Living Nightmare

A crisp breeze brushed passed Princess Luna’s fur as she meandered through the winding path of the Everfree Forest. The gust was strong enough to give her pause as she chased a shiver from the base of her neck down to her hooves. When the sensation passed, Luna breathed a sigh of relief and found herself wishing for something to wear.

Aside from her royal attire--hoof guards, tiara, and necklace--she wore nothing. A poor choice for the chilly nights that followed Hearth’s Warming Eve, but one she could live with. Forcing back another shiver, Luna looked forward to her reason for such a late outing.

Striking an imposing figure before her was the ruins of her old castle. The dilapidated stone structure stood proudly before her, none of the usual star spider webs or wild plant life clinging to its exterior anymore. Luna recalled that Princess Twilight and her friends had recently been by to clean the castle up, back when the plan had been to refurbish it for Twilight to live in. Though, that had been before the magical-rainbow-crystal palace thingy had sprung up out of the ground for her. Now this old castle was alone and abandoned again, back to its usual state.

But tonight it would be getting a visitor. The previous Hearth’s Warming in Canterlot had been a throwback to old traditions, filling the Princess of the Night with all sorts of nostalgia. Though not uncommon for her since her return two years ago, this one was quite intense and had led her out here tonight.

She didn’t know what in particular she wanted out of this castle, but she knew it was one of the few relics from a time long in the past that might help her feel like she was… well, younger is probably the best word.

Luna smiled. Yeah, that was it. She wanted to feel young again; to go back to a time before she was a millennia old alicorn with centuries of knowledge, experience, and memories. That would be nice.

Shrugging off another breeze, she continued her walk to the castle, crossing a familiar rope bridge as she neared the doors.

As she approached the front of the castle her hoof hit the first of the stone steps leading to the door. Luna lurched to a stop to prevent herself from tripping, only to arch an eyebrow. Looking down, she saw a soupy layer of fog coating the floor of the Everfree, large enough to cover the first few steps of the staircase. While this wasn’t uncommon for the Everfree Forest, Luna couldn’t help but find it a bit odd.

Glancing back, Luna found her suspicions confirmed when she saw no such fog blanketing the path behind her. Further inspection revealed the fog only seemed to surround the castle, leaking out from the crumbling brickwork and expanding out a few inches past the perimeter.

That’s a tad… ominous, she thought to herself. Ominous, but not anymore so than the rest of the Everfree Forest. Luna knew that the weather here was wild, unpredictable, and far from uniform. So what if fog had clustered around her old home?

Using her innate pegasus magic, Luna brushed the fog before her away, revealing the steps before her. Taking more care this time, she climbed the staircase to reach the tall wooden doors to her old castle.

Nudge the rotting oak open, a noisy creak echoed out, causing Luna to wince. The dark, hollow interior of the castle foyer was now revealed to her as it stretched all the way to the two thrones in the back. The recent maintanence didn’t seem to have much impact on this room. Cracks lined the wall still, the roof was gone letting her pale moon rest above her head, and fresh spider webs had already appeared. Curiously, the ground inside the castle was curiously just a foggy as outside.

All in all, the castle just felt… spooky.

Luna shivered, despite the lack of a breeze. The satisfying feelings of nostalgic relief she’d been looking for weren’t here. This castle had changed too much.

But Luna refused to believe that. She’d come all the way out here looking for something after all. She stepped all the way inside, letting the door swing shut with the haunting screams of the ancient hinges hitting her ears.

She stepped forward, eyes wandering the room as she observed the damages of time, the few things she remembered, and the small improvements left behind by Twilight and her friends.

She stopped just sort of the thrones, smiling as she saw the recently re-stitched tapestries behind them. If nothing else, it was a pleasant sight to see these again.

But… this can’t be it, right? Luna’s mouth curved to a frown. I can’t shake the feeling that something is here.

“Well, well, well.”

Luna’s pupils shrank, her breath catching in the back of her throat. The icy, malicious voice that snaked its way around her ears like a familiar stranger. It was a voice she had never had this displeasure of being on the receiving end of: because it was hers.

Well, it used to be.

