In the magical land of Equestria, the Sun hangs lifelessly in the firmament. Barely over the horizon itself the Sun shone a sad and melancholic light upon the citizens of the land. The moon, bound to disappear is instead proudly in the sky, held afloat by sheer stubbornness and a lack of strength from the Sun itself.
In this weird and almost surreal land, there is a city. Canterlot is the majestic white capital of Equestria and inside its innermost sanctum, the castle, it reigns for the second day so far Twilight Sparkle. Student of the Sun turned princess, she is now bound to a duty that no one else could take.
Twilight Sparkle never expected things to go so bad, she wasn’t sure when everything went down the literal drain. Maybe it was when an assassin tried and almost succeeded in killing her mentor, or maybe it was when Luna herself died in the field of battle.
Either way the situation was now catastrophic, Celestia didn’t want to come out of her chambers and with no one willing to take the lead she found herself in a position she knew she wasn’t ready for.
“What am I gonna do?” She asked herself, she sighed the weight of her crown the heaviest it ever was.
“What do you mean princess?” Ink Pot asked her new loyal secretary, ready to explain to her which noble was which, and of course how a princess should behave. Twilight only hoped the list of necessary steps will stop at 40 before she has to eat anything.
“I mean, that we just lost Luna, with her gone only Celestia can bring down the moon, and she refuses to even come out of her chambers.” Twilight explained putting her head on her hoof which rested on the throne.
“A princess is not allowed to have that posture.” Ink Pot immediately said.
Twilight sighed heavily and returned to her upright position. “Get the next petitioner inside, goodness knows they may even have good news.” The doors opened up and a pony entered, he was a brown coated green maned stallion unicorn, he was trembling and barely keeping himself together, he approached the throne shakily and almost collapsed when he tried to bow.
“Rise! Oh my Celestia rise, what are you doing in your condition?” Twilight shouted coming down from the throne and using her magic to help the feeble and weak pony.
“Princess, I’m sorry to cause such grief.” He said weakly.
“What do you need?” Twilight asked him while laying him down gently. “Please don’t tell me the Crystal Empire has been attacked by a monster.” She said with a few hair popping out of her mane by the mere thought.
“No...no, I-I just can’t sleep… Every time I close my eyes terrible nightmares come, of a shadow darker than the night, it, it tries to kill me!” He said in a ushered whisper.” He then started to sob uncontrollably. “I-I’m so sorry…”
Twilight held the stallion down and carefully brushed his side with her wing. “What a disaster.”
Meanwhile, in the feeble and sometimes scary mind of a foal a dark presence arrived, unhindered by the moon the shadows could creep wherever they pleased, and they knew it. The darkness circled around the foal like a shark, the poor infant started to scream and cry at the sight of its wonderful dream ruined.
The foal continued to wail and cry for a savior that was now dead, yet it tried. The darkness creeped slowly towards the foal enjoying its fear and terror, such succulent prey was oh so rare.
A monstrous hand made out of pure unadulterated fear came out of the dark ready to snatch the foal away, maybe it couldn’t harm its body. But a broken mind was as fear inducing as a corpse, for a parent. And the shadow knew that.
But before the darkness could successfully silence the foal forever a weird voice chimed in, not a courageous one, or a bold one. It wasn’t hard and it wasn’t commanding, in truth really it was, pretty meak. “H-hey you!” The voice said with the same strength of a toy.
“D-don’t do that... No, that’s not good… uhm come on Lillia” The creature whispered to herself. “Ehm uhm go to sleep!” She shouted quickly, noticing the darkness encroaching towards her. The creature swung its branch and hit the darkness causing it to hiss in pain and immediately after to disappear into nothingness.
“Uhm yes, I-I did it. Yes.” She said nodding to herself, now that the darkness disappeared the foal stopped its wailing and looked at its saviour with hopeful eyes. “Have a nice dream, little one.” The creature said to the foal breathing a bluish dust in its face. Immediately the dream started anew with renewed hope and happiness.
