chapter 16

Twilight went through all the books she had on site, but the library wasn't as well stocked as Canterlot. Amethyst, unable to go on missions because of her broken wing, helped her to find it and went one book after the other.
"I can't find anything useful here!" she said in frustration, "and Princess Celestia hasn't answered either. What should I do?" She began to trot in circles, "If what Electric says is correct, that is an incredibly strong curse. Or could it be an incredibly strong curse. What if it is something else? Then what could it be?"
"Maybe ..." began Amethyst, "maybe this is it." she put a book down for Twilight. Illusions, dreams and imagination and how to manipulate.
"It's worth trying. Maybe we can find something." Twilight began to look through everything when a letter came from Celestia.
"Finally!" she exclaimed and read the letter quickly, "Princess Celestia regrets the situation and she understands our problems, but unfortunately she is herself on the battlefield here in the north right now. She cannot go through the library herself, but a courier is on the way to send the curators on a search. "
She looked up, a little shocked: "The princess is here?"

Swift's breath was fast and rattled.
He was now running for who knows how long through a seemingly endless corridor, behind him he heard screams and this one laugh that belonged to her.
He had never felt so much fear, not even when he was first shot at. Or when he was nearly stabbed with a spear by an enemy. He had only won the death grip thanks to a comrade.
"It's good, Swift." he heard a familiar voice, "You don't need to be afraid."
Death was next to him, and seemed to be sliding across the floor.
or as if Swift's hooves were moving space and not him.
"But ... SHE could be back there!" he said with a rattling breath.
"No, she is not. Your fear is back there. Seen from the face of it, your fear is right now. Trust me." Death raised his hoof to him.
Swift looked at the hoof, then became more scared. "Will ... are you going to get me? Like Lucky?"
Death sighed and bowed his head a little so that Swift couldn't see his face.
"Lucky's time was up. Everypony has its time in this world, and everypony will one day be brought to the other side by my hoof. It's not a nice job, but ... I took it once voluntarily." Death raised his head again, fire in his eyes.
With a powerful stomp of his hoof, the ground broke under Swift and he began to fall.
He screamed in panic because he had no wings.

Fluttershy turned around, startled, when Swift gave a scream and fought the shackles that were holding him in the sickbed. Electric had also jumped up to rush to Swift.
"What has he?" she asked worried.
"I don't know," said Fluttershy, holding her hoof to his forehead, feeling his pulse, "But he seems to be very scared. I can't do anything for him at the moment. Just hold his hoof."
Electric did that and had tears in her eyes.

Swift couldn't see the ground.
There were no walls
And everything above him was pitch black
But he felt the wind tug at him while he felt.
So He had to fall, right?
Only that Death was standing next to him and was completely still again. not even a breeze pulled his robe.
"Don't you trust me, Swift? I am death, the great equalizer. My job is to be fair, my mistress is Destiny, I obey here alone." he said in a firm voice, "I'll do that shortly after the time started, and I'll do it until I'm released from this pack."
He raised his hoof to Swift again, "and it's not your time yet."
Swift thought for a moment, then tried to grab Death's hooves, but hesitated.
Death leaned forward and helped Swift the last inch.
As soon as Swift touched Death's hoof, the wind stopped and Swift gently touched down.
Swift looked around, breathing hard.
"come with me. I'll take you to a safe place until your friends can help you." said Death and went first.
Swift didn't have much choice and followed with trembling legs.

as soon as Electric had touched his hoof, swift had calmed down a little, was breathing hard and sweating. She also began to stroke his forehead and whispered: "I'm here, Swift. I'm here for you ..."
Still a little unsure what exactly the problem was, Fluttershy went back to other patients with the words: "If something changes, let me know."
"okay ..." Electric said and continued to look at Swift with concern.

Swift recognized a small cabin in the distance.
"Wait ... am I ..." he started to ask, but Death just laughed and shook his head.
When the door opened they were both in a room Swift already knew.
"Hello Swift." said Destiny from a place in front of the fireplace, "come sit down with me. I want to tell you a story."
Swift was a little unsure, but then sat across from Destiny.
"So you won't be able to see anything." Destiny said and with the help of her magic she pulled Swift over, raised her wing and put it over Swift.
Just like his mother used to do when he was scared as a little foal.
He felt safe in that hug.
"There. Much better, right?" she asked with a smile and with the help of magic she lifted a book so that Swift could see it too.
Instead of words, there were pictures inside that were moving.
"This is the story of how my little sister was taken over by this nightmare." she explained.

