Deadpool: Mercenary of Harmony

by ThePhantomArchives

In an alternate universe, the characters of Marvel Comics are part of the magical land of Equestria. Among those heroes is the Merc with the Mouth aka Deadpool is also present. After moving from the big city of Manehattan to Ponyville, he becomes friends with the Mane Six. How will he affect key moments in Equestria's history, and what adventures does he get wrapped up in?

35. When Nightmares Are Your Reality

Out on the open sea, there was a large pirate ship. It looked like any other pirate ship, except the sail had Deadpool's logo on it. Oddly, below deck, the interior looked like a fancy restaurant. Complete with gold decor, white tablecloth tables, and various paintings of Deadpool. Speaking of, the Merc with a Mouth was sitting at a table in the center.

"I hope everything's to your liking. If I knew you were coming, I would've put more thought into this dream," Said Deadpool.

Sitting across from him was this reality's version of Mistress Death. While she can take on many forms, she chose to appear as a ghostly white alicorn, with blank, soulless eyes, and markings that made her face resemble a skull. Wrapped around her figure was a black cloak.

"It is alright, Wade. This dream is lovely as it is. Although, I believe some music would be appropriate, wouldn't you agree?" Asked Death.

"(Gasp) How could I forget?! I'll summon the Bith band that appeared in "A New Hope"."

Clapping his hooves together, Deadpool summoned a band of Bith; pale pink, large eyed humanoids. They then played the song "Cantina Band".

"There, that's better. You got to love the classics," Said Deadpool.

Just then, a silver serving cart caught Deadpool's attention. The cart was operated by a grey cat that had a Pop-Tart for a body. It lifted a silver platter with its head and placed it on the table. Deadpool patted the cat on the head, in which it purred in content. He then grabbed it, and pulled its tail back.

KA-BOOM!

When he let go, the cat launched through the air, leaving a rainbow behind it. It then exploded into a bunch of candy. Deadpool lifted a lid off the silver platter, revealing a bunch of tacos.

"Want one?" Asked Deadpool.

"No, thank you. Ignoring this is a dream, I have no need to feed," Said Death.

"Suit yourself." Deadpool wasted no time stuffing his face with tacos. "So, what brings you to the hell hole that is my mind?"

"Oh, you know. It's been a while since we last spoke to each other, so I thought I would come by to say hello."

"That's nice of you," Said Deadpool while chewing.

"I also wanted to congratulate you," Said Death.

Looking at Mistress Death with a look of confusion, Deadpool swallowed an entire taco whole.

"Congratulate me? For what?" Asked Deadpool.

"Your relationship with Princess Twilight Sparkle, of course," Said Death.

Deadpool's eyes bulged out of their sockets. Considering his past affections for the personification of death, bringing up the topic of his current relationship with Twilight made him nervous. He tugged on the collar of his suit due to nerves.

"Um, thank you," Said Deadpool nervously.

"You seem nervous, Wilson," Said Death.

"Well, I would be lying if I said I wasn't. Does it bother you at all that I'm seeing a different mare? Considering the fact that you and I…"

"It doesn't bother me one bit. In fact, I couldn't be more pleased."

"Really?"

"Yes. You deserve to be happy, Wade. Because of your healing factor, you most likely will live for a very long time. There was no guarantee that you and I would be able to be together within an average pony's lifetime. You deserve to be happy while you still persist in the mortal world. I can tell that she has had a positive impact on your life."

Thinking about Twilight, Deadpool smiled under his mask.

"She has. Before I met her, I've been in relationships with twenty-eight-"

"Ah-Ahem!"

"Ugh! Thirty other mares. I've been with angels, devils, and everything in between, but none of them have made me as happy as Twilight does. Except for maybe…" Deadpool shook his head to rid himself of his current thought. "In all my thirty years of life, I had never felt so valued by another pony until I met her. I was on my own for most of my life, and I had accepted that. But now, I can't imagine spending another day without her there with me."

"That's sweet. In that case, since your attention will be devoted to her, I will come by only on occasion to chat. Most likely before you come back to life after dying by some horrific act."

"Oh, come on. You don't have to do that. I know that if she was aware of your existence, Twilight would be cool with you seeing me. After all, she got over her jealousy of Domino. Besides, who could replace me as your favorite pony to visit?" Asked Deadpool arrogantly.

"Well, I have been considering seeing Thanos," Answered Death.

Deadpool was drinking a large glass of beer. When he heard Death mention the Mad Titan, he did a spit take.

"Thanos?! Seriously?!"

"What can I say? He's quite the interesting man."

"What does scrotum-chined Barney have that I don't?!"

"For starters, he's taller than you. He also has an army of intergalactic proportions. His name is known across the entire universe, his birth name literally means death, and there's something about the way he talks that is captivating."

"... I'll admit, Josh Brolin does have an awesome voice. But geez, that was harsh!"

"You asked."

"Please, you only have a remote interest in him because he wipes out entire civilizations before breakfast."

"Indeed. When you're not around, I have to entertain myself somehow."

"Don't you have some souls to bring to the afterlife or some shit?" Asked Deadpool annoyedly.

"I do." Mistress Death got up from her seat. As she summoned a portal with a wave of her hoof, she turned to Deadpool.

"Wade?"

"Yeah?"

"Do me a favor. Don't screw up your relationship with Princess Twilight."

"How could I screw it up?"

"I'm serious, Wilson. She may be your last chance of achieving true happiness. I would hate for it to end because of something you did."

"Fair enough. I vow to do my best to maintain my relationship with Twilight."

"Thank you. I shall make my leave now."

Before she left a green fog appeared, catching Mistress Death's attention.

"Did you conjure this, Wade?" Asked Death.

"No. Hold on, I can make it go away."

Deadpool put his hooves on his forehead, and tried to think the fog away. The only thing that occurred was the area turned pitch black. Mistress Death held a hoof up to the fog and inspected it. It didn't take her long to identify it. In fact, she seemed startled by it.

"Wade, listen to me very closely. You will be at the mercy of an omnipotent being. If you are to free yourself, you will have to overcome your fears, and gather strength from those you cherish most," Said Death.

"What do you mean by-"

The fog intensified, turning Deadpool's surroundings green. He could no longer see Mistress Death or anything else for that matter.

"Death? Death? Who's here?" Shouted Deadpool.

Suddenly, Deadpool found himself wrapped up in green chains. He was then pulled into the depths of the fog.

"Whoa!"

Meanwhile…

Infinite.

Darkness was everywhere. There was no light, no signs of life, just an eternal void.

PING!

Suddenly, a small spark of light appeared in the dark. A sillholute formed around it, then a whole pony appeared. It was none other than the Princess of the Night - Princess Luna. As soon as she appeared, an explosion of light filled the void around her. In every direction, small orbs of light shined like stars, shunning away the dark.

This is the Dream Realm. A realm outside the mortal plane made up of the collective psyche of unconscious beings. Each orb represented the dream of an individual pony, griffon, dragon, and more. Every night, Princess Luna acts as a guardian over the dreaming denizens of Equestria and the greater Earth. It is her duty to keep them safe from nightmares that may plague them.

Even though she appeared to be floating in space, Luna was able to walk as if she were on solid ground. She walked over to and inspected each dream. Thankfully, she had yet to find any dreams being plagued by nightmares. So, she took note of what each person was dreaming of. Her favorite dream so far was Applejack's, where she was polishing an apple the size of a small barn.

"Everyone is in the blissful state of a good dream. That's always good to see. A nightmare can haunt someone, even in the waking world, and have harmful effects on their psyche. That's why it is important for me to find those who are in the midst of one, and help them conquer their fears, so they can sleep peacefully," Said Luna to herself.

And so, she continued her task of seeking out nightmares. She couldn't dawdle for too long. She had to pay a visit to each dream before the sun rises in the morning, and there are countless dreams that need her attention. Even though the average person doesn't remember every dream they have, they nonetheless dream every night. So, she has to inspect all dreams, even if their creators won't remember them the following morning.

As she was walking past a dream that she recognized as belonging to Rarity, she saw a flicker of green light from the corner of her right eye. She turned her head to the right, and saw a small green light in the distance.

"I better investigate that light. If it's a nightmare, I need to help the person who is its unwilling host."

Princess Luna walked towards the green light. As she got closer to it, she felt a chill running down her spine. Once she got to the light's position, she found its source. The light was created by a green fog that was swirling around a dream. Seeing the fog, Luna's pupils contracted to the size of pinpricks.

