I bravely stride closer to the swirling dark vortex that is the red cracked, evil eye. Those cracks crawl across its entire surface, marking a hatching process is imminent.

Suddenly, I hear a popping sound behind me but it ends in a sparking then sizzling sound. Alarmed, I look over my right shoulder then widen my eyes at the sight of Doctor Van not only still there, not only flinching in a greater amount of pain, but also has rising smoke coming off the tip of his horn. He had taken his wide brim hat off as if to make it easier for him to cast that spell and it still failed. I soon realize he must not have enough energy to use that spell right now.

I witness him bonk his head against the cave wall behind him before opening his eyes with an expression on his face as if to say with neutral acceptance, “Well . . . I'm screwed.” He then looks over to me with an apologetic look as if to say, “Sorry, kid. I guess I won't be helpful to you after all.”

After the horror of this realization sinks into me, I gain a desperately thoughtful look. If Doctor Van can't teleport out, then he is still here and remains in danger. If I'm to have any chance to spare him, I need to keep Nightmare's attention locked on me. Moreover, I need to lure her far away from him as soon as possible. If I do that, he might have a chance to make it.

But even if I succeed to do all that, that still means I'll have to face Nightmare alone . . . somehow.

The ball of black energy in front of me finally erupts open. Instinctively, I raise my left wing in front of me to shield my face and my body. Fortunately no actual shrapnel is launched at me, but what I have done is still a reflex reaction anyway.

After that, I slowly lower my left wing and peer over the edge. When I do, I lock sight on what appears to be black, vaporous smoke slowly consolidating into the form of a slightly transparent and shadowy looking mare. The image of tiny twinkling starlight flashes at various points of this body. It's especially condensed in what would appear to be the mane and tail. Those two parts of her also trail away from her like leaking smoke. Soon I observe the startling sight of a pair of eyes pop wide open. At first the irises are large, but they soon narrow into sideways slits. What would normally be the white part of a pony's eyes is instead glowing green in this case. Seconds after this, the form of a mouth opens. When it does, vampony-like fangs form from them. The body of this pony soon grows what kind of looks like armor pieces. A chest guard grows on her chest that has the image of a crescent moon. She has tall leg guards that extend just above her hoof to near her elbows. A flat, dome-like helmet forms on her head except it's very open at the front end and has an opening for her transparent and pretty long horn to fit through. The regal and insidious looking mare soon spreads her bat-like wings to the sides of her body as if to prove the fact she's a semi-alicorn, or some bat-pony equivalent. When she does that, I fold my own wings on the side of my body.

It feels very eerie to me that the first thing she does is just stare at me in silent judgment. She has her muzzle aimed a bit up as if regarding me with royal disdain, and yet the look in her eyes seems mildly fascinated with me at the same time. She regards me like she's appraising a potential pet she might like to add to her collection.

Eventually I see her narrow her eyes as if she just realized something offensive. As if to explain that sudden reaction, she finally says to me, “Well? What are you waiting for? Bow before your supreme ruler.”

“Why?” I ask before I consciously realize it. “I haven't acknowledged your sovereignty yet.”

“You would be wise to placate me, my little pony,” Nightmare snaps with a tiny edge of venom in her tone.

“I only serve those I respect,” I reply, again before I consciously realize what I am saying. Where is all this sassy attitude coming from all of a sudden?

“And that isn't me?” Nightmare asks with indignity before she goes on to say, “I warn you, little pony, you tread on dangerous ground right now.”

This time I just stare at her with no other reply. I do some appraising of my own.

I see Nightmare stretch her neck to lift her head a little higher. During that time, her eyelids lower just a bit. Not out of apparent disgust or offense this time, but more like a shade of boredom. She then says to me, “I know the two of you have worked your flanks off taking out this little Brood. While their performance leaves something to be desired, you, on the other hoof, are a bit of an impressive specimen. If you were leading the ShadowBolts as their flight instructor, my servants of the Night might go far indeed.”

I widen my eyes slightly as I come to an important realization. If Nightmare Moon recalls this, it may suggest she has Demise's memories. I wonder if this also means that she does not have Luna's.

Nightmare narrows her eyes further and lowers her head closer to me as she says, “I have once made this same offer to a certain rainbow rival of yours. Do not make the same mistake she once did. Consider this offer carefully, Lightning, for this is your last chance to hold on to dear and precious life. Consider your next words to me very carefully.

“Will you . . . join me . . . as the new flight commander of the ShadowBolts?”

She's still going on about that? Just like Demise once did?

When I think about it, I soon realize that there is an important distinction between these two ponies. Demise may have been a ruthless and sadistic pony, but she clearly cared for her Brood. She once begged me and the Doctor to stop attacking them. She yelled at me back then, almost to the point of tears.

However, this mighty mare seems far more dismissive of her earlier and unfortunate subordinates. The way she's acting is almost as if to say, “Huh? They're dead? Oh well. Thems the breaks. Since that is the case, I can look forward to training the next batch personally and perhaps recruit the one before me as well. When I'm done, I'll have a much more powerful army at my beck and call rather than this sorry and pathetic lot.”

If all of that is true, it probably is important for me to keep in mind. Nightmare may have Demise's memories to fall back upon, but these are still two very different women and I should adjust my approach accordingly.

This essentially confirms the Doctor’s earlier warnings to me about her. Since that is the case, I can give more credit to the other things he said about her as well.

“Well?” Nightmare asks me a tad impatiently. “Do not trifle with me by keeping me waiting. What is your reply? Choose wisely.” She narrows her eyes further as her voice sinks to a sultry one as she says, “For it could be your last mistake.”

She's trying to intimidate me, and I can't say she's entirely failing. Nightmare Moon's primary power source is fear. Aka, dark magic. It's only natural that she can cause it as well. The fact she carries a figurative big stick certainly helps to add more weight behind her words. This could indeed be my last decision, and I don't hate my life enough to dismiss that prospect casually.