Luna whirled around, not wanting to believe her ears were telling her the truth. The second her eyes came to rest on the shadowy figure before her, she really wished they were lying to her too.

Slitted eyes sparkled with glee as a fanged smile grew ever wider before her. Nightmare Moon cackled softly. “If it isn’t my former host.”

Luna’s ears flopped down. She tried to take a step back, but her legs were shaking. Her heart raced with a pulsating beat so loud that it drowned out all background noise.

“N-No…” Luna whispered as a cold sweat formed on the back of her neck. “You can’t be here!”

“But I am here.” Nightmare grinned wickedly. “Wouldn’t you like to know how?”

Terror gripped Luna harder with each tremor of her body. What she was seeing simply couldn’t be real… but at the same time she could feel the hatred--the evil--radiating from the figure before her.

Nightmare’s helmet and armor suddenly dissipated, turning into smoke that slinked down to the fog at her hooves. Now Luna had an unobstructed view of her pitch black face, and had no way to deny what was happening.

“W-What is going on?” Luna’s voice cracked. “T-The Elements should have destroyed you.”

Fog swirled between them as Nightmare giggled softly. “Ohoho, they tried. Tried, and failed.”

Luna swallowed. She couldn’t move. She could barely breathe. She knew she should do something: attack, run, teleport… even calling for help would be better than nothing. But she was just too shocked and scared to do anything.

“A shred of my spirit was left after the Elements purged me from your body.” Nightmare took a step forward, and Luna one back. “I was barely a shadow of my former self, but I survived. I spent months nursing those wounds, giving me plenty of time…” Her eyes narrowed. “To contemplate my revenge.”

Luna’s entire body was shaking now. All she could do was retreat a few steps for each one that Nightmare took. “I… I won’t let you possess me again!” Luna yelled.

Nightmare actually paused. “Possess you?”

There was silence. Followed by maniacal laughter that would have shaken the roof if there was one.

“AHAHAHAHAHA!” Nightmare struggled to catch her breath. “Possess you? Puh-lease. If I wanted to spend another thousand years on the moon, believe me you’ll be the first pony I go to.” Her expression darkened as any hint of humor evaporated. “What I want is simple: vengeance.”

Princess Luna swallowed.

Nightmare started walking again, this time not stopping after two or three steps, forcing Luna to continue backing up. “I want to slaughter the ponies that injured me so. I want to make Princess Celestia feel the humiliation that I felt when she sent me to the moon. And I’m close, too. After I returned here, I spent a year resting and waiting, building up my power to its apex. I can even maintain my own physical form without a host. Nopony can stand against me now.”

Luna’s hind legs touched the wall. She was out of room.

“I was actually just about to head out, when you of all ponies show up.” Nightmare towered over Luna, snickering. “How poetic, that the first pony I get to humiliate is my former puppet.”

Come on, do something! Luna screamed internally. She willed herself to move, to speak, to do anything. She shut her eyes, trying to avoid crying. No matter what she tried to do, she felt too weak to do anything.

Suddenly, a wet, warm trickle touched the inside of her leg. Luna’s eyes snapped open as she let out an involuntary whimper. Shame hit her from every angle when the realization came that her bladder had given way out of fear.

And Nightmare noticed. She was wide-eyed at first before her face morphed into a devilish grin.

“You know, that actually gives me a pretty funny idea,” Nightmare said. “What Princess loses control like that, after all? You’re not royalty… you’re nothing but a foal.” She snickered, tossing her head up.

Just then, Luna saw an opening. Mustering up what shreds of courage she could, she choked back her paralyzing fear and ran.

For about five feet.

She made it just passed Nightmare Moon, before the fog below her whipped up and wrapped around her hooves. Heavy chains formed, weighing her down and causing her to trip.

“Ah!” Luna skidded across the ground, crying out in pain. Her tiara bounced free from her head Looking up, she saw the hoofcuffs binding her fore and hind legs. A brief tug told her there would be no breaking them.

“Now now,” Nightmare reprimanded. “No need to get all fussy. We’ll get you all cleaned up in just a moment.”

Despite the offer to wash away the warm pee clinging to her fur, Luna refused. Running on pure adrenaline to escape, her wings started to spread.

