Luna Nightmare

The train ride was quite exciting as the ponies were treated to a delightful view of Ponyville as the train climbed in spirals up the mountain, the huge castle city of Canterlot on a distant cliff.

"We need another member will be sure to get the job done. We can't take any risks." Princess Celestia said.

"Princess, we already left Ponyville. Is this somepony in Canterlot?" Twilight asked curiously.

"No. She's on this train with us." Princess Celestia said. "I'm sure some of you are familiar with her?"

She stepped aside, revealing a light yellow pony with a flowing black and grey mane. Her purple eyes darted around, a mischievous smirk on her face.

"No... Way..." Twilight shook her head slowly.

"You're real?" Rainbow Dash gaped at the figure.

"They aren't just books, you know." Daring Do said, shaking hands with the ponies.

"Looks like a lot of you have read her books?" Celestia smiled.

"Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my go-" Applejack stuffed a hoof into Rainbow's mouth, muffling the remainder of her highly repetitive sentence.

"I see I do have some fans..." Daring put on her light green signature hat.

Rainbow Dash leaped forward and skid to a halt before Daring's hooves, lying on the floor and looking up expectantly.

"Pleeaaase Daring.... You have to teach me those tricks!" she begged.

Twilight chuckled.

The remainder of the ride was spent with the ponies enquiring about Daring Do's adventures, all listening intently as Daring told her stories in pony herself. They hardly noticed when the gleaming white-and-gold castle towers of Canterlot loomed over them.

A white unicorn with a blue mane and a pink pony with a multi-colored mane greeted them at the train station.

"Cadence! Shining Armor!" Twilight squealed and leaped into their arms as the train doors opened.

"Princess Cadence. Shining Armor." Applejack bowed.

"So good to see you! How are you two? Did you spend a lot of time together? How's Canterlot? It seems sunny don't you agree it's so sunny here..." Shining Armor was prepared for Pinkie's barrage of questions, and replied in kind.

"Yes, it's all very nice here." he said, then patted Twilight in the head. The two siblings never saw each other often, as Shining Armor is the captain of the royal guards, and Twilight is assigned to research duty at Ponyville.

When the greetings were over, they got straight to business.

"How are you feeling, Luna?" Cadence twirled Luna's hair. "Think you can handle this?"

"I'll be fine." Luna said. "Just get out of my way if Nightmare Moon comes out. I'm just scared I might kill somepony and not even get the chance to apologize."

"Don't worry. I'm sure Twilight and the others can handle it." Shining Armor said, but doubt still lingered in his words as they trotted towards the castle.

"Twilight, you think you can keep the spell going?" Celestia asked. Keeping the spell intact was of utmost importance, as Nightmare Moon may easily escape should the spell break down in the middle of the operation.

"I've practiced it." Twilight said. The princess had given her the book months ago. "I think I can handle it fine."

"That's my good student." Celestia smiled proudly, and was the closest to a grin she ever got- although keeping graceful was quite important too, so grinning didn't happen often.

Pinkie was talking with Fluttershy and Rarity, while Rainbow Dash took the opportunity as team leader to talk to Daring Do more about the plans. Princess Celestia had explained each pony's role in the operation on the way, and Daring, Rainbow and Applejack were the frontline fighters should they encounter any of Nightmare Moon's minions.

"Pinkie is the architect, so she'll construct the dream. We can add anything to it, but can't change any of he dream's environment- so we can have heavy armor if we want." Rainbow said, walking along side Daring.

"Good equipment won't get us as far as good teamwork my dear." Daring patted Rainbow on the back.

The huge golden gates to the castle grounds loomed over them, and the guards on either side opened them with their magic. The castle grounds were immense, filled with the most beautiful of plants and cutest of animals. This was heaven for Fluttershy. She danced around the gardens, birds crowding and chirping around her.

Princess Cadence chuckled. "Come on now, Fluttershy. We need to fix Luna up first. I promise you can have your time here afterwards."

Luna moaned, and rubbed her head, an involuntary spark of magic escaping her horn.

"We really need to get you to bed." Twilight said, looking worriedly at Luna.