But is it worth it? Die with my dignity intact, or prostrate myself before an unworthy ruler? If I dared to do the latter, can I really consider that a life worth living?

No!

I don't necessarily invite death for myself or others, but it could be fair to say I treat death as a casual acquaintance instead. I flew in the line of fire before and often due to my own intentional actions. That's probably one of my most defining characteristics. Rainbow may be espoused to be the famous Element of Loyalty, but I've followed that example in my own way too. I've always been loyal to my own principals and I won't let some bully intimidate me into submission no matter how powerful she happens to be. If I'm going to die, I'll do it MY way!

“Wow. That's a tempting offer,” I tell her sarcastically but I sound deliberately serious for a moment. “But I think I got a better offer for you. How about I give you the bird.” I proceed to do so by lifting only the middle feather of my left wing and boldly presenting it to her which keeps her eyes narrow but she backs her head in disgust. “And in exchange,” I go on, “you give me a break by crawling back to the moon, or Tartarus, where filthy garbage, like you, belongs?”

“I see,” Nightmare says tightly. “Are you really sure about your final decision?”

I fold my left wing back as I bravely decide to press on with my point. Burning bridges has never scared me. I fly through flaming hoops just for fun!

“There is a good reason that the memory of Nightmare Moon is often forgotten,” I taunt her. “Because, frankly, you're not even worth being scared of anymore. We only celebrate Nightmare Night just to make fun of you. Speaking of which.” I give a bright teasing smile as I taunt, “Happy Nightmare Night, you over-hyped phony pony of a princess.”

Nightmare hisses through her teeth in seething hatred then says, “Careful, my little pony.”

“Or what?” I ask dismissively. “You'll make scary faces at me? Boo-hoo!” I fake a shiver before saying sarcastically, “I'm so scared. Somepony save me from this pathetic pony who stands in the shadow of her almighty sister with envy.”

That really got a reaction from her this time! Suddenly Nightmare flares with fury as her mane and tail billow out of her like smoke from a volcano. She roars at me, “WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?!”

“Oh! I'm sorry. Are you hard of hearing too or just plain stupid?” I ask tauntingly. “Whichever the case may be, I'll reiterate since you're clearly slow on the uptake for some reason. What I meant to say is you're a pale and pathetic excuse for a pony whose light and glory cannot match even half of that of your sister. Why should I revere you when your sister is clearly far more worthy of my admiration and respect? Read my lips, you simpering dolt: The moon is, and always shall be, the lesser light.”

Nightmare Moon lifts her head as she bellows out a shrill scream of pure fury for five seconds. During that time, the starry black cloud of her mane and tail swirl around her like a cyclone. While it does that, flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder project from that cyclone.

When she's done with that, she snaps her gaze back at me as her eyes flare a brighter green before she yells, “YOU INSOLENT LITTLE WRETCH! YOU DARE TO MOCK ME, YOUR RIGHTFUL RULER? I SHALL DESTROY YOU!!!”

“You'll have to catch me first . . . if you can,” I taunt her as I back up a few steps.

Nightmare screams in berserk rage and launches herself at me.

With all of that accomplished, that's my cue to get out of here.

When I quickly wheel about and launch myself away like a rocket, I finally expel a panicked breath and open my wide, frightened eyes. Now that Nightmare can no longer see my face, I don't have to hide my true feelings anymore. As I fly on desperately, I recall that I've done some really ballsy things before but poking at the ego of an evil and powerfully vengeful horse goddess has likely set a new lifetime record for my daredevil activities.

Eat your heart out, Daring Do!

I zip back and forth as I narrowly weave through the twists and turns of the cavern. As I do so, I hear a screaming demon goddess chase after me and narrowly miss me with something that causes multiple wooshing sounds. I dare not glance behind me to identify what almost killed me each time.

Meanwhile, the only comfort I feel as I fly on is the thought that I successfully distracted her from going after Doctor Van. She's so dead locked on me that she probably forgot about his entire existence. That means he'll go on and probably save other lives in the future.

Go me!

“Run, run, run . . . or you're gonna die!” Nightmare calls out shortly behind me with sinister glee. “I'm gonna turn your head into a pie!”

As I continue to fly on desperately, I shiver as a chill sinks down my spine because of what she said, yet part of me feels like laughing at the same time. Maybe her insanity is infectious.

While I retreat, I fake her out by attempting to fly to one cavern opening but veer into another at the last second. She ends up flying into my original direction. When that happens, I finally look behind me and notice she's no longer there. I breathe a sigh of relief until she ends up flying right through the cave wall on my right side. She totally passed through it as if she's absolutely incorporeal. Despite that, when the glowing and menacing blue scythe that she's wielding, that she mysteriously conjured earlier somehow, which sort of looks like a long and wicked crescent moon, swipes at me. I notice it cleaves off a small chunk of my tail as a result.

Okay. Now that's fair! She can fly through walls herself but her weapon can still hit me? Great! That's just perfect!

This also means that any swing of my hooves at her will simply pass through her as if she's made of black smoke. That's also odd to think about because I know Demise's body was perfectly solid. When did that change?

Now I'm really up a creek. At this point it's irrelevant how augmented my strength is. If I can't even hit her in the first place, it’s moot to consider how fast she’d later regenerate from such a blow.

Oh my Celestia! Now what am I going to do?

Well, at least I see the exit to the tunnel up ahead.

Before I meet it, yet another threat tries to take a bite out of me. A giant eel snaps at me from another hole near the exit up ahead. However, when it tries, I slug it with my right cross hook swipe of my right hoof which connects so hard that it launches the creature away where it crashes into a cave wall hard enough to spread cracks in it.

Wow! I just side swiped a creature over a thousand times larger than me! I hope I repeat that in my dreams later because that unexpected, split-second moment has just become one of my new favorite memories.

Finally I launch out of the cave then curve to soar straight up out of the canyon gorge. I don't need to check behind me to know that Nightmare is still following. She's vocal about it enough to make the deaf wince in pain.