But in a mere half second, more fog raced around her body, wrapping her wings back down to her body by forming a thick black strap.

Nightmare stood over her again, shaking her head. “Tsk tsk tsk. Such an unruly foal.” She placed her hoof on top of Luna’s tiara, snapping it in two with a swift stomp. “And to think you actually considered yourself a Princess. Pathetic.”

Summoning up all her willpower, Luna pushed down her fear. She knew escape was a fruitless endeavor; now, all she could do was attack. Her horn lit up, shining brightly in the dark room.

And was snuffed out in a heartbeat.

More fog had appeared, taking the shape of an inhibitor ring to block all power from Luna’s horn. Her last line of defense, and only hope, was gone now. She was at Nightmare’s mercy.

“HELP!” She screamed. Nopony was around to hear her, but her panicked mind couldn’t process this. She just wanted to flee from Nightmare Moon as soon as possible. “HELP! SOMEPONY, PLEASE!”

Suddenly, she felt a pull. Looking over, she saw Nightmare lifting her tail up telekinetically, exposing her rear to the dark alicorn.

Then…

Smack!

Nightmare whipped her hoof against Luna’s cheek, delivering a vicious spank. It took a moment for the fiery, stinging pain to register, but when it did Luna squeaked. She kicked her hind legs, but the chain holding them down became enveloped in smoke, morphing into a spreader bar. Now her legs were stuck apart, basically useless. If it weren’t for her current situation, Luna might’ve been impressed by the seamless control Nightmare exhibited with her magic.

Impressed, but still terrified.

“Such a naughty filly.” Nightmare shook her head, but smiled in the sadistic pleasure she got from this. “If you want to get cleaned up, then you better start acting like a good foal.”

“Let me go!” Luna cried, wiggling in a vain attempt to escape Nightmare’s magical hold on her tail.

Smack! Smack! SMACK!

“Ah!” Luna bit her lip, tears lining her eyes. The pain was searing, and nothing she did could alleviate it. She whimpered pitifully, hoping Nightmare was satisfied and ready to let her go.

She wasn’t.

Nightmare shifted her magical aura to encompass Luna’s whole body. She lifted the rest of the Princess of the ground, swinging her around to be right side up. Luna sniffled as her stinging bottom finally got relief, but still felt shame at the damp feeling between her legs.

“Now then,” Nightmare grinned. “Since you’ve learned your place, we can get started.”

Get started? Luna sniffled again. She had hoped Nightmare was almost finished with humiliating her. What more could be left for her to do?

But then again, if Nightmare Moon was finished, then she might simply kill Luna before moving on to the next pony. Though she was terrified, ashamed of herself, and powerless, Luna knew she couldn’t let that happen. Even though she could barely look at Nightmare without trembling, she had to find a way to stop her. Somehow.

They moved out of the throne room and down a narrow hallway. Luna didn’t ask where they were going, fearing Nightmare might spank her again. The dark alicorn briefly glanced at a few doors they passed, before stopping in front of one that was slightly ajar.

She pushed it open, revealing a spacious guest bedroom that showed clear signs of age. Nightmare nodded. “This one will work.”

“Work for what?” Luna asked, hoping she wouldn’t notice the fear in her voice.

Nightmare didn’t offer an answer. Instead, she nodded her head forward and the fog coalescing at her hooves surged forward. It washed over the floor, climbing over rotting dresser, the vanity, and the bed. The fog scuttled up the walls, inside the walk in closet and coated even the ceiling.

Once the dense haze had every inch covered, it started slipping away. It left the center of the floor first, the wooden floor now transformed into pink, fuzzy carpet. As if faded from the walls, all damage was repaired and new wallpaper sporting pink, red, and white hearts was left in its place. When the dresser was uncovered it was a brand new changing table, resting on a set of draws. The vanity reappeared, but as a playpen large enough to hold a full grown alicorn. When the bed became unshrouded, it had morphed into a crib of comparable size.

More changes to the room were noticeable too. The walk in closet was now filled with bright, colorful fabrics. From the ceiling, a new light fixture was hung, along with a mobile over the crib, and a baby bouncer that dangled in the back corner of the room.

