A/N: This is the ACTUAL CHAPTER 12. I'm so happy with it, and I hope you all like it as well. :)

Leave a review, if you would like :)

Also, I do not own MLP.


Brothers of the Night

Awakening

Chapter 12: Nightmare Control

A few seconds after Twilight disappeared.

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Well, then wish for her to have the Crown, Applejack," she said. She and the rest of her friends, along with Flash Sentry, were still trapped in their cages. Fortnight was watching Spike write the letter, his attention occupied on the dragon and smiling devilishly.

Applejack frowned. "Why should ah use ma wish on that?" she whispered, trying her best not to attract Fortnight's attention. "If I'm gonna use ma wish, ah might as well wish Granny Smith a new hip, or fix up th' barn so it doesn't keep fallin' apart."

Pinkie rolled her eyes. "Why, are you tired of enslaving your entire family to rebuild the barn in song?" she accused.

"That was one time!" Applejack insisted. "And they were happy ta rebuild th' barn."

Fluttershy gulped. "Hey, guys?" she whispered.

"No offense, Applejack," Rarity interrupted, for she didn't seem to hear Fluttershy, "but I would have thought you would be more... willing to give up your wish."

"Um.. guys?" Fluttershy whispered.

"What makes ya say that?" Applejack asked, offended.

Pinkie rolled her eyes again. "Maybe because Equestria's fate rests in our hooves?!"

"And," Fluttershy intervened, a little louder, "you are the more-" Applejack looked back at Fluttershy, causing the Pegasus to cowar, "... sacrificial."

"No, I'm honest," Applejack insisted, "and honestly, ah'd rather use mah wish on Granny Smith."

"Wait, hold up!" Pinkie interrupted. "If you're throwing in Honesty, then Rarity should give up her wish!"

"She is the Element of Generosity," Fluttershy whispered, agreeing with the lavender pony.

Rarity flung her hair for dramatic effect. "If I may say so myself, I would use my wish to expand my fashion line," Rarity admitted.

Flash, who was quiet the entire time (and still wore the Crown on his head), could not take the petty fight between the mares anymore. "Are you mares really going to fight about something like this?" he asked. When the mares did not respond, he continued, "I'd hate to burst your bubbles, but you're all being very selfish while Equestria could be in danger from this Fortnight weirdo."

The four girls looked at one another.

"If we are to sacrifice our wish, then I shall do it," Rarity decided.

"I can!" Pinkie offered. "I already have all I need, and we need to help Twilight!"

Rarity and the others went silent.

"Are ya sure?" Applejack asked. "Ah mean, ya don't wanna bigger party cannon or somethin'?"

Pinkie shook her head. "Nah, after what happened with Cheese Sandwich, I am good with what I got," she decided. Mentioning Cheese Sandwich did cause her cheeks to blush slightly.

Applejack chuckled. "Does somepony gotta crush on ah certain party-planner?" she teased.

Pinkie tried hard not to blush again. "Well..."

While Pinkie tried to deny her crush, Rainbow Dash stood beside Shinning, watching their new master in anticipation. However, her mind began to wander, since her usual self had a short attention span. She began to fidget in her stance, as she was used to being active.

"Master..." Rainbow Dash called, dead panned.

Fortnight sneered and looked over to Rainbow Dash. "What is it, minion?" he asked. Honestly, he did not appreciate his minions- even from over a thousand years ago -speaking to him in such a friendly tone. He was the Lord of Darkness, for crying out loud. He should be feared by all creatures, especially his minions of Darkness.

"I was just thinking..." Rainbow began. "I think I need a more... appropriate name... since my mane is no longer a rainbow color."

The Alicorn grunted. He didn't have the time to listen to a minion's petty thoughts, when he had Tiberius' possible return to worry about. Only a matter of time for Darkie to fight me, he thought bitterly.