After a job well done Lillia hopped away from the dream of the foal and started to look around for other nightmares, her job was far from done after all. And if the guardian was absent it went onto her to right the wrongs! It was with that in mind that she skipped to the next dream.
Twilight Sparkle was thoroughly stressed now, not only the sky was a mess but apparently so was the mental health of the ponies. ‘I don’t know if I can do this. Maybe I should call my friends…’ She thought sadly, she then shook her head and calmed down a bit, recollected her thoughts and went along with the day, ‘If I can call it a day.’ She thought, raising an eyebrow to herself.
She continued her work for hours, whether it was to answer questions or to solve any kind of important political task. She was glad that for now no ambassador from nearby countries came, but she already knew that it was all a matter of time.
After what for her was an impossibly long amount of time her time spell actually reminded her that it was time to sleep. “I’m retiring to my room.” She declared to Ink Pot. “We’ll resume in nine hours.”
“As you wish Princess.” Ink Pot said with a bow before leaving the throne room.
Twilight teleported away into her old room, there she lazily moved the sheet apart and with a long drawn yawn she finally started to sleep. She was somewhat sad that she couldn’t read something before bed but she knew she needed the sleep.
Lillia’s work seemed to never end, but she wasn’t sad or angry. She was just concerned.
It was then that she noticed a weird dream, it was much clearer than any other one, not only that but it seemed to be the only one unaffected by the darkness that ran rampant in the others dreams. Her curiosity piqued, she entered the new mysterious dream.
When she entered she saw the same black cloud that circled around the foal before, this time though it was much worse, there was a giant spike made of crystal that protruded from the ground, on the top a single pony with wings and horn was using her magic to keep the monsters that spewed from it at bay. Clearly though she was losing, Lillia hopped onto the crystal and with a somewhat elegant swing batted away one of the nightmares which was creeping behind the pony.
The pony turned around and saw her, with her magic on the ready she was ready to blast her too, this is when Lillia put up a hand with pleading eyes. “Wait! I can help, I mean I’m here to help.” She said.
“How can I believe you?” The pony replied, quickly swatting away a new nightmare.
“You gotta!” Lillia replied, swinging her branch around to destroy the monsters, she leaped away and swatted left and right trying to dissipate the terrible mist. “There’s a Demon here weird spirit! We have to destroy it before it kills more!” She said, trembling on her legs.
“What!?” The pony replied utterly confused, “There is no such thing as Demons!” She replied.
“Let’s dissolve this mist, first, explanations later.” Lillia said, jumping down from the spire destroying the mist as she went.
The battle lasted for a long time but eventually all the mist dissipated and the nightmare ended. Lillia hopped back onto the spire, where she could now see not only five statues of other ponies but also a grandiose statue of another spirit like the one she saved.
“My name is Lillia.” She said with a bow, “I go around to save the dreams, that’s what the tree wants.”
“The tree sent you? And what are you?” The pony replied with confusion and a hint of curiosity,
“I’m a spirit.” Lillia replied happily sitting down, she rested her branch down beside her and waited for the other spirit, “You are one as well.”
“I’m not a spirit, I’m an alicorn. And technically a princess but we are still working on that.” She smiled sheepishly.
“But what’s your name, little spirit?” Lillia asked. “I-if you want to tell me that’s otherwise I’ll just uhm eep!” She squeaked trying to hide behind the branch.
“My name is Twilight Sparkle, happy to know you.” Twilight said with a little smile. “You protect the dreams right? So you must know where Princess Luna is.” She said, joyous.
“Oh you mean the Moon? She is gone. That’s why I'm here.” She replied with a bit of sadness.
“So you don’t know too… I should have known, in any case, you can help us right?” She pleaded.
“Of course I will, I won’t let the Demon take you.” Lillia said somewhat confidently.
“Again, there is no Demon.” Twilight said, crossing her forelegs. “It’s just a myth.”
“It’s no myth… you must believe me, there is a Demon here. We must find him and drive him away, otherwise many more will die.” Lillia said with her ears down and on the verge of tears.
