite daydream. "The sound of Celestia's dying gasp" Blazing, in another attempt to gain her favor flopped down with a loud gasp as Nightmare leapt down onto an upraised flat platform of stone. "her daughter squealing in my grasp" Red, who had been making fun of Blazing, was picked up by the batpony, and at once began to squirm out of his grip "her ponies' mournful cry, that's my lullaby" She walked onto a sharp outcrop of stone." Now the past I've tried forgetting and my foes I could forgive trouble is, I knows it's petty but I hate to let them live" She watched a small line of termites before smashing them with a hoof.

Blazing walked over and eager grin on his face as he grew closer "So you found yourself somepony who'd chase Celestia up a tree" he nodded excitedly as Nightmare looked at him putting a hoof under his chin.

"Oh, the battle may be bloody, but that kind of works for me" Nightmare shoved Blazing backward the bat pony letting out a yell of surprise but Nightmare was unconcerned sliding down the outcrop a wide grin on her face. "The melody of angry growls a counterpoint of painful howls a symphony of death, oh my! That's my lullaby" her supporters roared and stomped their hooves in approval, hearing, before she stepped on Blazing's tail as he was shaking the dust from him fur to make him howl in pain. "Discord is gone... but Nightmare's still around to love this little lass till she learns to be a killer with a lust for being bad!" Nightmare looked toward the sky as she spoke, approaching the now fast asleep giving her an almost loveable lick before she pointed her horn at the wall next to them and blasting it with her magic, which didn't seem to disturb the filly.

The blast of magic made the den very dark and from the shadows several ponies watched Thunder sleep, Blazing and Red coming from the shadows to see the heir, Blazing reaching her first "Sleep, ya little termite!" he sneered, before realizing he was being watched and trying to cover for himself "Uh-- I mean, precious little thing!" but Red merely knocked him aside as his loud voice had caused Thunder to shift in her sleep.

"One day when you're big and strong" Red gently moved Thunder's mane out of her face not noticing Blazing get up and start to reach toward her to punish her for what she had done, but both of them were quickly distracted by Nightmare once again who was now on a tall spike of rock almost touching the ceiling of the den.

"You will be a queen!" Nightmare cheered pulling on a root and allowing a stream of light fill the den, putting the sleeping Thunder under a natural spot light. Nightmare's supporters creep from the shadows to get a good look at their chosen one, while Nightmare began to stamp her hooves on the ground beneath her in her joy." The pounding of the drums of war, the thrill of Thunder's dark power" pony all around the den leapt across the stream of light imagining their enemies there with them.

Blazing stood tall nearly roaring his words a mad grin on his face "The joy of vengeance" but he was quickly outshined by Red who leapt into the air.

"Testify!" she cheered while Blaze glared at her back.

Nightmare grinned widely "I can hear the cheering" she put a hoof to her ear waiting.

"Thunder! What a pony!" the group cheered, though Blazing didn't have any enthusiasm in his voice unlike the others.

"Payback time is nearing and then our flag will fly against a blood-red sky that's my lullaby!" Nightmare broke the small hole she had made making it larger so she could squeeze through it and sit on top of the den, cheering loudly, others who had done the same and even those on the ground made a ruckus in agreement and joy at her words.

Author's Note

this is introducing some of the outlanders, though one only by name, Onyx will have a larger role in the future however which is why he's mentioned now, he is an OC of a friend of mine while Blazing Fury is a pony I made up on my own so please don't take offense if it just happens to be a pony you made it wasn't may intention, and Red and Thunder are not related in this one either for those of you reading my other story