The Nightmare and Me

"Let's do this!" Nightmare flexed her forelegs and stood upright, sturdying herself by flapping her wings. "YEAH!"

She looked like the pony I call Protein Shake. "We still have like, twenty minutes 'til it starts. How about we have a round two?" I elbowed her in the tensed ribs. She dropped down to all fours and gave me a hurt expression.

"Ow. That huuuuuuuuuuuuuuurt," she whined, rubbing the spot just below where her armor was. I honestly don't know how or why, but that adorable lil' patch of blue fur developed into hard battle armor. As did the elaborate horseshoes and the helm. I don't know what made it that way and I don't want to. Probably space goo or something. Space cow.

"Nightmare. You're a goddess from the nether, been banished twice, blasted with the Elements of Harmony twice, possessed the moon Princess, shapeshifted, done battle against a tyrannical lord of turkey, dated King Sombra, survived in a Walmart bag for god knows how long and being poked in the ribs is a weakness?"

She shrugged. "It's touchy there. And are we gonna do the thing?"

"You know I hate the thing," I accused.

"Come on, I love the feeling I get!" She bounced giddily. "I can do it in fifteen minutes."

"Can not."

"Can too!"

"Can not."

"Can too!"

This exchange carried on for a couple minutes. Eventually, I gave in to her Pout. Sweet merciful deity-whose-existence-I-doubt, she looks like a filly again during the Pout. It works much like the Stare, really.

I let loose a deep breath of air I'd been holding in. "I'm going to stop it two minutes before, no more. Got it, Moonybutt?"

" Yeah, sure. I set it up for me," she commanded. I was really starting to get a spoiled-brat vibe from her.

I'll just file that away into 'tomorrow', the mystical land where ninety percent of all human achievement is stored.

I took the laptop and searched the hard drive quickly- yielding a plethora of files that include 'slen' in the title. I scrolled down until the correct folder caught my eye. I clicked and opened the game.

A little thing concerning quality that absolutely nobody cares about popped up and I hit the enter key. The screen went black for a moment, then some creepy squiggleys started to show up and I turned away. "Happy?"

"Very much so, yes," she replied, not taking her eyes from the screen. Her pupils slowly grew larger in excitement as the main menu appeared.

"Slender Man's gonna like, molest you or something."

"Shut up, Ana."

"Don't sass me."

"Make me a sammich."

"No. Make your own sandwich or go crying to Oprah." I walked into the kitchen and took out some strawberries. Mmmmm. Strawberries. Strawberries are nice and red. they're really good when you dip 'em in sugar and they're all fat 'n stuff. Stra- wow. I really, really like strawberries, don't I?

"But Oprah's annoying!"

"Good. A kindred soul."

"Aaaaaaaaaaanaaaaaaaaaa," she whined.

"Play your creepy game before it starts, Nightmare."

The stupid music turned up and Nightmare's person started crunching loudly through the woods. Within a couple minutes, she found a page. Then another, and another.

"You went to the bathroom first, right? That's the best place to go first 'cuz if you have a bunch of the pages, he'll get you easier." I called from the kitchen as I piled strawberries onto a paper plate. At least it wasn't succulent deep-fried Oreos I was thinking about. Sweet, delicious- DAMMIT! It's almost bikini season and here I am, craving some deep-fried Oreos.

Her silence was all the answer I needed. "C'mon, Nightmare, you're acting like a noob. Go to the-"

"HE'S COMING TO GET MEEEEEEEEEE~!" she screamed.

I shivered. "I told you not to play it."

"Shut up, Ana!" That counted as the fifth time today she told me to shut my face (or something along those lines).

"I can always do the remote access thing."

"NU!"

"Then stop telling me to shut it." I was still a little angry from her calling Nyx a wimp the other day.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Seventh page, bi-"

"NIGHTMARE!"

She shut up before she got a swift kick to the plot and time in the much despised corner.

I peered through the window well in the kitchen. Nightmare was still wrapped up in that stupid game. I glanced at the clock, then back to Nightmare. Gently setting the knife I was cutting strawberries with, I tiptoed through the tulip-y kitchen. I winced as my feet stuck to the linoleum flooring, as it might give me away. I crept along the beige carpeting, crawling behind the section of couch Nightmare was sitting on. Sitting tensely, as I had hoped.

Ever so slowly, I stood up behind her. I raised my arms above my head and brought them down to clutch Nightmare's shoulders. "Don't look or I'll take you."

Nightmare screamed and her wings flared out in surprise / jumpscare mode, catching me in the jaw. "I will end you, Ana!"

"Love you too, Nightmare." I rubbed my jaw. That's gonna hurt in the morning.

"You killed me!" she whined again. "I was this close!" She lifted a hoof, frowning when she realized she didn't have fingers. "Ugh, if I had hands right now, you'd be looking at one." She rolled her eyes.

"It's ten thirty. Quit your stupid game and switch to the Livestream."