I spiral in the air to dodge a new set of projectiles flying at me like a laser beam from her ghostly “horn”. I may be fast, but I ain't faster than light.

Over time I start to notice something interesting that starts to lift my hopes. Now that we're out in the open and I have plenty of room to spread my wings, I'm starting to accelerate ahead of Nightmare Moon! This just blows my mind! Not even a goddess can keep up with me!

Of course, her horn beams can keep up with me, not to mention she starts to teleport ahead of me and swipes at me with her more than deadly looking scythe. That spooky-looking weapon causes after shadows to trail behind each of its swings.

“What's wrong, you little foal?!” Nightmare calls after me seconds after I dodged her latest attack. “Am I starting to gather your respect now? Have you come to regret provoking a sleeping giant?”

I don't reply because I'm too busy trying to dodge her. Hornbeam after hornbeam chases after me. Some of them hold for more than a second. Whenever it does, it waves about through the sky, thus forcing me to narrowly curve around it. Then she teleports ahead of me and stands on a cloud. The moment she does, it ignites into an immediate storm cloud. Harsh winds buffet me and almost screws up my corkscrew flight. Again, I dodge another scythe attack so narrowly that she chopped off yet another chunk of my tail. As I curve away from her, cackling laughter from her follows after me as the storm she stands on dramatically picks up in activity.

When I look back, I notice that she's gone, and yet I can still hear her mad laughter. It now seems to echo all around me, thus displacing her true position.

Pony feathers. I lost sight of her!

“Do you want to know what your most critical mistake is?” asks Nightmare's echoing voice around me. “It's that you dared to challenge me when you haven't fed off the energy of even one pony. You could have absorbed that pony's strength, but instead, you chose to abstain from it. Meanwhile I have fed off thousands upon thousands of ponies across all these centuries. This means I have absorbed all of their strength, stamina, speed, talents, wits, and magic. Because of that, this means you not only face off against all of my almighty abilities, but the combined might of ALLthose ponies I've ever absorbed put together. Do you not see your folly now? You now face the might of an entireLEGION acting as one!”

When she finishes that little tirade, she instantly resumes her cackling laughter.

I don't believe her, or at least not entirely. By doing almost anything, Demise must have spent energy in addition to gathering it. It's not all cumulative. The only source of energy that might have remained without decaying across all that time was whatever energy that was stored in the Nightmare Night statue. Now that she's absorbed that energy, she's spending it at this very moment. It probably is true that she has far more than I do, but what she has is not infinite.

“You stand alone, child,” Nightmare resumes her taunts. “All before the might of unfathomable darkness. Now behold my true power . . . andDESPAAAAAAAIR!!!”

Suddenly she unleashes a new trick upon me. Thousands upon thousands of wraith-like creatures start to zip at me. Each one kind of resembles the fabled myths of the windigos except they are much smaller, about normal pony size, and they are shadowy instead of having clear, ghost-like transparency. Their eyes also glow menacingly red.

I almost stumble out of pure horror when I first behold them because part of me wonders if these vamponies weren't just absorbing energy from ponies all this time, but the actual souls of their victims. Does that mean that innocent baseball foal is among them too? Was he damned in the afterlife as well and twisted so much because of this that he's literally been forced to become a cruel and vicious villain that now hungers for living pony flesh?

Pure depression at the thought of that slowed me down enough that I got momentarily careless.

I shake my head as I berate myself. I need to get it together. This is Nightmare Moon here. Sure, the energy she's now unleashing upon me probably did come from Demise's victims across all of that time, but there is little doubt in my mind that Nightmare can shape this energy however she wants. She could have made cute little hopping bunny rabbits out of that energy if she wanted to, but her natural instincts compel her to push towards evoking fear. This psychological tactic did spook me for a moment, but a reminder of what I'm dealing with helps me to put things back into proper perspective.

Regardless of their form, there is also no doubt in my mind that allowing them to hit me will injure me somehow, and now I'm dealing with a whole swarm of these things.

Fortunately for me, most of them are following me in a line. That line loops and curves as they chase after me, but they remain behind.

However, the storm Nightmare created is making things difficult in other ways. Violent winds and stinging rain assault my hide as I continue to struggle in the air.

To make things worse, Nightmare starts spreading out a brand new type of attack. This one seems to spring from her very own mane and tail. That sparkling substance that is there, which sort of looks like twinkling stars, flies off her mane and tail when she swings them harshly. The twinkling lights then spread out all around her. My instincts scream danger to me the moment I see them. I'm glad I listened to it, too, because a few seconds later they twinkle more brightly for a moment, then dim as if their inner light implodes for a second before suddenly, and violently, exploding. Each explosion isn't too strong. The total radius of each explosion is no bigger than approximately the size of a watermelon, but the force of that explosion can still easily take off a limb or even a head. Plus, there are thousands of these explosions raining destruction all around her. They just curve across in an explosive stream one after another. I found myself having to dodge the explosions, the weather, her waving hornbeams and the wraiths.

NO! I can't let this happen! I need to do something. Time to hit her with ALL of my rage!

My senses blur as my rage takes over again. I summon all of the dark magic I've been infused with to take over my body and propel it to new heights. As a result, I shoot into a blur of motion. Red lightning streaks on behind me as I zip to and fro.

Then, at once, I suddenly gain an idea, although it's more like a thought at the edge of my consciousness because blind, explosive rage doesn't allow for much thought or strategy.

Still, I act on the shadow of my idea by zipping around so fast I cause a longer and stronger stream of red lightning to follow my wake. As that happens, I gather some of it in my body before suddenly launching it at Nightmare Moon. She may be incorporeal, and thus immune to my physical strikes, so I decide to use energy against an energy being.

It manages to hit her, and why not? By the time I finally gathered enough energy to strike her with, I was flying so fast that the rest of the world seemed to be standing still, almost as if time itself was momentarily paused.

But the moment I strike her, I fly slower and curve around her so I can observe the results. After all, before repeating the attack, I want to make sure it actually works.