"No, please hear me out," Rainbow tried to explain. "Maybe I could be something awesome, like General Firefly or Crimson Black or-"

"SILENCE, YOU FIEND!!" Fortnight roared, raising his claw to strike Rainbow Dash. He was a second ready to hit her when he thought over what the Pegasus suggested.

He smiled smugly. "Crimson Black does sound more menacing than Rainbow Crash-"

"Dash," Rainbow corrected.

"-and thy needs to spread fear across the land," Fortnight decided, ignoring Rainbow Dash, now Crimson Black. "My army shall be known as Fortnight's Fist, and everypony will bow to me as their new Emperor of Darkness."

Spike and Crimson Black nodded their heads in agreement. Shining Armor, although loyal to Fortnight, held up a hoof in question.

"Perhaps a more... sinister name for your army?" he suggested.

Fortnight thought for a moment. "Sinister..." he tried out. His smile showed his fangs. "You shall be Sinister Shield, Captain of... the Brotherhood of Nightmares."

Sinister Shield bowed to Fortnight. "Yes, my Master."

Fortnight turned to the Dragon. "And you shall be Nightchaser, the fearsome Offspring of Death."

The Dragon slithered in gratitude. Well, Fortnight couldn't tell if Nightchaser slithered, since the ponies trapped in the cage were speaking loudly. What they were discussing, Fortnight could not tell (although he heard something about a cheese sandwich, whatever that was) and it was beginning to annoy him. Their conversation was buzzing in his ear of idle gossip, with their annoying high-pitched feminine voices, and he hated it.

Fortnight glanced over to the ponies. "What are you insignificant foals blabbering about?!" he demanded. He looked at them closely. Someone was missing, he could tell, but he wasnt sure what it was, exactly. Was it a pony, perhaps, who was missing? Fortnight scanned the prisoners with his menacing red eyes. Yes... somepony was definitely missing, he knew. Not because they all looked alike (in his eyes), not because he didn't bother to count how many he captured, but because there was one pony who was definitive than the others.

"Where is the Unicron-Born?!" he growled in frustration.

"Her name is Twilight Sparkle," Rarity retorted back.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle," Pinkie added, her blush gone.

"An' she's far 'way from here!" Applejack added, confidently.

Fortnight laughed. "Oh, like in Canterlot?" he sneered. The ponies all glanced at Fortnight in shock to the news.

Fluttershy's face froze with fright. "H-how d-did you-"

"I'm no idiot, Stutterfly," Fortnight growled, to which the yellow Pegasus frowned in anger. "I have listened to Celestia talk to her stone-imprisoned father for over a thousand years." He flexed his claws. "Such wasted talent. She couldn't even free her own father."

Rarity sneered. "I will have you know that speaking of our beloved ruler will cost you!" she warned.

Fortnight gave a fearful look. "Ooooh, scary!" he shivered. Then he laughed. "Beloved?" he repeated. "She is a tyrant as much as Tiberius was."

He turned his attention to Crimson Black, Nightchaser and Sinister. "Send these remaining ponies to the dungeons. I'll need them to lure Tiberius out of hiding."

Crimson Black nodded, willingly. "Yes, Master." Sinister Shield and Nightchaser nodded as well.

Flash snorted. "Twilight will stop you!" he insisted.

Fortnight glared back at Flash. "You DARE speak in such disrespectful way to The Lord of Darkness!?" he slithered. "A Lord which could easily END your PATHETIC LITTLE LIFE?!"

"Yes, I do dare to," Flash glared at the creature, "because respect is only given to rulers who respect their subjects."

Fortnight grabbed Flash with his magic.

"You are smitten by this Unicorn-Born?" Fortnight asked.

Flash blushed, but he still glared at Fortnight. "That doesn't matter. She will stop you, regardless of how I feel," he said, firmly. However, his blush did not disappear.

Pinkie squealed. "See? Even Flashy agrees he likes Twilight!" she shouted. The four other mares glared at Pinkie. "What?" Pinkie asked, confused.

