[DISCONTINUED]The Nightmare on Earth Part 1

>Luna grits her teeth, jumping over a fallen tree before ducking under low hanging branches as she gallops ahead at full speed.
>Periodically, she catches glimpses of the pony she’s chasing as she weaves between standing trees.
>Years of hard work have finally led up to this moment.
>The months of secrecy, of diverting funds and ponies to this task without her sister's knowledge has finally payed off.
>She will NOT let this chance slip away simply because the beast managed to injure her wing before fleeing.
>As it enters a clearing, Luna lowers her head and fires a blue beam of destructive magic from her horn.
>The beam tears through a tree, missing its mark as the pony leaps to the side.
>Said pony tears off in a new direction, vanishing into the trees before the princess of the night can get another shot off.
>No!
>Raising her head, she fires an orange flare through the canopy before once more giving chase.
>It’s the signal to the members of the Lunar Guard, ordering them to sweep low and get her prey back on track.
>There’s a cave ahead that it needs to be steered into.
>She already had her guard scout the area-she knows that it has no exit.
>That’s where it’ll be trapped.
>That’s where she will end it, once and for all.
>A bellowing roar, followed by a panicked whinny echo out from somewhere in the forest-one of her ponies must be under attack.
>There's no time for her to deal with it right now, though, not if she plans to catch the pony ahead of her.
>She can only hope her guards' training will be sufficient to rescue their comrade.
>There it is!
>Her prey’s once more headed in the right direction.
>It may know now that she’s leading it somewhere, but it doesn’t matter anymore.
>The time for subtlety with this monster has long since passed.
>The pony skids to a halt just before the cave, its head glancing from side to side. It knows it’s a trap.
>Its choice to run to the left earns it another blast from Luna’s horn.
>The side of the mountain explodes, gravel showering the area as she once again misses her mark, the pony leaping back with unnatural reflexes.
>The lunar guard begins diving down, spears at the ready, killing any chance the pony had of escape.
>With a neigh of frustration, it charges into the cave.
>Luna slows to a halt before the entrance, sending up a green flare-the signal that the plan worked-as she catches her breath.
>It’s caught now. There’s no reason to rush.
>Her guard soon lands around her, Luna sparing only the the quickest of glances to confirm the sound of hooves and the clatter of chariots were her's.
>She doesn’t trust anypony else to watch the entrance.
>Not with this prey.
>Nopony else would know what to look for.
>After far, far too long, the captain of the guard lands besides her, "Your highness. I take it the beast has been trapped?"
>He sounds as winded as she feels.
>Not that she can show it in front of her ponies. A leader must remain strong, invincible for them.
>She looks around, only for a moment.
>Strange....there's only a quarter of the force she brought with her.
>Which is, not coincidently, the entirety of the Lunar Guard. 'Tia will NOT be happy to learn Luna left Canterlot completely defenseless
"Indeed, Captain Dusk, the plan has gone off perfectly. Tell me, where are the rest of my ponies?"
>She refuses to call them little, and thus use the condescending phrase her sister loves so much.
>Yes, everypony may love it too, but she has more respect for her subjects than Celestia.
>...The fact that she's not tall enough for it to be believable plays absolutely no bearing.
>None whatsoever.
>"Erm...about that, your highness..."
>She raises an eyebrow, stealing another glance at the captain.
>He looks like a foal caught with his hoof in the cookie jar.
>...That's yet another modern phrase that makes absolutely no sense to Luna.
>She growls out to her potentially former captain,
"Dusk, if you endangered this quest..."
>"No your Highness, nothing like that! I-well, I may have ordered a small skeleton crew to stay behind in Canterlot-"
>Yep. Definitely former.
>The last thing she needs is a captain who'll listen to her sister before they listen to her.
>Regardless of whether or not they think it makes sense.
>"-But the rest have engaged the dragon we angered during the pursuit.  My scout said it was a Lord Tharmorin, if that name sounds familiar?"
>She snorts, resigning to deal with him later.
>A change in command at this point would wreak havoc.
"Yes, I know of him. I believe he was born just before my banishment."
>She's never heard of him in her life.
>Not something they need to know, however. Ruler's must be wise and all knowing, after all...she can thank her sister for that one as well.