"No… It can't be…"

Luna rushed over to the dream. Lighting the tip of her horn, Luna cast a spell on the fog, causing it to dissipate like smoke from a chimney. To her surprise, it reappeared around the dream. She stepped back in dismay.

"It's even worse than I thought! He's grown too powerful! My spells can't counteract his!"

Luna observed the fog and the dream it enveloped. An image of a red mask with black markings around the eyes appeared in the dream. She recognized the mask as belonging to Deadpool, frightening her even more.

"He's after Wade Wilson! I need to save him before he can gather enough power to capture every sleeping pony at once, and subject them to their worst nightmares. But with all of the power he has already managed to acquire, I may not be able to beat him on my own. I need help from somepony who Wade has a special connection to. And I know exactly who I need."

Princess Luna's horn lit up once again, and her form faded away.

12:14 A.M.

All was quiet at the Castle of Friendship. None of its inhabitants were awake. Twilight Sparkle was asleep in her bed, with her coltfriend, Wade Wilson, sleeping to her right.

"Twilight."

Twilight's face scrunched up in her sleep in response to someone saying her name.

"Twilight."

Twilight groaned, starting to stir from her slumber.

"Twilight Sparkle."

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Feeling a hoof on her shoulder, Twilight instantly woke up and screamed at the top of her lungs. Frantically scanning her surroundings, she found who had woken her up. Standing in front of her was Princess Luna, who also seemed startled.

"Princess Luna?! What are you doing in my room?!" Asked Twilight while holding her hoof over her chest.

"I apologize, Twilight. I needed to have an audience with you. I would have told you I was coming in your dreams, but you were not in REM sleep. So, I used an emergency key that you gave to Celestia and I when you acquired the castle and came in here," Explained Luna.

"Oh. I suppose that makes sense," Said Twilight.

"Were you reading late again?" Asked Luna.

"Yes," Said Twilight sheepishly.

Zzz…

Twilight looked over to her sleeping coltfriend. The ruckus didn't wake him up. He was out cold. His snoring filled the entire room.

"Well, it's nice to know if an actual threat came into the castle late at night, you'll be ready to defend me," Said Twilight sarcastically to her sleeping coltfriend.

"That's actually why I am here, Twilight. I'm afraid even if he wanted to wake up, he won't be able to," Said Luna.

"Why not?"

"Because he has fallen victim to an old enemy of mine - Nightmare."

"Nightmare? You're not talking about Nightmare Moon, right?" Asked Twilight.

Luna shook her head in response.

"Then I'm afraid I don't know who you are referring to," Said Twilight.

"It doesn't surprise me. Very few individuals are aware of his existence. Only I and some sorcerers know he exists, and even then, what we do know about him is limited."

Lighting up her horn, Princess Luna summoned a navy blue journal.

"What is that?" Asked Twilight inquisitively.

"This is a journal I write in. It contains inscriptions of the many things I have encountered in the Dream Realm," Explained Luna.

She opened up the journal and flipped through the various pages. They contained drawings both old and new. Each entry was likely revised whenever new information was discovered. The various entries were written not in Modern Ponish but in an ancient language similar to Olde Ponish. Luna stopped on one entry spanning two pages.

There was a drawing of what Twilight believed to be a stallion's head. She guessed that based on the length of the horn he was an alicorn. His skin was as pale as the moon, and his medium length, black mane with white streaks was unkempt. He had fanged teeth, and green glowing eyes with black markings around them. This stallion unsettled Twilight.

"His origin is shrouded in mystery," Said Luna. "The leading theory is that he is as old as pony consciousness itself. He is a member of a group of beings known as the Fear Lords. They acquire their power from the fear of others. In Nightmare's case, he captures a sleeping pony's astral form, and torments them with dreams of their deepest, darkest fears. The more fear he acquires, the stronger he becomes. Because he preys on sleeping ponies, he and I have fought on a few occasions."

"The last time I encountered him was over a thousand years ago before my banishment. He had acquired enough power to hold every sleeping pony in Equestria hostage and feed off their fears. I was the only one to avoid capture, and I nearly managed to beat him."

"I'm afraid that your coltfriend has become his latest victim. Unless he can defeat him, he won't be able to wake up until Nightmare has had his fun. And even then, Nightmare's torment could leave scars on his psyche… Well, more than there are already."

"If he is as powerful as you say he is, how would Wade be able to beat him?" Asked Twilight concerningly.

"As powerful as fear makes him, his source of power is a double-edged sword. If Wade can overcome his fears, then Nightmare would be powerless against him. That's why I believe if I were to bring you with me, and we find Wade's astral form, you could help him conquer his fears," Explained Luna.

"Wade would do anything to save me, and I would do the same. If facing Nightmare and helping him get through his fears is what I have to do to save him, then that's what I will do!" Said Twilight determinedly.

"I knew I could count on you. Nightmare would have taken Deadpool's astral form back to his domain - the Nightmare Realm."

"The Nightmare Realm? A little too on the nose, isn't it?"

"(Chuckles) Indeed. It's a realm within the Dream Realm, where I watch over sleeping ponies. I know a spell that can get us there. I had hoped that I would never have to use it ever again, but Nightmare has left us with no other options."

Closing her eyes, Princess Luna concentrated her magic to the tip of her horn. Her eyes opened, revealing a greenish glow. She then cast a beam of magic, creating a green portal. Once the spell was complete, her eyes returned to normal, and she sighed out of exhaustion.

"Are you alright?" Asked Twilight.

"I will be alright. Let's be on our way," Said Luna.

Princess Luna stepped through the portal to the Nightmare Realm. Twilight got out of bed and was about to follow her when she looked back at Deadpool. She walked over to his side of the bed, then kissed him on the cheek.

"Hang in there, Wade. I'm coming."

Twilight walked over to the portal, and, with a determined look on her face, stepped through it. She shortly found herself in the Nightmare Realm, and she quickly saw why it was named so. The sky was gloomy and grey with no light shining through. The same green fog that was in Deadpool's dream covered the ground. All around the landscape were giant mountains made up of the skulls of various creatures, including ponies. And flying up above the sky were swarms of eyes with bat wings. Seeing the nightmarish surroundings sent a shiver down Twilight's spine.

"Well, this place certainly looks like one big nightmare," Said Twilight nervously.

"It is."

Twilight turned around and saw Princess Luna. She was the only thing that made her feel comfortable in this otherwise eerie realm.

"This realm is where Nightmare's victims are taken, so he can draw fear from them. We will have to navigate our way through here in order to find Deadpool's astral form. We will be looking for a door. It serves as a gateway into the dreams that Nightmare uses to terrify his captives. Once we go in, we will have to navigate through his nightmares in order to find him and Wade," Explained Luna.

"But this place is so huge. Where would we begin to look?" Asked Twilight.

"For easy access, it will most likely be near Nightmare's throne."

Princess Luna pointed straight ahead. On top of the largest mountain of skulls was a throne made from the skull of a large, monstrous beast.

"I know that you have a better sense of the layout of this place. Go ahead and lead the way," Said Twilight.

Nodding her head in agreement, Princess Luna made her way towards the throne, with Twilight following close behind her. As they made their way to the throne, Twilight noticed that they were being watched. A murder of crows with glowing red eyes perched atop various skulls and watched both princesses.

KAW! KAW! KAW!

"Eek!"

Startled by the gruff caws of the crows, Twilight ran and pressed herself against Luna's side. Seeing the young Princess's fear, Luna wrapped a comforting wing around her shoulders.

"Remember, Twilight, nightmares are just that, nightmares. Even in a realm made up of them, they are only real if you allow them to be. Push past your fears, and nothing here will harm you," Said Luna.

Taking Luna's advice to heart, Twilight took a moment to breathe and collect herself. Feeling more courageous, she looked at the crows again. They instantly faded away, ceasing to exist now that she was no longer afraid. Seeing the results of conquering her fears made Twilight smile.

"Thank you, Luna. I'll be sure to take your words to heart when we go up against Nightmare," Said Twilight.

"Of course, Twilight. Let's keep going."

And so, the two princesses went on their way to Nightmare's throne. After a few minutes of walking, Princess Luna pointed ahead of them. Several feet away, standing at the base of the mountain where Nightmare's throne rested atop of was a mahogany door. Knowing that was where her coltfriend was, Twilight teleported over there with Luna following suit. Upon arriving at the door, Twilight reached out towards the knob to open it. She rested her hoof on the doorknob, then looked back at Luna.

"What should we expect to come across?" Asked Twilight.

