Author's Notes:

Sorry about how long this took. I had to think about how to proceed with this. This chapter is longer than the others, but it also signifies the end of arc 1.

Also, someone mentioned that I should probably make a note of what I'm deconstructing with this story. I wanted that to be revealed to the readers as the story goes along, but I can give you this small hint.

Pay close attention to how the Mane 6 act toward each other throughout the story, and their personalities.

That's all I'm going to say about it. Enjoy this chapter.

Her First Nightmare

Fluttershy heard a strange sound, almost like a hiss. She turned around as the labyrinth began to form around her. Her entire body was trembling, but she had to face this. At least until Rarity and Applejack got here to back her up.

She used her connection to the other Elements to call her comrades, and then charged toward the enemy. Her fear wouldn't subside if she ran away, so she did the next best thing. She charged forward.

Like a cornered beast... that's appropriate for a monster like me...

“I'm the... chosen pony...?” Twilight said backing away from Applejack. Applejack trotted over to her and tried to place a hoof on her shoulder.

“Twilight, Ah know yer scared, but-”

“DON'T TOUCH ME!!!” Twilight screamed, stopping the alicorn, “What does being the chosen pony mean?!”

Applejack looked down and sighed, “Ah really don't know...”

“I didn't come here to fight nightmares! I only came here to support Spike!” Twilight cried, now in full panic mode.

“No one said anythin 'bout fightin nightmares,” Applejack tried to assure, but the frantic unicorn wasn't calming down anytime soon.

“But you need me to stop the nightmares, right?!” Twilight cried. Applejack tried once again to put a comforting hoof on Twilight, but she pulled away, “I said don't touch me!”

“A-alright, Ah won't,” Applejack said, “Truth is, none of us knows exactly what we have ta do. Ya ain't one of us yet, so even if ya wanted ta fight Ah couldn't let ya.”

“But you want me to get involved,” Twilight said looking away, tears flowing freely.

“Hun, ya are involved, whether ya want ta be or not,” Applejack said sadly.

“I didn't ask to be some chosen filly!” Twilight cried, “I just want to help Spike!”

“Then Ah'm askin ya ta please help us,” Applejack urged, “We want the same thing Spike wants, and that's fer the safety of Ponyville,” Twilight closed her eyes and shook her head, “Twilight, we can't stop Nightmare Night without ya. Rarity, Fluttershy, an' Ah need ya.”

“What do I have to do though?” Twilight asked, trembling, “Do I have to fight?”

“Ah don't know,” Applejack said, “But as long as Ah can, Ah'll protect ya from the nightmares.”

“Y-you will?” Twilight asked looking at the alicorn. When Applejack nodded, Twilight embraced her.

“Ah promise,” Applejack said, “Ah'll keep ya safe. Ya won't have ta fight before-”

Applejack stopped mid sentence. Twilight saw her eyes were glowing, and she wasn't moving. This lasted for about a second. When she came to, she looked really worried.

“Applejack?” Twilight asked.

“Fluttershy found the nightmare,” Applejack said seriously, “She's needs me.”

Applejack got up and ran up the stairs, stopping right at the door, “If ya wanna stay safe, Ah suggest stayin here.”

Applejack left the secret library, leaving Twilight by herself with her thoughts. When she came here with Spike, she was under the assumption that she would just be supporting him. Now she was directly involved with these powerful ponies, and they expected her to fight too?

“What should I do?” Twilight asked, “Princess... help me...”

Still in her true form, Applejack ran over to Fluttershy's cottage, knowing that this would be the place Fluttershy would enter from. When she reached the small house, she saw Rarity standing outside the forest waiting for her, also in her true form.

“Ya got the message?” Applejack asked her fellow alicorn, who nodded.

“I think she's still in there though,” Rarity said, “Oh, I hope she's okay.”

“She'll be fine, as long as we find her quickly,” Applejack stated. She and Rarity turned to the forest and slowly trotted in, not knowing when they'd fall into the labyrinth. All they had to go on was Fluttershy's energy.

“I bet she's in there right now,” Spike said running on all fours through Ponyville. He remembered hearing that the monsters they saw before were avatars, and that nightmares actually created them. She was probably in the Everfree Forest right now searching for said nightmare.