Luna could only gape in horror at the foalish sight before her as the fog descended back to Nightmare’s hooves. Nightmare in turn, just snickered.

“Do you like your new room, baby?”

Luna’s stomach flopped, realizing what Nightmare intended to do to her. She squirmed and struggled ineffectually in her magical bonds and physical ones. “Y-You can’t be serious.”

This only made Nightmare laugh harder as she walked into the newly formed nursery, pulled Luna in with her. “I’m am dead serious. What more perfect humiliation could there be for a pony as worthless as you?”

Nightmare set her on the changing table with surprising delicacy. The cold plastic caused Luna to shiver as her bound hind legs were lifted into the air. Although she was down, the magic hold was still keeping her immobile, unless Nightmare wanted otherwise.

“Please don’t…” Luna whimpered. The sting of humiliation burned worse than her rear end right now. She didn’t want it to get worse.

She heard the draw below the changing table open. Nightmare started humming as she rummaged about within it, not even deigning to respond to Luna.

She lifted something from the draw, but kept it in Luna’s blindspot. The Princess of the Night wasn’t kept in suspense for long, because something cold and damp touched her nethers and she squeaked in surprise.

A foal wipe. Nightmare Moon was cleaning up her accident with a foal wipe.

Luna tried not to shudder, or give Nightmare the pleasure of pleading. She just waited patiently for the dark alicorn to clean up her urine. It was a daunting task, because every time the wipe touched somewhere new, the same cold shiver would jut Luna back to the reality of her situation.

Nightmare finished her humming, finally pulling the wipe away and tossing it to the ground. It turned to fog before it could even hit the floor. “There, all clean. Now to make sure that doesn’t happen again.” Nightmare leaned in and booped Luna’s nose with a sinister grin. “Can’t have Mommy cleaning up all your messes, can we, Lulu?”

“Mommy?” Luna’s brows furrowed. “Lulu?” Something told her Nightmare was into this way more than she should be.

“Ha! The look on your face is priceless.” Nightmare reached back into the draw and withdrew a new, poofier item.

Luna took only a half second to realize what it was. “A d-diaper?!”

A part of her had hoped Nightmare hadn’t planned to take this humiliation that far. Another part of her had known it would come to this, or rather, feared. But as the white, fluffy foal garment stared her down, Luna couldn’t help but feel shock that this was actually happening.

“Of course. Can’t forget Lulu’s protection, now can we?” The fiendish smile on Nightmare’s face was a show of pure glee. She loved the chance to put Luna in the worst possible position. It was like she had been fantasizing about this moment.

“P-Please don’t. I don’t need diapers.” Why was she whimpering like a child to her mother?

“Recent events suggest otherwise.” Nightmare unfolded the crinkly garment. Luna’s eyes widened as she got a good look at it’s size. It was nearly twice as big as her head!

She kicked her bound hind legs, watching them uselessly flail as the diaper was slid under her butt. Nightmare put a hoof on the spreader bar and started pushing down, lowering Luna’s legs until her rear end made soft, crinkly contact with the diaper. She kept pushing until Luna’s bottom sank deep into the padding.

Though she had managed to avoid it up until this point, Luna blushed. Her face shifted from dark blue to bright red in what felt like nanoseconds, and the heat radiating from her face might have been enough to melt polar ice caps.

“There we go. See? Diapers aren’t so bad.” Nightmare wrapped the diaper snugly around Luna and threading her tail through the hole in the back before taping it down. “No need to be a big baby about it,” she teased.

Luna squirmed some more. Now that she was being hugged by padding, it was hard to keep what little composure had survived up until this point. She moved her forehooves instinctually down to rip it off, only to find them slapped away by Nightmare.

“Bad filly. It seems I’ll need to take some precautions to keep you from fiddling with your diapers.” Nightmare’s condescending, almost motherly tone, made everything she say a thousand times worse. Luna didn’t know what ‘precautions’ she was talking about, but just the way she said it made her know she wouldn’t like them.