"Since Nightmare draws strength from his victims' fears, we will most likely encounter Wade's inner thoughts and memories since they will be used against him," Answered Luna.

Now having a better idea of what's lying ahead, Twilight opened the door, and entered. Upon entering the door, she was blinded by a bright light. Once her vision returned, she found herself and Luna standing in a white-colored void. Princess Luna walked forward, with Twilight hesitantly following behind her. The void was not completely empty. Various things floated by, including a giant taco, a tank that fires cherrychangas, a purple and blue llama pinata that vomited candy, a golden gauntlet with six stones, and a Tyrannosaurus rex dressed in a Deadpool costume.

"What is this place?" Asked Twilight.

"A void in between dreams. Each void is unique to the dreamer. Most of Nightmare's victims wind up in these trying to escape. If they end up here, they can temporarily find sanctuary before Nightmare catches up with them and traps them in another nightmare," Explained Luna.

"Mwahahaha!"

Suddenly, evil laughter filled the void, stopping the two heroes in their tracks. Searching for the source of the maniacal laughter, they quickly witnessed a giant eye with a red iris form in the air above them.

"Ah! If it isn't my favorite Princess, Luna," Said the eye with a deep, wicked voice.

"Nightmare," Replied Luna annoyedly.

"What's with the annoyance in your tone, Luna? After all this time, I would've thought you would be happy to see your old flame, my beautiful belladonna," Said Nightmare flirtatiously.

Princess Luna scoffed in response to Nightmare's attempt at flirting.

"Old flame? What is he talking about, Princess?" Asked Twilight.

"Don't listen to anything Nightmare has to say about us, Princess Twilight. His flirting is merely one sided. When we first met in the Nightmare Realm, he was instantly attracted to me. When I refused his advances, he captured me and attempted to violate my person in order to create offspring to carry out his quest of spreading fear. Thankfully, I escaped, and he learned what happens to one's privates when they try to touch a mare's without her consent," Explained Luna.

"GUGH!"

Suddenly, the eye caught fire as Nightmare cried out in anger.

"To this day the other Fear Lords have not lived that down! Ugh… no matter. I see that you have brought an ally. The newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle," Said Nightmare.

"We're here to free Wade. It would be wise of you to release him now before we find you," Said Twilight.

"I think you will find your efforts to be fruitless, little princess. He is mine now, and I have already acquired so much power from his fears. If you find me, I will draw power from your fears as well, becoming even more powerful."

"We know you're powerless against those who push past their fears. Nothing you do will affect us."

"That may be true for now, but I will find a way to make you tremble before me. It's all a matter of finding the right fear. In the meantime, I will have my servants deal with you. And believe me when I say they are very real."

The eye disappeared, and the void was filled with demonic screams. Suddenly, an entire horde of demonic creatures that looked like ponies with bat-like wings and four glowing red eyes appeared from thin air. They had the princesses surrounded from all sides. In response, they stood back to back.

"What are these things?!" Asked Twilight.

"Oh, you know. Demons, succubi, beings that Nightmare would employ to carry out his orders," Said Luna nonchalantly.

RAGH!

A demon leapt towards Twilight with claws protracting from their hooves. Reacting quickly, she summoned a magenta magic shield. The demon's claws raked downwards, but the shield endured. She then launched her shield at her opponent, knocking it several feet away. Three demons rushed towards Luna at once when she lit her horn.

SHING!

Princess Luna conjured a crescent shaped blade made of blue magical energy. She tossed it at the demons, cutting them in half from the waist down, turning them to dust. Twilight fired shards of magical energy at the demons in front of her, impaling many of her opponents in the chest.

Princesses Luna and Twilight cast beams of magic at the demonic creatures, turning them to dust. While they managed to defeat several minions, they were finding themselves swarmed from all directions.

"Ah!"

While her back was turned, Twilight was tackled from behind by a demonic creature. As she struggled to shake it off of her, it went to bite her in the neck. Before it could sink its fangs in, a bolt of magic shot through its head. After it faded away, Twilight looked up, seeing Luna holding a hoof towards her. She grabbed it, and she was brought back onto her hooves.

"Thanks," Said Twilight.

"No problem," Said Luna.

Now that Twilight was saved, she and Luna continued to ward off the creatures. As they continued to fight, the horde of Nightmare's minions continued to grow. The space between them and their aggressors was getting shorter with every second.

"They've got us surrounded! We won't be able to fight them off for much longer!" Said Twilight.

"Not if we can help it. Princess Twilight, do exactly as I do."

Princess Luna lit up her horn, and levitated in the air. Twilight followed her example, and both of their horns crackled with magical electricity.

VWOOM!

Both princesses created a large, powerful burst of magical energy. All of the creatures faded away upon contact. Checking their surroundings, they found no more of Nightmare's minions. They both sighed in relief.

"That was intense! You've faced those things before?!" Asked Twilight to Princess Luna.

"Countless times. The only difference is I had an ally fighting alongside me this time around where I usually fight them alone. There will be more, so we will have to continue forward," Said Luna.

With Nightmare's minions taken care of, the princesses continued to travel across the void. After what felt like a couple minutes, they came across another wooden door. Luna opened it, letting Twilight through first. Upon walking through the door, they found an empty room that was filled with green fog.

"What is this fog? Will we find Nightmare and Wade on the other side?" Asked Twilight.

"Maybe. Those enveloped in this fog will see nightmares created by Nightmare. This particular strand will most likely reveal Wade's nightmares. We will have to get through it in order to find Wade," Explained Luna.

"Well, let's get this over with."

Twilight was about to walk into the fog when she felt a hoof on her shoulder. She looked back, and saw Luna with a grim look on her face.

"Twilight, before you go in there, I just need to warn you that you may see things that Wade doesn't like to talk about. Many events that transpired in Wade's early life shaped his fears and the choices he has made," Said Luna.

Nodding her head in understanding, Twilight walked through the fog. As soon as she stepped in, she found her surroundings were altered. She appeared to be in a home kitchen.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Twilight heard knocking coming from a door on the other end of the kitchen. She then heard the sound of hoofsteps clopping against the floor. She saw something run by her, realizing it was a young earth pony colt. He appeared to be no older than five years of age. He had a brown coat, medium length black mane, brown eyes, and a cutie mark was absent from his flank. He ran up to the door, giggling happily.

"Who's that?" Pondered Twilight.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Who's there?" Asked the colt.

"Cash," Said a masculine voice from the opposite side of the door.

"Cash who?"

The door opened up, revealing an earth pony stallion. He was fairly tall, five inches taller than the average stallion. He had a pale brown coat, a short brownish blond mane, and brown eyes.

"Yes! I've always known you were a bit nutty!" Said the stallion.

The young colt laughed, then leapt towards the older stallion. The stallion grabbed the colt in a hug, and chuckled fondly. Seeing the fondness between the two ponies and the knock knock joke they acted out, a realization came to Twilight.

"Wait, that knock knock joke! That colt must be Wade! And if that's the case, then is that his father?" Pondered Twilight.

"(Chuckles) I love ya, kid," Said the stallion warmly.

"Daddy!" Said Wade happily.

Suddenly, the room went dark. When the light returned, Wade and his father were gone. A few seconds later, Twilight heard hoofsteps again. Wade ran past her again, and sat by the door eagerly. Twilight noticed that there wasn't a knock at the door like before. She watched as Wade waited patiently for his father to come to the door.

She saw a wall clock on the wall adjacent to the door speed up. Minutes and hours went by in seconds. Every ten seconds, a calendar next to the door would skip over a month. After what felt like two minutes, the clock hands returned to a normal pace, and a new calendar marked a year after Wade first sat by the door.

Twilight watched as the young Wade sadly walked away from the door. He turned back to look at the door, then continued to walk away with his head hung low. Realizing what had happened the previous year, seeing Wade so distraught broke Twilight's heart.

"Oh, Wade…"

The room went dark again, and green fog filled the room. When it cleared up, Twilight found herself standing in a school hallway. The hallway was packed with students that were either grabbing materials from lockers that were on the sides of the hall, walking to their next class, or hanging out talking amongst each other.

Twilight quickly found Wade, who was searching for something in his locker. He appeared to be late middle school age and his mane was shorter than when he was a younger colt. Even though many years had passed, Twilight could see he still lacked a cutie mark.

"Hey!"

Twilight heard someone shout. She turned around, and saw a bunch of colts about Wade's age surrounding a pegasus colt who was a couple years younger than them. A dark blue pegasus colt with a short sky blue mane and a welding torch with a lightning bolt cutie mark pushed the young pegasus colt, who had a white coat and a short black mane.