“Let’s say I believe you, what even is this Demon?” Twilight replied.
“His name is Nocturne, a Demon of fear and paranoia. It feeds on dreams until the dreamer dies.” She said with clear fear etched on her face.
“You don’t seem very sure to face him.” Twilight said, concerned.
“Of course I’m not, I’m scared. But someone has to, right?” Lillia said a bit confidently. “Everyone fears Nocturne, but together we can drive him away, I just know it!”
“I-I’ll think about it, I have a nation to run, so I-I’ll do that yeah.” She said and immediately after the dream collapsed pulling Lillia with it and making her go back to the dreamscape.
“What a stubborn spirit. Worse than Malphite!” She said with a huff.
Lillia continued her work throughout the night, for the time being the ponies were safe.
Twilight Sparkle awoke in her bed with the sheets trying to choke her, she fought against their impressive strength but finally managed to get out of bed. “What a great way to start the day” She thought, she then started to recall what happened in her dreams, the creature, the smoke.
Nocturne.
“I should look around in the archive and see if there is any mention of such a ‘Demon.’ “ She said to herself she hastily finished her business in the bathroom and trotted towards the archive when a familiar voice hit her.
“Princess? Where are you going?” Raven said with her trusty list in her mouth.
“Uhm-hehe to the archiveee?” She said with an acute pitch in her voice.
Raven was not amused. “I have to Raven, there might be a threat towards the ponies, I have to check and make sure.” Twilight continued with her ears dropped down.
“Yes princess, might. There is no proof I suppose? Otherwise you would have already acted.” Raven said as a matter of fact.
“Yes but-”
“No buts, you have duties in the court to do.” Raven said firmly.
“No.” Twilight said, putting her hoof down. “Firm and concise but not a tyrant, come on Twilight.”
“What?” Raven said letting the list fall on the ground.
“I said no, I have to check this in the archive, I want to search the archive. I appreciate the help you give me Raven, but this time I need you to trust me on this. Trust your Princess to know what she has to do for the best of her ponies. Ok?”
“I guess you are in command after all. Very well, I’ll just… tell them to come another day.” She said, she then slowly walked away like her very soul was dragged away from her.
While Twilight was understandably saddened by this she couldn't let it drag her down. If the creature really was a danger, and Luna was really gone, she had to find a solution. Fast.
She entered the hallways of knowledge she adored so much and started to go back to her origins, she started to read.
Lillia continued her work and she was actually starting to feel nervous. More than usual.
She was afraid the spirit wouldn't come back and that she would have to find and defeat the Demon alone. But then she saw it, the purple spire arose again and her hope started to come back. She hopped into the dream and greeted the spirit. “Hi!”
“Hello Lillia, I did a little research on the subject today. While I didn’t find any name resembling what you said I did find out that there were Demons once. But they were all defeated thousands of years ago.” Twilight replied, sitting down.
“I don’t know about that, but I know this one is out there.” Lillia said, also sitting down.
“I will help you then.” Twilight said, closing her eyes and opening them now full of determination.
“Thank you so much!” Lillia said, hugging the spirit and hopping around.
Twilight couldn’t do much except helplessly flopping around trying to find ground. “Happy to- HeLp” She said with difficulty.
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Lillia exclaimed, going immediately red, she opened her arms and let the spirit go, who fell on the ground rather unceremoniously. “I’m sorry!”
“I’m ok.” Twilight said, rolling around back on her hooves. “I’m used to it.” She massaged her throat a bit and then stood straight up trying to act like Celestia. “What do we do now?”
“Oh, uhm now we go around and search for the Demon! It’s easy to find? I guess… the problem will be convincing him to fight with us instead of fleeing.” She said with a tiny amount of fear in it.
“Uhm, I think I know how. You see Princess Luna created a creature called the Tantabus which she used as a punishment. Now if we could create another creature but made to lure the Demon in, we would be able to trap it in my dream and battle it here. But how?” She asked, starting to think of a solution.
“Nocturne wants fear more than anything, so a really really scared tantabis will draw him here.” Lillia suggested.