She wouldn't be happy to see him, but he couldn't leave this alone. Sure, they were fighting the nightmares on their own, but now that he knew what was going on he couldn't just sit by and do nothing.

“Spike!” he heard in the distance. He turned and saw Twilight running up to him. When had she left the library? Why did she leave the library?

“Twilight? What are you doing out here?” Spike asked.

“I was talking to Applejack,” Twilight said, “She ran off though, I think to fight a nightmare.”

“Then my intuition was right,” Spike said to himself, “They're probably in the Everfree Forest again!”

“Spike, wait,” Twilight called out, stopping him mid run, “Where are you going?”

“I'm going into the Everfree Forest to help them!” Spike said. Twilight turned pale shaking her head.

“W-what?! No! You can't!”

“Twilight, what are you-”

“They're the only ones who can beat the nightmares! If you go out there you'll die!” Twilight urged.

“I won't die, I promise,” Spike said walking over to Twilight, “But I can't just leave this alone. Mom sent me to figure out what's going on in Ponyville and to stop it, and now that I know what's going on I'm going to do what I can to stop it.”

“B-but...” Twilight looked down trembling, “I don't want to lose you... If you disappear to I'll...”

“Twilight, I'll make it out. I won't disappear, but I won't leave this alone either. Please understand.”

Spike hugged Twilight tightly, happy that she didn't shy away this time, and then continued onward to the Everfree Forest.

Hold on Rarity! I'm coming!

“Now Spike's going...” Twilight said looking down, “I'll lose him... I can't...”

We want the same thing Spike wants, and that's fer the safety of Ponyville...

“I know that...” Twilight said, imagining that Applejack was right there talking to her.

Twilight, we can't stop Nightmare Night without ya. Rarity, Fluttershy, an' Ah need ya....

“But I'm not a hero like you...” Twilight said trembling, “I'm weak, scared, and just a normal pony... I can't do anything...”

Her thoughts went back to her times back in Canterlot with Celestia. What would she tell her to do at a time like this? Her thoughts went back to a time when Celestia had told her the difference between courage and bravery.

“But... aren't they the same thing?” a seven year old Twilight asked her mentor, who was much larger then then she was now.

“Far from,” Celestia explained, “Bravery is the absence of fear, while courage pushes you forward despite your fears.”

“Which is better?” Twilight asked.

“If you're brave, then that's wonderful,” Celestia said, “but everyone will end up in a situation where they are at their limits, and their fears will be too strong to ignore.”

“Even a strong pony like you?”

Celestia laughed, “Yes, dear, even I have things I'm afraid of. That's why courage is so important. One day, you will have to make a very hard decision. Will you run away, or will you face your fear head on. You'll need to be strong, and to have courage.”

“But you'll be there right?”

“Maybe I will, maybe I won't. That's why you must be ready. You are strong, Twilight, one of the strongest young mares I know. You're the one who has to realize it.”

“Oh Princess...” Twilight said softly, “Was this the decision you were talking about?”

She didn't give herself a chance to think about it. She wouldn't let Spike disappear. She'd follow him to the ends of the Earth, so why not into a labyrinth.

Something was wrong, she could tell. Normally, sex with her boyfriend was the highlight of her night. She wasn't ashamed to admit that she loved sex almost as much as she loved flying, something that had gotten her into trouble more than once, especially in high school.

Yet here she was, getting mounted by Soarin, and though it felt good as usual, she just couldn't enjoy it as much as she usually did. It wasn't anything that Soarin was doing wrong. In fact, it felt like he was trying something new that did feel amazing.

But when he came, she didn't.

Soarin lied down next to Rainbow Dash as both of them caught their breath.

“Hey, you okay Dash?” Soarin asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“Yeah, why?” Dash asked.

“You didn't seem to be into it as much as usual,” Soarin asked, nibbling on her ear a bit, “Something on your mind?”

She thought hard about that, coming to the conclusion that her mind was too frazzled. There was something she was supposed to do, she knew it. Someplace she needed to be.

“I need to go flying for a bit,” Dash said lightly pushing Soarin off her and getting up.

“What? No round two?” Soarin asked jokingly.