"Why are you doing this?" Asked the young pegasus meekly.

"You walked into me, klutz. That is disrespectful, and it won't go unpunished," Said the large pegasus.

"I'm sorry! It was an accident, I swear!"

"Where I'm from, sorry doesn't cut it. When I'm through with you, you'll watch your step for the rest of the year."

Watching this display of bullying angered Twilight. As she restrained herself from growling, she looked back at Wade. He saw what was happening, but he turned back towards his locker.

"Come on, Wade! Say something!" Said Twilight.

"Help!"

The older bully pegasus grabbed the young pegasus by the neck and lifted him in the air. To Twilight's horror, the bully's friend's were cheering him on while the rest of the students in the hall were turning a blind eye. This caught Wade's attention again. He had a hesitant look on his face. After a few seconds, he shut his locker.

"Hey, Voltage! Knock it off!" Shouted Wade.

The bully, going by the name Voltage, stopped to look at Wade in confusion. This allowed the young pegasus to squirm out of his grasp and escape by flying over him and his friends. Watching his prey escape, Voltage looked back at Wade with an irritated look on his face. He and his friends walked over to him, and surrounded him on all sides. He then walked up to Wade, only keeping a few inches between them.

"Oh no…" Said Twilight nervously.

"What's your deal, Wilson? Didn't you see I was busy?" Asked Voltage irritatedly.

"What's my deal? My deal is that he made an honest mistake, and you were going to beat the daylights out of him! That's absurd!" Said Wade angrily.

"I rule these halls, Wilson. When I'm here, I demand respect. And you should be showing some to me now for your interference."

"I don't respect bullies, Voltage. If you want respect, you should try a little something called 'being nice'!"

"Tell him, Wade!" Said Twilight cheerfully.

"Are you asking for an asswhopping, Wilson?!" Asked Voltage angrily.

"I'm not going to fight you, Voltage," Said Wade.

"I wouldn't think so. That's why you'll make what I'm about to do to you so much easier."

Voltage threw a punch towards Wade. He was able to dodge out of the way with what little wiggle room he had.

"Ooo!" Cried Voltage's friends.

"Voltage, don't make me-"

"Don't make you do what, Wilson? Make you run to your dad and get him to defend you?"

At the mention of his father, Wade froze. Voltage smirked out of satisfaction from seeing Wade's reaction. Twilight on the other hand covered her mouth with her hoof out of shock.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Your old man decided to skip town. Probably got tired of you and your mother," Said Voltage wickedly.

"..."

Twilight had hoped Wade would say something to counter Voltage's hurtful remark. But he didn't. He didn't shout or calmly speak. He only looked towards the ground.

"Speaking of your mother: it's no secret that she drinks herself to unconsciousness each night. I know the look when I see her in town every once in a while. When a pony has had one way too many. It must have you concerned about her health, doesn't it? With the amount of booze she puts into her system, it makes you wonder if she even remembers that she has a son," Said Voltage.

"(Gasp!) What a jerk! Come on, Wade! Don't let him treat you like this!" Shouted Twilight angrily.

"... Shut up…" Muttered Wade.

"Face it, Wilson. No one gives a damn about you. Your father left you, your mother neglects you, and you're an outcast with no friends in this school. Nopony cares about you, and nopony ever will. That's why when I have my back hoof up your colon, nopony will bother trying to-"

"GRGH!"

CRACK!

"OW!"

Finally having enough, Wade punched Voltage right in the nose. Blood splattered out of his nose, several drops landing on two locker doors. Hearing the sound of cartilage breaking caught the rest of the students' attention. Twilight's jaw dropped to the floor.

"You broke my nose!" Shouted Voltage in pain.

"You deserve that for what you said about my mom," Said Wade angrily.

Voltage ran towards Wade. He dodged out of the way and tripped Voltage with one of his hindlegs. As he fell, he grabbed him by the back of the head and slammed his face into a locker. Painfully getting up, Voltage looked at Wade with fear in his eyes.

"I don't know what's going on in your life that makes you think you have to be a jerk in order to feel some sense of power, but that doesn't give you the right to treat others like shit and make them afraid of you. I believe I've gotten my point across, so I'm giving you one chance to leave and rethink your actions," Said Wade.

Taking this chance of mercy, Voltage ran down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. Wade looked at the bully's friends intimidatingly, and they all backed away and followed after their friend.

"Wow…! As much as how violent that turned out in the end, I'm glad Wade did mainly use his words to deal with his old school bully," Said Twilight.

Suddenly, a bright light enveloped Wade's flank. It was so bright that everyone in the hall had to cover their eyes with their hooves. Just as quickly it appeared, the light faded away. Wade looked at his flank, and his pupils dilated in excitement. Twilight saw that he was now bearing the cutie mark of a combat knife and pistol that she was familiar with.

"Oh my Celestia! I've got my cutie mark! Look everyone! I have a cutie mark now!"

As Wade looked towards his classmates, he saw not excitement but nervous expressions on their faces. Each student either went down the hall or entered various classrooms. Watching his classmates leave, his happiness subsided.

"Why did they leave? Is… Is it because of my cutie mark?"

Feeling sorry for Wade, Twilight tried to reach out to him. The hall quickly filled up with the green fog, about to alter her surroundings yet again. After the fog faded away, Twilight found herself in a living room.

Zzz…

Twilight heard someone snoring. She saw a unicorn mare was asleep on a black leather couch. She had an orange coat, a blond mane and tail, and a red carnation for a cutie mark. There were numerous bottles of wine, beer and other alcoholic drinks on the floor beside the couch the mare was sleeping on. Judging by the fact she held a partially empty bottle of wine in her left hoof, she had drunk herself to sleep.

"Is that Wade's mom?" Pondered Twilight.

She heard the sound of hoof steps coming her way. From a hall to the right, Wade appeared. He appeared to be a couple years older since the previous dream. He was carrying a duffel bag over his back, and he looked to his sleeping mother with a troubled look.

"I'm sorry for what I'm about to do, Mom. Ever since Dad left, we've been struggling to get by. I wanted to help increase our income, but no place would hire me. And even then, with your habits, we may still have not earned enough. That's why I have to leave."

"I'm doing this because I want you to be able to take care of yourself. By leaving, you can pay off your debt, be able to get food and the other essentials, and maybe finally address your addictions. You shouldn't have to worry about me. I know you'll be upset, but I hope that given time, you'll understand why I had to go. ...Goodbye, Mom."

Wade walked past the couch and made his way towards the exit. As he was about to leave the living room, he stopped and looked back at his sleeping mother one last time. With tears in his eyes he walked out of the room. The sound of a door shutting signified that Wade had left. Having watched the scene before her, Twilight's eyes grew misty.

Once again, green fog appeared all around Twilight. This time, however, images appeared. Twilight first saw Wade out in combat as an under-aged member of the Equestrian army. She then saw him as a member of the E. U. P. Guard. He stood with several other recruits, all of them saluting to a drill sergeant. Next, she saw him standing with several members of the Equestrian Special Forces, all of them carrying various firearms.

She then saw a gruesome image of him when he became a mercenary-for-hire. It appeared he had yet to become the mask wearing, wise-cracking hero she had come to know, as he was wearing camo combat gear and his body was yet to be covered in scars caused by his cancer. He had a pistol in one hoof, which he used to shoot a black ski mask-wearing stallion straight in the chest. In his other hoof, he held one of his signature katanas. He had used it to decapitate a similarly dressed stallion. Seeing a trail of blood between the decapitated head and body made Twilight feel nauseous.

The fog faded away yet again, revealing a city landscape. She quickly realized that she was currently seeing Manehattan. Her attention was drawn towards a large hospital. She caught an adult Wade wearing a white hoodie and black sweatpants walked out the front entrance and onto a sidewalk.

"Wade! Wait!"

A feminine voice could be heard from the hospital entrance. A unicorn mare with a white coat, black mane and tail, red eyes, and wearing a black t-shirt and short denim jeans ran after Wade.

"Who's that?" Asked Twilight to herself.

"Wade!" The mare caught up with Wade, who stopped in his tracks. "Wade, can't we talk about this?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Vanessa. Let's just go home and make the best out of this shitty day stacked on top of a shitty week," Said Wade irritatedly.

"So, that's Vanessa. I can see why Wade was attracted to her. I wonder what's got her upset?" Pondered Twilight.

"Wade, please reconsider!" Pleaded Vanessa.

