The demented form of what used to be my best friend walked confidently towards me and Chance, an eery smile gracing its face. I looked over at Chance, noticing how he looked ready to pass out. I grabbed his hoof and pulled him back through the door, slamming the door. We ran as fast as we could.

"Celestiaaaaa!" we screamed, pushing her door open with a slam. Our sister was not in her room. We ran back out, scrambling around terror. We needed some pony to help us. We galloped at full speed towards a pitch black door and threw the door open. Luna was in bed, sleeping. Reluctantly, I ran forward in sync with Chance and howled, "Luna!"

The older alicorn started in surprise and fell off the bed. She glared up at us. "What do my little siblings require that they could not talk to somepony else about?" I opened my mouth to answer, but a shadowy figure appeared in the doorway.

"Nothing, Luna. Go back to sleep," Sam's sickly sweet voice emanated from the creature, but I couldn't believe that this was actually her. Luna stood in front of us, but she looked dwarfed by the shady form of the monster.

I panicked, my horn igniting in a colorful aura. In a rainbow flash, Luna, Chance, and myself found ourselves in the throne room. Celestia stared at us, surprised and confused. "Sister!" I cried, relieved, dizzily taking a few steps towards her, "We...might have a bit of a problem." Celestia was on her hooves in an instant, and I stumbled, still dizzy from casting a teleportation spell on not only myself, but Luna and Chance as well.

"Luna, what does she mean? What problem?" Celestia addressed the princess of the Night. As the dizziness subsided, I saw Luna frown gravely.

"I do not know much, my sister, but what I do know its that Sam has been...taken..." Celestia gasped. "Yes, sister. The Nightmare has returned, and had taken control of Sam. I do not know anything else."

"The...Nightmare?" I asked, shaking slightly. The name was familiar. I delved into my recently received memory, trying to recollect what Luna was saying. I closed my eyes, willing it to come to me. A moment later I found myself on Celestia's balcony, the princess of the Sun next to me...

"Sister, what has happened to Luna? Why has she refused to lower her moon? Does she not know the consequences?" I asked. Celestia turned to me gravely.

"Chroma, our sister has become entangled in the wishes of the Nightmare. It is an evil so powerful, I don't know what we can do about it." I was surprised. Celestia looked...scared. "There is only one thing that I can think of that will be rid of her evil, but it is grim, little sister. Too grim for me to tell you about. I know you are a grown mare, but I cannot tell you what I am about to do. Maybe one day I'll be able to."

"Tia!" I cried as my sister jumped off the balcony into the dark night. She disappeared without a trace. I could not follow her.

"Chroma!" I heard twin cries. I turned to find Tempest and Gale galloping towards me. Gale and I hugged and Tempest looked around anxiously.

Suddenly, in a deep purple flash, Luna appeared next to us, but she was...different. She wore armor and her eyes were not right. Her mane was a deeper blush purple than normal. She laughed maniacally. We huddled together in terror. "No one will stop me!" she yelled, "What little foals of siblings, I have! This will be easy." A black light encompassed us, and the last thing I heard was my demented sister's evil laughter...

"Carmen?" I blinked as I was addressed, coming back to the conscious world. Luna stood over me, looking concerned. This could not have been the same Luna who became Nightmare Moon...but it was. I knew it was still her, and I knew that no matter how twisted she had become, the new Nightmare was still Sam.

"Sam...Sam is like another Nightmare Moon..." I stuttered, "Isn't she?" Celestia nodded. "But what does she want?"

"We do not know," Celestia said, "but we need to keep her away from our little ponies. Luna? Do you think you could get her away from Canterlot? Maybe to our old castle? There will be no ponies there. We will get the Elements." Luna modded and left. I smiled ever so slightly. We were going to get the Elements of Harmony. Everything would be worked out. I frowned again.

"We need to get going. Are we taking the royal carriage?" Celestia nodded, and teleported away for a second. When she returned, she had a familiar box in her hand. The Element necklaces...and crown. We hurried out to where the carriage was kept and got in. Celestia sat in front and me and Chance sat in the back.

"Are you okay?" Chance asked me. I looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"In the throne room...you just kinda went...blank and fell on the floor. What happened?" I blushed. Had that really happened.

"I was remembering something..." He gave me a look that signaled that he wanted to know what it was. "I remembered when Nightmare Moon banished us." He paled slightly.

"Oh..." He snuggled in close to me, "I see. Are you going to be okay?" I nodded.

"I'm just confused. And scared." I shuddered. "How can the Nightmare do that to an alicorn? What gives it so much power? And how can we stop it if the Elements don't work?"

"They will. You're just being paranoid," he said, slightly jokingly.

"I hope you're right," I sighed, looking out over Equestria, "I hope you're right."

Author's Note

Grr...why can't I write longer chapters?