alicornparty | (no subject)

(no subject)

THE NIGHTMARE MEME

Congratulations! Whether through trickery, temptation, or plain old possession, your character has been corrupted by an ancient darkness, previously known only to the Princess of the Night. The Nightmare has just begun.

♦ Your character is now a Nightmare! How did they get to this point, and what do they plan to do with their newfound power? Doubtless, power is on their minds...and maybe eternal night wouldn't hurt either? Just a little bit?

♦ Oh no! Your character's friend is now a Nightmare version of themselves! Will you fight back or try to talk them down? You should probably avoid doing what Celestia did - unless you've got a thousand years to spare.

♦ You know what? Friendship IS magic! Being evil would be a lot more fun if your friends were with you - maybe you should try to lure them over to the dark side as well. Hint: try baking some cookies!

♦ Don't forget the aftercare! If you do manage to snap your friend out of Nightmarehood, you had best be on hoof for a whole lot of comforting afterwards. These things are never easy. Ask Luna, if thou hast doubts.

♦ Villain song. Do it.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Now that's a foolish way to think about it!" Nightmrejack roars, tipping a few more carts with a well-plced kick. "Don't you see it's impossible? If our precious princesses couldn't solve this, no one can!"

There's an anguished roar as she continues her attempts at destruction. "We're lost forever! Accept it, that that's over and this place ain't worth saving!"

...yup, totally lost it.

"It's not impossible, not if we trust in each other to get through this and find a way back home together!"

Rainbow makes her way toward Applejack in seconds, dodging anything that might be flung in her direction. "We're not lost forever! You've still got me, right? And Fluttershy from back home, too! We might be from different parts of your past AJ, but we're still from the same Ponyville!"

Shouldn't Applejack be the one spouting the 'honesty' stuff? (Which is definitely something the rainbow-haired pony would think if she wasn't busy trying to save her friend.)

Edited 2014-06-10 02:56 (UTC)

Nightmarejack continues her assault undeterred, leaping up and locating a few perfectly placed sharp rocks to buck.

"It's all a trick. The same six Element-bearers y'all always were are gone! The ponies here have seen horrifying things...they won't be who they were anymore. None of us will! Fear's the new reality---stay inside, and I'll let you live."

She trembled with rage as she went on.

"That's a lie, 'cause AJ's still inside! You can't push her away and you know it!" Rainbow's response was to spin around the rocks and send them in various directions before standing hoof to hoof with Nightmarejack.

"...What about your family, Applejack? Sweet Apple Acres? What would they think if they saw you right now?" She was trembling with anger and anticipation while going on.

"Doesn't matter, does it? Because I have no family now!" Applejack roars. "The folks here, who look like 'em? Their kin's some other Applejack, one who handled all this otherworld nonsense. Not me. I stand alone."

She leaps back and tries to create some distance between them.

"That's not true! They're still your family AJ, even if they're different versions of them!" Rainbow zoomed forward and tossed some apples at Nightmarejack before taking the momentary distraction to tackle the other pony.

Time for some tough love, even if she didn't wanna hear it.

Applejack was probably a little harder to keep pinned down than usual. She pushed hard, roaring her anguish at her former friend.

"We're all strangers in a strange land. And people come and go from this world on a whim. In an unstable world like this, how can a bond possibly last?"

In the midst of her being difficult, there's a tiny trace of despair behind the anger.

"...That's not what you really believe!" Rainbow winced a little at the push, but stretched out her wings and pushed back harder with her forehooves keeping her's securely pinned.

"Twilight's helped us a lot before we came here, and yeah...we'll lose friends that we make here, and it'll hurt but we've gone through that back home and gotten stronger. The same thing can happeh here...we just gotta believe that our friendship is stronger than our pain!"

The Pegasus pony gulped lightly before admitting something she'd never said to anypony: not even the Rainbow from another world, Fluttershy from theirs or anypony else Rainbow had befriended knew. "I almost gave up a couple times when I first got here...and then Fluttershy showed up! Now you're here, and even though I have friends who aren't from the Equestria we're from, they can help us just as much as our friends would if they were here!"

Nightmarejack twitched oddly, as if something weird was going on in her head. She didn't seem as coordinated, but that bitterness wasn't quite gone yet.

"Friends all across the universe. What a lovely story. But it makes you feel small, doesn't it?"

Rainbow replied with a quick 'Pshaw!' and motion with her hoof -before putting it right back so Applejack wouldn't move- before grinning at the other pony.

"No way! That just means even more ponies get to see my awesomeness, even if they're all from different worlds. Kinda like the one Twilight visited, except switched around so they look like ponies. Think about it: there will be days when nothing goes right, and you wanna blame anypony in sight but it's okay! When you feel like that, or you feel small and alone just remember we all go through it but you don't have to be alone...