"I suppose that means I don't have any more time to waste. I'm going to deal with the monster, and afterwords I will be able to assist in pacifying Tharmorin."
>"Alone? Your majesty, you can't expect us to-"
>Luna stomps her hoof, silencing him. She once again laments the fact that she's no longer seen as a walking deity, like the good ol’ days.
"Did we not just have this exact conversation ten minutes ago? Nopony can deal with this as well as I-not even my sister. I will NOT let anypony else be hurt by this monster. Tis my burden and I will bear it alone. Is that CLEAR?"
>Her anger getting the better of her, she tears her gaze away to shoot him a glare.
>Quickly withering under it, he bows and mutters, "Yes, your highness."
>She turns back to her target and takes a deep, steadying breath. The mouth of the cave is looking more and more like the hungry jaws of a hydra.
>"Your highness," Shade speaks up yet again. "If you're going to handle it alone, why did you have us all come? Surely one or two groups would have been enough."
"You're here in case things go wrong. If I am not back by the time the dragon is dispatched-or at the first sign of trouble, I want you to assume the worst.”
“Have the unicorns seal the cave-airtight, mind you-and wake my sister. She'll need the Elements. If that's not enough...then you are here to do what is necessary."
>Without giving herself a chance to second guess her own commands, she trots towards the cave.
>Another guardspony calls out, "Princess, do you really think that could happen? That we'd need to...?"
>She pauses at the lip of the cavern, looking back.
"Neigh,"
>She says, trying to convince herself as much as them.
"But it does not hurt to be prepared."
>With that, she plunges into the cavern's lightless depths.
>She's no stranger to the dark. She spent a thousand years in it, after all.
>Despite that, she doesn't make it far past the first bend before using her horn to light the place up.
>Of course it's not out of fear!
>She simply doesn't want to give her enemy any sort of advantage.
>Besides, the low light of the night is one thing, but the total absence of the underground is another.
>She works her way into the silent abyss, the steady clip clop of her hooves echoing off the slick walls as her eyes dart around, the lunar princess scanning for any sign of movement.
>She's slowly becoming acutely aware of how loud she's breathing.
>The dim light, the grey walls, the only source of noise being her...it's starting to feel similar to her time spent on the moon. Too similar.
>No...it's nothing like the moon. She's not trapped here, she's not still banished.
>She's here for one reason, and one reason only. To finish what began so very, very long ago.
>As the cave twists and turns, she becomes aware of markings on the walls.
>Strange...the scouting report didn't mention anything about them.
>Anxiety grips her, pulling her from her single minded pursuit to examine the walls.
>What if they lead it to the wrong cave? It could have escaped, it could be heading to Canterlot right now for revenge!
>No...Her scouts hadn’t reported any other caves in the area. But that might not mean much.
>Strengthening the light spell reveals a mural on the walls.
>It depicts stick figure ponies interacting with some sort of bipedal race...minotaurs, perhaps?
>One thing's for certain. It's an ancient cave painting, from before Celestia got to work on building civilization the first time around.
>Nostalgia tweaks her heart...those were simpler days. Happier days.
>Back when the biggest worry she had was whether or not her sister was going to make her try some new food she invented, or if they were going to deal with a rampaging monster.
>Luna pauses, realizing that given the reason she's here, that second one hasn't exactly changed much.
>She’ll have to ask her sister what they mean later-once tonight's crises has been dealt with.
>It could be a fun trip down memory lane with her.
>Still, paintings such as these typically only happened in "home" caves-ones with only one way in or out. Regardless of whether or not this is right one, the monster's still trapped.
>Luna steels her nerves once again before continuing on, her heart pounding in her ears.
>She can't help but note that the paintings continue, growing both more numerous and abstract the deeper she goes.
>Just as the doubt that she might have missed her target begins to gnaw at her mind does she spot the monster.
>The abnormally tall, jet black unicorn sneers at her from the back wall-the end of the cave, surrounded by the strange paintings.
>With its horn glowing, it spits out,
>"Just what are you trying to accomplish by running me in here?"
>With a look of grim determination, Luna replies,
"Your end, Nightmare."
>"My end? Hah!" It barks out, unphased.
>"So tell me. What exactly have I done to deserve such a fate from the "mighty princess Luna," hmm? I haven't tried to take over the kingdom again, *I* certainly haven't threatened you-I've just been living my life."