"Now is not the time for jokes, Pinkie," Rarity grunted.

Pinkie pouted. "But this story is lacking comedy!"

Applejack crossed her front legs. "Seriously, what story are ya talkin' about?" she asked the lavendar Earth pony.

Pinkie scooted over to Applejack. She held up her hoof to whisper into the country mare's ear. "What if I told you we are all fictional characters induced into a fan fiction?" she whispered.

Fortnight growled, while holding Flash in his aura. He glared at the mares in their cage. "What is that blabbering pink idiot talking about?!" he demanded.

Pinkie's eyes widened.

"You talkin' to me?" she asked, glaring at Fortnight.

The girls' faces went into shock.

"What's wrong?" Flash whispered to Applejack.

"He called her ah blabberin' idiot," she confirmed.

"You talkin' to me?" Pinkie repeated.

"Shouldn't have don't that," Rarity warned.

"Are you talk in' to me?!" Pinkie repeated, with more emphasis.

Fluttershy gulped. "N-now we're in for it," she stuttered.

"They call me Ms. Blabbering Pink Idiot!" Pinkie shouted in an Alicorn-like voice, her eyes bursting into flames. Her fur and mane also turned white with her rage.

Fortnight raised an eyebrow, clearly not scared. "What? Am I suppose to be intimi-"

Suddenly, Pinkie kicked Fortnight in the face with a jitsu move, sending the deranged Alicorn across the room and crashing into the throne. Cobblestone and smoke spread from the hole in the wall.

Flash landed on the ground with a thud. Looking up, and startled, he stammered. "H-how d-did s-s-s-she-?"

Pinkie helped the Pegasus up. "It was easy. There was a lock and I picked it open."

Applejack, Rarity and Fluttershy looked at each other. There was a fairly large hole in the cage (which they do not know where it came from), around the size of Pinkie.

"There's no lock," Rarity clarified.

Pinkie tilted her head. "Really?"

Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Uh... I'd hate to b-break t-the c-comedy, but we h-have a b-bigger problem!" She pointed to the large hole in the wall.

The other three mares and Flash turned their attention to Fortnight, who was climbing out of the wall, with rage on his face. It was the first time he actually appeared slightly-more-angrier than usual.

"My minions! Get them!" he commanded.

Nightchaser, Crimson Black and Sinister Shield's eyes glowed. "Yes, sir," they said in unison.

Flash immediately ran to Cadence and hoisted her onto his back. "Run!" he shouted to the mares.

Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Rarity immediately obeyed and followed the Pegasus stallion. The three dark minions pursue at the ponies, growling in anticipation. The ponies ran through the castle, trying to lose their chasers. Flash ran ahead of the mares, easily carrying Cadence and running at full capacity.

Applejack ran so she was beside Flash. "What do ya reckon we do now?!" she shouted.

Flash began to huff. "We need to slow...down the Dark Minions somehow," he confirmed. He looked up to the ceiling and noticed it was made of Crystal beads. An idea formed in his head.

"Rarity," he called to the white unicorn, "use your magic to send those beads at the Minions," Flash ordered.

Rarity glanced up at the beads. "My dear sir, I could never! Those beads are clearly arranged in such a way that I couldn't-"

"Just do what the guard pony says!" Fluttershy shouted, surprising her friends a second time that day.

Rarity groaned in defeat. "Oh, fine!" She looked back up at the beads and used her magic to take them off the ceiling. She rotated her head back at the Minions and threw the beads at them. A gold bead hit Fear Rainbow Dash on the head, causing her to crash into the ground.

"Terribly sorry, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity shouted back, sending another bead at Sinister Shield, to which he easily dodged. Crimson Black shook her head slowly, her eyes rolling, and laid on the ground, defeated.

Fluttershy cringed. "Poor Rainbow," she stated sullenly.

"We don't have time to feel sorry, Sugarcubes!" Applejack insisted to Rarity and Fluttershy. But Ah do hope Rainbow won't remember this, she thought to herself.

