"But you're not Rarity! Not MY Rarity!"

With that one shout, everything around him fell apart. The crown, the thrones, the jewels and elaborate room it had all been placed in, all of it. The carefully crafted illusion all seemed to disappear in a puff of smoke, leaving behind nothing but a cold and dark chamber. Spike looked on in horror at this transformation going on around him, but was even more shocked at seeing Rarity herself. Because, like the room around them, her image began to fade away, and what was there afterwards made Spike's blood run cold.

A mare in Rarity's image, though far taller than he'd ever known a unicorn to be. Her fur was dark, the exact opposite of the glimmering white coat Rarity was known for. Her mane, though still the same beautiful shade of purple, was longer and flowed in the air as though it were in water. But the greatest difference between them were the eyes. These were not the eyes of a pony, but those of a dragon, piercing and dangerous. Spike had only ever seen such eyes once before, when Princess Luna returned in the form of Nightmare Moon.

As much as it pained him to say, what he'd heard was true. Rarity had been changed by this dark power. Corrupted, just like Luna had been a thousand years ago. This being before him was not his beloved Rarity, but a mare whose form was a twisted mockery of her. A nightmare. The being known to those who had seen her, as Nightmare Rarity.

The large mare stepped forward menacingly, gazing down at the young dragon before her.

"It seems you've discovered my little secret. Not only can I create your nightmares, but your dreams too."

Spike, in spite of the great fear he was feeling towards this creature, looked up at her with tears welling in his eyes. His hand reached out, as if to touch something that was not there, and his heart sank at the sight of her.

"But...but Rarity...I lo...lo..."

He couldn't say it. Not now. Not after what had just happened. The mare he loved had been taken by something vile, something twisted. She was a prisoner of this force, just as he would most likely become her prisoner in turn. The happiness that he'd felt mere moments prior to this had now been dashed. He came to this place, to the moon itself, to find Rarity. But seeing her like this was not something he wanted. Nightmare Rarity on the other hand, looked down upon the young dragon and saw the devastation in his eyes. A small smile crept onto her face, and a plan began to form in her mind.

"Oh, there's no need for you to despair, dear Spike. Rarity is still here. She is part of me, just as I am part of her."

Spike looked up at Nightmare, tears still flowing down his cheeks.

"You're not Rarity," he said.

Nightmare shook her head.

"No, I'm not."

She looked at him with a smile that almost sent shivers down Spike's spine.

"But I could be. Rarity is who you want. And you could have her, if you wanted."

Spike gained a look of confusion as he heard that, which quickly morphed into another look of anger.

"You're lying! Just like before! This is just another way for you to get me to stop looking for the others!"

The young dragon turned around, determined to leave this place and carry on looking for Twilight and the others. He wanted to be rid of this place, and to get his head back in order. He'd need to be thinking clearly if he was going to rescue the others, regardless of whether or not Nightmare already knew he was here. Unfortunately, he hadn't taken two steps forwards before something stopped him. He felt paralyzed, fixed into place. Looking down, he saw this his legs were enveloped in the unmistakeable blue tint of Rarity's magic.

The mare was clearly using her power to keep him from leaving. He'd suspected that she'd try and stop him, but what he did not expect was what came next. For as he struggled to free himself from the spell, a voice came from behind.

"Don't go Spike."

He stopped. He knew that voice well. It was not the cold and harsh voice of the creature who had been standing behind him, but the warm and caring tone of the mare he'd come here to rescue. Looking over his shoulder, he saw before him the one whom he loved. Rarity, as he'd always known her. Her brilliant white fur coat, her gorgeous purple mane, and even her bright blue eyes, all back the way he remembered her, free from the dark influence that had taken her.

Before he could say anything however, he felt a pull on the magic holding his legs in place. He spun around on the spot until he was face-to-face with his beloved unicorn.

"Rarity? But...I..."

As Rarity looked upon him with warmth in her eyes, a realisation came into Spike's mind. He frowned and began to pull at the magic binding him.

"It's a trick! I won't fall for it! I won't do what you want!"

Rarity took a step forward and placed her hoof gently on the struggling dragon's shoulder, gaining his attention.

"I am within Rarity. I know her thoughts. Her feelings. Would it surprise you to learn that she cares for you a great deal?"

Upon hearing that, Spike stopped struggling, and looked up at Rarity with a raised eyebrow.

"I...of course I know! She's my friend! And I'm hers!"

But Rarity shook her head at that.

"No, child. I mean beyond that. There's a special place for you in her heart. The same warmth you feel for her."

Spike opened his mouth to speak, but no words came. He knew this was a trick. It had to be. Nightmare was just trying to get him to do as she wanted. His friends, Ponyville, all of Equestria was at risk if this being wasn't stopped. He couldn't allow himself to be caught in this. But as much as that part of his mind struggled for dominance, there was another, equally strong impulse to listen to what was being said to him. More than anything else in the world, he wanted Rarity to love him. He'd wanted that for a very long time now, and the thought that his feelings for her were mutual, even if it was a deception on Nightmare's part, was too tempting to simply ignore.

"I...Rarity wouldn't want this! She wouldn't want me to just ignore everything you've done to her! To the others!" he said defiantly.

But Nightmare knew full-well what it was that this dragon wanted, and she was more than willing to dangle that carrot in front of him. To break his will, his resolve, was what she wanted. All that was needed was the right push, and so, still in the form of the original Rarity, she stepped forward, her hoof taken off Spike's shoulder and instead placed lovingly on the side of his face. Spike began to blush at her warm touch despite his efforts to ignore what was going on. Her horn began to glow and Spike's eyes became tinted with the blue hue of her magic. His mind was becoming more and more clouded as the seconds passed, filled with images of his dreams of him and her together. As this happened, his urge to break free and complete the task he came here for began to slowly fade.

"Dear Spike. You want Rarity. And I AM Rarity, just as she is me. Stay here, with me, and you will be with her, just as you always wanted."

Spike, still influenced by Nightmare's magic, looked up at her, his eyes now filled with that same infatuation he bore only for Rarity.

"But...but I..."

But he couldn't think straight. Not anymore. Nightmare brought her face close to his, her horn still glowing. So close were they that it almost looked as though they were about to kiss.

"Forget the past...for her."

And so Spike, once resolved to save the mare of his dreams, now found himself in an impossible situation. She was here, within his reach, but not as he'd known him. Deep down, he knew he was being manipulated. He knew that his friends were in danger. He knew that, if he gave in now, then everything he'd worked to achieve would have been for nothing. But even so, nothing dominated his mind more than his simple desire to be with Rarity. And even though there would be terrible consequences, that was exactly what he'd been offered.

"I...I will."