"You heard what the doctor said, Vanessa. I have stage four cancer, with a total of thirty-four inoperable tumors. I'm a dead pony," Said Wade grimly.

"But there's still hope! On it's own it may not cure it, but chemotherapy could help you beat it," Said Vanessa.

"Or just prolong my suffering and make my death all the more excruciating. It will be alright, Vanessa. I've already accepted that this cancer will kill me," Said Wade glumly.

"BUT I HAVEN'T!"

Wade looked at Vanessa, caught off guard by her shouting. He saw tears running down her face, and noticed she was holding back sobs.

"You may have given up, but I'm still holding onto hope. We got engaged just two weeks ago, and we were going to get married in Hashimareto in time when the cherry blossoms bloomed. You only had to complete one more high paying contract in order to earn enough bits to travel there and pay for the wedding," Said Vanessa tearfully.

"I plan on seeing that through. I'm not giving up on you, on us, and neither should you. What you decide to do is your choice, but please try to live… For me…"

Seeing Wade's acceptance of death and Vannessa's pleas for him to get treatment made Twilight feel sympathetic towards the former couple. Wade looked into Vanessa's eyes, appearing to be lost in thought. He then placed a hoof on her face, and wiped away a few tears. As she looked up at him, he gave her a warm smile.

"Okay. I will look at treatment options," Said Wade.

Vanessa smiled, happy that Wade will seek treatment for his cancer. She then embraced him in a hug.

"Thank you, Wade. I know we will have a difficult path ahead of us, but I will be there with you every step of the way," Said Vanessa.

Twilight teared up, happy at the display of hope and love in front of her. She knew that Vanessa was a past lover to Wade, but she didn't care. She wanted them to be happy, even with the knowledge that their relationship wasn't going to last.

"Not going to last…"

The words echoed in Twilight's mind, and they reminded her why Vanessa and Wade's relationship ended. To her surprise, she found herself in a small apartment building. The room was dark, the only light coming from the moonlight penetrating through a singular window. She saw two figures asleep in a bed in front of the window. One of them stood up, revealing to be Wade.

He looked at the other pony sleeping next to him, who she realized was Vanessa. Wade quietly got out of bed, and looked at Vanessa again. As he looked at her, he pulled out a small folded up piece of paper from a nightstand drawer next to his side of the bed. Vanessa's name was written on one side of the paper. With a single tear rolling down his cheek, he placed the piece of paper on his side of the bed.

"You don't deserve to be left with a dead stallion," Whispered Wade to Vanessa sadly.

He walked towards the opposite side of the apartment, not grabbing a single item. He walked past Twilight, as if she wasn't there. He opened the door, then closed it behind him.

As tears trailed down Twilight's face, the green fog returned. Once it disappeared, Twilight found herself in some sort of prison. She was currently standing in front of a cell.

"Move it!"

Hearing someone bark out an order, she looked to her right. She saw Wade, this time his entire body covered in scars caused by his cancer due to experiments conducted by the Weapon X program. This, unfortunately, was the appearance Twilight was familiar with other than his trademark suit and mask. He was being escorted by two armed guards. They stopped in front of the cell that Twilight was standing in front of. As one of them opened the door, a navy blue earth pony stallion walked up to Wade from the left.

"Welcome back to your cell, Wade. Once I have a word with my higher-up, you may not have to stay here for much longer. Although, if we're being honest here, I hope he decides to put you down like an unwanted mutt," Said the stallion coldly.

Wade tried to attack the stallion, but he was restrained by both guards.

"You fucking psychopath! You better fix this, Francis, or else I will beat you till your ribs poke out of your back!" Said Wade angrily.

"Face it, Wade. This is where your story ends. One way or another, you are going to die. Whether that be from your cancer or by my men. And no matter how you die, it will end with you being alone and forgotten."

Ajax turned around, and bucked Wade into the cell before slamming the door shut. As Twilight looked on in shock, her surroundings darkened yet again. A single light hanging from above cast away the dark. Sitting in front of her in a brown leather reclining chair was Wade. He was wearing his costume, mask and all. He appeared to be in some sort of distress, as he was holding his head in his hooves.

"Never."

Twilight heard a whisper in the dark. At first, she thought it was one of Wade's voices. But it was… different.

"You'll never have anyone."

Twilight heard another voice. She knew Wade could hear it too. She was disturbed by what it said.

"Everyone you cared about was driven away by you."

"No one will ever want to be with you after everything you've done."

"Nopony wants to be with a killer."

"You will never get to enjoy the company of others."

"Who could love a pony with your face?"

"If you were to die tomorrow, no one would mourn."

Wade was being bombarded by countless voices, all of them telling him horrible things. As Twilight looked on helplessly at the torment her coltfriend was facing, Wade looked towards a small round topped table to his right. Resting on it was one of his pistols. Wade picked up the gun, aimed it at the right side of his head, and slowly pulled the trigger.

"WADE NO!"

BANG!

GASP!

Twilight gasped in shock as a bright light created by the gun flashed in her eyes. When her vision returned to normal, she frantically searched her surroundings. She didn't find Wade. Instead she saw she was back in the empty room she had started in. To her right was Princess Luna. Seeing her familiar face brought immense relief to her.

"Luna… Everything I saw... Is it true…?" Asked Twilight.

With a frown, Princess Luna nodded her head solemnly.

"Are you alright, Twilight?" Asked Luna.

"He told me about most of it. His Dad leaving him at a young age, the bullying, the experiments that gave him his healing factor. But he… he never told me about his suicide attempt… I had no idea he had reached such a low point in his life. And seeing his past for myself, it all made me realize what Wade had gone through," Said Twilight sadly.

Princess Luna walked up to Twilight, and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

"Twilight, while it may not be to the same extent, I know how Wade feels. His past traumas and choices have brought him a lot of grief, fear, even anger. Just like me after I was freed from Nightmare Moon. But, even though it is challenging, overcoming those emotions is made a lot easier when we have ponies who care about us, giving us the support we need to move forward."

"I've seen for myself, both in his dreams and in person, that you have helped him with letting go of the past. You have given him love, support, and companionship. He is a better pony and has a clearer mind because of you. He is happy because of you. Just continue to be there for him, and both of you will be happy together."

Touched by Luna's meaningful words, Twilight embraced her in a hug. Both of them smiled happily in each other's embrace.

"Well, isn't this sweet?"

A familiar voice caught their attention. A green portal appeared in front of them, and a figure stepped out of it. It was the Nightmare Leviathan himself - Nightmare. Having only seen his head, Twilight saw the being's full appearance.

The presence of both a horn and a pair of wings confirmed that he was an alicorn. Or at least a monstrous one due to his wings being bat-like in appearance. He wore a green suit with long pointed epaulettes. He also wore a matching colored cape, which was attached to his suit by two pony skull clips.

Nightmare looked at the princesses with a sinister grin. Like his fangs, the rest of his teeth were sharpened, although they were slightly crooked. He cackled out of twisted amusement.

"I suppose congratulations are in order. You managed to get past my minions and endured seeing Wade Wilson's nightmares," Said Nightmare.

"Did you really think all of that was going to stop us?" Asked Twilight.

"I suppose not. You could say that was used to soften you up before I hit you with your greatest fears," Said Nightmare.

"Enough! What have you done with Wade Wilson, Nightmare?" Asked Luna.

With a toothy grin, Nightmare summoned a green chain in his left hoof. He yanked on it, causing something to fly out of the portal. It was revealed to be Deadpool, binded up in the rest of the chain. Once Deadpool was brought out, the portal closed behind him.

"Wade! Are you alright? What did he do to you?" Asked Twilight worriedly.

"Twilight?! Princess Luna?! Thank god you're here to save me! Ghastly Tim Curry here has been showing me nightmares of everything that scares me! He even forced me into a nightmare where I had to watch both "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and the "Green Lantern" movie!" Said Deadpool with a shudder.

"Let him go, Nightmare! We will take him from you by force if you give us no other choice!" Said Luna while lighting up her horn.

"Ha ha ha! Oh, my beloved Luna. You seem to have forgotten whose realm you are in."

Nightmare's eyes and horns glowed green, and he summoned the nightmare inducing fog. Before they could react, the fog enveloped Twilight, Luna, and Deadpool.

Twilight found herself in a field of flowers. The grass was lush and green, the sky was blue and cloudy, and flowers of all colors covered the majority of the field. As much as how beautiful it was, Twilight reminded herself that it will most likely take a nightmarish turn.

"I have poked around in your mind before, Princess Twilight..."