>Now it's Luna's turn to sneer.
"We both know you're only biding your time, you've continued to take innocent ponies as your slaves-"
>"Innocent?!" Nightmare barks out, pacing back and forth. "Let's get one thing straight you stupid foal, Sherbert here BEGGED me to take him just like you did. We both know what this is really about.”
>”You're so pathetic, so incapable of running your own life that you once again need somepony to blame for all your problems, and this time you've picked me."
>Luna pauses, her jaw moving silently, her rebuttal dying in her throat. She can't hold the mental picture for the spell she needs.
>She had expected Nightmare to lie, insult her, attack her-the monster had access to her mind for a millennium...but that was more accurate than even she had realized.
>What if it's right?
>What if she only on this crusade because she can't handle simply running the country with her sister?
>What if she truly hasn't changed?
>Shaking her head, she pushes away the growing doubts.
"Nopony would give into you if they knew the truth. You must have lied and twisted his mind just as you did me!"
>"Hah!” Nightmare stops its pacing and glares at her. “Is that the lie you're telling yourself now? That I somehow TWISTED your mind, without having access to it? Is that the only way you can forgive yourself?"
>Luna growls out,
"It is the truth, Nightmare. I may have been jealous, but I was NOT capable of fratricide until you-"
>It cuts her off, sobbing out in a whiny, high pitched voice,
>"Why does nopony love me? They all sleep during my nights and run away screaming that I'm going to eat them when I visit them in the day! Sister knew this was happening and she didn't care!  Why does she hate me too? If...if she was gone, they'd HAVE to like me!"
>That stops Luna cold.
>She...she REMEMBERS that.
>Curled on her bed, sobbing out to the only being that-she thought, anyway-she could call her friend.
>But...that was long after she met it.
>It HAD to have been twisting her mind even then!
>"I did for you what I do for every one of my hosts. I gave you the power to make your wish come true, and in exchange you voluntarily gave yourself over to me."
“My wish? I wanted to step out from my sister's shadow, for ponies to respect me, to realize what I had done for them, not kill her!”
>“Oh? Really? ‘There can only be one princess in Equestria,’ those were your EXACT words right before I took over. You didn’t exactly leave me a lot of room for interpretation!”
”That was AFTER you spent months telling me half-truths, warping my mind, making me hate her! My sister’s death, eternal night, that was NOT what I wanted!”
>”Then you should be careful what you wish for!” Nightmare roars out, its horn brightening.
>Luna throws up every protective ward she can think of, but rather than attack, Nightmare simply continues on,
>”I don’t recall you complaining at the time! You revelled in it, you stupid girl! All you’ve done is once again proven what I’ve known all along.”
>”You have no IDEA what you want, you have no clue on what’s good for you. You’ve squandered your time since your return to what, redeem yourself? All you’ve done is proven what I’ve known for the past thousand years. You NEED me, little Luna.”
>Luna’s temper flares, pushing her doubt, her confusion out of her mind.
>This was the same speech Nightmare gave her for the past thousand years. The same speech she took as gospel.
>But no more.
>She starts to weave her spell, the one that will tear Nightmare out of its host and entrap it in the crystal she has hidden inside her torc.
>”Without me, you’re just a scared little foal, with powers you can neither control nor understand! They rightly saw you as a monster before-I didn’t change anything! You could destroy Equestria with a single mistake, and they probably all know it by now!”
>Luna’s blood runs cold. It can’t know about the Tantabus, can it?
>She only told the Elements it was from her...
>As if sensing her trepidation, Nightmare pauses its monologue.
>It starts to grin, showing off its pointed teeth,
>”You almost did, didn’t you? You already made that mistake...”
>Luna chooses to focus on her spell, rather than respond.
>Nightmare throws its head back and laughs, just as ‘evil’ and over the top as always.
>If it weren’t for the dream she relived every day for years, Luna would refuse to believe she ever sounded that stupid.
>”Oh, that’s rich! That means they ALL know now, don’t they? You’re the greatest monster Equestria’s ever seen! At least with me, you could make something of it! In fact…”
>Nightmare lowers its head, a dangerous glint in its serpentine eyes.
>”I’ll offer you something I’ve never offered a former host before.”