“Tantabus but yes, I could try that. Give me a bit of time to try it out.” Twilight said, she then sat down and started to mutter words under her breath focusing intently on her task. Her horn started to emit light after a couple of minutes and hours later her horn was basically impossible to see through the blinding light.
In the end she put her head down and from the ground a deep purple flower came out, Lillia immediately didn’t like it.
“What is it?” She said fearfully.
“Our bait.”
The wait for the Demon was strenuous, not only Twilight had to keep the newly formed primitive tantabus alive and in check, but they also had to battle minor creatures every now and then. But in the end, it paid off.
A sense of dread obscured the dream itself, “I sense… FEAR…” Something said, the previously brightly lit wondrous spyre immediately descended into darkness and both Twilight and Lillia felt a cold shiver trickling down their spine.
Suddenly from the darkness a ghostly clawed hand came forth snatching the tantabus away from Twilight magic, immediately the Tantabus started to wilt, a long raspy laugh could be heard from the shadows, Twilight could see in extreme details how the hand teared away at the flower destroying it in seconds, leaving only a small puddle of magic behind.
“I-it’s h-him!” Lillia said, grasping her branch firmly.
“Aaah, the Bashful Bloom…” The creature said, while they couldn’t see it they knew it was circling around them like a hungry shark. “Elusive aren’t you?”
The creature emanated a stench of pure fear and Lillia could hardly breath, but she had to stay strong! “I-I’m not afraid of you!” She said, trembling. She grasped her branch and stood defiantly before Twilight trying to shield her from the Demon.
“They all say that…” The Demon told her, then he jumped out from the darkness and almost hit Lillia squarely with his blades, fortunately for her though Twilight was quick to cast a shield around them both. She hissed at the pain in her horn wondering just how strong the Demon actually is.
“Such disgusting creatures you are… Made of hope and dreams… I will make you disappear…” The creature whispered angrily. Now that it was in her vision Twilight could finally see the Demon. It was far different than anything she had ever seen, it didn’t have any legs, it’s head was dark as night with eyes blue and alight, on its arms there were two extremely long crooked blades red as blood. The rest of its body was made out of smoke, easily lost into the darkness.
“What are you!?” She demanded.
“Youuuuu, are you afraid?” The Demon asked her slamming one of his blades against the shield making it ripple, Twilight yelped back in surprise. “Yesssssss.”
“NO!” She replied defiantly. “I’m not scared of you, I have faced many monsters, you will be no different. I have my friend with me here, and we will stop you!” She said letting the shield go down and firing a bolt of magic into the Demon making him hiss in pain.
“You should be afraid…” The Demon said with malice, he failed to notice that Lillia was not frozen in place anymore, instead she was already onto him with her trusty branch at the ready, she smacked him in the head with the seed and he immediately receded into the darkness as if burnt.
“That was a mistake, dream tender….” The creature hissed quietly from the dark.
“Stay near me, I don’t think I can produce enough light otherwise.” Twilight said her magic on the ready. “How do we fight him?” She asked, her eyes darting around.
“A foolish notion, to think I won’t kill you!” The Demon seethed, he launched towards her with unbelievable speed and only thanks to her new Alicorn biology she didn’t lose her head. A deep gash appeared on her side which made her scream in pain. Before she could even register the pain though the Demon went back and stabbed her leg eliciting another scream. He was now on top of her with his faceless head right in front of hers.
“Drip, drip.” The Demon said happily, or as happy as a Demon could be. “Goes the sound of blood.”
“Get away from her!” Lillia said smashing her branch against Nocturne making him fly away and onto the ground, she then hopped back and jumped in the air slamming the branch against him and making him grunt in pain, he then shot another spectral hand at her and using it as a distraction whirled around opening two deep wounds on her chest. Lillia shouted in pain but managed to swat him away, he then went back into the dark waiting for an opening.
“Are you ok?” Lillia said weakly holding her wounds.