Grumbling, she exited Slender and pulled up the Livestream. "It looks really bo- wait, is Fax Machine-?"

"Hoh god yes, a Discord episode!" I derped out happily.

"Shut it, I'm trying to watch." Nightmare tucked her forelegs in closer to her body as I craned my neck around her big-ass horn.

“Well, that escalated quickly.” I stretched until my back cracked.

Nightmare remained quiet, as she had the whole episode. Well, she laughed in the appropriate parts, but didn’t comment much throughout the whole time.

“I liked it. Tabitha St. Germain is the best gravy boat. Wait, so you’re the best gravy boat.” I laughed.

The newly christened Gravy Boat didn’t move.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked. “Look, I’m sorry I called you Gravy Boat.”

Ex-Gravy Boat mumbled something.

“What?”

“I said, it’s not the Gravy Boat thing.”

“Then what is it?” I questioned further. This Nightmare was scaring me. I can usually tell what she’s thinking, like if she’s hungry or- oh crap. It’s—

“Discord.”

She nodded dully. “Am I just like him? Am I domesticated like Todd or one of the Stupid Horses?”

“Nightmare...” I sighed sadly. In her eyes, I must have changed her beyond recognition, twisting her very nature. “I’m sorry. I just- ugh, I have no clue what to say in a situation like this, Nightmare Moon.”

She lifted a hoof and stared at her warped reflection. “You don’t know what it’s like. To be created of loneliness and despair, only to be- be reformed within what, two years? Three? I feel like Nyx. Weak and scared, but I’m not. Not scared and I remember arcane magic. I had all my memories when the Elements sent me here, but something happened. Something short—”

“Vertically challenged!” I fiercely reminded her, earning a small smile.

“Yes, a vertically challenged, blonde something. That happened to watch the story of the ponies that sent me here. I- I remember scarfing muffins down. That was the extent of my evil.

She gulped air to prevent from shedding liquid pride. “Now’s the same with Discord, and all it took was a friend to change him.”

She looked over to me. “Is that what you are? My friend? Is that why it’s not eternal night now, why you’re not vaporized?”

I held her hoof; I doubt a hug would help right now, what with her character crisis. “Nightmare Moon, I am proud to call you my friend. You are an incredible mare and one of the best people I have ever known. Granted, you have your moments of stupidity, but it’s not your fault that it’s not eternal night. If you remember the Muffin- Muffin- Muffin-” I frowned, trying to remember the word.

“Muffin Heist of oh-ten, then you should remember being a filly. Fillies tend to be very impressionable, like kids. If you think you’d have more- more willpower than when you’re fully grown, you’re just a stupid. In fact, last week you ate my entire stas- I mean, all my Hershey’s! You butthead.” I playfully pushed her with my shoulder.

“That still just elaborates on who I’ve become. You probably would have a collar on right now if I were like I was before.”

“Would the New Nightmare want a collar on me?”

She was silent for a moment, trying to think that one through. “No, I don’t suppose I would,” she said slowly. “I wouldn’t want you as my slave, if only to get the cookies on the top shelf. I w-want you to be better.” I could see her trying to blink back tears. “I don’t want you to die, Ana.”

I ran a consoling hand through her spectral mane. “Shh, Moony, it’s okay. If I had the choice between being well or never knowing you, I would rather have things the way they are.”

“But I don’t want that! Have you thought about me at all? What do you think I’m going to do when you’re—” She shut her eyes tightly. “I don’t want to lose you, Ana.”

“I don’t want to lose me, either. But since medicine can’t help me and magic can only do so much, I don’t want you,” I gently pushed her chin up so I could make eye contact. “To worry about me. Do you know if Celestia would come and get you?” Hey, maybe it’ll be like in My Little Dashie. Except with Nightmare Moon and I’d be dead.

“I doubt she even knows I’m still alive, much less where I am or I have my own form.” She sneezed and wiped her snot on my Michigan sweatshirt. Gross.

I scooched a couple inches away. “Okay snotmonster,  I’ll tell you what to do. You can take up my form—”

“No!”

“—and go to my work. You can have my memories, too. You’ll need them if you want to work at Doc White’s.”

“No! I’m not living your life. You have a terrible job for an eldritch deity to do, anyway. But I won’t impersonate you if you’re dead.” She shuddered. “That’s jus’ nasty!”

“So you’re saying that you’d impersonate me if I’m alive?” I nudged her again. She bit her lip and looked away shamefully.

“You would too!” I shouted. I poked her in the shoulder, emphasizing my next words. “I. Freaking. Knew it!”

“Shut up, Ana. I’m gonna go ‘n feed Bruce and Todd.” Nightmare got up, horn reaching about seven-six. When she stood up before, said horn drove a divot in the drywall ceiling. Again.

I stood up; the nuke was defused. I sat down again in puzzlement. What had I been doing before? Something about fruit...