Flash turned a corner. "There's a hidden room where we can hide for now," he called to the mares.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Pinkie shouted, as she jumped onto Applejack's back and pulled out a pie. She chucked it at Sinister Shield, but the darken stallion used magic to congur up a shield around him, and deflected the pie. Pinkie threw more pies at him and Nightchaser.

Flash nodded. "I'm positive."

The mares and the stallion ran down a few flight of stairs (while Pinkie jumped off Applejack's back and slid down the staircase), while Nightchaser pursued them. Once they approach the end of the stairs, they turned another corner to another flight of stairs. Nightchaser growled and blew fire from his mouth at his prey, to which they barely dodged. Pinkie Pie grabbed another cake and threw it at Nightchaser and Sinister, this time hitting Sinister in the face.

The shadowed unicorn growled as he wiped cake off his face and shot a ray of magic at Pinkie, causing the lavender Earth pony to jump in the air. The ray deflected off one of the Crystal walls and came flying towards Sinister. Before he could counter-up a shield, he was hit by his own deflected ray. He fell to the ground in defeat.

Fluttershy wanted to see if her friend's brother was alright, but she knew following Flash was their best chance of fighting against Horror Fortnight. She continued to fly above her friends as they all were in pursuit by Nightchaser.

The dragon was close to Applejack, and was chomping his jaws to snatch the orange pony. Applejack ran faster so Nightchaser wouldn't get her, but even with her brute strength, she could not outrun the shadowed dragon for much longer. From above her, Fluttershy was beginning to fear for her friend's life, but she didn't know what to do.

Just as Nightchaser went to snap on Applejack's tail, Fluttershy grabbed hold of his jaw, causing the monster to fall to the ground.

"You. Big. Meanie!" she shouted, giving the dragon her Stare. "How dare you pick on someone smaller than you! I know Spike would never do this, but a monster like you needs to stop!" she added in an Alicorn voice. Nightchaser looked at Fluttershy in fear, both in his face and eyes.

The rest of the fleeing ponies stopped and stared in awe as Fluttershy talked down the dragon.

Fluttershy frowned at Nightchaser. "Now, you go leave and don't even try to chase us," she warned. For good measures, she gave Nightchaser the Stare again.

Nightchaser nodded fast and flew away to his Master.

Flash grinned, while still carrying Cadence on his back. "How did you do that?" he asked Fluttershy in admiration.

Fluttershy shrugged. "It's just a gift I have," she replied, softly.

Applejack hugged Fluttershy with one arm. "Yep, this gal is th' one tah go to if yer chickens or pigs be actin' up."

Pinkie jumped. "So, where's this secret room?"

Flash pointed to the wall to their right. However, there was no door or anything which indicated that it was even a room. It was just a wall.

Applejack tilted her head. "I hate to be ah downer, but ah don't se nothin'."

"Well, it is a... lovely shade of green," Rarity admitted, trying to find positives about the "room".

Flash rolled his eyes. "It's a Room of Requirements. Back in the time before King Sombra's rule, the deity of the Crystal Empire would use rooms like these to hide anything they needed, or if they had to go to the washroom, a toilet stall would counter up."

Pinkie gasped. "So if I wanted a hurge party room, it would make one?" she asked.

"Technically, yes," Flash agreed, "but it was mostly to hide the rulers from invasions." He walked up to the wall and closed his eyes. Suddenly, lines began to draw on the wall, slowing bending into curves and straight edges. A drawing of a door was forming and soon poured into life, with a beautiful doorknob.

The girls 'ooohed' at the beauty of the door.

Flash opened it. "Now, we better get in before the others chase us again."

"Wait!" Pinkie shouted. "We need to give Twilight the Crown!" she remembered. She bounced over to Flash, reached to under his wing and placed the crown on her head. She closed her eyes and crunched her face up really tight and then suddenly, the crown disappeared.

