Author's Note

Reworked it as some people felt things were going to fast. If you were here for the original then you know. If not, then welcome.

Tell me what you think! Please? I really hope I did better or reworked it in a way you liked.

thanks for reading everyone! <3

A Dream Walker Lives (Reworked. Hope you like it.)

Location: Canterlot Equestria
Planet: Earth
Time: Unknown night
Date: Unknown
Units involved: None.
Personnel involved: Unknown entities detected.

Luna stretched and looked around her own subconscious. She was back in Ponyville and a wicked laugh filled the air, ponies screamed and ran past her. It was foggy, cold, and wrong. There wasn't a star in the sky, not even the moon shown it's white light. She knew this all had to be a dream as Ponyville had been liberated and the Humans were still there to protect it. Yet here she saw no Humans let alone guards from her own military.

In front of her a pony was crawling away before a spear went through his face. The sight made Luna wretch in disgust and almost throw up the meal she had before going to bed. Granted the meal hadn't been all that tasty since rationing was still going on and a true ruler suffered with their people. Still though she looked around and cast a spell, her horn glowing a bright blue which had no effect on the fog.

"Oh sweet sweet little Lulu you can't do that here. I'm running this dream". The tone was full of malice and dripped with venom as if the words themselves were trying to infect her.

Luna stomped her hoof and snorted in anger and defiance. "Show yourself fiend! This is no dream but a Nightmare and I know of only one creature that would be as disgusting and grotesque as this"! Luna challenged the creature.

Appearing from the fog came a black mare, her pupils predatory slits, her teeth sharp for tearing, and her laugh wicked and cruel. "We're wounded dear Luna, we though that thee would appreciate our hoofwork, after all you taught us how to weave such wonderful dreams". The black mare cackled as her voice seemed to double or even triple.

"W-we....I did not teach you any such thing! You took over my mind, you created what you wanted. I had no choice". Luna stammered back as she took a step away from the now approaching black mare. There was no way she had taught such a creature such foul magic was there? No, it had to be a lie right?

Vanishing in to the air in a whisp of smoke the black mare divided in to three separate entities and began to circle Luna. "Do you honestly believe that? Do you think they'd believe that or even better, do you think that they believe you're really you? After a stunt like yours it's very unlikely that they would even begin to after you only being back for a few years". It cackled once more.

Luna pinned her ears to her head, trying to shut out the voice before firing an angered blue bolt of energy at one of the clouds. She was hoping to silence it, stop it's games but it simply divide itself out of the way and upon doing so made a fourth. This one flew up in to her face and took on the look of an innocent looking filly. "Why would you do that? That wasn't very nice". It said and giggled darkly before flying away from Luna's forehoof swinging at it.

The clouds danced and giggled, each taking on faces and as time went on Luna began to recognize them. Stewards, maids, guards, and even citizens from their old castle the night she changed. Soon the screaming started, the pleas for mercy and help filling the air around her.

"You can't shut them out Luna. You can't silence what's in OUR head. Listen to them little Luna, listen to the voices of everyone you hurt that night. There's no forgiveness, only your sister keeps the people in line and even your sister fears you. You think she wont exile you again the moment you get a little upset"? The voice called to her from the fog while that various smoke entities circled her.

"Please princess help me"!

"To think we trusted her".

"Mommy I'm scared! Mommy"!

"I'm right here sweetheart, mommy's here".

"Princess get control of yourself. We believe...ack"!

The voices grew with intensity, fear, and rage. Luna shook her head as she tried to ignore them with tears filling her eyes. "NO! I didn't mean to! I'm sorry! I was so angry and I'm so sorry"!

"You lied to us"!

"Hurt us"!

"Betrayed us"!

Luna collapsed, unable to bring herself to hurt those she had hurt that night. Even if it was a horrible dream it was like reliving everything that had happened as the entire night flashed before her eyes. Her heart raced, beating in her ears like a drum as she screamed loudly and in anguish. "STOP"! She pleaded loudly and with that the voices ceased.

Looking up Luna hoped the dream was over only to find that she was still trapped, Nightmare Moon standing before her. Luna's eye still shimmered with tears and wet fur was matted under her eyes where they had marked their trails. So much pain, so much suffering, and she had caused it.

"Do you think Twilight and her friends really care about you? Think about it. What better way to contain a threat than to have the very ponies you consider 'friends' be close to you? With them so close you'll be weakened when they use the elements again. You have no friends except for me little moon. I never betrayed you, I was the only one with you during those thousand years, and I'm still here now. Celestia has failed to protect the country but together....together we can reclaim equestria and save the world". Nightmare whispered to the blue mare, softening her tone towards the end.

Luna looked away in shame and in fear. Nightmare had a point. The friendship from Twilight and her friends had come to easy and she doubted anyone truly forgave her. People still cowered when she walked by at times, like they hadn't had a chance to hide it before she rounded the corner.

"Ssshh sssshhh little lulu. Let me make it all better, let me take over and soon the world will be cheering our names while you take a little nap". Nightmare cooed to the now shaking princess. Not hearing her reject the offer, Nightmare smiled. Her hoof touched Luna's and began to travel slowly up the Night Princess's hoof and frog.