The climb to the top of one of the castle towers was excruciating, but it was a secure location and there was an army of royal guards on standby.

Applejack flinched as she entered the room in which the operation will be performed- the forcefield Shining Armor conjured was invisible, and the sensation put the creeps on her. "Shucks! What in the name of Celestia-" she suddenly zipped her mouth. "Sorry."

"Quite all right." princess Celestia said in an urgent and dismissive manner. "Twilight, set up the spell. Captain Armor, I need your guards ready, and on high alert for the next seven hours. Good luck, all."

"On it, ma'am." Twilight said, and started charging up the spell in her horn. Shining Armor went off to issue orders.

"Rest, sister; for it'll all be over soon- one way or the other." Celestia gently lay Luna to bed.

"This has got to be the worst birthday ever." Luna moaned.

"Don't worry princess, we'll try our best to make the dream a happy one." Applejack assured her.

"Everypony, drink your sleep potions. Good luck again." Celestia bowed, signaling the beginning of the operation.

"All right everypony! Three! Two! One! Let's go!" Pinkie Pie yelled, and the team gulped down the potions Celestia gave them. Twilight released the spell, and then they all collapsed onto the ground, their eyelids already closing when they fell through the air.

Rainbow Dash's eyes abruptly flung open, and she peered through her lashes to shed out the burning sun- looks like they are in a desert. Well, she was in a desert.

She swerved around, checking all around herself. No sign of Twilight, no sign of Daring. She was alone in the desert. She knew it was a dream, but couldn't help but feel frustrated that Pinkie probably didn't do her job properly.

Suddenly the world around her started to melt, but she stayed where she was, sitting on nothing as the ground collapsed beneath her. Darkness overcame everything, but she could still see herself clear as day. This was odd, and she knew it was odd. Often in normal dreams this would've seemed normal and she wouldn't have questioned the laws of physics in this dream world, but Twilight's spell caused the brain to function normally, joining the minds together into the same dream, also sharpening their senses too, so their minds function as they would while being awake.

Color started swirling at Rainbow Dash's feet, and everything expanded and exploded into a city.

"Manehatten? Pinkie- quit fooling around!" Rainbow yelled, disregarding whether or not Pinkie could hear her.

The streets were filled with ponies, talking, drinking, or just walking. Tall concrete sky-rise buildings reached for the sky all around her, the grey skies covering the entire area. The sun barely penetrated the polluted skies, but the city was still oddly bright. She heard a loud horn go off somewhere, and saw ponies in the distance scrambling away from a thick column of smoke that rose to the sun.

She stayed there for a moment, listening to the chaos and watching the source of the smoke speed towards her. Then she heard the cracking of concrete, and got a full does of adrenaline.

She sprang into action, her wings beating at the air as she jetted towards the sky. There was one final beep from the horn that rocked her bones and made her jaw clatter, then a deafening roaring accompanied it as a freight train sped underneath her, the wind hitting her hard and launching her through the air. She landed on her back on the roof of the train, her mane flowing in the wind as the train wrecked havoc across the city.

"Pinkie... I knew I shouldn't have made her the architect." Rainbow muttered, but she couldn't even hear herself over the howling wind. She stretched her wings, then leaped forward, getting an extra boost from the train's speed and darting forward. She glided alongside the train, checking the windows on the sides. All with curtains drawn.

She flew closer, and kicked one of the windows with all her strength. It shattered, and she tumbled into the empty compartment. She sprung up, ready to engage an enemy- but none came.

Shadows played across the floors and walls as the filtered light constantly changed angles. She slowly walked forward, her light footsteps barely audible in the constant screeching of the train's wheels on concrete. Light was coming from the next compartment, and she already expected what she was to see before she opened the door.

"Found you guys." she muttered.

"Rainbow! Shucks, we thought we'd never find you." Applejack said.

"Well, for the record you almost ran me over." Rainbow Dash growled.

"No time for arguing. We have seven hours to get to Nightmare Moon- she's located at the most remote place of Luna's mind- her personality itself." Twilight said.