"See my hoof?" Rainbow holds it up for a brief moment as she steps back before sticking it out for Applejack to take. "It's reaching for yours, wanting to help you back up from that freaky shadow power...I'll always be here for you, and you know you've got the support of all our friends! They might not be here for us, but they're always with us here!" Rainbow taps her chest near her heart while continuing to reach out.

"Come back to me, Applejack...hehe, tell me I shouldn't be saying sappy stuff like this!"

It's Rainbow the sap that finally causes the old Applejack to stir. The nightmare pony's jaw quivers, and then those black eyes flicker back to their familiar green for just a moment. It's the honesty that fills her heart with the desire to reconcile.

But that lifted hoof quivers, because the curse ain't giving up without a fight. She wavers, struggling to stand---

"Rainbow Dash..."

---and then her hoof is there, holding on despite the pain. That chokehold of despair bites into her like thorns for a few moments longer. Then, a white-hot light engulfs her, expelling the curse and leaving a thoroughly beaten Applejack to collapse on the dirt.

Her hat falls to the wayside, and the grass under her head is suspiciously wet.

"I'm sorry," she whispers brokenly.

Rainbow felt a wide smile finally appear as she pulled Applejack up and into a tight hug. It's rare that the other pony's seen without her hat, and if she were as honest as Applejack the cyan-haired Pegasus would say that's pretty cool. Or maybe some other words that fell under the 'sappy' conga.

"...It's okay! I'm here for you, just like I know you'll always be there for me."

"But I said all those horrible things," Applejack cried, her head slumping onto Rainbow's shoulder. She really wasn't feeling up to fighting it right now---she'd done enough fighting for a while.

"I swear I don't think that. You're my family---always, and I can't believe I forgot."

"That wasn't you talking at all, Applejack!" Rainbow ran a hoof protectively through Applejack's mane, holding her close as she consoled her friend.

"That was just the creepy darkness saying stuff that wasn't true. You're my family too, and I'll make sure you don't forget again...even if I have to use the big guns!"

Edited 2014-06-11 04:15 (UTC)

After a minute, Applejack could feel that she was coming back to herself. She still felt weakened by the pull of all that dark magic, but she'd be okay. Eventually.

"...big guns?" she asked, finally lifting her head to give Rainbow a curious look.

Rainbow's grin became slightly devious as she nodded once to Applejack's question before answering back. In the form of a question.

"Remember Dodge Junction?" Rainbow had tried a certain tactic to get Applejack to talk, which nearly worked. She wasn't above trying it again if things went out of control for the Earth pony and she got taken over a second time.

"Yes...uh-uh. Oh no. No way. I've heard enough about kumquats and chimicherrychongas for a lifetime, thank you," Applejack answered, a wavering smile finally appearing on her face.

She then lifts her leg and actively participates in the hugging, closing her eyes. "I ain't losing you again."

"Hehehehe! Don't forget about the beans too, 'cause you'd be reminded if you did." Rainbow laughed loudly at Applejack's protesting but her smile never faded.

She takes a moment to close her eyes and let the happy feeling sink in while nodding softly. "Of course not...I was always right here; it just took a while for you to find me again!"

"And I won't forget it. Er...hopefully not," Applejack answered. She settled back with a sheepish smile, then settled her hoof on her discarded hat.

She held it in front of her for a moment, lost in thought. Guilt surged up once more, apparent in the way her mouth wavered. "...is everypony okay?"

"Hey, calm down AJ; everypony's okay. We got them safely inside when things started to go haywire. You never even got close to Sweet Apple Acres to do any serious damage!"

The winged 'minions' however, had done a number on most of the apple trees but they could still be salvaged with a bit of work.

"As long as nopony's hurt...you're not, are you?" Applejack fusses, holding Rainbow still to look her over.

"...I'm fine. Hehe, it'd take a lot more than flying rocks and scenery to bring this Pegasus down!" Rainbow's wings might've been a little ruffled from the near-impacts, and her legs were a little stiff but other than that she felt okay. And she was pretty red from Applejack being that close and looking her over like she'd caused broken wing damages.

"Okay, good. I should...probably go apologize to everypony else while I'm at it," she murmurs, tentatively replacing the hat on her head. She smiles shakily.

"Swing by the barn tonight---there might just be some cider ready for you. If I can save any of this," she sighed, cringing at the sight over her shoulder.

Edited 2014-06-12 02:20 (UTC)

"Heh, yeah. Don't worry about it so much...they know it wasn't really you!" Rainbow insisted confidently while playfully tipping Applejack's hat so it fell over her eyes a bit, laughing as she took to the skies of a Nightmare-freed Ponyville.

"You betcha! If anypony can make things right by being honest and true, I'd bet my bits on you!" she nodded once at the Earth pony, a broad smile as she couldn't wait to taste some of that awesome cider.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only