Applejack jumped up with a start. She jerked her head around frantically, trying to take in her surroundings. She grimaced as she practically felt her heart drop into her stomach,

She was back in the open field, the moon once again looming over her.

As she stared up though, she noticed a new and eerie detail in her surroundings.

The moon was a shade of dark crimson, bathing the world around them in a deep, red glow.

She suddenly felt calm. Safe. Her friends were nearby, though she didn’t know where yet. As she looked around in the sea of grass that came up to her chest, she felt drawn into a certain direction. She started to trot in that direction, but stopped. She recalled the last time she felt the need to go somewhere,

She almost paid with her life.

There it was again. The feeling of safety, stronger than ever, and beckoning her to come to it. She hesitated for a few seconds before beginning to gallop. From the corner of her eye, she saw a rainbow streak rise from the grass and into the sky.

Rainbow Dash.

She followed the Pegasus. She was going in the same direction as she was.

“RD, wait up!!” she shouted, earning the attention of the Wonderbolt. Dash immediately turned around and landed in front of her,

“Do you feel that?” Dash started up before Applejack could say anything. “I was freaking out when I realized where we were. I started to look for Flutters, but then…I felt this…’thing’, calling me. We have to find it!!”

Applejack only nodded before breaking out into a gallop, with RD close behind. They ran and ran, until they finally came to the source of their safety.

Twilight rose up from the group, with Rarity, Pinkie and Fluttershy bounding up to her. The princess giggled and bounced a little.

“It worked!” Twilight squealed out. “It seems that we have a somewhat telepathic connection to each other while we are in this place!” she rubbed her chin, “While we can’t actually speak to each other, we can convey our feelings, thus projecting them out as a feeling of being drawn to something, which works just as well!” she clacked her hooves together in geeky excitement, “I mean, just think of all the possibilities! We can use this as a way to-”

Dash slapped of hoof over Twilight’s mouth, “NO! No. Don’t start one of your scientific rants right now. Just…where are we?”

Twilight moved Dash’s hoof, “We’re in a plane of existence where all of ponykind’s subconscious exist. Every thought, every dream, everything, is here.” She squinted her eyes, and the scenery started to change, warping and reforming until they stood before a surreal version of the Canterlot Castle,

“And all of the answers we are looking for, are in there…”

Fluttershy looked over at her, “How much time do we have? I don’t think a lot because Celestia would have to get up earlier to raise the sun, right?”

Twilight nodded, “We have exactly 5 hours and 36 minutes before the sun will be lifted up.” Dash and Applejack bounded past her and up to the castle,

“Then let’s do this!” They shouted in unison as they made their way inside.

~MLP~

Two hours later…

The Mane Six were dragging their hooves across the thick luscious red carpet that was rolled down yet another long corridor.

“Twi, don’t ya live here? Why don’t ya know where we are?” Applejack questioned.

Twilight looked around, “I can’t control this place, because we’re in somepony else’s dreams now. And whoever’s it is, is changing the layout of the castle. That’s why I can’t make heads or tails of this place…”

“This only solidifies the dreadful stipulation that one of the princesses is murderer!” Rarity whispered loudly. “Of all the worst things that could happen, this is THE. WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!”

“Rarity, shut up! Yer dramatic blubberin' is gonna give away our position!” Applejack hissed.

“I don’t think that matters at this point…” Fluttershy spoke softly. Everypony turned to see that she was looking down a corridor that looked different from the others. The carpet started out red, but as it got further down the hall, it's hue faded into a deep shade of blue. The air flowing through the hall was cool and crisp. The only light coming down the hall, was from an open door at the end of the hall that was letting in bright moonlight.

Moonlight…

Without hesitation, the mares began making their way to the huge doors. When they got close enough, they positioned themselves to where they could see inside. What they saw, terrified them.

The glittering dark chest piece,

The midnight black fur,

The turquoise irises with the slitted pupils,

The gleaming white fangs bared and lips twisted into a wicked sneer,

All of the unmistakable features of the first enemy they had ever faced together.

Nightmare Moon.

Applejack had to clasp a hoof onto Pinkie’s mouth and pull her back as a muffled scream rumbled into it. The others backed away from the door to get out of earshot of the dark Alicorn.

“What the hell is this?” Rarity whispered in an unlady like tone, “We killed Nightmare Moon! We destroyed her and saved Princess Luna…how is it possible that she’s back?!”

“Maybe she just hid herself away, an’ now, since we ain’t gonna let her rule over the ponies, she’s gonna just kill ‘em off instead!” Applejack suggested.

Twilight crept back up to the door. The others followed. The peered deeper inside, only to find out another shocking detail.

Luna was standing in front of her.

This time, it was Pinkie who mashed a hoof over Applejack’s mouth to prevent her from letting forth a stream of curses. The pink pony 'shhh’d' her friend and looked over at Twilight,

“What’s going on? I’m super duper confused now!”

The other’s looked at her. Twilight never tore her gaze away, nor did she answer the Earth Pony. She was dumbfounded. She had no answers. When they realized she wasn’t going to speak, they simply peered back at the two Alicorns, listening in on their conversation.

“I must say…I am quite impressed with what you have been doing with yourself.” Nightmare admitted as she slowly circled the princess of the moon.

“I don’t know why. I am simply giving ponies a chance to show appreciation for the night.” Luna replied.