"And how are we supposed to get to that?" Applejack raised an eyebrow.

"Nightmare Moon's minions will be guarding the way there. The closer we get, the more concentrated they will be." Twilight explained.

Suddenly the train rocked, and an explosion shook the entire train.

"And I think we're heading in the right way." she finished.

A series of clunks echoed across the roof.

"Here they are." Rainbow Dash looked up. "Derpy, Daring, on me. Let's go!" she said, and flew up, busting a hole in the roof, followed by Derpy Hooves and Daring Do.

"Come on ponies! We need to keep them clear of the train!" Pinkie shouted, and her party cannon appeared at her feet.

"Watch out for the sides- that'll be where they'll come in." Applejack warned. While the pegasi are covering them from the air, they won't be able to take care of everyone. Fluttershy was cowering in a corner, but Twilight chose to ignore her as she probably won't be able to help anyway.

"Doctor, we need you to repair the barricades if they break in." Twilight said. The Doctor nodded, and the sonic screw driver appeared between his teeth.

"First wave- oh." Rainbow Dash flew through the air, and fell silent as she spotted the first wave of enemies souring through the sky, leaving a trail of thick smoke and lightning behind them. "Shadowbolts! Incoming!"

She charged forth, a shining bubble of disrupted air and energy forming in front of her as she threatened to enter sonic speed.

"More to the left- Derpy! Go with Rainbow! I'll handle the left side." Daring said, and swooshed away.

Rainbow Dash heard a loud explosion behind her, lighting up the sky with multiple colors. She is now at sonic speed, and just then she performed a sonic rain-boom. Now she had a clear trail of rainbows following her as she sliced through the air. She hit one of the shadowbolts head on, and he vaporized into shadows.

The train rocked as something collided with its side.

"Uh-oh. That can't be good." Twilight struggled to regain balance, before being thrown off her feet again as the train shifted to the side.

"We need to set up a defense system-" Applejack rolled from one side of the train to the other.

"Okey dokey lokey!" Pinkie said, and bounced through the hole Rainbow made and hopped onto the roof.

Twilight looked worriedly at Applejack. "What might Pinkie-"

Suddenly there was the noise of exploding confetti and swoosh and bangs of fireworks. Multicolored lights flowed into the cabin.

"Pinkie! You're gonna get us shot down too!" Rainbow swerved right to avoid a rocket.

"But I didn't make these!" Pinkie yelled from below, trying desperately to blow the fuses out- but for some reason, not even the howling wind could extinguish the sparks.

"Sure you didn't- wait, what?"

"They keep popping up!" Pinkie screamed, waving her hooves in the air out of desperation as a few more boxes of fireworks appeared on the roof.

"Pinkie! What's going on out there? You do know you're supposed to shoot the Shadowbolts, right?" Twilight's head popped up from inside the hole.

"I'm not doing this! This dream is going crazy!!" Pinkie was running around in circles, trying to knock the boxes off the side.

"You look crazier than the dream is." Twilight muttered, and went back inside.

"Dash! There's more of 'em!" Daring yelled.

"Reckon we're getting closer?" Rainbow swished around, speeding straight for the Shadowbolts in tight formation.

"Pinkie! Can you erase the fireworks?" Twilight asked.

"I tried! But they won't go away!" Pinkie yelled back.

So somepony is controlling the dream alongside Pinkie- they can't change each other's modification deliberately- so we'll just have to keep the fireworks off the best we can. Twilight assessed the situation in her head. Nightmare Moon must be controlling the dream as well.

"Um... Girls?" Fluttershy said. "GIRLS!"

"What Fluttershy!" Twilight yelled, pacing anxiously and helping the Doctor reinforce barricades with her magic.

"I... Look..." Fluttershy pointed out the front window.

Twilight walked over to the window, certain there was nothing there. She peered through it, struggling to see through her own reflection. Her certainty turned to shock and horror as she spotted what was ahead of them- one solid brick wall, stretching across the horizon and out of site. It rose right in front of them, rising all the way to the sky.

"Pinkie!" Twilight yelled. No reply. "PINKIE!"