“I’ll be fine.” Twilight said, gritting her teeth, “You?.” She asked back, Lillia only nodded. “Watch out!” Twilight shouted, firing a beam towards yet another spectral hand destroying it.
“Why are you doing this!” Twilight shouted outraged.
“The first came, so did we. It was only natural… now F̶̣̹̙̲̰̮̆̅̓̚͘͜È̴̛̦͎̩̕͜A̷̹̫̰̥̦̰̽̀̈́͝R̶̛̒̔͜…” He said.
Instantly Twilight could see tendrils made of pure darkness trying to circle her, she could see them coming towards her face trying to drown her. And she couldn’t do anything about it. Twilight could only see darkness around her, in the darkness she saw many things. Her home destroyed and decimated, her friends all gone.
She saw the future of Equestria, a lifeless desert full of dead and spirits, she could see black shadows encroaching on her even there, she couldn't do anything except run, run away from whatever it was that was following her. She found herself in a terrible world where ponies killed each other with terrifying weapons, entire cities laid to waste.
She saw monsters that could never be described fully, terrible machines of death and destruction. Gods of annihilation ready to harvest her very world, and in all this she was alone. Afraid she looked around only to find herself at the head of one such army gleefully slaughtering millions for nothing. She screamed, the world around her screamed with her and everything shattered like glass.
“You won’t have her Nocturne! I won’t let you hurt my friend.” Lillia shouted, she stomped the ground and smashed the branch onto the ground lighting up the area with a soothing bluish colour, Nocturne just laughed.
“Twilight! Answer me!” She said kneeling down and trying to wake her up from the nightmare Nocturne put her in.
“No… please!” She shouted with tears streaking down her face.
“Twilight please! I’m here with you, don't let him trap you in this illusion!” She put the magical seed of the dream tree on her forehead and started to hope.
From Twilight’s perspective nothing really changed, the fight was still going on and she couldn’t do anything to stop it. That’s when everything froze and the entire environment exploded inward. She was back into the strange realm where Celestia brought her when she ascended, she saw around her the beautiful memories of her friends, how happy they were.
She couldn’t let it all go to waste, she closed her eyes and rejected the dream, now with a purpose in her mind, it wasn’t that difficult. “That was close, it was like Sombra's but so much worse…” She thought, she then opened her eyes and released her magic shattering the nightmare completely and finally freeing herself from it.
She opened her eyes with Lillia on her face, she could see her but she was blurry like she was there and not there. “You are awake!”
“Not for long….” Nocturne said, tackling Lillia onto the ground and preparing a fatal strike.
“Leave her alone!” Twilight shouted blasting him, she was panting and could hardly stand up.
“You continue to resist… foolish, let yourself be lost into fear.” Nocturne said coming near her with his blades ready.
“You should not, u-underestimate me monster!” Lillia said trying to hit him again, this time though he was more than ready, he dodged the hit and slashed at Lillia severing her front right leg in a smooth motion. Lillia fell down in incredible pain, she could hardly think and she honestly thought that was it.
“You are only delaying… the inevitable…” Nocturne said, the darkness was becoming even more obnoxious and suffocating, “Drown in despair…”
“Never! We will destroy you monster!” Twilight said her horn alight with power. “My friends taught me much, it’s their strength that gives me the power to defeat you!”
“You can’t destroy me… you will die…” Nocturne's raspy voice replied, he ignored the fallen Lillia and moved onto Twilight, who could hardly stand and fight. But she wasn’t afraid she knew her trust in friendship would help her defeat the Demon.
“Take this Twilight!” Lillia shouted, somehow she managed to stand back up, her bloody leg continuing to wound her further. She used all her strength to throw the branch at Twilight.
Twilight grasped the branch in her magic and could feel a soothing and calming song coming from it, she channeled her magic into it letting it just go without real guidance.
She could feel the air around her growing more and more heavy with magic, she opened her eyes only to see Nocturne trying to shield his body from whatever she was doing. “This is what I meant.” Twilight said, all around her the statues of her friends shone brightly in the dark, dissipating it with ease.
