It was nighttime. The moon sat high in the sky, watching over the empty darkness as it blanketed the land. Underneath the moonlight sat a palace, crystal walls shining and it’s castle-like structure lending it an air of elegance as it stood proudly over the sleepy town of Loveville.

Upon one of the many balconies stood a little pink alicorn named Princess Lily Love, a small smile on her face as she looked out across the land, paintbrush in hoof as she brought the scene in front of her to life on the canvas that was set up next to her. She made a few more strokes with the brush before stepping back and looking at her work. It was some of her best yet.

As she went back to her task, a purple dragon named Sash Lilac entered the balcony and watched her friend as she painted. It was a peaceful scene, but, alas, it could not last.

“Lily, what are you still doing up?” Lilac asked. “It’s almost midnight.”

She got no response; Lily Love was too busy concentrating.

“Lily?”

Silence once more. The dragon smiled and sighed, rolling her eyes as she did so, and then took a deep breath.

“PRINCESS LILY LOVE!!!!” she yelled, causing Lily Love to leap into the air with a yelp of surprise.

Lily Love flew down to Lilac, red in the face.

“LILAC!” she shouted back. “HOW DARE YOU USE YOUR ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE WITH ME! I’M TRYING TO FINISH MY PAINTING! WHY WOULD YOU INTERRUPT ME LIKE THAT!?”

“Because,” Lilac began, rubbing her ears as she did so, hoping no permanent damage had been done from being quite so close to the royal Canterlot voice, “it’s almost midnight; you’ve been out here for hours. Maybe it’s time to take a break?”

Lily glanced at the clock as Lilac was speaking.

“Oh, What the Love!” she exclaimed. “I lost track of time! Thanks for letting me know, Lilac.”

“No problem,” replied the dragon, using her hands to levitate the canvas and paints into the castle.

Lilac wrapped Lily Love in a hug.

“Sweet dreams, my Furry Best Friend Forever.”

Lily hugged her back, and then trotted inside to her bedroom, Lilac on her heels.

Sash Lilac let herself out, and then Lily Love set about putting her paints away and washing her brushes save them drying into a crumbly mess overnight. She took one last look at her unfinished painting and smiled at it before tucking herself into bed and switching off her light.

She was asleep almost instantly.

When Lily opened her eyes, she was no longer in her room. Six ponies stood in front of her, facing off against Nightmare Moon, a dark alicorn with a swirling, nebula-like mane.

Princess Lily smiled at the sight of the lavender unicorn, who stood with a brilliant orb forming above her, and five ponies - two pegasi, a unicorn and two earth ponies - standing behind her. Twilight Sparkle and her friends.

She smiled Twilight Sparkle, as she had been in the past, spoke to the first foe she’d ever faced.

“You see, Nightmare Moon,” said Dream-Twilight, “when these Elements are ignited by the… the spark, that resides in the heart of all of us, it creates the sixth element; the element of... magic!”

The orb above the unicorn then grew in size, engulfing the room in white light. It cleared to show necklaces forming out of the pieces of floating crystal that had surrounded Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie, and a crown that housed the element of magic that came to rest upon Twilight’s head as she and her friends were magically lifted into the air. A bright light surrounded them, then a double-helix rainbow beam of magic shot out from them, arching into the air and barrelling straight towards Nightmare Moon.

The dream then changed, flashing from one scene to another, each being of a long past memory. Lily Love saw every villains that Twilight Sparkle and her friends had ever faced, although she didn’t recognize all of them. She strained her mind, trying to remember all of their names, but put her thoughts on hold as she watched the six mares all trotting happily together. She smiled as Twilight grew wings and flew up, up, up, into the air, twisting and turning and diving.

The five mares still left on the ground fell out of sight as Twilight soared through the dreamscape.

“Oh, Twily,” Lily Love sighed, “I wish I could be a hero like you, but… I don’t know if I’m ready. Maybe you can tell me if I am? Maybe you can tell me how I can be?”

Suddenly, a darkness descended upon the dream, suffocating and all-encompassing. A pair of Wereponies stared and manifested in front of Lily Love and seemed to study her, beady pupils sweeping over her form and taking in everything they saw.

Lily Love gasped at the sight, stopping short in front of the entity, but Twilight continued flying, oblivious to the dark presence that had decided to pay them a visit.

“What is that?” Princess Lily breathed to herself.

For a moment, the two remained stationary, glaring at each other in a silent stand-off. Neither moved, neither blinked.

Suddenly, the eyes moved, swiveling their attention to the dream Twilight, still flying without a care in the world, and, as they did so, a streak of panic shot through Lily Love.

“Twily!” she tried to call out, but her fear held tight to her vocal chords, and only a small, strangled croak came out. She felt like a filly again, lying in bed after a nightmare, too scared to even call out for Twilight and her friends, as she watched the entity slowly circle Twilight, dark energy swirling around it.

Her attempt to warn Twilight seemed to have worked, though, because Twilight stopped, staring down the monster herself. Stardust breathed a sigh of relief; her mother would know what to do. She’d save the day as she had so many times before; she’d vanquish her foe with friendship, and all would be right with the world.

So why was Twilight still stationary? Why was she just hovering, staring at the eyes?

Dread pooled in Lily Love’s stomach once more as she became aware of a deep growling, emanating from all around, from the very darkness they were all enveloped within.

“Twilight!” Lily Love yelled. “What are you doing? You need to get away!”

The growling became louder, and yet Twilight still didn’t move.

“Twily!” There were tears in Lily Love’s eyes. “Twilight, please! You need to run! You need to -”

She was cut off as the growling stopped, replaced with a dark, insidious laughter that chilled her to the bone.

The eyes swiveled back to stare at Princess, and she felt them pierce deep into her soul.

A voice from nowhere and everywhere all at once sent ice through her veins and a shiver down her spine as it spoke.

“Silly pinky,” it spat, British accent making it seem all the more cold. “There’s nowhere to run to, missy.”

Then the eyes flashed white, enveloping all in a blinding light and burning up all in its path.

Lily Love gasped and sat straight up in bed, suddenly very awake. She rubbed at her eyes and glanced at the clock on her bedside table.

“How is it only half past midnight?” Princes Lily Love asked into the darkness, more for her own comfort than anything else, the silence having been empty and terrifying. “That dream felt like forever!”

Her eyes swept the room, the feeling of dread that had formed while she was asleep having followed her into the waking world.

“I can probably still get some sleep, though,” she whispered to herself, flicking on the bedside lamp as she did so. “Hopefully, that horrible nightmare won’t happen again.”

Lily Love, once more, tucked herself in, ensuring every part of her was hidden under the blankets, except her eyes and muzzle, and her hooves, which poked over the top of the duvet. She closed her eyes and snuggled back into her pillows and waited for sleep to take her, hoping that, this time, it would be pleasant and peaceful.

Author's Note

Princess Lily Love has a dream. The Darkness has spread all over the world. She is with her Friend Sash Lilac.

P.S: If you have an Idea, sent to me in this chapter!