“I'm sure you can survive one night without rutting me until midnight,” Dash said sarcastically, “I might be coming in late, so...”

“I got it,” Soarin said getting up and caressing Dash's cheek, “Have a good flight, babe.”

He gave her a passionate kiss before she turned to leave. God, he was an amazing kisser. Still, she had to get some fresh air.

She stood on the porch of her cloud house, shaking her head.

“Ugh! What's wrong with me!” Dash screamed to no one in particular, “Why do I feel like this!”

You're ready to accept responsibility...

“Huh?!” Dash asked looking around. When she saw no one, she sighed resting her head on the banister, “Great, now I'm hearing voices in my head. This is all I need.”

Her heart was racing, and she almost felt like she wanted to cry. It had been like this since Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy told her about the nightmares, and them being Elements of Harmony. Since that moment, she felt like there was something else she needed to be doing.

Nightmares...

Avatars...

Labyrinths...

The images wouldn't leave her. They played in her head over and over, like a recording on replay. She needed to get away, so she did what she always did in times like this.

She flew as fast as she could, away from everything.

Still, the images played, again and again. She did as many stunts as she could, trying to replace the feeling in her chest with the rush. The need for speed. The desire to fly faster, and higher. Yet the images still haunted her.

You can't out fly your destiny...

You know where you have to be right now...

Did she? Was this voice real, or was she going insane from the fear? She stopped flying and landed on a cloud. She had no idea where she was, except that she was far away from her house. Far enough to vent all of her frustrations.

Go there...

“Shut up...”

They need you...

“I said... shut up!”

You feel like you're wasting time because you are...

Your allies need you...

Equestria...

Earth...

Needs you...

“STOP IT!!!” Dash screamed, breaking down into heavy sobs. She didn't even know why she was crying, but she did feel like that voice might have been telling the truth. That she did know where she needed to be.

She stopped sobbing enough to look below her, and saw Spike and Twilight running someplace. Based off of where she was, and the direction they were going, it looked like they were heading to the Everfree Forest.

She pulled herself together, and on instinct flew after them. Her wings were moving on their own. Why she needed to follow them she didn't know, but wherever they were going, she needed to be there.

Here they were, right outside the Everfree Forest. She couldn't believe she was doing this, but Spike wasn't going to be swayed, and she wasn't going to leave him alone again. If he was determined to do this, she would be there too.

At least if he disappeared, she'd go with him.

“So, any chance of me convincing you to just wait back at the library?” Spike asked.

“Only if you're going to come with me,” Twilight stated, “Otherwise, I'm going with you.”

Spike shrugged his shoulders, “Well, in that case-”

“WAIT!” a voice called out from above. They looked up and saw Rainbow Dash flying down to them, “I'm... coming... too.”

“Dash?” Twilight asked.

“What are you doing here?” Spike finished, asking what Twilight really wanted to know.

“I don't know, but... I need to be in there. Besides, you two are going in too, right? Maybe if we're lucky, the three of us together will equal the strength of one Element of Harmony.”

Something was different about her. The look in her eyes, it seemed more intense than before. She was dead serious, and whatever Twilight saw in there, it was enough to tell her what kind of pony Dash was.

“Spike... I want her to come with us...” Twilight said, shocking Spike.

“Huh? What brought this on?” Spike asked.

“I... trust her...” Twilight said, “Something about her... I want her close to me... she's not like Trixie...”

Spike smiled as if it were his birthday, “Alright then, now it's a party. Ladies, let's be on our way.”

Dash and Twilight nodded, and the three of them walked into the dense woods, all the while Twilight felt the need to be even closer to Dash, as if something familiar was there.

All of a sudden, she felt a little like Princess Celestia.

“Fluttershy!” Applejack called out.

“Fluttershy, honey! Where are you?!” Rarity called out. The labyrinth hadn't formed around them yet, making them wonder if they might have been too late. Did the nightmare get her?

Almost answering their question, they heard a soft melody. Someone was singing. Applejack listened closely, and recognized the voice immediately.

“It's Fluttershy!” Applejack said.

“She's singing to let us know where she is!” Rarity reasoned, “Come on!”