Twilight backed up, but then bumped into something. With a quick turn of her head, she saw it was Nightmare, smiling devilishly. She leapt away from him, and stood in a battle stance, ready to attack.

"I must say, you have some interesting fears," Said Nightmare.

"You can't use your tricks against me, Nightmare! I know that courage is your greatest weakness. Nothing you throw at me will make me cower before you!" Said Twilight gallantly.

"Is that so? (Chuckles) I'll let you in on a little secret. Something that has always fascinated me is fields such as this," Said Nightmare.

"...Really? How so?" Queried Twilight.

"Fields have mainly been depicted as a place of tranquility and peace. But when you stop to think about it, many phobias can be found in them. Melissophobia, agoraphobia, entomophobia… Coccinellidaephobia."

Twilight felt the ground shake beneath her. A large circular shadow was cast over her. Turning around, she saw a giant ladybug. Its round body covered a large section of earth, held up off the ground by six insectoid legs twice as tall as Twilight. It's beautiful red, seven-spotted elytra contrasted with its large, black compound eyes and giant mandibles that look like they could easily crush a pony. The sight of the monstrous beetle made Twilight's pupils contract, and her body began to tremble.

"(Chuckles) Ah, yes. Your fear of ladybugs. You've been terrified of these bugs ever since you were a little filly," Said Nightmare.

RAWWR!

The monstrous ladybug roared at Twilight, spreading its fearsome mandibles. Twilight's body trembled even more with fear.

"Where did your fear originate from? Oh, yes, a loveliness of them entered your fillyhood home in Canterlot, and your older brother told you that their spots were extra eyes that would watch you," Said Nightmare.

"I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid," Said Twilight.

The monster ladybug spread its elytra. The seven spots on its elytra opened up like eyelids, revealing seven green eyes that stared at Twilight.

"I'm very afraid!"

ZAP!

Twilight fearfully fired a bolt of magical energy at the ladybug. It did no damage, and the creature tried to sink its mandibles into her. She narrowly leapt out of the way, then flew away from it. Using its own set of wings, it flew right after her.

"AAAAHHHHH!"

"Music to my ears," Said Nightmare.

Satisfied with his nightmare, the Lord of Dreams summoned a portal. He looked back at Twilight being chased by the ladybug monster he conjured.

"It was either this or cheese quesadillas. I may be no stranger to irrational fears, but even I believe her fear of the cheese-filled tortilla is ridiculous! And just because they are 'so cheesy'. Her fear of ladybugs is more justified than her other fear," Deadpanned Nightmare.

With a roll of his eyes, Nightmare walked through the portal. Meanwhile, Princess Luna was in a black void. A green portal appeared beside her. Nightmare stepped out of the portal and stood next to her.

"It's been a long time since we've been in each other's presence, Luna. When you were banished to the moon, you were not in the Dream Realm. Earth's other sorcerers such as Doctor Strange are not as fun as you. And I also missed that lovely face of yours."

Nightmare tried to reach a hoof towards Princess Luna's face. She swiftly smacked his hoof with one of her wings.

"Don't act so charming, Nightmare. You are a vile, cruel being who enjoys the suffering of other beings. Not to mention you tried to rape me," Said Luna.

"An act that you made certain would never be attempted again," Said Nightmare irritatedly.

Princess Luna turned her back towards him. He teleported in front of her in order to get her attention.

"I don't want to do what I'm about to do to you, Luna. We should be spreading fear together. Your mastery over the Earth's moon and the night is unparalleled. If you and I were to combine our abilities, we can make this planet ours. With you bringing eternal night and I drawing power from sleeping ponies' dreams, the inhabitants would bow down to us! We could even take over other planets if we wanted too. Join me, Luna, and you will have everything you desire."

Nightmare reached a hoof out to Luna. She looked at his hoof, contemplating his proposal. She looked him in the eye, then stepped back a few paces until there was some distance between them.

"I will never join you. I once inspired fear into my subjects, and I will never do it again," Said Luna.

Nightmare slowly lowered his hoof. Then his horn glowed green.

"If this is what you want, then so. Be. It."

Princess Luna was momentarily blinded by a green light created by Nightmare. In an attempt to find out what he had done, she began to inspect herself. She quickly noticed that her forelegs were a dark shade of black and she wore blue armor over her front hooves. Looking back up, she saw her own reflection. Nightmare had turned her to her past alter ego - Nightmare Moon. He slowly walked behind her.

"When I first saw you as Nightmare Moon, I saw so much more potential in you. But alas, you were cleansed by the Elements of Harmony. While Nightmare Moon may be gone, her legacy still exists within these times. The fear you had spread…"

Nightmare momentarily paused his monologue to take a breath out of blissful reminiscence.

"It was invigorating! It still lingers within Equestria's population, even if it is in small traces. And the suffering you caused to others, it's still there too."

"Your attempt to use my guilt against me is otiose. I have realized that Equestria no longer sees me as the villian I once was, and I have forgiven myself for my past misdeeds. And it's all thanks to the help of my dearest friends," Said Luna.

"The Element Bearers? You must hold them dearly for everything they have done for you. I can't help but wonder, though, if you could become Nightmare Moon again."

"Excuse me?"

"Nightmare Moon was the manifestation of your envy and bitterness towards your elder sister. Who's to say that you couldn't become her again if you ever felt those same emotions? Not only that, but what if you came back even stronger than before? The Elements of Harmony may not be enough to stop you. And if so, what would stop you from seeking revenge?"

The area warped all around them. Princess Luna saw her surroundings had changed to the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters. In front of her stood the Mane Six. Each of them wore their respective Elements. Towering in front of them was Nightmare Moon.

"Come on, girls! Let's stop Nightmare Moon once and for all!" Said Twilight determinedly.

The Elements of Harmony began to glow, and each of the Mane Six levitated in the air. A beam of magic was cast from each one, and conjoined into a big rainbow beam of light. It went straight for Nightmare Moon, who braced herself.

She was hit dead on, and a bright light consumed her. It then faded away, revealing she was still standing and unscathed. The Mane Six gasped when they saw that the Elements of Harmony failed to restore her. The wicked mare of the night looked at her hooves, dumbfounded that the Elements were powerless against her. The realization brought a wicked grin on her face.

"Ha ha ha ha! It seems that I have grown even stronger since that fateful day you had bested me! Your precious Elements are useless! Now, there is no one that can stop me from plunging Equestria into eternal night!"

Nightmare Moon lit up her horn, and cast a beam of magic towards the group of ponies.

"UGH!"

"TWILIGHT!"

Twilight was struck by the magical beam, causing her to fly into a pillar. The attack mortally wounded her, leaving a small hole in the center of her chest. The sight of her alter ego killing one of her friends was enough to horrify Princess Luna.

No! I wouldn't!" Said Princess Luna fearfully.

"If that isn't scary enough, there's your beloved sister. She had missed you so much, and for a thousand years she carried the guilt of having to banish you."

The Mane Six and Nightmare Moon faded away, being replaced with Princess Celestia. She was out on the balcony of one of Canterlot Castle's towers. She was looking at the moon, which had Nightmare Moon's face on it. Seeing the moon brought tears to her eyes.

"Oh, Luna… I wish you were here with me. I (sobs) I shouldn't have sent you away. If only there was another way I could've stopped you. If only… I had realized how you were truly feeling sooner. I should have been a better sister," Said Celestia tearfully.

Hearing her sister's sobs made Luna tear up. Seeing her vulnerability, Nightmare walked up to her from behind with a grin.

"Now imagine if you ever turned on her again. She would be so distraught. Maybe she would feel not guilt but disappointment. She would've thought you learned to not act out on your pent up emotions, but turning into Nightmare Moon would prove to her otherwise. Could she ever trust you again, or would she disown you as a sister? Equestrian society most certainly did for a millennia," Said Nightmare.

The possibilities were getting to Princess Luna. Until now, she never thought about what would happen if she ever turned back into Nightmare Moon. Would her friends be able to save her? Would she succeed in plunging Equestria into eternal night? Would Celestia still love her? Or would she be banished for good, or even killed? As these questions gave her anxiety, Nightmare whispered in her ear.

"Those are just some thoughts I had. I will leave you to reflect on this," Whispered Nightmare.

A portal opened up, and Nightmare walked through it. Princess Luna looked up, seeing a ginormous Nightmare Moon towering over her.

"Ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha!"

GASP!

Meanwhile, Deadpool woke up in a startle. He felt the soft touch of the mattress against his back, and saw the familiar sight of the bedroom he and Twilight shared. Framed photos of their epic adventures hung on the wall, a small bookshelf containing Twilight's most valued books rested against the wall on the opposite side of the bed, and a closet containing his suits was across from him.