“Nooooo…. fear… shall never…. disappear….” He said he tried to slash at her but she put the branch in between the attack blocking it, she then poured more magic into the seed and gently, caringly put it onto the ground.
The dream exploded in a shower of moonlit butterflies and beautiful flowers. She looked up and could see the Moon in the air looking at her as to comfort her. She then moved her head and a bright ray of light slashed into Nocturne’s body injuring it deeply.
Lillia knew where she was, she was back in her garden, where the dreams are made and are taken care of. The Spirit she now befriended, she was so much more than she would’ve ever thought. And she was so happy. Her leg didn’t hurt anymore she noticed, she looked down and saw it was back, the power of the dream tree really was miraculous.
Twilight stared down Nocturne who was now on the defensive, he went forward and attacked her immediately without giving her any respite in between attacks, she tried to dodge and block but he was just too fast.
And so she took the hits, she felt wounds opening over and over on her body, but she also saw that Lillia was back on her hooves. Twilight teleported away, appearing near Lillia. “I think this is yours.” She said handing over the branch.
“Thank you, my friend.” Lillia said with a gentle bow, she then started to brush the branch against the flowers in the garden, carrying with her some kind of blue smoke.
“Noooo…. This infernal place… cannot exist….” Nocturne hissed in agony and hate, he approached Lillia trying to attack her but Twilight stopped him with a well placed shield and magical ray of energy. She then fell down onto the soft ground, utterly spent.
“You only… delayed the inevitable… die creature…” Nocturne said, plunging a blade into her chest, Twilight tried to gasp in pain but saw that she could not. She started to taste something coppery in her mouth, she couldn’t keep her eyes open.
“Your reign of terror ends here Nocturne!” Lillia said, the branch she was carrying now ablaze with a blue beautiful flame, she hopped up in the air and smashed Nocturne right in the head embedding him into the ground. She then touched him with the blue flame and he started to go on fire.
“Noo… you can’t… how?” He asked confused, never before someone managed to hurt him let alone stop him.
“It’s the beauty of a dream, anything can happen.” Lillia said with a sad smile. Immediately after Nocturne was gone, the only remaining trace of him was a scorched mark on the ground.
“Twilight!” Lillia shouted, coming to her friend's rescue. “Don’t worry, it’s only a dream. Make me soothe you.” She said, kissing her new friend’s forehead. And Twilight finally closed her eyes.
The next morning Twilight woke up in her room, she had a bandage around her waist and several more on the rest of her body, the worst of them all though was a very painful and very itchy scar on her chest where her heart was. “What?” She asked confused and with a mighty migraine.
“PRINCESS!” Raven shouted, galloping into the room and jumping on the bed crying furiously.
“Raven? Wha?” Twilight tried to say.
“I was so worried princess!” She screamed in her incessant cry. “I thought… I thought…”
“Shh, shh, it’s okay.” Twilight said, brushing the mare’s head with her wing. “I’m fine, come now. We have a court to attend to, I’ll explain everything along the way, we have good and bad news.” She said weakly walking toward the throne room.
Meanwhile Lillia was happily going around the dreamscape, with Nocturne now gone, or at least defeated for the time being, the dreams became that much more happier. She hoped this could last forever, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something else would happen. Something terrible, and she had no way to stop it.
Author's Note
Heya, a new story crazy uh? Let me know what you think, and yes I will probably do a sequel of this to continue my ongoing streak of LoL fics. I hope you enjoyed it, have a nice day!
P.S Im back from a looooong hiatus so if you have any suggestion on how to improve my writing I'll be more than happy to hear it. :D
Sunset Shimmer never believed in things like ghosts, but when she found the book, the book of an ancient warlord, she was drawn to it like a moth to a flame, sure friendship helped her a lot but in her heart she wanted more, maybe she was destined to be a villain, forever bound to be the bad guy. And oh how she adored the feeling, the control, the power. She wanted so much more! She will grasp her Destiny, she will make everyone bow down to her and nothing will stop her.
“You have got my attention…HmHmHmHm”