Applejack leaped onto the roof.

"Come on y'all!" she yelled, started dragging a protestant Pinkie- she was kicking and screaming at the fireworks. "We gotta get inside!"

"Daring!" Rainbow Dash cried out- Daring Do was engaging an entire squad of Shadowbolts, and was slowly being overwhelmed. "Get back here!"

But even as Rainbow said this, she could tell running wasn't an option for Daring. The Shadowbolts had completely surrounded her.

"Buck this." Rainbow cursed, and darted for Daring.

Two of the Shadowbolts were right on Daring's tail, almost catching up. The other two were turning around to meet her head on.

A small bubble started forming at Rainbow's outstretched hooves, sparkling with energy.

Daring seemed to notice her inevitable defeat as the four Shadowbolts closed in on her.

"Come on... Come on..." Rainbow urged her wings.

Daring tried to fly higher up, but the Shadowbolts followed her easily.

Suddenly the entire scene exploded into multiple colors as Rainbow Dash performed a sonic rain-boom right in the center of the battle. Daring was flung backwards, and the Shadowbolts disappeared into vapor.

Daring was falling now, her eyes closing and the world spiraling around her. She could feel reality tugging on the other side, and she fought with all her mental energy to avoid waking up. She was traveling in a steady arc from the blast of the sonic boom. Her mane flailed in the air, her hat gliding somewhere above her. All the spinning blurred colors were starting to make her even dizzier than she already is- and she didn't think that was possible. Then something flashed, the bright and distinct colors of a rainbow. The world stopped spinning now, and the buildings of Manehatten were passing by her eyes. She felt a hoof digging into her side, holding onto her jacket and keeping her from falling. She tilted her head, sore with injuries; and watched as Rainbow Dash, with a rainbow trailing after her; speeding for the train. She cursed silently as she realized they probably won't make it.

The train was almost at the brick wall now. Rainbow was faster, but was also quite a bit behind. She looked at the other carriages of the train, and had an idea. Instead of going after the front, she flew for the carriage in the middle- because the last would be unlike to smash all the way through the brick wall- and she also doubted it was just a brick wall.

There was a defeating clang and groaning of metal as the front of the train hit the wall, smashing through it. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do slammed into a window on the middle carriage- it shattered, and they tumbled onto the carriage floor, slamming their backs against it and breathing hard.

There was more groaning of metal, and a temporary darkness settled over the carriage as the past through the wall. The wall was at least five layers thick, from what Rainbow saw.

She felt a slight shift in gravity, and wondered if her headache was causing that, but then she saw things starting to topple to one side, and forced herself to get up.

The front end of the train had already flipped on its side, skidding on the floor and sending up a myriad of sparks. The back started catching up with the front, and the entire length started crumbling into a gigantic zig-zag. It was chaos on the streets as ponies scrambled inside buildings. The back carriage suddenly detached, hit a bump, and was sent soaring vertically into the air. It disappeared behind a building, then re-emerged, smashing right through the concrete structure, sending debris flying all over the area. And still it went, coming back down into the streets and erupting into a huge fire ball.

Rainbow forced her tired wings to take flight again, dragging Daring Do with her towards the top, or what was the right side. She hit the window with a hoof, but her drained strength did little but scratch the glass. She hit it again, but it was no use. They had to get out of the carriage.

Suddenly Daring Do leapt up, her back hooves smashing right through the window. Rainbow hauled them out, but Daring Do was the one who actually lifted them both away from the carriage, her wings beating as hard as she could against the air.

"Just a temporary concussion." Daring explained. Rainbow Dash nodded weakly. After all, this was Daring Do.

"Hold on a sec, where's Derpy?" Rainbow's eyes widened, and she looked back to the hole in the wall. Guilt turned to anger as she spotted Derpy Hooves flutter her way out of the hole in the wall, looking curiously at the wall. Rainbow wondered why they didn't do that in the first place.

This temporary annoyance was swept away as they realized the train was still going on its side- with the rest of the ponies in the front carriage- right towards a building that would obviously stop the train.