As night fell over Equestria, it was once again time for Princess Luna to enter the Dreamscape. Getting comfortable on her bed, Luna was lay down with her hands over her chest and closed her eyes. Soon she felt the pull of the void and within moments she was within the Dreamscape. Her body felt weightless as she floated around and looked at dream after dream. It appeared as though it will be a calm night for her little ponies with no nightmares is sight.
But out of the corner of her eye, Luna spotted one nightmare after all, hidden away in the very corners of the Dreamscape.
“Now whose nightmare are you?” Luna slowly floated towards the tumultuous cloud of black mist. “Curious…” she could not see inside the nightmare, let alone know which pony was having it. Stretching her arm towards the mist, Luna suddenly shiver run through her body and cold sweat cover her entire body. “What is this?” the princess recoiled and looked at her fur standing on edge. Taking another gander at inspecting the mist, Luna drew closer and closer, her furn and skin tingling with every moon. Soon her entire being screamed at her to run away and never look for this place again.
But the princess of the night also felt suffering from within the nightmare. Somepony was trapped inside, she was sure of it, and whoever it was, they needed her help. There was some dark magic at work here and Luna had to put a stop to it, as it was her duty as Princess of Equestria. Steeling her nerves for the final time, Luna plunged her hand inside the mist and screamed in agony. Thousands of claws and teeth were ripping on her arm and were trying to pull her in.
“NO! NO! NOOOOOO!” Luna struggled but it was all in vain. The mist slowly swallowed her as her cries echoed through the void, only to be heard by nopony…
Luna awoke to the feeling of cold cobblestone beneath her. Her ears were still ringing and she could feel the sensation of teeth and claws ripping through her body fade away.
“Ugh… What happened?” she clutched her head in pain and slowly stood up. “What is this place?”
It looked like she was on some sort of bridge in a strange looking city. Everything was so hazy and gloomy and Luna couldn’t make much out into the distance. What she could see though were tall buildings unlike any she’d seen before. Almost spear-tip roofs lined the houses around it, a great cathedral loomed over the city, the huge bell in the clock tower ringing ominously every few seconds. There was a chill in the air and a sickening smell of blood, one which made Luna cover her nose in disgust. Old chariots were left abandoned and broken at the walkways of the bridge. It appeared whoever was using them left them in a hurry if the broken doors on them were anything to go by. Turning around to see more of this strange place, Luna saw a grand archway with its entrance covered in fog.
“I… I have to get out.” Luna summoned her magic but nothing happened. “Why isn’t it working?” Luna tried once again but nothing happened, not even that little jolt you get when you try to cast a spell at the brink of exhaustion. It was like her magic wasn’t even there. “Oh no. No, no, no, no, no.” Luna began to panic. “Hello?!” she called out, hoping somepony would come to help her. “Can aynpony hear me?!” and as misfortune would have it, something could.
A low growl caused Luna to turn back and she was hit by a stench of blood and decay. There on the street was something akin to a wolf, covered with black fur. The body was falling apart, skin hanging loose and bones visible beneath patches of black fur. The beasts white eyes focused on her and Luna knew she had to run fast, or even fly away. Her muscles tensed and she was ready for take off when a loud bang split the night and the beast lurched forward before quickly turning around. It didn’t have time to react as a saw-like weapon struck it’s head, almost ripping it in half. With a sickening crunch the saw was pulled out and the beast fell limply to the floor.
Even in the low-light of the unfamiliar looking Moon, Luna could confirm that whoever just saved her was not a pony. The first giveaway was the lack of fur beneath the hat and bandanna her savior wore and the legs weren’t pony shaped. Luna was about to speak her gratitude when her savior raised a flintlock pistol towards her.
“Wait! Please! I mean no harm, hunter!” Luna raised her arms in defense and the hunter hesitated. At least she thought he was a hunter of some sorts, perhaps a slayer...
“You can talk?” it replied in a hoarse voice but didn’t lower the gun.
“Yes! I can talk!” Luna pleaded and slowly moved forward, her arms still raised. “My name is Luna, a Princess of Equestria.”
“Never heard of it.” the hunter replied and cocked the pistol. “What do you want?”
“I want out of here!” Luna replied and stopped in her tracks. “I wasn’t supposed to be here.” she finished with a tear rolling down her cheek. “Please… I want to go home…” she was never this scared in her life, never before has she been cut off from her magic completely. Wherever this was didn’t feel right or even natural.
“There’s no going home.” the hunter replied. “Not until the Nightmare ends.”
“Nightmare?” Luna recoiled at the word, one she was very familiar with. The hunter took a step forward, his pistol still pointed towards Luna.
“Move.” Luna heard him call but had no time to react. A sharp claw went through her abdomen, piercing her back to front. She didn’t even scream. Barely turning her head Luna saw one of those wolf monsters opening it’s maw to devour her but it never got the chance as a bullet went through it’s skull and it fell limply to the ground. Luna followed suit and the claw ripped itself out as the princess hit the ground. “Warned you.” the hunter stood above her as she was slowly surrounded by a pool of her own blood. “Hmm… You don’t reek of Blood.” Luna had no time to ponder on his words and weakly raised her arm.
“Help… Me…” she barely croaked out and the hunter looked for something in his pocket. He finally pulled out a tattered piece of paper with a strange symbol on it and simply threw it on the dying princess.
“Welcome to Yharnam.” and without another word, the hunter made his way towards the fog under the arch-way and disappeared within it. Luna felt life leaving her as her body slowly gave out. With her last bit of strength she clutched the piece of paper as tears flowed down her cheeks.
“Tia…”
No sooner than life left her body in Yharnam, Luna sat up in her bed back in Canterlot. Her entire body was covered in cold sweat, heart going a thousand miles a minute and breathing heavily while tears still flowed from her eyey. Luna didn’t even check if she was still in one piece and ran straight to her sisters room, a tattered piece of paper left forgotten on her bed...
Author's Note
Here's a concept for ya'.
Short and to the point, in medias res, no long intro.
Let's see how it goes over.
See ya' next time... Maybe...