Nightmare is indeed struck and she is startled by that unexpected attack, but it takes us a moment to realize that it does not have the effect either of us expected. Nightmare was struck and pushed back a bit by the force of the blow, but instead of being hurt or even immune to the attack, Nightmare is actually strengthened by it!

Horror sinks in me after witnessing that.

Once the results fully sink in for the both of us, she laughs for a moment before declaring, and without an echo this time, “You foal! Of course that kind of energy isn't going to work. You can't use dark energy against a being made of dark energy! That is like trying to put out fire with more fire!” She gives a sultry and mocking grin. “But thanks for the charge anyway. I'll be sure to put it to good use. Maybe I should put that on your epitaph.”

Then, like clockwork, she predictably bursts back into more endless fits of maniacal laughter.

Yikes! Okay. Bad idea. I need to come up with a new strategy, and fast!

I momentarily draw upon my dark magic again, but this time for a new purpose. I quickly accelerate once again and drag a long trail of red lightning behind me. Unlike before, though, I don't use it for offensive purposes. Instead, I just want to slow time down again while I look for a way to hide from her. I zip about in a dizzying pattern that would confuse an onlooker where the red lightning behind me is going before I suddenly zip into a storm cloud and screech to a halt in order to suddenly cut off the lightning trail following after me. Then, from within the storm cloud, I crawl inside it like a spider until I come out one end of it. Specifically the end that is facing away from the last position I saw Nightmare Moon.

I consider it a good sign when I hear her laughter suddenly halt before she asks seconds later, “Huh? Where did you go?”

Good! She doesn't see me. This will buy me time as I restrategize.

Okay, so hitting her physically is out, and striking her with red lightning is out because that energy is empowered with dark magic.

Geeze! Now I'm really in a bind. If I avoid my vamponic abilities entirely, I'm no better off than a regular pegasus. At least the lightning did affect her. Just not in the way I had hoped. Had she been immune to that, it would have been better than what I got. Still, it was an important lesson. Energy will indeed affect her. How it affects her depends what type of energy it is.

“Where aaaaaaaaaaaare yoooooooooou,” Nightmare calls out with a spooky echo. “Come out, come out, wherever you aaaaaaaaaaaare. My little pony, you don't need to worry. All I'll do is slowly peel your face off then wear it like a costume on Nightmare Night. That will spook the little kiddies for sure once they see how ugly your face is!”

Again, I shudder. It's so chilling to listen to threats like that while knowing she’s more than likely telling the truth even though it sounds like some cruel joke.

Well, I guess it is good to get a reminder that I'm dealing with a heartless monster. It'll make it that much easier to deny her any mercy later on.

That is assuming, of course, I can get her into that position in the first place.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see some of the wraith-like windigo things fan out in a searching pattern. No longer are they mostly consolidated to one area. As a result, I crawl into the storm cloud a bit further. Doing so puts me at greater risk of being shocked by lightning (ironically), but I suspect something much worse will happen if she, or any of those things, finds me first before I am ready.

Yet another chill sinks down my spine when I notice something else unsettling. Within the storm cloud, I notice what appears to be an especially large version of the primary symbol of Nightmare Moon momentarily flash into visible existence. It is basically her own face from a side perspective. Her face is shadowy black and her single eye glows chillingly that looks upon the viewer either off to her right or left depending which way the symbol is facing. I see the shadow of that symbol flash several times in different places in the cloud, and always one by one. I can't help but wonder if any of those symbols could actually see me if they happened to spot me hiding here.

Get a grip, Lightning! You're letting your nerves get the best of you! Remember, she wants me to be afraid of her. Perhaps she can even use that to track me, somehow, if I give in to that emotion. Besides, the very fact that she wants that is reason enough to deny her, for she deserves nothing she desires from me! I refuse to give her that satisfaction!

Okay, so if I established what I won't do, that leaves me with a simple question . . . what will I do instead?

My options seem thin. Probably the greatest power I can tap into right now will backfire against this particular opponent. If it had been anypony else, even the other vamponies, it could have worked . . . but one does not simply use dark magic against another being purely made of that essence. It just won't help.

So what else do I do? The rainbow potion is very unlikely to work. I'm not even sure it would hit her if she's incorporeal, but at least it has light magic energy.

Do I have anything else that does as well?

I hear Nightmare Moon cackle again for a brief moment before she announces, “You know what? I just realized something. I once asked Rainbow to join the ShadowBolts, but she turned me down. Then, many years later, I asked you to join the ShadowBolts, and lo and behold . . . you also turned me down despite being a much more compatible fit, so now I'm wondering . . . will your sister be so stubborn by refusing me as well?”

I freeze. My blood chills.

“It's poetic, don't you think? One has to appreciate the fine and delicious irony of this all, just like a true Shakesponyan tragedy,” remarks Nightmare's taunting voice. “If you will not turn with my offer of dark magic, then perhaps . . . she . . . will!”

“NOOOOOOOO!” I cry out in outrage then burst to her so fast that I drag the storm cloud behind me. In doing this, I feel her suddenly alert towards me. I start twirling around to turn the storm cloud I'm dragging behind me into a giant twister. After that, I allow the cyclone to catch me and drift me back into the whirling storm.

But, once I am there, a strange sense of calm suddenly settles into me as I float in the eye of that tornado. Somehow, when I look about me at the lightning storm clouds caught in a whirling tornado, I sense a kindred spirit with this storm. It feels like it reminds me of who I am and what else I have within me. Tapping into the dark magic that recently infected my blood is only part of the truth. I haven't fully turned yet and the mark has frozen that progress as well as slowly reversing it. When that process is complete, I will mostly be a normal pony again anyway.

Is that so bad? A normal pony lives, breathes, and frolics in a land full of harmony. Light magic is a natural part of our nature! Vamponism simply tries to twist and corrupt our most basic nature. It tries to turn us into what we're innately not.

Even before I was turned, I could keep up with the other vamponies. What if I simply continue to tap that innate potential to its greatest extreme?

