The Nightmare King
:Chapter 9 Part 1 – Siderodromophobia:

“Next stop Bridleburg!”

Lance watched as the colorful scenery of the equestrian countryside rolled by. The sun was beginning to lower in the sky, and by his guess there was only about three hours of daylight left. That was just fine to him. He does his best work at night.

Lance was on his way to a place he had learned to hate. The Sickhouse Institute of Pony Advancement was one of the most respected hospitals in all of Equestria. As such they were heavily funded by the government and had access to the best equipment in the country. The institute was also at the forefront of medical research and advancement. That was most likely because of their less than reputable means of research. The train wheels screeched against the rails causing Lance to wince.

“Can’t believe I need to ride this damned train.”
Lance thought back to the reason why he was on this rolling metal death trap to begin with.

It was Saturday night and the pub was having one of its best nights in weeks. Needless to say I was quite busy. I would occasionally pour drinks or I would help Belle with the tables and if any patron got a little too rowdy… I could be really intimidating when I need to be. It was a draining job but it’s all worth it in the end. Where any poor shmuck would have seen hard work and given up I see money. Ponies of all shapes sizes and professions spent their ridiculous coin currency on the alcohol served here. It was a very lucrative business being the only bar in a town of eight hundred. It almost made up for the ludicrous bit system. Having only six set values of currency was in many ways inefficient. I never really worried about it I never handled the bits, that’s what I have henchm- employees for. They just gave me the numbers when I’m done and I run them through our financial claims.

Later on that night I was going over the financial statements to find that we were doing quite well. It had to do with a combination of the high demand and low cost of materials. Most of our alcohol was made on sight with an exception of some of the more expensive items. We weren’t just in the green, we were heavily in the green. We were making so much that I could afford to actually buy this place three times over. With a smile on my face I got up from my desk and went to hit the sack. “I can’t wait to see Trixie's smiling face.”

“Now arriving at Bridleburg station”
Ah yes, this was Lance’s stop. He could finally get off this crazy thing. Lance walked on to the station platform and immediately felt better. It felt like he had just taken off a tuxedo made of Kevlar. The list of things Lance was learning to hate only seemed to be growing by the day. Feeling the relief of finnaly getting off the train he gingerly made his way to the ticket office to inquire about his return trip.

“Of course sir the next train leaves noon Monday.” The polite stallion answered.

“Good, I want two one way tickets for the Monday train to Ponyville”

“Two?” He asked looking behind Lance taking note that he was alone.

“Yes I’m …picking up a friend in Bridleburg.” Lance answered.

He nodded and smiled. “Well okay then sir that will be thirty bits”

Yes a friend… more like a god damned idiot. It all started after Lance went to bed last night.

/=====/=====\
=====| Nightmare Throne |=====
=====\/=====/

After I looked over Molly’s Pub’s financial statements I was in a good mood. Everything is coming up Lance.
Trixie was sitting behind a small desk in a room I made specifically for her. My favorite part about the room was the small framed picture of Twilight Sparkle that read BFF across the top. (One of my personal touches I knew she wouldn’t mind)

“Hey Trixie, anything pop up while I was out?” I asked giving her a pleasant smile.

She didn’t say anything. She just looked at me and frowned.

“Why do you always have to scowl at me?” I asked acting hurt.

“Oh yea, I guess Trixie should always greet her foalnapper with a smile then?”

I shrugged “It would make me feel better.”

“Hmmph!… Caze dropped by.” She said reluctantly.

Now that’s curious “What did he say?”

“He wanted to talk to you personally.”

“Oh really, that scaredy cat? And what could he have to say that’s so important that he couldn’t tell my favorite secretary?” I said playfully.

“Trixie is not your secretary Myrvang.” She complained.

“…*sigh* whatever.” I said defeated. Either by Stockholm syndrome or with my charms I will get her to come around.

Lance walked through the double doors into his personal throne room.
Trixie huffed and sat back down at her desk. “But Trixie is his only secretary.” She mumbled.

I walked through my doors into my custom made throne room. Trixie isn’t allowed in here without my expressed permission. Mainly because I don’t want her to see me not as a pony, and also because she is still resentful of what I’m doing to her. Caze was sitting in the middle of the room looking around worriedly. He has been jumpy around me ever since we met. It took him weeks to fix that limp. That’s what you get when you threaten my ponies!

I walked past him without looking at him.

“Do you have an update for me imp?” I said keeping my voice flat.

“Yes sir.” He answered respectfully.

Caze had become my go to reaver. He had gathered more reavers and told them of me. I had a grand total of five to order around. Five dream eating shadow creatures is more than I had before I guess. Caze was basically my second in command and adviser. The remnant of Nightmare that I wore around my neck barely registers. In my pecking order it went Nightmare, the dirt, the worms inside of the dirt, Myrvang’s stool, Caze, and then Myrvang.

I sat down and looked at him with a smile. “What could be so important that he would need to tell me personally?” I thought to myself.

“…”

“…Well!?” I asked breaking the silence.

“I found your bird Lord Myrvang.” Caze said

Ah more good news then! “Excellent! Where is he Caze?” I asked him with a smile.

“Well… that’s a problem.” He said well his eyes met the stone floor again.

And like that my smile was gone.

“Oh and how is that?” I questioned.

“Well I was following up on the order you gave to investigate the institute that the young one spoke of.”

“And?” I asked wondering how this was relevant.

“I found it …and the bird.”

My good mood was successfully killed. I frowned rubbing my brow.