Applejack nodded and galloped after her alabaster companion. They ran until they saw a white magical circle form in mid air. There it was, the entrance to the labyrinth.

“Ready?” Rarity asked.

“Let's go!” Applejack shouted. The two of them jumped into the labyrinth, both unaware of the other group close behind them.

“It's down here!” Spike said, “I can sense it!”

“That's pretty handy,” Dash said, “How he can feel magic like that.”

“It comes from him being a dragon,” Twilight explained, “All dragons can feel magic in the air, but none of them are domesticated enough to be of use.”

“So he's one of a kind?” Dash asked.

“Yeah, he is...” Twilight said smiling looking at Spike up ahead.

“Uh oh, I see what's going on here,” Dash said smirking, “Someone has a crush.”

“It's... nothing serious...” Twilight lied, looking away.

“So you always blush when it's nothing serious?” Dash taunted, “Does he know?”

Twilight, realizing that she was caught, shook her head, “I'm too nervous... he wouldn't want somepony like me anyway.”

“And why not?” Dash asked, “You're pretty hot to me, and that's saying something coming from my mouth.”

“W-what do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“If someone as hot as moi thinks your attractive, then you better believe it,” Dash said turning her nose to the air arrogantly, “Seriously, talk to him. Someone like him won't stay single for long.”

That worried Twilight a bit, but she didn't want to think about that right now. Besides, Spike was with her so much that he barely had time to fall for another pony. She had plenty of time to figure out how to tell him.

“Wait,” Spike said stopping his companions, “There it is.”

Twilight looked and saw a magic circle suspended in mid air. Even she could tell it was a portal.

“Alright kids,” Dash said stepping forward, “Last chance to run away.”

“Need I remind you,” Spike said also stepping forward, “That technically I'm the only one with official business here?”

“I'm not running away,” even though I really want to, Twilight thought.

“Well then, looks like it's adventure time!” Dash said jumping into the labyrinth.

“Dash! Damn it,” Spike sighed, “I swear, that mare is insane.”

Spike jumped into the labyrinth, leaving Twilight as the only one left outside. If she ran away here, no one would blame her or hold it against her. She would be safe, and she wouldn't disappear.

But she wouldn't forgive herself. She would hold it against herself for the rest of her life.

So she took a deep breath, and jumped into the labyrinth. She emerged in an environment much like before, only this time a red moon was visible in the sky. Twilight felt even more afraid than before, as if there was something out there that wanted her dead.

“Spike...” Twilight said looking at Spike, who was looking up at the moon almost in fear. He was trembling.

“A nightmare... I think I can sense it...”

Dash, who Twilight just realized wasn't anywhere to be seen, flew back down to them, “There's something really big down in that direction! I think that's our nightmare!”

“Then that's where Rarity and the others are,” Spike said, “Come on! I think they might need help!”

Spike ran off. Twilight looked at Dash, who nodded, and the two of them chased after him.

“Fluttershy!” Rarity called out. The cream colored alicorn turned to see Rarity and Applejack galloping toward her.

“Oh good,” Fluttershy said in relief, “I was hoping you'd find me if I started singing.”

“Did ya find the nightmare?” Applejack asked. To answer her leader's question, she pointed out ahead. In the distance was a large scorpion like monster that was about as big as the spider monster from a few days ago. It's exoskeleton was black and red, and it had two sinister red eyes.

That was the nightmare they were looking for.

“Does it know we're hear yet?” Rarity asked.

“It was attacking earlier,” Fluttershy said, “I managed to escape before it did any lasting damage. That's when I started singing.”

“You aren't hurt, are you?” Rarity asked, looking Fluttershy up and down almost like a mother would their child.

“I'm fine, Rarity,” Fluttershy said, “I dodged all of it's larger attacks, and anything else I'm strong enough too handle.”

She was touched that Rarity cared so much, but sometimes it was smothering a bit. Fluttershy was the type who really enjoyed her privacy, so having someone dote on her so much was overwhelming at times.

“So what can ya tell us 'bout it?” Applejack asked looking at the nightmare as it searched for Fluttershy.

“It's pincers are strong enough to cut through rock,” Fluttershy stated, “Also, its stinger is able to fire a strong acid. Other than that, I don't know.”