>”Take me back, and we can do EXACTLY that. All we need to do is take out the Purple Menace and there’s nothing that could stop us. Don’t you worry your little head about Discord, I know exactly how to handle him-I’ll even leave your sister alive if that’s what you want.”
>At least one thing is going right.
>Luna had fully expected the beast to try this-to convince her to be Nightmare Moon again.
>She would NEVER do it. She's past that point in her life.
>She has friends, her sister...tries to show how much she cares, she's respected as a proper Equestrian diarch...
>So why does part of her want to say yes?
>It’s that tiny voice inside her that’s been the source of her terror since her return.
>The one that still wants what Nightmare promised…
>It’s why she tormented herself for years whenever she slept-to remind her that becoming Nightmare Moon once more would only lead to ruin, to everypony she cares about being hurt.
>But she never was able to silence it.
>”Well? Just think Luna...you couldn’t handle competing with ONE Alicorn...how are you going to handle competing with three? Especially one who’s already proven more capable than you in every way…”
>Twilight.
>It’s talking about Twilight...the one who stopped her before.
>The one pony in the world who Celestia trusts more than her very own sister.
>The one...who if she knew Luna took up the mantle of Nightmare Moon, would probably apologise for not being a good enough friend, after freeing the princess again.
>Because she’s ‘perfect.’ Just like Celestia.
”No,”
>Luna says, convincing herself as much as refusing the monster’s offer.
>”I’m sorry, what was that?” Nightmare makes a show of cocking its head to the side, an ear raised, “I thought for a moment you said no, but we both know you miss me too much to do that.”
”No, Nightmare! I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I won’t hurt anypony ever again!”
>Luna lowers her head, the spell locking into place,
 “And I won’t let you either! I'd die before ever accepting you again!”
>Her horn glows bright as lightning shoots forth, wrapping around Nightmare’s legs.
>Unphased, it raises an eyebrow.
>”Really? You’re going to use MAGIC? You DO remember that anything you do to me will hurt poor ol’ Sherbert here, too, right?”
>Luna levitates the crystal out from her necklace and shoots a fifth bolt out into that crystal. The gem glows before that bolt lances out, the end twisting into the shape of a dragon’s claw.
>Nightmare grunts out, pulling back when the claw hits, wrapping around its face.
>There’s a twinge of fear in its voice as it calls out, “Seriously, you’re going to hurt Sher-gaaaahh!”
>The claw pulls back, a black inky blob caught in the magic claw’s ‘fingers,’ being slowly, forcibly dragged out of the poor unicorn.
>The unicorn’s original color becomes visible on it-no, his hind legs, slowly creeping up, overtaking the black as more and more of the tenebrous cloud is pulled forth.
>Nightmare thrashes against the magical bonds, its face contorting with pain.
>But Luna knows better.
>All that time spent as Nightmare Moon let her learn EXACTLY how to hurt Nightmare, without injuring the host.
>All this spell will do is free Sherbert, and trap the Nightmare inside the gem. Forever.
>”Gaaah-ok, maybe I was wrong-ghuuu-ut you’re still making a big-naah!-mistake, Luna! You see, you’re do-doooing this in a plaaaace of power, and, that means-nnnn-I can do...this!”
>Its horn flares, the magic sizzling behind that cloud.
>The back wall of the cave starts to shimmer, but Luna barely notices-she’s too busy readying a counterspell to whatever Nightmare’s going to do to her.
>If the spell falters now, it could get away.
>Or worse. It might attempt to forcibly take her over.
>But she didn’t prepare for this.
>The second the entire essence of the Nightmare is pulled from the once more yellow unicorn, a crack rings through the cavern, causing a few stalactites to fall.
>The solid rock of the back wall ripples like water before imploding with a deafening bang, the collapsing rock being sucked into a bright orange magical vortex.
>Wind screeches in Luna’s ears as as it’s sucked into the portal-the air, the aether, Nightmare, her-everything magic being pulled as though caught in a vacuum.
>Luna braces her hooves, snarling as she concentrates on the spell-it can’t escape now!
>Out of the corner of her eye, she spots Sherbert collapsing on the floor, completely unaffected by the suction.
>She doesn’t have time to worry about that. The vacuum’s quickly overpowering her spell, pulling the Nightmare away from her.
