Children of the Guardian

Chap 13

As the midday sun began to rise over his head David found it very difficult to stay awake. His short argument with Celestial Brush had caused him to use up some of his inner energy quite unexpectedly and it had in turn drained his stamina quite rapidly. (I'm gonna have to be more careful with how I control my powers) he thought as a small yawn escaped his muzzle.

"Oh the hay with it, I'm just getting old." He said quietly so the pegasi guards pulling the chariot couldn't hear him. Although he was the Guardian and his new unicorn stallion form had given him new life and vigor, David knew that unlike Twilight he was not immortal. He had arrived in Equestria when he was 19 and now 17 more years had passed. In human years he realized he would be 36 years old! Add to the fact that he had faced combat and had grown up with two children and his age was probably over 40 in human years. He continued thinking about his age until the gentle tug of sleep could be avoided no longer. As thoughts of how long he would live passed through his mind David's eyes closed and he quickly drifted off to sleep.

The sleep however was not a pleasant one as David opened his eyes to find himself in an all too familiar place. It was a dark, dank room. It reeked of blood and death and the only feature that gave the room any notice was the large black door with alicorn statues around it. "The gates of Darkness… Nightmare must want to talk again." He said as he stepped toward the alter in front of the gates. As the dust around him swirled with dark magic his mind bombarded him with images from his fight against Nightmare's spirit in the very room he was standing in.

This out of body experience was not new to David. He would constantly check the gates when he was awake to insure that they were sealed shut when he was awake, and while nothing happened then whenever he fell asleep his dreams would usually pull him back to that same spot. "My body in one place… my mind in another." He said quietly as he placed a hoof on the alter to open the gates. With a mighty groan the gates slowly opened revealing a pitch black swirl of dark magic with an almost seductive feel. Every time he came David had to make sure that his magic was covering him and this time was no different.

His horn glowed softly and a bright golden cloak of energy covered his body causing any dark magic around him to quickly flee from his presence. Except for one strange magical entity which seemed to struggle to climb free of the portal in front of him. It was a dark blackish blue and had no shape at first but as it struggled free of the vortex they quickly took on a shape that he was all too familiar with. First came two armored front legs which crashed beside him. They were massive in size almost 30ft tall and were quickly followed by two rear hooves as the strange entity began to take on a body like shape. David watched as it twisted and contorted until it became the towering figure of Nightmare Moon standing defiantly and angrily over him with a burning red fire in her eyes.

"SO!" She bellowed, her natural voice made even stronger by her now massive size. "YOU'VE RETURNED TO SEE ME AGAIN GUARDIAN!" She said as she leaned down low enough for her muzzle to be right in front of David. "Only because you called me here you demon." He said staring into her burning emerald eyes. "I see you've made yourself comfortable in the dark world judging by your new size." He said calmly as she lifted her head and laughed causing the room to shake and David's ears to sting from the noise. "INDEED! IT DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR ME TO REALIZE THAT I COULD ABSORB ANY DARK POWER I FELT LIKE! THIS NEW POWER GAVE ME WHATEVER I WANTED… BUT AS FOR OUR CURRENT CONVERSATION…" Her words were suddenly cut off by a bright light which blinded David for a few short moments. When the light faded Nightmare was gone only to be replaced by a human female. She was dressed in a dark blue gown which hung over her feet. Her bright emerald eyes were matched only by her dark blue and black flowing hair and lunar white skin. "I feel it best that we… meet on an even playing field."

The women cooed as she stepped toward David who was shaking his head. "How the hell did you..??!!" But before he could ask the words she tapped his forehead and sent a chilling sensation across his whole body which caused him to collapse in front of her. "Silence you fool." The women hissed as she helped him up with her magic. "Is that any way to thank the creature who just made your dream more enjoyable?" David staggered up regaining his balance only to notice something strange. He was walking on two legs!! He quickly looked down and saw that he had hands! Not only that but feet as well, human feet! "I've given you the body you had when we fought here… I also became human because I felt that we've… grown apart." She slowly reached out her hand and touched his face. The initial shock of his new body, combined with that fact that he knew it was a dream caused David to quickly knock her hand away.

"We were NEVER close to begin with Nightmare." He said coldly as he stepped back from her. "If you only called me here to humiliate me then get lost." Nightmare glared and quickly stepped behind him with a sudden human like grace. "That mouth of yours will get you killed one day Guardian, but I must admit… there is something I find attractive about it. She slowly wrapped her hands around David's body despite his struggling. "Let go!" He shouted trying to break her hold only to notice that his body felt numb from her touch. (Oh no…) He thought quietly as Nightmare's human form smiled at him. (Do I… find her attractive???) His thoughts screamed for him to let go, to run, to do SOMETHING to get away but his body wasn't listening. His arms slowly reached forward and his hands rested on her hips. "There now…was that so difficult David?" She cooed in his ear. "I know you're planning something…" David said defiantly but even his thoughts were beginning to betray him.

"Oh but what could I be planning? I've made myself human, lowered my guard, if anything I've only made myself weaker to you." She said quietly as she moved her hands up to his shoulders. "That's true… but what exactly do you want?" he asked his face burning bright red from her touch. "I only want one little thing Guardian… a kiss from you." David blinked, had he heard that right? "Wait… why and what's the catch?" He asked suspiciously. Nightmare turned and let go of him causing his body to only yearn for her touch even more. "I've been here for 17 years. I do not know love, or the feeling of a warm touch anymore. I only ask that you look into your heart and grant me this one request." She said quietly turning around. (Yes you fool… kiss me and let me take my revenge.) She thought quietly as her hand wrapped around the dark blood red dagger in her dress. (All I need is one kiss from him and I'll kill him right then and there, and with him out of the way I'll be free again. For I know that if you die in your dreams… you die in real life.) She thought as she glided back over to him.

"Just one kiss?" She begged as she placed both her hands on David's shoulders. "Well…" He said scratching his head. "Maybe one kiss… but what's in it for me?" Nightmare smiled. "I'll give you your body back. Your HUMAN body, just like the one you have right now. (Now I have him… he'll do ANYTHING for his body.) She thought. David struggled to think about it. He did want his body back but what would Twilight think? What would he gain from it? But… "Alright fine. ONE kiss." He sighed as he gave in and took her hand. Nightmare closed her eyes and slowly leaned in while taking the dagger in her free hand from the back of her dress. "Oh David… you're such a FOOL!!" She yelled as she drove the dagger forward only to have David grab the dagger with one hand and put a finger to her lips with the other. "I forgot one thing Nightmare." He said as he twisted her hand and took the dagger. "I don't kiss on the first date." With those words he drove the dagger into her body causing an explosion of dark magic which hurled him against the alter.

"YOU WRETCHED HUMAN!! I NEARLY HAD YOU, BUT YOU HAD TO RUIN EVERYTHING!!" Nightmare's voice roared from around him as the dark room began to light up with sunlight. "Did you honestly think that I would turn away from Twilight for my body? I promised myself that I would live with what I had Nightmare! You failed!"  He shouted defiantly and with that the world around him turned bright white. "Sir wake up we're here." A guard said shaking David's sleeping body. "Ugh… how long was I out?" "About half an hour sir." The guard responded as he helped David out of the chariot. "Am I still a stallion?" David asked as he stepped down carefully. "Uh… yes sir. Why wouldn't you be?" The guard asked confused. "Oh no reason… just a weird dream." David replied as he walked into the castle toward the royal advisors chambers. Next Chapter: Chapter 14 Estimated time remaining: 38 Minutes