Nightmare disappeared for a moment, walking into the nearby closet. As soon as she was gone, Luna tried to sit up, but was still held in place by the magical aura. She wanted desperately to escape, but was faced with the horrifying fact that escape may not be on the table anymore.

If she had been less of a coward, she could’ve teleported away, or fought back even. Instead she’d peed herself. Now, she was powerless and diapered. Nightmare’s sudden return had turned her into an infant, quite literally, and there was nothing she could do about it.

“Here we go!” Nightmare reappeared, her telekinesis bringing with her four pink, fluffy booties. Nightmare returned to the changing table and removed Luna’s shoes with one swift yank of magic, her fog reaching up and dragging them away.

At first, Luna was confused by the sight of the booties. What sort of precautions are those?

However, when the first foalish shoe was slipped onto her hoof, she understood. The fluffy insides of the bootie was a prison for her hoof. She wouldn’t be able to remove the diaper, or do any meaningful task, with those cumbersome things on her.

“Wait--” Too late. All four booties soon found new homes on Luna’s hooves. She found herself being lifted from the table, kicking her legs in a vain attempt to remove her new trappings.

“Aww, what adorable little hoofies,” Nightmare cooed. There was something sadistic about the twinkle in her eyes. She took so much pleasure in Luna’s situation; humiliating her former host--the pony that had failed her and cost her so much--must be a satisfying catharsis for her.

Luna couldn’t shake her blush as she was set on the ground. The chain around her forelegs dissipated into fog and fell to the floor. The spreader bar and the inhibitor ring stayed.

The aura around her body finally left, freeing her just slightly. Her heart skipped a beat, realizing this meant escape was more likely now, but that dream was killed quickly. Between how far she would have to run away, her lack of magic, and Nightmare’s overwhelming power, escape was still off the table It was nowhere near the table, even.

Nightmare sighed, taking a step back to admire her work. “This is better than I could’ve ever imagined. You’re nothing but a pathetic foal now.” She laughed, rubbing salt in the wound.

Luna’s mind raced, thinking of anything she could do to get away. Not just to escape being Nightmare’s diapered plaything, but also to warn others. Nightmare had expressed a desire for revenge against both Celestia and Twilight, as well as her friends. She wanted to humiliate the former, not unlike Luna herself, and destroy the latter, possibly to prevent the usage of the Elements.

Does she even know the Elements have been returned to the Tree? Luna decided not to mention it. The less Nightmare knew about that the better. If she was aware that the Elements of Harmony were out of play, she might attack immediately.

Right now, Luna’s only hope was to keep Nightmare preoccupied long enough for her sister to notice her absence and come looking. Hopefully she would be better prepared to deal with Nightmare than Luna was. If not…

Don’t think about that. Think about ways to keep Nightmare busy, even if it costs you your dignity. Luna shifted, earning a crinkle from the diaper at her waist. Well, just keep her busy. When Celestia notices I’m not lowering the moon in the morning, she’ll know something’s wrong and will come for me.

That was Luna’s best hope. Even though she hadn’t mentioned her visit to the old castle to anypony, she didn’t doubt her sister’s ability to locate her. All that was left was to wait and stall.

Swallowing, Luna decided to voice a question that was on her mind. “N-Nightmare, w--”

“Call me Mommy,” Nightmare suddenly demanded.

Luna’s ears folded down, repulsed by the idea. “What? No!”

Nightmare’s jovial expression soured in an instant. Before Luna knew it, Nightmare was on the floor, dragging Luna over her lap. Turning her head ever so slightly, Luna saw a black hoof raising as magic pulled her diaper down to expose her plot. Her eyes widened.

Smack!

“You will do as I say.” Nightmare’s voice was cold, and full of malice. The joy she’d been taking in humiliating Luna had transformed into a figure that commanded her obedience.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

“Understand?”

Luna whimpered. Her plot had barely recovered from her last spanking, and this one was easily worse. “Y-Yes. I understand!” Tears welled in her eyes again.

“Good.” Smack! “Now.” Smack! “Call.” Smack! “Me.” Smack! “Mommy.” Smack! Smack!

“Mommy!” Luna cried out, on the verge of crying. “Mommy! You’re my Mommy!”