"Hmm… Everything appears to be normal. I guess that was all just a dream." Deadpool looked over at the bed, and found that Twilight wasn't on her side. "I should find Twilight. I have to tell her what I dreamt about."

Deadpool walked out of the bedroom, and walked through the castle's extensive hallways. He eventually navigated his way to the dining room. Stepping inside, he saw no sign of Twilight.

"Hm. Odd. She usually has breakfast at this time, according to the schedules she always shows me. Even though I have constantly told her I would like to cancel my subscription to the Twilight Times. Perhaps she's in the kitchen with Spike making breakfast."

Deadpool walked out of the dinning room and entered the kitchen a few rooms down. To his bewilderment there was no sign of Twilight or Spike. There was only a well organized kitchen.

"Not in here either. Where in this labyrinth of a castle could they possibly be?" Pondered Deadpool.

After leaving the kitchen, he began his search. He checked every room in the castle. The study, Spike's room, the throne room, the room containing the porcelain throne, he even checked the several supply closets and empty rooms throughout the castle. After several minutes of searching, his efforts proved to be fruitless.

"Well, I checked the castle, and there is no sign of Sparkle Butt or the little dude. Could they have gone off to Ponyville to meet up with our friends?"

With no place left to search in the castle, Deadpool made his way to Ponyville. Upon arriving at the town center, he found nopony. The streets were empty and quiet, and every shop and home appeared to be vacant. Seeing the town empty made Deadpool feel anxious. He was fidgeting his hooves where he stood.

"Where the hell is everypony…? Pinkie can tell me where Twilight and everyone else is."

Deadpool made his way to Sugarcube Corner in hopes of finding Pinkie. Opening the front door, he found the main area to be empty. There were no customers inside. Pinkie wasn't behind the counter, there were no signs of Mr. and Mrs. Cake, or even the Cake Twins.

"Pinkie? Pinkie?"

Calling her name, Deadpool heard no response from the party pony.

"Maybe Rarity's still around."

Deadpool jogged over to Carousel Boutique. Slamming the door open, he only found the elaborate decor and some ponyequins inside the boutique. There was no sign of either Rarity, Sweetie Belle, or their cat Opal.

"No, no no!"

SLAM!

With sweat visible around his armpits and mask, Deadpool ran out of the boutique, slamming the door open again. He ran to Fluttershy's cottage, only to find it empty of any pegasi and animals. He then ran all the way to Sweet Apple Acres. The land was vacant of any apples; the pony kind. Running back to the center of Ponyville, Deadpool shouted for Rainbow Dash in hopes of attracting the attention of the rainbow-maned pegasus.

"Rainbow Dash?! Rainbow Dash?! Somepony?! Anypony?! Where did everybody go?!" Cried Deadpool panically.

As Deadpool was frantically shouting, Nightmare watched from a distance, rubbing his hooves together sinisterly. He then summoned a portal and stepped through it.

He returned to where he had met up with the two Princesses. The fog had dissipated, revealing Deadpool, Twilight, and Luna standing in one spot, their eyes glowing green due to the nightmares they were experiencing. Nightmare lit up his horn, and green beams of magic flowed from the ponies. The beams were increasing his power, causing a green aura to appear around his body.

"Ha ha ha! Yes! By the time I have consumed all of their fear, I will be strong enough to bring nightmares to all of Equestria! And with Luna out of the way, no one will be able to stop me! Mwahahaha!"

Meanwhile, back in Twilight's nightmare, she was still being chased by the nightmarish ladybug creature. She fired a beam of magic at it, only for it to dodge out of the way. It was catching up to her. As it got closer to her, it snapped its mandibles in an attempt to grab her.

"Get away from me!"

In an attempt to get it off her tail, Twilight flew in an erratic pattern. She made several sharp turns, flew up and down continuously, and spinned in the air. After making another sharp right turn, she looked back to see if it was still after her. She found to her relief that the ladybug was gone.

"Phew! That was close," Said Twilight.

WHAM!

Unbeknownst to Twilight, the ladybug had been flying underneath her. When she momentarily let her guard down, it flew up and bumped into her underside. The sudden collision caused her to lose control, and she fell towards the ground below.

"Ahhh!"

CRASH!

Twilight collided with the ground, creating a small crater from the force of impact. The monster-sized ladybug's shadow cast over her, and her pupils contracted fearfully when she saw it was heading straight for her.

THUMP!

Before she could move out of the way, the creature pinned her down by the abdomen with one of its legs. It opened its maw, spraying copious amounts of saliva onto her face.

"No, no, no! Please don't eat me!" Said Twilight fearfully.

In an act of intimidation, the ladybug opened up its elytra. Instead of eyes, it revealed the insect's classic black spots. Twilight looked at those spots and the red color around them. At that moment, she saw a semblance to Deadpool's mask. Seeing it reminded her of how she got in this predicament in the first place. She was here because she needed to help Wade get past his own fears by helping him be brave. If she wanted to do that, she needed to be brave too.

She grabbed the leg that was pinning her down, and attempted to lift it. It was slowly raised off of her. The act gradually made her fear fade away, and replaced it with courage. The creature was surprised by its prey prying it off of her. Once the leg was a foot away from her abdomen, she swung the ladybug around in a circle before tossing it.

WHAM!

The monster ladybug landed several feet away from her, raising a bunch of dirt. As it looked up, it saw Twilight looking at it with a look of anger.

"Listen here, bug! I may have been afraid of you since I was a filly, but you won't stop me from saving my coltfriend! And I would be darned if I let an INSECT be the reason why I fail to do so!"

Twilight fired a beam of magic at the creature. Unlike her previous attacks, this one managed to damage her foe. The attack caused the monster ladybug to explode into a swarm of regular-sized ladybugs, which then swiftly left the scene. Her vision then went white.

GASP!

When her vision returned, she no longer found herself in the field. Instead she was back in the room where she and Luna encountered Nightmare. Sure enough, upon turning around she found both Luna and Deadpool in their entranced states, with Nightmare absorbing their fear. He locked eyes with her, looking at her with a surprised look.

"What's this?! You're free?!" Said Nightmare in disbelief.

"It's as I said, Nightmare: I know that courage is your greatest weakness. You may have frightened me with your illusions, but nothing you throw at me will prevent me from saving Wade! Not even my greatest fears will stop me!"

With his eyes flashing red, Nightmare raised his right foreleg in the air. Monstrous screams filled the air. Nightmare's demonic minions surrounded Twilight from all angles.

"CEASE HER!" Bellowed Nightmare.

RAGH!

Following their ruler's order, the demons leapt towards Twilight in unison. Reacting quickly, Twilight leapt towards Luna, and summoned a force field around her and her friend. The force field for the most part was impeding the horde's attack, but minute cracks were forming from their combined attacks.

"I need Luna in order to hold back Nightmare and his forces before I go after Wade. Hopefully, I can help her before they break the force field.

Twilight turned to face Princess Luna, then pressed the tip of her horn against hers. She then cast a spell, causing her eyes to turn white. When Twilight's vision returned to normal, she found herself in Luna's nightmare. She quickly found the princess. She was sitting on the ground with her head held low, and her back facing Twilight.

"Princess Luna? It's me, Twilight. I'm here to help you," Said Twilight.

Luna didn't respond, which worried Twilight.

"Luna…?"

"... Be honest with me, Twilight Sparkle. Do you… fear me?" Asked Luna glumly.

"Fear you? Of course not! Why would you ever think that?" Asked Twilight.

"I only ask because of what I once was, and could be again," Answered Luna.

"What do you mean?" Asked Twilight.

Luna sighed before standing up. She stepped to the side, allowing Twilight to see the frozen image of Nightmare Moon killing her as her friend watched helplessly. The sight made Twilight let out a small gasp.

"Nightmare Moon was created because of the envy and anger I had towards my sister. That means there's a possibility that I could become her again if I ever felt those emotions again. Nightmare pointed all of that out to me. As much as I hate to admit it, he has a point," Said Luna.

"It may be true that you could become Nightmare Moon again, but my friends and I can stop you again," Reasoned Twilight.

"But what if you can't!" Luna raised her voice out of fear. She swiftly covered her mouth with a hoof. " I want to believe you, but what if becoming Nightmare Moon again makes her even more powerful than when we first fought? What if you don't have the heart to stop me because of our friendship? What if you had no choice but to…?"