Swift seemed to calm down more and more, even if he still looked restless. Electric sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.
"How is he?" asked Rarity, who was working in the infirmary, and brought Electric a glass of water.
"I think he is slowly calming down. I just hope that everything was really only a nightmare. Not that he is worse off than we thought." She patted his cheek gently, "He's been through so much already."
"Yes, that's right, and so far he has always come out stronger." Rarity said with a grin, then put her hoof on Electrics shoulder: "He can do it."
"I hope so. With friends like you all he can certainly do anything. I just wish I could do more at the moment." Electric sighed softly, "I'm pretty much useless right now."
"That's not true, my dear. You give him support and comfort. After all, he loves you, doesn't he?" pointed out to Rarity.
"I think so. He just never said it before."

Swift had listened to the whole story and put his head on his forelegs, starting to think.
"How come you actually spend so much time with me? Or Death, when we're at it. Don't you have to be everywhere at the same time?" he asked thoughtfully.
"But we are." Destiny replied, "I am responsible for every fate. And that means I am with every living being at all times. Just like Grim. I can't explain this accurately, but ... try to imagine a caladoscope. Just instead of patterns you see." a pony, and with every pony I am. For every decision this pony makes, the picture is divided into further pictures. And I am always with this pony. Each time I have to create a new path until the next decision. Exactly so it is with Grim. He has his tasks from me, and he does them. "
She smiled at Death, who smiled back.
"Why do you call him Grim?" Swift asked, "Nightmare Moon did the same."
"Well ... that used to be my name. Grim End." Death explained with a smile, "When I died Destiny had to collect souls herself and lead them to the other side. I have offered her to take on this task." explained Death, "and she has accepted. This should be the case until we both declare the contract we made to have been fulfilled."
"ah ... and why is Nightmare Moon after the elements of harmony?" Swift asked further.
"Oh dear, somepony is eager to learn!" Destiny said with a laugh, then opened the book again, this time the pictures showed something different: "There are timelines that are a little bit shifted. This one, for example, shows how Nightmare Moon was defeated and returned as Princess Luna. That would be if the whole thing with the time travel not happening, our timeline would be similar to the one there. "
"Sounds complicated." Swift said and looked at the book, the pictures moved and he recognized a couple of mares. "hey, this is Twilight! and this is Fluttershy, Rarity Applejack and Commander Dash! but who is this pink pony? I know her from somewhere"
The book was quickly closed.
"You shouldn't see that." Destiny said, "It could distort decisions you make."
"But it could also help to fix this timeline as you wish." Grim interjected, stepping next to the two of them, "It's time to go again, Swift. Your friends have found a solution to your problem. And if they wake you now while your soul is not in your body, this could have unpleasant consequences for you . "

Twilight's horn glowed a heavy magenta, and the magic of the spell enveloped Swift's head.
His facial expressions softened again and he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Okay I hope this helps." Twilight said, giving way to Fluttershy, who controlled Swift. "Pulse is relatively normal. He has no fever ... breathing is normal again." she widened his eye to test his pupils. "and the pupils react normally."
"I want to hope so." Swift said weakly, and protested loudly afterwarts, "Please turn off the light. It's stinging in my eye."
Fluttershy almost dropped the flashlight in shock.
As Swift looked around, he realized he was in the infirmary.
"What ... what happened? Why did you tie me to the bed? Is that a kind of joke? A prank?"
Rainbow Dash walked over to him cautiously. "Don't you remember anymore?"
"Not much ..." Swift said and began to think hard.
Then the memories came back and he grabbed his skull: "ouch ... but I can remember me again. It was as if I had stumbled from one bad nightmare into the next and then into a third." Then he was startled and sat bolt upright in bed "Destiny ... I now know the story behind the two sisters. And I have an idea what our fifth element looks like!" He jumped up, "We're looking for a pink pony with a pink mane. I met her once. What was her name? Hmm Pinkamina Pie, I think. She was ..."
Electric piped up: "She was the one who kicked dents in your wings while sparring! I remember!"
"Exactly! We are looking for her!" Swift called full of energy and jumped off in the direction of the door: "What are we waiting for?"

"We're waiting for you to get better, sergeant. I don't know what exactly you've been dreaming, but from the outside it looked pretty violent." Commander Dash said in a harsh tone, "and if you haven't had a check-up you're banned from flying!"
Swift's wings fell to the ground with a metallic crack.
"But ..." he began, Rainbow Dash lifted his hoof, interrupted him: "No Buts unless you have a tail to go with it. And now swing your flank back onto the bed and let Fluttershy do her work."
"Yes ma'am." Swift said and went back to the bed, sat on it.
"While you're doing that, I'll get both squadrons ready so that we can go when you're done."
this time the answer was much happier: "Yes, ma'am!"

Author's Note

Nightmare Moon's attacks:

While Swift Specter is a relatively easy target thanks to the insecurities he carries around with his wings and because of his feelings about Electric, reports of strange nightmares are mounting across Equestria. Alleged attacks by an Alicorn are also said to have occurred, but this can also be attributed to dreams. Otherwise it only happens on full moon nights, it is becoming more and more common.
A sure sign for all who know of the existence of nightmare moon that it is gaining strength and preparing to break out.