>She can hear the Nightmare’s laughter in her mind...
>Squeezing her eyes tight, she pours everything she has into the spell.
>No...it can’t escape now! Not after all this!
"Gah!"
>With a pop, the spell breaks.
>Luna stumbles backwards as the bolt's severed in two.
>In an instant, the inky cloud of the Nightmare disappears into the portal its laughter ceasing, the now super-charged gem being torn from Luna's telekinetic grasp.
"No!"
>Luna cries out before leaping for the gem, her hooves outstretched.
>That crystal was so refined, so specialized, it ate up half of 'Tia's annual cake budget.
>She won't be happy when she finds out about that one, either.
>Catching it just before it shatters against the ground, she fumbles with it in her hooves before hugging the gem tight against her chest.
>But her hooves are no longer touching the ground.
>She’s caught in the pull of the vortex...good.
>She’s so close now...she can NOT let Nightmare get away! Not again!
>It was part of her for a thousand years, the last remnant of her betrayal, of her fall. As long as it’s free to hurt ponies, she’s to blame.
>Sister will understand that she NEEDS to do this, once she returns triumphant.
>Luna closes her eyes and passes through the portal.
-
>She lands on her back hard, the glowing gem still pressed tightly to her chest.
>Clutching it in her teeth, she leaps to her hooves, looking around.
>The cave she’s in...it looks identical.
>But something in the air -feels- off.
>Glancing back, she sees the portal’s closed. It’d be a trivial matter for her to re-open it, once she’s caught the Nightmare.
>She cautiously trots ahead, looking around for any shadow that could be out of place.
>It doesn’t take too long before she spots it.
>A void clinging to the ceiling, despite how the light lies. It vanishes the moment her horn lights up, running along the ceiling.
>Luna tears after it, galloping flat-out on the uneven ground.
>But something still feels off...the energy for the capture spell is draining her more than it should.
>And she can’t feel her moon…
>The portal must have lead to the other side of the world.
>Perhaps to a null-magic zone?
>She recalls her sister talking about how some centaur experiments created those when they went awry.
>That’s fine-she has more than enough reserves to capture Nightmare, open the portal, take down that dragon, blow up Ponyville should she need to, and move the moon back into its rightful place without anypony being the wiser.
>If she's in a null-magic zone, it’ll have stalled.
>The cave turns to a straightaway, an ancient cave-in blocking the exit.
>Without wasting a moment, Luna lets the spell fly, the lightning-claw shooting out towards the black cloud of her tormenter.
>Just before the claw catches hold, the Nightmare sinks between the rubble, vanishing.
>Luna resists the urge to scream out in frustration.
>Cancelling the spell, she shoots a destructive beam from her horn to blow apart the rubble.
>In her fury, she may have put a bit too much behind that one.
>Rather than blowing it apart, the beam melts right through it, leaving a pony sized hole, revealing the pale light of her moon.
>Her heart leaps to her throat as the sound of several trees exploding reaches her ears-it’s back in the open! It’s getting away!
>She dives through the molten hole, stuffing the gem back in her necklace as her eyes scan the sky, not bothering to question why it’s still night if she’s on the other side of the world.
>She's hung up on something far more distressing.
>The stars are unfamiliar.
>That’s impossible.
>There! A moving void!
>Once more she’s galloping through a forest, paying the minimum amount of attention required to avoid running into a tree. This time her eyes are locked on the moving shadow above the canopy.
>Her mind races faster than her legs.
>The stars are HER children, the night sky is HER domain-there’s not an inch of it she doesn't know, not a star she didn’t place.
>For her not to recognize it...something is wrong.
>Something is VERY wrong.
>It doesn’t matter-there’s a break in the trees up ahead.
>There she’ll catch it, turn right back to the cave, and return home victorious.
>She leaps over the metal fence at the edge of the trees, her hoof guards clattering as she lands on solid rock.
>An unearthly screech fills her ears.
>Glancing to her left, she's blinded by twin beams of light, the only warning before she’s struck harder than she ever has in her long life.
>The blow knocks her off her hooves, sending her flying through the air.
>Her head cracks against the rock as she rolls to a stop.
>As her vision starts to fade, the only thought running through her mind is that she KNEW she should have taken care of that damn dragon beforehoof.