Nightmare tried to provoke me with the knowledge of what she would do to my sister, and I'll admit . . . she got under my hide for a moment. But I can take that same knowledge and apply a new meaning to it. Whatever I'll do against Nightmare, I'll do it for her. For my sister. I'll protect her from the fate that Nightmare threatens to impose.

Oh, you made a bad move, Your Majesty! That was a huge mistake.

I slowly close my eyes and spread my wings, not flapping them. I allow myself to drift into the whirling tornado.

I love flying! How could I forget that? Up here, in my natural element, I am at my best! Up here, everything just makes sense. I connect to the essence and spirit of this place like no other. All I have to do is remember. All I have to do is sink into a trance. Just like I have always done during my most daring stunts.

Now I proceed to flap once the winds catch me. I use that flap to fly in the direction of the spinning winds. I do that to provoke it to spin faster, but more importantly, I am infusing it with my now natural golden colored lightning.

Faster. Gotta go faster. Faster, faster.

The winds and stinging rain whirl through me so fast that it feels like I transcended into another dimension. A dimension of speed. I feel like I become a living essence of speed as if it is its own kind of force.

Yellow lightning stretches to gradually wrap around every inch of the tornado.

Just like in ponies, I realize that nature itself is naturally inclined to the magic of harmony. Only a direct attempt at corruption can change its default nature, just like Nightmare did not long ago. But now I'll take that energy and turn it on its head. This time it'll be her efforts that will backfire on her!

Everything, in my mind, fades away as I sink into the bliss that is the zone of flying. As my natural senses fade, something else takes its place. Something that is both strange and yet also familiar. A sort of sixth sense of all that is around me. I feel attuned to the tornado and all that is spinning within it. I feel like I am the tornado. All of this, and I, are one.

“What . . . what are you doing?” Nightmare cries out in alarm below me as she watches in horror as all of her wraith minions get swept up into the tornado and get shocked into oblivion by the yellow lightning twirling within the storm.

“Nooooooooo!” Nightmare cries in frightened protest.

The tornado slams hard into Nightmare. I can feel it. She cries out as she spirals uncontrollably within the winds. As that is happening, she gets shocked by the yellow lightning constantly while also being ripped apart by the winds. She screams louder. Somehow loud enough to be heard over the roar of the storm, although just barely.

I plunge into a still cloud to help stop my momentum. My muscles are screaming at me in pure exhaustion, and unlike before, they are not recovering fast. By tapping more into my innate mortal magic, it also makes me heal as slowly as I did before my transformation.

Still, I am satisfied. Elated, even. There is nothing in this world like overcoming an overwhelming challenge. To know that I had what it takes to beat this thing. I live for moments like this all the time!

Muscles aching, I still manage to crawl to the edge of the cloud to peek over. I pull my head over the edge of the cloud and gaze down below triumphantly.

Nightmare Moon is down below me. I'm not sure if it's a trick of the light, but she seems more solid than she was before. I see her chest heaving with strain. It is rising and falling very rapidly, yet she doesn't otherwise move a muscle. Her eyes remain closed too, for now.

All around her, she is in a massive scar across the land, especially the spot she's in. The shocking tornado had not only plunged her into the earth, but drilled her down there as well. She is now in a new, corkscrew shaped crater. When I behold this, a question suddenly flashes in my mind: What will future generations name that corkscrew crater when they later discover it? Maybe it will be celebrated as the greatest geological find of the century!

Behold! The Corkscrew Crater! No pony knows how it was initially formed.

Or . . . maybe not. It's not likely all of that will happen, but the thought of it still makes me giggle a little.

I grow alert, though, when I finally see Nightmare Moon open her eyes wide before her sideways iris sinks into narrow, cat-like slits.

Then I grow horrified to notice how fast her body is recovering. She is regenerating. Wasn't that supposed to stop? Didn't I channel light magic back there?

I think about it carefully then eventually conclude that the answer is yes, but only the normal amount found in ponies and in nature. That's probably not insignificant. It might even be that she is, indeed, recovering more slowly than she normally would, but what I've done probably doesn't hold a candle next to the actual Elements of Harmony. That kind of magic took down Nightmare Moon in one shot before, or so I heard. Not only that, it transformed her back into Luna.

I close my eyes as my face collapses on the edge of the cloud. I feel so old all of a sudden. I gave everything I had into that last attack. Everything! It would have impressed just about any other pony who could have witnessed it.

But pony feathers! It still wasn't enough? What more can I do? What more can I possibly do?!

This is so unfair.

Down below, I hear further movement from Nightmare, so I crack my eyes open tiredly to look. I see her crawling painfully up to her knees and slowly lift her head. The more time passes, the more rapidly she seems to recover. Still, my instincts tell me that I did a good number on her. While her body may be recovering fast, her stolen energy isn't. All of those wraiths I killed in the storm are truly gone. So, too, is any energy she spent up to this point. By the look and feel of her, not much is left.

Nevertheless, she's recovering faster than I am. If this comes to basic hoof blows, she'll soon throw a much mightier punch than I’ll be able to.

“How dare you!” Nightmare growls below. “How DARE YOU! Do you not know who I am? I am NIGHTMARE MOON! I'll crush your entrails into tiny little bits, you insolent little wretch!” The last word she said sounded very coarse.

“Heard that before,” I barely utter very tiredly. Despite how thoroughly exhausted I feel, I can't help but crack a small grin at that.

“THAT'S IT!” Nightmare cries out in outrage as she crouches down low as if preparing to spring a moment later. “If you will not bow and respect the stolen power I've obtained from an entire legion of your kind, then I'll just sick the might of the entire COSMOS against your sorry little hide! Prepare to face thy end, my doomed little pony!”

With a furious flourish, Nightmare whips her head up and back in an arch so fast it actually looks painful. The tip of her still mostly ghostly looking horn sparks with dark, lunar light. It traces a magical scar across the air as she whipped her head up. But, despite how dramatic that spell appears to be, it did nothing more than teleport her out of my sight.