“Oh, but the way you’re doing it is so…dark” Nightmare flicked her fluid tail under Luna’s chin, earning a pissed off snort from the princess.

“Don’t touch me, creature.” Luna hissed.

“Oh don’t be so cruel…after all, I am your ‘friend’…” she slid closer to Luna and breathed hotly in her ear. The action was unwanted though, and the demon of the moon received a powerful shove.

“Do not test me, Nightmare Moon.” Luna’s horn glowed with a dangerous light, “I will kill thee if thoust continue to make a mockery out of me.” She took a couple steps towards the midnight black pony, “I am not the same mare from millennia ago. Thou will not break me and mold me to fulfill thy dark desires again. Now, I don’t know what thoust want, but if thoust do not speak now, I will end this meeting.” Her eyes glowed, “And I will make sure that we are NEVER to meet again.”

Nightmare chuckled, “Relax, I am not here to fight you, my friend. I really have come to admire the work that you have done.” She proceeded to walk to the window sill, “You do realize that your followers only follow you when they have nowhere else to turn, correct?”

Luna leered at her, “My children come with me because I give them eternal love and happiness, that not even my sister can give them.”

Nightmare nodded, an evil grin on her face, “I see…and at what cost? What is the price for love and happiness? Lies and murder?”

Luna stomped a hoof, “I truly do give them happiness!”

Nightmare rolled her eyes, “Yes, but you kill them off in order to do so.” She held a hoof up, “Don’t get me wrong, I find the idea of murder simply…delightful, but my curiosity gets the best of me when it comes to one little detail.” She looked up and sneered at her,

“Do the other princesses know?”

Luna said nothing. Her face remained cold as she glared at Nightmare, whose smile grew wider with realization.

“They don’t know.” She stated more as a confirmation than a question.

Luna averted her gaze, “They do not…”

Nightmare teleported herself next to Luna, “You’re TERRIBLE!!” she squealed with sheer and dark delight. “How have you been managing to keep this a secret?”

Luna tilted her head away, “What I do is not thine concern.”

“Very well, you don’t have to tell me exactly how you go about doing this. But I am here to…pass on an idea with you.” She leaned in closer to her former host, “As you already know, I am Terror incarnate. I have the ability to instill complete and total fear. I can make nightmares real, make them physical horrors of the waking word, for we both know my powers do not cease to work only when a pony rises from their slumber.” She rose to her hooves, “When the ponies are trapped in the terrors from both the sleeping and the waking worlds, they will flock to your offerings of peaceful dreams for all of eternity. Your power of the night and your secret kingdom will FLOURISH!” her smile went wide, her fangs sparkling in the moonlight. She moved to stand in front of the true princess of the night,

“With my powers to control the darkest fears of the ponies, and your power to lull them into security, we can make your kingdom known. We can rise from the darkest pits, and overthrow the kingdom of the Sun, FOREVER!” she finished her statement with a dark and slightly maniacal laugh. Luna rose to her hooves as well, preparing herself to cut the demon’s laughter short.

“WE will not do anything together.” She stared down Nightmare. “I had ruled over my beautiful kingdom long before we ever met. I do not need thine dark magic to get followers, when I can have them come of their own free will.” Her horn shined brightly and her eyes matched with the same intense light, “Thou will never have a say in how my kingdom comes to rise! Thou will never have any type of control over anything that belongs to me, and thoust most certainly NEVER be given another chance to control ME!!” she stomped a hoof, causing the room to rumble, “NOW BEGONE, BEFORE I KILL THEE!!”

Unfazed, Nightmare slowly walked back towards the window sill, “You won’t do it. I am the only one who understands you and approves of the dark little kingdom that you created.”

Luna’s horn and eyes lost their shine. Nightmare smiled again, and climbed up to the window sill,

“Shall we take a trip to the garden?”

Luna leered at her, “Thou are not going with me.”

Nightmare gave her a faux pout, “Aw, am I not allowed to see your kingdom?” she put a hoof to her forehead, “Oh help me, Princess! I am wrought with never ending terrors and I seek your beautiful, eternal dreams!” she floated out of the window, and Luna followed. The Mane Six waited a minute took make sure neither of the Alicorns returned. They crept into the room and looked out of the window. Luna was wearing standing in between Nightmare and a strange portal. Luna was now wearing something that brought horrifying realization to Applejack, Fluttershy, and Dash.

A brown cloak encircled her body.

Luna was conversing with Nightmare, but they couldn’t make out what she was saying. They only could make out facial expressions.

Luna’s angry glare.

Nightmare’s gleaming fangs smiling in delight.

The glare vanished.

Nightmare stepping closer to Luna.

Nightmare raises her hoof.

Luna stares down at it for a moment.

Dark blue hoof meets the black one.

The two depart into the portal.

And it vanished.

The group sat in Luna’s bedroom, shocked and confused.

Luna was The Guider.

Luna was the murderer. She almost killed Applejack, Fluttershy, and Dash. She killed Applejack’s sister. She killed Dash and Fluttershy’s daughter.

She killed them. And she did when they were supposed to be able to sleep peacefully.

Fluttershy let out a mixture of an angry scream and sob. Applejack bit her bottom lip to keep her emotions bottled up, drawing blood as she did so. Dash stood there, fury rumbling deep from her core. The very air around her started to sizzle with electricity from her angry power. the skies started to get brighter. Celestia was raising the Sun. The mares left the room.

Tomorrow was a new day. And tomorrow would be the fall of The Guider.