“That's good,” Applejack said, “Good work, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy found herself blushing from the compliment. She wanted so much to do a good job and be useful, and it seemed like she was able to do just that.

“Let's hurry and take this one out before it gets to Ponyville,” Rarity said.

“Agreed,” Applejack said stepping forward, “Give it everything ya got! Let's go!”

The three Alicorns flew out to the nightmare, Rarity taking the lead. She stopped mid flight and fired her lasers at the nightmare to get it's attention, and then flew straight up as the nightmare fired its acid at her.

Applejack flew to the ground and used her magic to create a large sharp stalagmite out of the ground to impale the nightmare, knocking it back a bit. The nightmare turned to her and raised its pincer, but Applejack moved out of the way before it could hit her.

Rarity flew in front of it in an arc creating orbs that fired at its face, and Fluttershy summoned a sharp gust of wind following Rarity's attack. Both alicorns flew next to each other, but were knocked out of the sky and into a fallen wall.

“Rarity! Fluttershy!” Applejack called out, immediately flying out of the way as the nightmare fired its acid continuously at her.

Fluttershy forced herself up and galloped over to the nightmare. She created a tornado that pushed the nightmare back, giving Applejack time to rest her wings.

Rarity ran over to them and pointed her horn at the nightmare, firing a barrage of lasers at the nightmare, but it blocked with its pincers. It pointed its pincers forward and looked like it was charging a red orb in both of them.

“Take cover!” Applejack shouted right before the nightmare fired the largest beam they had ever seen out of its pincers.

Spike, Twilight, and Dash stopped when they heard the explosion.

“What was that?!” Dash asked.

“I don't know,” Spike said, “But that sense of wrongness is coming from just up ahead. I think they're in trouble!”

Spike and Dash ran (flew in Dash's case) toward the explosion. Twilight hesitated for a second, but she ran after them. What she saw was truly a nightmare.

It was HUGE! Bigger than anything she had ever seen before in her life. Flying around it were the three Elements of Harmony. Applejack had a sphere of boulders flying around her using them to block the monsters attacks, Fluttershy looked like she was creating sharp wind blades, and Rarity was firing her lasers at it. None of their attacks looked like they were doing much more than making it angry.

“Rarity!” Spike called out, catching the white alicorn's attention.

“Spike?!” Rarity cried out. Applejack flew next to her.

“What're they doin here?!” Applejack asked almost accusingly.

“Hell if I know!” Rarity shouted flying down to Spike. Applejack was about to fly after her, but she had to concentrate her shield to defend against the nightmare's acid.

“Applejack!” Dash shouted, flying up to Applejack. Rarity landed at the same time.

“I told you to stay out of the labyrinths!” Rarity shouted, “Do you know how dangerous this is?!”

“I do!” Spike defended, “but I'll be damned if I leave this, or you alone!”

Rarity was wide eyed, and she started blushing, “S-Spike...”

“I'm going to fight too, whether you want me to or not!” Spike proclaimed, making Twilight's heart race a bit. He looked so cool right now, almost like a hero.

Applejack and Fluttershy fell back to the ground, but forced themselves up, “Everyone, next ta me!”

Twilight, Spike, Dash, and Rarity all got next to her and Fluttershy, and Applejack created an orb of earth to defend them from the incoming acid.

“Alright, Ah want an explanation!” Applejack shouted through gritted teeth, “Why're y'all here?!”

“I just told Rarity my reasons!” Spike said, “I've chosen to fight too!”

“Noble, but real dangerous,” Applejack said, “What 'bout you Twilight? Ah thought Ah told ya ta stay in my library where it's safe!”

“I know! But... I was afraid I'd lose Spike! He was coming here, and I didn't want to lose him, so I...”

Applejack sighed, “Ah ain't mad, Twilight. Actually, it's sort of comfortin havin ya here.”

Rarity coughed in a way that almost sounded like “hypocrite”, but Twilight wasn't sure.

“What about you?” Fluttershy asked turning to Dash, “Why did you come here?”

“I...” Dash started, but was unable to finish her sentence. She was trembling, Twilight could tell, and it looked like she was going to break down and cry at any moment. What was wrong with her?