Despite how anticlimactic that recent magical display was, I still get a massive sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I've also lost sight of her. That is never a good sign.

Fortunately for me, a flash of light behind me tips me off to her new position. With a groan of strain, I push against the cloud on my left side in order to roll me onto my back so I can face up to where she's now at.

High above me, Nightmare Moon is now standing on a cloud of her own. I really don't like the way crimson energy seems to sink into the cloud she's standing on which causes it to glow both brighter and yet darker at the same time. It's so ominous to behold.

That's not the only thing I see. I see her create a bright, luminous glow at the tip of her horn that sort of looks like a miniature version of the full moon. This energy floats off to the tip of her right bat wing. I then witness that glow streak across and over her in an upside down, U shaped arc. As the streak continues, it pauses and flashes for only one second a total of four times. Each time it does that, the light dims more and more. It actually looks like five out of eight phases of the moon being displayed, beginning with the full moon off her right wingtip, then proceeds to waning gibbous, then third quarter directly above her, then arcing down to waning crescent, then finally ending with the new moon off her left wingtip which is visible to the naked eye only because of a tiny lunar light off the rim of the new moon.

My sinking feeling sinks even deeper. I am on the verge of a full scale panic attack.

“MY SUBJECTS OF EQUESTRIA, HEAR ME!” Nightmare Moon booms in what is famously known as the Royal Canterlot Voice. “I AM NIGHTMARE MOON, THE SUPREME AND RIGHTFUL RULER OF ALL OF EQUESTRIA! MY MIGHT IS ETERNAL, AND SO TOO IS MY POTENTIAL WRATH. THE WRETCHED DAWN HAS RISEN FOR THE LAST TIME! FOR NOW UNTO ETERNITY, THE MOON SHALL STAND HER GROUND! ALL WHO BOW BEFORE ME SHALL DANCE WITH THEIR QUEEN IN THE PALE MOONLIGHT!” She looks down and glares at me within her narrow, green flashing eyes as she adds, “AND ALL WHO REFUSE TO BOW . . . SHALL BE CRUSHED. DIE . . . YOU INSOLENT LITTLE WORM!”

When she lowers her wings, I behold an awe striking and horrible sight. Not only does the moon get bigger, but a sanguine glow crawls across it like a bloody wound. The more that increases, the more it bathes the whole sky with the same crimson glow.

And then, a moment later, it dawns on me that the moon isn't getting bigger. It is getting CLOSER!

WHAT?! IS SHE INSANE!!! SHE'S GOING TO COLLAPSE THE ENTIRE MOON ON THIS PLANET JUST TO CRUSH ME?!

From where she stands on her now poisonous, red gaseous cloud, Nightmare Moon arches her head back and erupts in a cacophony of echo-y, roaring manacle laughter. By that act alone, it feels like she unknowingly just answered my own inner question.

I close my eyes and I feel even older. This cannot be happening!

With a strained groan, I crawl up to a kneeling position. Not out of deference to her, but simply because I don't have the strength to rise up any further. Once I am in that position, I mull over the situation I'm in then slowly shake my head.

“How did you do it?” I whisper under my breath then slowly look up at the enclosing giant and ominous sanguine moon above while Nightmare continues her endless cackle. “How did you actually beat her . . . Rainbow?” I shake my head with a delirious expression on my face. “It's too much. Too overwhelming for any one mortal pony to realistically overcome.”

But that's the crux of it, isn't it? Rainbow wasn't alone when she faced Nightmare Moon. Her friends were by her side, and so were the Elements of Harmony. She had her friends . . . and I stand alone. She always worked to support her friends, and I always worked to support myself.

I close my eyes as regret squeezes my heart when it suddenly becomes painfully clear the differences, and reason for those differences, between our lives.

Is it too late for me? Maybe I have underestimated friendship. Maybe I always have. I don't know. I never thought of myself as a mean pony per se. I was just being myself. Same as every other pony. Some accept me for who I am and others don't. I guess I'm too extreme for some to hoofle. It makes sense, actually, because I push my life to living on the edge every time.

But this is too much. I actually do regret taunting Nightmare if the end result of it is her crushing the entire world to oblivion, but how was I supposed to know she could, or even would, push things that far?

At this point I haven't failed just my sister. I've failed everypony!

Curses! What am I supposed to do? I'm just one pony! One insignificant, little mortal pony.

“Now you know,” Nightmare taunts above me smugly. “All hope decays and dies in those who stand against me. To those who cross me, they shall not see another dawn! They shall not even see another night!” A wicked grin crawls across her face. “Sleep now, my little pony. Close your weary eyes. Just give up. There is no escape. Rest in the eternal torment that I shall bring you.”

“Pony feathers. Is that what you want?” I ask up at her wearily. “Guess I have no choice, then.” I shakily rise to my hooves. “You want me to be scared? I shall defy you with courage. You want me to despair? Then I shall defy you with hope. Whatever it is you want . . .” I trail off for a moment of silence while I shake my head then eventually conclude, “. . . I'll fight to my last breath to make sure you get the exact opposite of your desires, for that is the only thing a sadistic monster like you deserves.”

“Huh.” Nightmare scoffs in disgust as she lifts her muzzle in the air yet continues to stare down at me. “Run your mouth as much as you can, you pathetic pony. That is all the damage you can ever do against me at this point.” She gains her wicked grin back as she gets an idea. “But then again . . . how about we have a bit more fun before you die?

“Okay, then. I have decided.” Nightmare spreads her bat wings and her ghostly horn glows brightly again. From above, a stream of crimson energy beams down from the moon. When it nears her position, she collects it into a giant ball that is quickly growing bigger and bigger directly above her.

My eyes widen in alarm at this.

“Since you're so keen on giving me the opposite of my every request, I have another,” Nightmare says while maintaining her wicked smile. “I want you to try and dodge this attack with your very last breath. I want you to squirm like a worm on a hook. Dance for your Queen . . . My Little PONY!”