Smiling in victory Nightmare suddenly felt a white heat on her back that made pain run through her hind legs and tail. It wasn't sunlight but it burned and made her hiss in both rage and pain. Without warning she felt her progress stopped as she was suddenly anchored down from behind, suddenly being pulled backwards.

"That has got to be THE WORST offer I have ever heard and not to mention downright manipulative as fuck! Really? She sleeps while you get all the power, all the glory, and all the attention if you succeed. The fuck kind of a negotiator are you"?! The voice questioned with annoyance.

"You take her friendships, her sister, and those she cares for and start twisting their image. You use her pain and trauma against her. You're not fit to be a ruler even if you did succeed in your take over. Don't you dare take all the hard work and good she's done and throw it in her face". The voice spoke with harshness as if chastising a child.

"Who are you to dare enter my realm, my nightmare. I will make your dreams tartarus for the rest of your mffff"! Finding herself unable to speak a something clamped her muzzle shut a sigh of annoyance was heard.

"Couple things before you go on monologuing. One, my dreams are already Hell. Your very definition of a 'Nightmare is child's play to the things I've seen. Two, you're a parasite. You see you're the very definition of insanity. You're what happens when a social creature doesn't have any contact to very little contact with the outside world or with others. You're the loneliness, the sorrow, the depression, the awkwardness, the fear, and the anger. You're every negative thing she was dealing with in silence as she was ignored". The voice spoke with venom. A hand soon released Nightmare's muzzle.

"You're the lack of attention, love, and care. You're the one who convinces her she's weak and no one would care for her. Here's the problem with that statement". The voice continued as a white Pegasus with wings of gold along it's feathered tips, it's main a mix of what seemed to be swirling nebula gasses, stepped from the light. It stood as tall as Nightmare and as the light receded a horn could be seen.

Luna and Nightmare both looked in shock at what stood before them Luna couldn't put her hoof on it but the voice was familiar but it was angry, enraged, righteously so. Nightmare's shock soon turned to rage and as she opened her mouth to speak she was stopped by a raised hoof.

"I'M NOT DONE SPEAKING YET"! The voice roared and glared at Nightmare who ,for once in her long existence, felt compelled to shut her mouth, a hard swallow heard as the fog and entities that had harassed Luna burned away.

"See the one thing this mare never learned is how fucking badass she is. To go a thousand plus years fighting your demons and darker thoughts without help is a glorious feat. It is one no one should have to achieve but if they do they should wear it with pride. She didn't give up, even at her weakest. You just waited till she was just weak enough to assume control. This mare you see in front of you is not responsible for the things YOU forced her through. I have brothers, I have sisters, I have a family that spans the stars and never once have I ever stopped loving them even when there were days I wished for what they had".

Walking around Nightmare to Luna, the strange stallion picked Luna up and glared daggers at Nightmare. "It's time to fix this issue, to do a deep clean and remove the virus, the parasite". The Alicorn spoke coolly, it's pupils narrowing at her the black mare.

Realizing she was in serious danger Nightmare lit up her horn and fired a a blast at the strange stallion who responded in kind, his magic beam a mix of gold and white. In magic duels it was possible to feel the emotions stemming from the user. As their magic battled it out her eyes widened. So much rage, so much love, so much...........joy. The stallion was enjoying putting himself in danger for another. It was enjoying and finding pleasure in being selfless. It cared not for it's life, there was no hint of fear or doubt. The certainty she could feel was terrifying. He was resolved to end her even if it meant his own life.

Luna stood back watching in fear. She had no idea who the stallion was let alone how he was matching Nightmare ounce for ounce of power in a realm she and her controlled. It was a realm where the black mare could call upon infinite amounts of power but she couldn't seem to overpower the stallion. She could Nightmare straining, her magic beam getting shorter and shorter by the second.

"WHY?! WHY AREN'T YOU SCARED?! HOW ARE YOU FINDING BLISS IN PUTTING YOURSELF IN DANGER FOR ANOTHER?! WHAT ARE YOU"?! Nightmare screamed loudly as Luna was shaken from her trance of the light show. The fear in the dark tyrant that had been her insanity had turned to sheer terror. She watched as the stallions magic came within an inch of Nightmare's horn before he spoke.

"Your Nightmare". He stated before an explosion occurred, disintegrating Nightmare as she screamed in pain. The dream burned away and engulfed Luna not in pain but a soft warmth that made her feel light, as if a burden had been lifted from her.

Waking up with a gasp Luna breathed heavily, her heart was pounding in her ears still as her adrenaline still ran through her veins. Looking around her room and looking down to her body she touched her chest, head, and legs. She was here and she felt light....she felt new....she felt like a new mare with a new life. Rolling over in her bed she screamed in to the pillow with glee, her wings flapping excitedly she did. "She's gone! She's gone and I'm free"! She squealed in to the pillow with barely contained joy.

Elsewhere someone was waking up with one hell of a headache and a bad attitude with a need for coffee.