-

“...on the Battlefield, he’s lost! And on the Battlefield he eeeeeeeends! Waaaar and anger will reign!”
>You are Anon.
>You are blasting your music as loud as you can in a vain hope of masking the sound of spaghetti leaving a trail as you drive home.
>You are also singing along, because singing keeps you from thinking.
>Thinking about how the girl you’ve been hitting on all night had absolutely no idea.
>When you asked her if she wanted to go somewhere private, she admitted she just thought you were some creepy guy who was obsessed with Warhammer.
>God, you’re an idiot.
>...so is she, though. She didn't even know the difference between Warhammer and 40K.
>Bitch probably wouldn't even thin her paints.
>That’s fine though, you just need to get home, get on the computer, and everything will be ok again.
>At least you know your computer loves yo-deer!
>Your heart leaping to your throat, you stomp on the brakes, your tires screeching as your wheels lock up.
>Come on, move, move, movemovemove-
>There’s the telltale thud before your car finishes skidding to a halt.
>It seriously did the headlight thing?! You thought that was just in cartoons!
“Dammit!”
>You exclaim to no one in particular, slapping the top of your steering wheel.
>You repeat the curse and gesture several times, further punishing your car for not stopping when you needed it to.
>Once you’re satisfied your car’s learned its lesson, you hit your hazard lights and get out to inspect the damage-it’s the middle of the night, there won’t be anyone else on the road.
>Maybe it’s not that bad?
>A quick visual inspection reveals that yep. It’s that bad.
“Fuuuuuck,”
>Clutching your head in your hands, you will the front end of your car to snap back into place.
>Reality once again fails to bend to your whim.
>There’s no way you can afford to get this fixed anytime soon…you just hope the thing will still drive.
>You don’t wanna be a worthless NEET again, mommy.
>Alright, get the body out of the way so you won’t have some creepy deer ghost haunting you, then you can go home and tell the internet your ran over a hobo or something. Then they’ll think you’re cool.
>It actually takes you a moment to locate the carcass. Not your fault, though. You weren’t expecting the thing to be blue.
>Did someone seriously paint the damn thing?! Why?
>...Oh god, what if the deer learned camouflage? Next they’ll be making guns, and then it’ll be Human Season.
>You vaguely recall watching an anime based on that premise.
>Any smart-alecky ideas you have die once you approach the body.
>The first thing that is apparent, is that is NOT a deer.
>If anything it looks like some mutant horse thing.
>Splayed out on the ground are feathered...wings? And it’s hair…
>It’s hair looks like nothing you’ve ever seen. It’s waving against against the road like it’s caught in the wind, along with its long tail….it looks like a chunk of the night sky, complete with ‘stars.’
>Not to mention there’s a moon painted on its butt.
>You step aside to allow your headlights to illuminate the thing.
>Is it wearing jewelery?!
>It’s then that you see the solitary horn jutting out of the thing’s forehead.
>...wat.
>This thing is a unicorn?
>You SERIOUSLY hit a unicorn?!
>Way to go Anon! Unicorns are real and you just killed one!
>You never heard of any others, have you? That might have been the LAST one! You just killed the last unicorn-that was your childhood you killed!
>Peter S. Beagle would be pissed.
>Well NOW what do you do? You can’t just tell everyone ‘Hey, unicorns were real and I just killed them.’
>For now, you settle on staring at the thing, your mind racing.
>Is it officially an endangered species? You could be going to prison!
>...Unless it’s not. In which case, you could go down in history as the guy who discovered unicorns were real...and proceeded to kill them.
>Wow, you could be famous-and not just Internet famous.
>You’re interrupted as the unicorn stirs.
>It lifts its head up, its legs twitching before collapsing back on the roadway.
>This thing’s alive!
>You didn’t murder it, you grievously injured it!
>...why does that make you feel even more horrible?
>Because now you have a duty to fix it! You can’t let it die!
“Hey, hey, it’s alright Unicorn thing. I’ll fix this, don’t worry!”
>They can understand people, right?
>You pull out your phone and stupidly stare at it. There’s no way there’d be any vets you could contact at this hour...at least, not horse ones.
>Wait, your sister’s always been a horse nut.
>She would know what to do!
