The Nightmare Verse

1. The Herald

They were eaten

The great armies of Equestria and Tartarus had been defeated, not by the Daemon hoards, but by the voice of a single creature. We were unable to stand before Hepted, and we ran, and the Daemon Lords that has caused us such pain, yes, they themselves shook in fear!

Now 4 days had passed, and the sound of wailing and despair from above drowned out the same from below, and we were as insects scurrying under the footsteps of great Dragons, and we were at a total loss.

Finally, I could take it no longer, and I stepped outside, and I was frozen in fear.

I beheld, and look! The sky was being blanketed by an unholy darkness! Nightmare Moon had begun the true bulk of her work, and she was taking all light from us!

Yes! yes, she not only eclipsed our own star, but had taken to the task of doing the same to all others!

And even as I was looking upon the universe being engulfed in darkness, a great earthquake shook me from my terror, and i saw the great mountain of Canterlot fall! Oh how horrifying it was!

And she set her sights on me! Nightmare Moon dove for me!

And I ran! Oh how I ran, and I found myself at the entrance to the Everfree, which had been somehow spared!

"NO! DO NOT ENTER THAT HOLY PLACE!" cried Nightmare Moon, and I knew what I had to do!

I entered, and all was normal!

At that moment, Nightmare Moon approached, and I thought this the end, yet it was not! She was repelled back, screamed in pain, and again took to the sky!

I knew what I was to do, and I searched, and I found her! Zecora's home was still here!

I knocked, yet she did not answer. I opened the door, and was greeted by yet another horror!

I could not even cry. i had run dry of tears.

I slept within the hut that night. Her body just across the room. She had taken her own life, and in her own blood, she had written but one word.

"NEGLORIK"

When I awoke, I left the old hut, and went in search of something that still gave me the faintest glimmer of hope!

And I was in glee! The Tree of Harmony was still standing!

"Neplohidratite."

I spoke the word, and knew at that moment what had happened! She had planned this!

In chasing me to this holy place, she had an entrance! My mind was still a doorway for her!

The tree screamed and shook, and Nightmare Moon crawled through it like a worm emerging from the dirt! She spoke cursed, foul words, and the tree wilted!

"Know now, in this moment, that you have aided Neglorik!" she laughed, and took to the sky, and the tree began to glow, and the Elements of Harmony themselves burst forth, and took to the sky!

I was again frozen, and I beheld as the Elements charged into the great hole in reality that had been opened above the great swamp that was once the frozen north, and the hole expanded with the sounds of tearing and wailing, and it was as a mare giving birth, and large black hands made of oil gripped the sides of the great hole, and the last of the great Daemons came forth from it!

"HE COMES!" it announced, and it stepped though, and again its form was like that of a man, although much larger, and being made of flowing, dripping oil!

This was Tephliotisies, great herald of Neglorik himself!

I tried to run back to Tartarus, but look, it was hopeless! Tephliotisies reached within the earth, and scooped Tartarus from the depths, and he leaned his oozing mass of a head backwards, and swallowed Tartarus! Oh how they screamed!

Now, truly, I was alone.

And suddenly, the deepest dark was upon me.