Rarity sighed in relief. "For a moment there, I thought you would have wanted to wish for a huge 'hooray, we escaped the bad guys for a bit' party in the Room."

Pinkie suddenly frowned. "Aw, man," she frowned, as she followed Rarity and the others into the room. Flash looked around their area before he shut the door behind him. The door frame disappeared without a trace immediately after.

A few minutes later...

Horror Fortnight growled. "What do you mean, 'They're gone'?!" he demanded.

Crimson Black didn't flinch, although the common pony would have. "According to Nightchaser, they seemed to have disappeared into a secluded portion of the castle," she explained.

"Yesss," Nightchaser agreed, "And it happenssss to hide the comonersssss very well, sssssso we couldn't be able to find them." He smiled. "I know thissss from Ssssspike, when he vissssssited the Crysssssstal Empire."

Horror Fortnight raised an eyebrow. "Why are you extending your 'eses'?" he asked. When Nightchaser did not answer, he continued, "No matter. Those ponies will not interfere with my plan."

Sinister Shield coughed. "Master, if I know my military skills as well as you can spread fear, we will need more ponies to aide in our takeover of Equestria."

"Our takeover?" Fortnight repeated, grabbing Sinister by the neck.

Sinister gulped. "Your takeover, my Master," he corrected, barely able to breathe.

Fortnight dropped the stallion to the ground, and walked around him. To his left was a semi-circle window, which displayed a beautiful view of the Crystal Empire, mainly the courtyard, where the Crystal Heart protects the Empire from any threat. On most days, the royal family would spend hours watching the city blossom happily in peace, with the sun shinning down and shinning the coats of the Crystal ponies. It was truly a beautiful sight of the courtyard.

However, neither the Heart, Sun or Crystal Ponies were present. All Fortnight saw was the empty courtyard, darkened by the night sky, with only the moon as light. Truthfully, although he enjoyed the fear he created, he found the scenery somewhat familiar, as though he was looking into the depths of his-if he had one-soul. The dismantled Alicorn no longer saw beauty as perfection, but as imperfection. Fear was his true power amongst the ponies, and imperfection brought out the chaos within himself.

The Alicorn smiled, revealing his fangs. "Yes, you are right, Sinister. The Crystal Ponies have had it too good here. They need to know what a true ruler, a King, is. Not someone like Princess Celestia, or this Cadence, or King Sombra. They were weak rulers. They had no purpose but to keep their subjects happy."

He looked back at Crimson Black and Nightchaser. "Happiness is an illusion. True rulers will keep their citizens in line, because an empire cannot thrive on multiple mindsets. An empire must have one thought: the prosperity of the Empire. Happiness does not exist in an empire. In my Empire. Only fear exists."

Crimson Black nodded in agreement. "My loyalty is to your empire, Lord Fortnight." She bowed to the ancient, deformed Alicorn. Nightchaser bowed as well.

Sinister slowly walked back to Nightchaser as stood beside him. He looked down to his fellow comrades and hesitated. After a minute, he, too, bowed to the new ruler of Equestria.

Fortnight smiled menacily. "Sinister, I want you to rally the Crystal Ponies. They shall be my new Army for the greatest Empire in the world: the Nyctorian Empire."

Sinister recognized the name immediately. Nycto... he knew meant "dark", which was a fitting name for the new Empire. The Crystal Empire would easily fall to Fortnight, after he took control of the minds of the Crystal ponies. Once they were manipulated, no pony could stop the Brotherhood of Nightmares from taking Equestria. The name of the new Empire suited the benevolent Lord's new rule.

Yet... something cause him to rethink his motives, as though Shining Armor was screaming to escape his imprisonment within Sinister Shield, as though he was trying to fight Sinister mentally. While the darkness in Sinister Shield was strong, the light within Shining Armor was a formidable opponent.

After a few moments of constant mental control, the Unicorn spoke:

"Yes... Master," Sinister finally replied.

To be continued...