The shield shattered, and Applejack fell back.

“Applejack!” Twilight and Dash shouted at the same time.

“Fluttershy, cover me!” Rarity shouted flying off, Fluttershy galloping after her.

“Rarity! Wait!” Spike shouted running after her. Twilight wanted to run after him, but he was too close to the monster.

Fluttershy summoned a large gale that pushed the nightmare back preventing it from attacking as Rarity flew all around it creating orbs all around it that fired at it in various intervals. Twilight noted that she was really strategic, but maybe if she would fire in the same spot...

The nightmare whacked Fluttershy into a boulder with its pincer, and then fired at Rarity with a blast from its other pincer, knocking her out of the sky.

“RARITY!!!” Spike shouted running under her and catching her just in time before she hit the ground. Twilight sighed in relief and then turned to Dash, who was breathing heavily looking up at the nightmare intently.

“Dash? What's wrong?” Twilight asked.

“I don't...” Dash said, once again unable to finish her sentence, “I... I...”

The nightmare turned to them and was starting to walk toward them. Twilight looked around to assess the damage. Fluttershy was down, Rarity was clearly alive but injured, and Applejack was still recovering. This was it. Twilight, Spike, Dash, and everyone else were going to die.

Wait... was Dash stepping forward?

“Dash...?” Twilight asked.

For her, everything stopped. She was still in the labyrinth, but no one was moving. Was this her going crazy again?

“You aren't going crazy.”

“Huh?” Dash turned to the side but had to shield herself as a bright light appeared next to her. She also saw an alicorn walking out of the light. She couldn't see her face from how bright the light was though.

“Who are you?” Dash asked.

“Your friends call me Aurora,” the alicorn said, her voice soft and comforting, “You, Rainbow Dash, have been chosen.”

“Chosen... me?” Dash asked.

“When you heard the story of the nightmares, didn't you get a sense that there was something you needed to do?”

“How did you...” Dash asked.

“It's time for you to accept your destiny...” Aurora said, “You have the power within you to fix this, and save everyone. Will you accept the hand that destiny dealt you?”

Was this for real? This pony, she said something about her “friends”. Did she mean Applejack? Was this how it happened? Was she about to become the same as Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy?

“Why me though?” Dash asked, “I'm nothing but a screw up. If you knew everything I did, then-”

“What you've done in your past doesn't matter,” Aurora said, “What matters is what I've seen in the last two days. You, Rainbow Dash, are a truly noble and loyal pony. As such, the magic of harmony resonates with your soul. You have been chosen as the Element of Loyalty.”

She said it. The magic of harmony. This was...

“I'll ask again,” Aurora said, “Will you accept your destiny?”

“If it means being able to save my friends, hell yeah!” Dash said turning back to the nightmare, “Work your magic on me!”

Aurora vanished, and a second later a bright light shined down onto Dash. She felt empowered, and immediately she felt her body change.

Rainbow Dash's Transformation

A red gemstone latched onto Dash's chest, creating a silver chest plate. She flinched slightly in pain from the influx of power hit her, and her entire body began glowing light blue and was engulfed in electricity.

Her body and wings grew, and silver regalia condensed and formed from the electricity. At the same time her mane and tail grew in length and volume as a large horn sprouted from her forehead.

A fancy tiara formed on her head as the electricity was briefly conducted at the tip. She flapped her wings hard to disperse the electricity, and she stood nobly ending the transformation.

When the light died down, Twilight looked up at the now evolved Rainbow Dash in awe. She was now as large and slender as Applejack and the others, wearing silver regalia that looked more like armor. Her mane and tail were both really long and full, so much that her mane now flowed elegantly down the sides of her face. She almost looked exactly like Princess Celestia.

“Mah stars...” Applejack said slowly, “Dash... yer...”

Dash turned to Applejack briefly, and then back at the nightmare. She flew up to the monster at high speed, turning into a bolt of lightning and dashed all around and through it. The nightmare fell back from the assault as Dash hovered over it.

“Hey! Get up! We're not done yet!” Dash shouted. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Applejack forced themselves up and surrounded their opponent as it forced itself up.

“Applejack,” Twilight said, “I think I know how to beat this thing.”