“…Nothing is ever easy, is it?” I sighed

Lance walked out of the Bridleburg train station taking in the scenery. Bridleburg looked a bit bigger than Ponyville. It had no thatched roofs and more multileveled buildings. Like Ponyville the roads were cobblestone and well maintained. Maybe ponies use some sort of spell to keep the roads from degrading? It looks like such a nice place it was hard to imagine what happens just outside of town.

Bridleburg was located in a valley of rolling green hills and snowcapped mountains. It was quite different from the fields and forests that surround Ponyville. The air had a slight chill that sent a pleasant shiver up Lance’s spine. He set out to look for a hotel to crash at for the night. First thing tomorrow he had a hospital to break into.

*Train whistle*

Lance dove on the ground.

“Ah shit, not again!”

The next morning I was grumbling on my way back to the pub from the Ponyville train station.
That was a lot harder than it should have been. Why was that? Trains, that’s why.

(ten minutes earlier)

“Okay sir that will be fifteen bits.” The ticket mare said happily. How she managed to be so cheerful at seven in the morning is beyond me.

“Thank you.” I said paying her the bits and taking the ticket.

*Train whistle*

“Holy shit!” I screamed diving to the ground.

“Sir?” The mare asked looking over the counter at me.

I was on the ground gasping for air. “This isn’t me. I’m not afraid of anything.” I muttered to myself.

“Sir, are you okay?” She asked.

“I’m more than okay. I’m invincible.” I shakily replied getting back on my hooves.

“umm… oookaaaayyy” She said looking at me like I had two heads

“If you will excuse me I am going to go home and vomit. Good day to you.” I said staggering in the general direction of my Pub.

(Present… kinda)

Nothing can ever be simple; it always has to be something. Noooo Scootaloo can’t just be a runaway orphan. She has to be an escaped medical experiment. Don’t even get me started on Rainbow Dash.

“Hi Lancy boy!” A pink blur shouted running past me.

*Sigh* Hello Pinkie Pie.” I said still in a sour mood.

The pink blur whizzed back to my side to reveal Pinkie Pie looking slightly concerned. “What’s got you so upset?” She asked.

I hit my hoof against the road. “Nothing is ever as easy as it should be.”

“Oh cheer up Lancy Boy at least nothings trying to kill you this time.” She reassured me while patting me on the back.

“What?”

Pinkie looked at her arm and feigned shock. “Oh look at the time! I’m late for my morning cupcakes with Gummy! Good luck in Germaniegh Lance.”

*Eye twitch*
She smiled and then sped off.
*Crash*

I swear I heard the sound of shattering glass as Pinkie bounced off towards Sugar Cube Corner. No wait that wasn’t glass, that was my mind breaking. I thought I had her halfway figured out then she pulls this shit on me!

“That’s not fair Pinks!” I shout after her

“~Teehee!”

I sat down in the middle of the road. That raises a lot of complicated questions about Pinkie. Many of them probably don’t have an answer if what I observed both in Equestria and on the show have any reference to the matter. What I am really concerned about is if she knows about me. That can wait till later though. I already have way too much shit to deal with right now anyway.

I was lucky enough to piece my mind back together and drag my sorry ass back to the pub. I was in serious need of a morning spirit.

So, a few hours and a few shots later I was ready to head out on my mission. I stood in the door looking back at all three of my employees just now realizing I had completely forgotten to tell them anything about what I was doing. Ah well, fallback plan two.

“Molly, Skies I’m going out I’ll be back in a few days.” I called out to them.

“Where ya headin off ta?” Molly asked curiously.

“I have business in Germaniegh that needs to be taken care of.” I stated enthusiastically.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come along comrade?” Skies asked looking concerned. He had been told what I had found out about Scootaloo.

“No my friend. Thank you for offering but if you come along that means there will be no one around to watch the pub.

“Hey I’m right here ya know!” Molly shouted.

“Oh yea…” I looked at her and nodded

“No one I trust to watch the pub.” I said smiling at her.

Her jaw hung open and she wore a hurt expression as I turned away from her. I looked down at Alexandria.

“And Belle.” I said seriously.

“Yea…?”

“…Stay in school.” I said flatly

I walked out of the pub and trotted towards the train station humming to myself. Belle looked back at Skies and Molly both looking equally as confused as she did. “…What?”

Lance was having a hard time understanding what the receptionist mare was saying. He was standing in the hotel lobby of the Colten Hotel listening to a chubby mare tell him for the fifth time what room he was supposed to go to.

The mare slammed her hooves on the desk. She was just as annoyed with Lance as he was with her. “Was ist das problem! Down ze hall last room on ze rechts!”

No wonder the show never strayed far from Ponyville. Lance could barely understand what she was saying.

Lance threw his hooves up in exasperation. “Oh so now we can speak English! You can’t expect all tourists to speak German can you?!”

“English? German?” She asked confused.

“Fuck it! I’m going to bed!” Lance yelled in defeat.

Lance walked away grumbling about the inconsistency of Equestrian language all the way to his room.

“Dummkopf.” The receptionist muttered under her breath.

He walked into his simple one bed hotel room and collapsed on the bed. He removed his shades placing them on the nightstand and let the green flames of his transformation bleed across his body slowly. When he felt that he could properly rest he let his mind wander into the Dream Scape.

/=====/=====\
=====| Nightmare Throne |=====
=====\/=====/

Lance sat on his throne looking down at Caze and three other reavers behind him.
“Caze, Grill, Chole and Bane. Let us go over my brilliant plan again.”

Author's Note

Being brought back from the dead is a hassle, but I'll come back to you guys regardless.

I'm back! Chapter nine was originally going to be one giant chapter but after some careful thinking I decided 'fuck that.' So now I will be releasing it in four parts.

Big thanks to fluttertay and Zany. Without them I would never get anything done.

I know it's short but I promise the next one will be longer.