By the time she launches a beam from the giant ball above her, it is so large that it nearly covers the entire sky. From it, a GIANT three-hundred foot diameter laser shoots down from the energy above her towards me.

“Here we go again,” I groan tiredly before flapping away as fast as I can.

Reverse psychology. I get it. She asked me to dodge the attack in order to dare me to just stand there and take this obviously instant killing beam of destruction. So powerful it is, in fact, that it is ripping apart the entire landscape as it traces a massive scar after me. But by knowing that Nightmare actually wants me to stand there and take it, I must do the opposite and actually try to dodge it.

On second thought, it's hard to tell what she really wants. She resumes her mad laughing above as if she is entertained either way.

I look down at Ghastly Gorge as the huge beam she is sending after me annihilates the opening of Ghastly Gorge, but a new opening is created in its place. It's almost as if the opening is being moved a bit.

If Doctor Van is still down there, he can't take much more of this. It's true he is quite a bit down there, but that giant beam chasing after me looks like it could burrow into the center of the planet if it stays in one spot too long.

Question is, how long is too long?

As I struggle on, a funny thought occurs to me. We parked the rented pegasus chariot near the edge of the cliff, right? Well then . . . I strongly suspect we just lost our deposit on that thing.

I already started this super exhausted. I don't even know how I am able to summon this strength right now, and really, all I seem to be accomplishing is living a few moments longer. Sooner or later that beam is going to catch up to me, and even if it doesn't, I'm going to have a problem when that giant, looming moon crashes to the surface of this planet.

As I fly, I sometimes scream because of the strain of the effort. Tears cascade from my eyes and fall back into the giant laser beam of death chasing after me.

As I continue, I notice catastrophic environmental disasters already start to pick up because of the moon's closer proximity. Specifically, the entire land starts to quake. I can only imagine that the tides will be a literal nightmare all around the world. I even start to see some rocks drift upwards as if pulled by the force of a new sphere of gravity above. That just puts even more obstacles in my path that I have to dodge.

And she just continues to stand there, laughing madly all the while. The echoes of her laughter even roll across the sky like thunder.

I lose my train of thoughts when a new problem develops. The giant beam chasing behind me splits into two, then four, then eight. Its numbers keep doubling. Every time it does, it does get twice as thin, but nonetheless, each of them still seem strong enough to vaporize me instantly judging from how much damage they are doing to the earth.

From high above, one could see a dozen giant columns of light waving about and tearing apart the landscape. Between them all is a tiny yellow streak of lightning trying desperately to weave between them just for a few more precious seconds of life.

As I continue to dodge and weave, I eventually notice one detail that sparks a tiny amount of hope in my soul. On the horizon I see the glow of the rising morning dawn. After a while, though, I also notice a problem. It's there, waiting for its turn to rise, but the moon seems to be in the way. As a result, the sun is frozen in its position as if there is a traffic jam in space.

“Squirm! SQUIRM, you little worm!” Nightmare calls above then resumes laughing.

I widen my eyes, startled, when the giant beams chasing me tries a new tactic. They explode into an unfathomable number of smaller balls of light that each look like miniature copies of the moon. Each of them also transitions between all the phases of the moon. Whenever they return to the full moon phase, which lasts for only two seconds, they shoot a beam of light that also chases after me, albeit slowly. When that happens, I end up needing to dodge millions upon millions of light beams that each chase after me for two seconds, each of which could burn a one foot hole through my body. When those beams stop, one of the other spheres becomes a full moon. As a result, an almost constant barrage of beams fires at me with only a split second pause between one wave of beams and the next.

Had this not been so utterly deadly, I might have paused to admire its beauty.

By necessity, I sink into a trance again. My instincts take over and become hyper sensitive. It's sort of like this ultra instinct mode. At that point I am beyond all thought. I just react.

I weave and glide elegantly through the air. Waves upon waves of beaming light chase after me as if joining me in this elegant dance of death.

By the time the balls of light adjust their tactics, I am beyond thought. I can only barely later recall the fact that, when each ball reaches the waning or gibbous crescent moon phase, they start to spin as a flat deadly disk of light then chase after me. They are not nearly as maneuverable or as fast as me, especially when I can move with perfect defense without thought, but with millions of spinning disks chasing after me as well as millions of beams of light turning towards me like solid columns of death, I just don't have enough room to maneuver for long. Add to that is the escalating fatigue my body is suffering.

Because of all of these factors, one of the spinning disks does indeed eventually clip through my left wing near where the wing meets my back. Because of that, I end up falling and spinning in the sky. When I hit the ground, I am subject to the effects of the planet wide earthquake that is getting worse and worse as the moon continues to close in on us.

But, at that moment, all other attacks against me suddenly stop. All of it just instantly vanishes in midair. It would be so easy to hit me when I'm down at this point, but my guess is Nightmare wants a moment to pause and gloat over me.

And I'm right.

Nightmare teleports just a few feet above me along with her cloud. From there, she stands there and smiles at me smugly.

“After all that we've gone through together tonight, little pony, grant me this one last boon,” requests Nightmare. She tilts her head coyly at me as she asks, “What is going through your mind right now? It recently occurred to me that I've never asked those I've slain before. What goes through the minds of my victims just before I kill them? Regret, perhaps? Supplication?” She pauses a moment to let that thought sink in before she leans her head down and asks insidiously, “Feeeeeeeeeeear?”

“Why don't you try it yourself and find out?” comes my snippy reply before I cough out some blood due to the strain of . . . Well. Pretty much everything. Every level of my being.

In reply, Nightmare laughs a bit before shaking her head with a grin. “A witty reply, I must admit. Alas, our time together has come to an end.” She now stands tall with arrogant, regal authority. “Lightning Dust, for the crimes of defying me, your rightful ruler, I hereby sentence you to-”

“Oh bite my flank!” I bark back in irritation as I tiredly flick my tail in her general direction. “It certainly would be less painful to me rather than kissing yours.”