“Ya do?” Applejack asked.

“I need all four of you to follow my lead,” Twilight said. Applejack nodded and flew up to her team, now a team of four instead of three.

“Everyone, follow Twilight's lead!” Applejack said, “She's got a plan!”

Everyone spread out away from the nightmare as Twilight looked at it closely, looking at how it moved.

“The main issues are the stinger and pincers!” Twilight shouted, “Rainbow Dash, you and Fluttershy need to cut that off first!”

“Right!” Dash shouted.

“Understood!” Fluttershy added. Dash turned into a bolt of electricity again and sliced the stinger in a zig-zag manner weakening it, and Fluttershy followed up by creating a razor wheel out of wind cutting the tail clean off. If the cry of pain was an indication, the nightmare didn't like that much.

“Next,” Twilight said turning to Applejack, “Use your magic to weaken it's side and give Rarity a target! Rarity, start setting your lasers around the nightmare while Applejack's working, and charge them until you see a crack in the exoskeleton!”

“What is she, some sort of tactician?” Rarity asked.

“Ah don't know, but Ah like it!” Applejack stated. She galloped over to the left side of the nightmare and started throwing boulders at it. While that went on, Rarity did her part preparing her lasers, setting six. When the last boulder revealed the weakened skin underneath, Rarity fired her lasers at that spot, actually breaking through the armor.

“That's the weak point!” Twilight shouted as Spike walked next to her, “Concentrate your magic in that spot to finish it!”

All four alicorns landed next to each other and fired beams of light out of their horns at the exposed part of the nightmare's body. After a few seconds, the nightmare faded away, and the labyrinth started to vanish.

“They did it!” Spike shouted. Twilight fell down to the ground in relief.

Dash looked down at her hoof, processing what happened to her.

“I'm... an Element of Harmony now?” she asked.

“Looks like it,” Applejack said trotting over to her, “Welcome ta the team, Element of Loyalty.”

Dash looked at Applejack and nodded smiling. Spike meanwhile walked over to Rarity, who was rubbing her foreleg looking away.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes, I am...” Rarity said, “And I have you to thank for that. Thanks... Spike...”

Spike smiled rubbing the back of his head. It looked like they were becoming good friends to Twilight.

“Um, excuse me,” Twilight heard Fluttershy said next to her.

“Y-yes?” Twilight asked.

“I wanted to say thank you for taking over the fight,” Fluttershy said.

“Oh no, I just saw something, and went with it. It wasn't anything special,” Twilight dismissed.

“I disagree,” Rarity said walking over to her as well, “You, Twilight, saved our lives.”

“And you were totally awesome!” Rainbow Dash said, “I don't think we'd have won that without you.”

“Everything they said is true,” Applejack said walking over to Twilight, “Our team is growin, but what we need fer nightmare fights is a strategist of yer caliber.”

“M-me?” Twilight asked.

“Come on,” Applejack said trotting away, “Let's get outta this forest.”

“Right behind you, Applejack!” Dash said galloping after her friend. They were probably going to talk about the magic of harmony, getting her caught up.

“Spike,” Rarity said, “Could you come by my place tomorrow?”

“Y-yeah. Sure,” Spike said. Rarity smiled softly and turned to Fluttershy.

“I'll walk you home, okay?” Rarity asked. Fluttershy nodded, bowed to Twilight and Spike again, and then trotted after her friend. Spike went too Twilight and put a claw on her back.

“Hey, you were amazing,” Spike said, “I bet you could really help them fight with that sort of skill.”

“Spike, I...” she almost told him that she was the chosen pony, but stopped herself. She didn't want to face anything else tonight. All she wanted was sleep. She shook her head and trotted out of the forest, Spike right next to her. Maybe after a good night sleep she could wake up from this bad dream.

Dear Aurora,

I've confirmed that Twilight Sparkle is indeed the chosen pony. I'm not sure how to proceed onward, as she doesn't seem too keen on fighting at the moment. Should I force her into the fray?

I'm not sure how I feel about Rainbow Dash being an Element, but you know what you're doing I suppose. I await your response.

Sincerely yours,
Element of Honesty.

End of Arc 1