Nightmare lowered her head, positioning her lips right at Luna’s ear. “And don’t you dare forget it.”

Luna sniffled, nodding her head. A tear broke free from her eyes and rolled down her cheek. Her humiliation had momentarily made her forget the terror of being in Nightmare’s presence, but that reminded her real quick.

“Now then.” Nightmare pulled Luna’s diaper back into place and set her down before standing. “It’s past your bedtime young lady. You stay right here while I go and get your pajamas.”

Luna breathed a sigh of relief as Nightmare walked back to the closet, grateful she was back to using the motherly, teasing voice. She wiped the tear from her face and sniffled. Her plot stung from her spanking and she laid down on her belly so it wouldn’t feel worse. Even just wearing the dainty, fluffy diaper as tight as she was made the issue worse.

She whimpered. Keeping Nightmare Moon occupied was going to be tough, but if she could just hold out until the morning...

...Wait…

Luna shook when she finally processed what Nightmare had said. Bedtime? But that means…

If Nightmare put her to bed, she could go out and exact her revenge on the rest of Equestria, leaving Luna even more powerless to stop her. Her plan to stall Nightmare Moon just got a whole lot harder.

“Here we are.” Nightmare walked out of the closet, a pale blue nightie that bore a crescent moon pattern in tow. She unfurled it, letting Luna see that it was just big enough for her. “What do you think?”

Luna groaned in the back of her throat. She can’t be serious.

“Oh don’t give me that look, young lady.” Nightmare narrowed her eyes, conveying the serious threat hidden behind her maternal tone.

Luna tried shrinking behind her mane. Just stall for time, that’s all I have to do. “U-Uh… Can I have a different nightie? I don’t like the… color.”

“Nope!” Nightmare happily said. Her smile said that she could see right through Luna’s plan.

She walked over and proceeded to stuff Luna into her new pajamas. Despite putting up a bit of a struggle, Luna knew she was no match against Nightmare Moon at this point, eventually giving up as it was zipped on.

Luna frowned, looking down at her hooves to see the fabric bulging to accommodate the booties Nightmare hadn’t bothered to take off. Her diaper also bulged underneath the nightie, making her butt look big.

Blushing, Luna almost didn’t realize that she was being lifted up by magic. Looking back up, she found herself eye level with Nightmare.

Grinning wickedly, Nightmare pushed something into Luna’s mouth. Her eyes widened as a rubber nipple invaded her lips and when Nightmare’s hoof pulled away and she saw the bright pink, plastic guard she immediately spat it out.

“No!” She cried. The dark expression on Nightmare’s face took all the bravado out of her next words. “I-I don’t want that…”

Nightmare raised her hoof, fog jumping to it to form a new, identical pacifier. She pushed it back into Luna’s mouth, holding it there for a moment. “Don’t drop this again, okay sweetie?”

Luna chased a shiver down her spine, the malice in those words shaking her to the core. She clamped her teeth down on the bulb of the pacifier, suddenly determined not to drop it.

She was levitated over the crib and lowered inside. Just from the height of the bars Luna could tell she’d wouldn’t be climbing out on her own.

As her head hit the pillow, fog started snaking up the bars of the crib. Luna blinked in surprise and followed the trail up to the top of the crib, where the fog formed a new row of bars right overhead, ensuring she was trapped no matter what she did.

“There we go, all nice and snug and ready for beddy-bye.” Nightmare snickered. “Sleep tight, Lulu.” She turned to leave.

Luna whimpered. “W-Wait.”

Nightmare froze, and barely glanced back. “What?”

Luna swallowed, desperate the find some way to delay her. “I… I…”

Nightmare scoffed. “If you’re worried about your sister or your friends, don’t bother. I want to spend a little more time with my ‘precious little foal’ before I exact my revenge upon them too.”

She bit down on her pacifier, not sure if that was a good thing or not. Or if she could even trust it for that matter.

Nightmare chuckled softly as she walked out, snapping the light off and closing the door to leave Luna in complete darkness. Just before the door sealed Luna in, Nightmare let loose a flick of magic and sent the mobile over her head spinning.

“Night night, Lulu. See you in the morning.”