Nightmare Moon's right eye briefly twitches in irritation, but she mostly retains her royal dignity. She cracks her neck twice by swinging her head from side to side before she declares, “Very well. We'll just skip to the punishment, shall we?”

I widen my eyes when I sense new energy flooding this area, but unlike before, it feels cleaner somehow. For a very brief moment, I thought Nightmare was responsible until I hear her gasp in surprise too.

“What?!” Nightmare asks in astonishment as she looks around then widens her cat-like eyes before whipping her head to look up at the moon. When she does, I do too. Because of that, we both notice the natural blue hue return to it, thus chasing away the crimson glow it had earlier. Moments later, the moon starts to back off as well.

“What?!” Nightmare exclaims again. “NOOOOOOOO! This can't be happening. Who would dare? Who even could . . .” She trails off in a moment of realized shock, then narrows her eyes as she growls hatefully, “HER!”

Her, I wonder? Her meaning . . .

Then my eyes widen as I catch on to Nightmare's meaning. There is only one I can think of who would dare to do this, or even be able.

“Luna,” I say in awe under my breath as I scan the horizon. There is a brief flare of hope that she might be nearby, but to no avail.

Nevertheless, having the entire moon turn sanguine red then close in upon the planet, thus causing giant earthquakes and tsunamis everywhere, is sure to attract Luna's attention no matter where she is. Even if she was sleeping, which I heard doesn't happen often at night, all of these environmental effects would surely alert her unless she's dead.

But clearly she's not. Somewhere out there in the world, Luna is fighting back against her own nightmarish counterpart. As she does so, Nightmare is losing strength because she was drawing energy from the corrupted sanguine moon earlier. When the moon returned to normal, it cut off the flow of dark magic Nightmare was feeding upon.

With intense relief and gratitude, I close my eyes in prayer.

I believe in you, Luna. You kick flank! You're my kind of mare! Now keep up the pressure and show this phony imposter who is boss!

“How dare you! How DARE YOU!” Nightmare screeches before igniting her own horn and aiming it back at the moon. “No! NO! You can't do this! YOU CAN'T TAKE THE NIGHT AWAY FROM ME! Not even you!”

I see Nightmare Moon struggle to regain control of the moon, but for some reason, she is easily thwarted. It's almost as if the strength of multiple ponies is fighting back against Nightmare. Beings powerful enough to hold their ground.

Or maybe all ponies? Perhaps all races entirely? Nightmare threatened the entire planet just a few minutes ago. That is sure to lure a lot of attention. I guess subtlety in vamponies don't apply to their alicorn'ish versions.

When the moon is reset to its normal position and its normal phase, it starts advancing across the late night sky to where it originally should have been by this time of night. As it proceeds to do so, the sun resumes its advance as well. The dawn glows beautifully and warmly off the eastern horizon, thus welcoming the rise of a new day.

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!” Nightmare screams up into the air in sheer frustration and overwhelming fury.

My danger instincts kick in. Knowing what has happened so far, and at least having some idea as to why, I realize that Nightmare Moon is about to thrash about with a child-like tantrum. Given my close proximity to her, I quickly realize that there is one area that I certainly don't wish to remain in.

Without warning, I burst into the air, maybe for the last time. I fight against overwhelming exhaustion and, this time, also an injury near the base of my left wing. However, I know that if I don't escape the clutches of Nightmare and do it now, I will not get another chance to ever recover again.

It actually takes Nightmare much longer than I thought it would to finally chase after me. Even when I first bolted off, it's as if she didn't notice. Too busy screaming in frustration, I suppose.

But that only gave me a head start. When Nightmare finally does launch herself at me, she does so with frightening speed. She is still an augmented vampony, after all. If I was still at full strength, there is a chance I could still fly circles around her even as a mortal. However, as it stands, I am struggling to remain in the air at all, and Nightmare is advancing upon me so fast that she almost blurs. I hear her screaming in bloody rage as she closes in on me, too.

I close my eyes as tears start to flood them both because of my pain and the closing edge of despair. I gave everything I thought I had in this battle a long time ago.

I don't know where my strength is coming from right now. All I know is I just don't want to die. I want to live, and not just for myself. There are others who depend upon me too, and perhaps there's even a chance for something more?

I struggle on, keeping my eyes closed. I fly on until I feel a sense of warmth on my hide. That is when I finally open my eyes as I realize I reached high enough that I am now in the light of the rising dawn.

Nightmare almost had me, too, but when she reaches the light of the dawn as well, she screams as she visibly burns. This forces her to fly back down then glare at me hatefully over her shoulder, for she realizes there is still one flaw in my plan.

Yeah. That's right. I made it to the light of the dawn, but how am I going to stay up here? It took everything I had just to make it this far. Expecting to remain in this spot is . . .

I see a small pink cloud ahead of me that is lit by the light of the dawn. Considering my depleted strength, it feels far ahead of me. Maybe even too far, but I go for it anyway.

To do it, I sink into a trance again. I remind myself that I am up here in my element. I am a pegasus and a very good one. The sky is my home.

Before I know it, my right hoof grips the edge of the pink cloud. I'm in so much pain, but that contact gives me one last burst of elation. I ride the wave of my exhausted adrenaline rush to help pull myself onto the cloud. The more of my body is up there, the easier the task becomes except for my exhaustion. It threatens to give out every second, but I keep pulling. I keep crawling until my entire body is on the cloud. From there, I collapse to recover my overwhelmingly strained body.

Author's Note

Fun fact. The comment of "Run, run, run . . . or you're gonna die," came from a real nightmare I suffered in either 2001 or 2002. In it, I was being chased by tall, thin tedie bears through a cornfield which slowed me down. The tedie had three long razor metal claws per paw exactly like Wolverine's.

So how appropriate it is to be said by Nightmare Moon with that context in mind.

Update on 1/25/2024 (two days after my birthday): A friend of mine on YouTube, who is doing a reading on this story recently, also offered the following link which I think is thematically appropriate here.