>After your third trip to voicemail, she finally picks up with a groggy, “Hello...?”
>You don’t care if you woke her up, this is important dammit!
“Hey, Mary, great! Listen, I’m on Cherry road. I hit a...look, this is gonna sound crazy, but I hit a unicorn-it’s still alive, what do I do to keep it that way?”
>Your sister take a moment before responding, “Anon, it’s 4 in the morning, I’m not playing your games right now.”
“Hey-I’m not playing any games, I seriously hit a uni-”
>Your phone beeps, indicating she hung up.
“Well fuck you too!”
>There goes your only lifeline...now what, Anon?
>A quick google search of “dying unicorn wat do” provides yahoo answers-no help.
>Crouching down, you confirm its chest is still moving, showing that it’s still breathing.
>Well...you can’t just let a unicorn die out here, can you?
>That’s like murdering an orphan.
>Alright. You can fix this! Or at least keep it alive until morning.
>You know First Aid, same principles apply, don’t they?
>Well...you own a First Aid kit, and you have the internet. It’s more or less the same thing.
>The only issue is...the kit’s at your house.
>In retrospect things like this, except with people instead of previously mythical beings, are probably why people keep them in their cars.
>Car...that’s it!
>In a flash, you bring your car over to the side of the unicorn and open your rear door, the damaged front the last thing on your mind.
>Yea, you know you aren’t supposed to move things if they’re injured, it’ll only make it worse...but you already ran over the damn thing, you can’t do much worse than that.
>As long as you don’t kill it, you’re good.
>Wrapping your arms under its middle, you lift it up-
>Hooofuckthisthingisheavy!
>Putting your groin into it like any sensible person, you just barely manage to heave the thing onto your seat.
>You pause with a hand on the top of your car, doubled over as you gasp for breath.
>Ok...weird person-sized unicorn weighs a lot more than person.
>You look around, tossing in one of the slipper things that fell off.
>You have your phone, your wallet, it has its slipper things, its necklace...there aren’t any spooky eyes staring at you from the woods belonging to its fellow unicorn brethren that’d want to impale you on their horns…
>Yea, you’re good.
>Getting in your car, you resume the drive home, switching the music to something a little less...violent.
>The thought weighs heavy on your mind.
>If you fuck this up, you’ll go down in history as the guy who killed quite possibly the last unicorn.

-

>The Nightmare Incarnate flies through the air, half blind, almost deaf, and feeling itself fade away.
>It has made two discoveries tonight.
>One is that the portal does NOT lead to the same world, and the other is that it cannot survive for long outside of a host when there’s no ambient magic in the air to sustain it.
>It senses a sentient being down below-pony-like intelligence, a suitable host!
>There’s no time for it to convince it to be voluntary.
>Hopefully the Nightmare can overpower its natural magical resistance.
>Swooping down, it prepares for a life-or-death struggle.
>But as it hits the being it encounters...nothing.
>No resistance, no struggling...nothing.
>It takes a moment to settle into new body, but it doesn’t take long before it’s looking out of its host’s new eyes.
>Binocular vision...naturally sharp teeth…it’s a predator, that’s always useful.
>But its hooves are ending in tentacles-ugh.
>This is why the Nightmare prefers to live in an equine host.
>It seizes total control, effortlessly.
>Listening, the Nightmare doesn’t even hear the thoughts of its host.
>It doesn't even realize its possessed, it's just gone dormant. The Nightmare completely subsumed the creature...but that CAN’T happen!
>Even in a minotaur, which barely has any magic, it can still listen to its host, still have communication, grant its host their desires.
>For all intents and purposes, these creatures are dead.
>Nightmare shudders as it realizes it’s inhabiting what is, for all intents and purposes a corpse.
>That’s disgusting.
>But...the creature was standing, and about to operate this building sized self-propelled wagon. That’s proof it's alive and well.
>Nightmare starts to tear into its host's memories. It needs to learn everything it can about this world if it has any hope of blending in, of making a convincing....human, they’re called?
>It’ll have to, if it wants to give this host their desire. The Nightmare ALWAYS pays its debts.
>After that...it’s on to its greatest failure. Luna.
>It took a thousand years from her. It’s going to grant her everything she ever wished for, whether she likes it or not.
>It misses being a god, after all.