"Don't think that, Luna! No matter what, we would never kill you, even if you couldn't be saved again."

"(Sob) I'm sorry, Twilight. I thought I had finally rid myself of her grasp on my psyche, but now that I know of the possibilities, I don't think I will ever be able to stop thinking about her again."

A few tears slid down Luna's face as the thought of becoming Nightmare Moon again frightened her.

"I don't want to ever feel like that again. To feel nothing but rage, jealousy and spite. But what I especially don't want to happen is for Equestria to be afraid of me again, lose all of my friendships I have made, and I never want to hurt Celestia again for as long as I live. She had to endure a thousand winters without me. I don't want her to live without me again," Said Luna tearfully.

Seeing the distraught princess made Twilight's heart ache. She wrapped a comforting arm around her, and sat her down.

"The fact that you are afraid of turning back into Nightmare Moon shows that chances are you won't become her again," Said Twilight comfortingly.

"Maybe so, but that doesn't guarantee anything," Said Luna.

"Luna, when the Tantabus tried to escape into the waking world, you had to accept your mistakes and forgive yourself in order to defeat it. In regards to your fear of becoming Nightmare Moon again, you have to understand that, like everypony else, you are not perfect."

"What… Do you mean by that?"

"You will continue to have this fear, and you will find yourself feeling angry or jealous at some point in the future, but it's important to remember that as long as you accept your emotions and fear, and you go to your Celestia, me, and our friends for support, then you will never become Nightmare Moon."

"... You think so?"

"I know so."

Reflecting on what Twilight told her, Princess Luna looked back towards the nightmare of herself as Nightmare Moon. Her alter ego reverted back to her normal self, and her friends (with the addition of a now living Twilight) gave her a hug. Luna wiped her tears away, and smiled at Twilight.

"Thank you, Twilight."

Luna gave Twilight a hug, which she returned.

"You're welcome, Luna. We need to hurry. Nightmare's forces are trying to break through a force field I created, and I still have to save Wade," Said Twilight.

She saw Luna nod her head in agreement before her vision turned white. When her vision returned, she and Luna found that the force field Twilight had put up was just about to give way from Nightmare's forces. Twilight used her magic to purposefully break her shield into small pieces, and launched them at her foes. The shattered force field cut down several of Nightmare's minions.

"ENOUGH!"

Fed up with the two princesses, Nightmare conjured a pony's skull covered in green mystical energy. He launched the skull towards Twilight, the skull cackling sinisterly. Princess Luna blocked the attack through the use of a force field.

I've had enough of your meddling! Equestria's inhabitants will be mine, and I won't let you take that from me!"

Nightmare flew towards Luna, and tackled her to the ground. She kicked him in the abdomen, then launched him back with a beam of magic.

"Go, Twilight Sparkle! I will hold him off! Save Wade Wilson!" Said Luna.

Nodding her head, Twilight ran towards Deadpool. Nightmare summoned several green mystical chains, and launched them towards her. Luna summoned her own chains and snared them around his. She then used her strength to swing him up into the air. She flew towards him, and punched him in the chest. Meanwhile, Nightmare's demon army went after Twilight.

"Yelp!"

One managed to grab her by the tail with its teeth. She managed to buck it in the face with her hindlegs, allowing her to get free. She ran to Deadpool, and saw she was surrounded by a horde of demons yet again. Seeing this, Princess Luna summoned a force field around her and Deadpool. She rained down several magical bolts, taking out some of the demons before Nightmare came from behind and slammed her to the ground.

Safe from Nightmare's forces for the moment, Twilight placed the tip of her horn against Deadpool's forehead and cast the same spell she used on Luna. She found herself in Ponyville's town square. While normally a comforting sight, she knew that most likely it was connected to whatever nightmare Deadpool was forced to experience.

"Hello?! Hello?! Is anypony around?!"

Twilight heard Deadpool's voice in the distance. She ran straight ahead, where she heard Wade's voice coming from. She came across the site where the Golden Oak Library used to be. She found Deadpool standing in front of her, shouting for anyone to find him.

"Wade!" Said Twilight.

"Twilight?" Deadpool ran up to Twilight with a look of relief visible on his mask. "Thank Celestia you're… Wait a minute, how do I know that you're the real Twilight and not part of the nightmare green pajamas pony made?"

"Who else would get up in the middle of the night to go to another realm to save you from a nightmare inducing fear monger?" Asked Twilight with a smile.

"Fair point. I believe you, but just know that if you start doing some freaky shit, I will defend myself by any means."

"Noted. Are you feeling alright?"

"Me? Of course I'm fine. I have nightmares at least once a week. I will be alright. It's not like this is the first time I've had this particular nightmare anyway…"

Twilight took a moment to look around. She and Deadpool were the only ponies around. That was when something clicked in her mind.

"You're afraid of being alone, aren't you?" Asked Twilight.

Deadpool had a saddened look on his face. He subconsciously scratched the back of his neck.

"... Can you blame me? I basically grew up without any parents, no one wanted to be my friend in school, and most of the world hated me until I met you," Said Deadpool.

"I know. While Princess Luna and I were searching for you, we came across some nightmares that were made for you. I saw the year your dad left, your fight in school, and you leaving both your mother and Vanessa. I, um, I also saw you attempting to commit suicide," Said Twilight sadly.

"Oh… Oh! I'm so sorry you had to see that last part. I meant to keep that to myself."

"Wade, you didn't need to keep that a secret from me. I would've understood. I would've even tried to help you from having such thoughts again."

"But you do, Twilight. You help me just by being you."

"Oh, stop."

"I mean it. Ever since you and I had become close friends, I hadn't had any serious suicidal thoughts. I'm still fucked up in the ole noggin, but I no longer think of taking my life as much as I did."

Deadpool and Twilight nuzzled each other affectionately.

"Princess Luna is holding off Nightmare for us, but I think I know how we can defeat him," Said Twilight.

"Oh, yeah? How so?" Asked Deadpool.

"You need to conquer your fear of being alone. Without any fear to draw from, Nightmare will be powerless against us."

"I… don't think I can. Where would I even begin?"

"You can start by talking to me."

Twilight sat down on her haunches. She knew from memory that the particular spot she was sitting on was where the trunk of the Golden Oak Library used to be. She patted the spot next to her left. Deadpool sat down in the spot she instructed too.

"It's just… I don't want to ever feel that way again, you know? Having no one that gives a damn about you. Being isolated from society and left with your own thoughts. For maybe twenty-three, twenty-four years of my life, I had no one, but now I do. As much as I love my solo run comics, I don't want to be friendless."

"It admittedly scares me that I could go back to square one because I messed up, or my 'work' life bit me in the ass. I don't even want to think of what could happen after you and all of our friends die someday…"

"Wade, you shouldn't be concerned about that last part until many decades from now. I still have plenty of years ahead of me, so you don't need to worry. Right now, I can assure you that you will never be alone. I will always be here for you."

"'I'll always be your friend, Wade.' Or 'I will stand by your side to the bitter end'. A few people have said such statements, only to end up killed or leave because they're tired of me and the choices I make. Even heartbroken because I left like my asshole father."

It was obvious to Twilight that Wade had his heart broken on several occasions. Whether that be because of someone he cared about or even something he himself had done. However, that last part about him leaving gave her an idea.

"... She was beautiful," Said Twilight.

"Hmm?"

"Your mother. I saw her in one of your nightmares. She was a very beautiful mare."

"Heh, she was; she really was. You now know where I get my looks from." Wade's remark got a chuckle out of Twilight. "I think you would've liked her. I just wished I hadn't walked out on her. If I had tried a different approach to helping her, then maybe you two would have been able to meet each other. But instead I most likely broke her heart and left her all on her own before she died."

Twilight grabbed her coltfriend's hooves and looked him directly in the eyes.

"Wade, there's nothing that can be changed. Leaving your mom and Vanessa, the people you saw as friends abandon you or perish, but that doesn't have to ever happen again. You have me, our friends, and even your X-Force pals see you as a friend. We will all be by your side as long as you do the same," Said Twilight.

"Really?" Questioned Deadpool.

"Yes. I have known you for almost two years now, and we have been dating for a few months. I can't imagine not having you in my life, in one way or another. I am never going to leave you, and I hope after previous events, you won't do the same."

Twilight and Deadpool looked at each other for several seconds. A smile found its way on Deadpool's face.

"How could I ever leave the mare who made my life better?" Asked Deadpool rhetorically with a warm tone.

He and Twilight embraced each other in a hug, then kissed. Just as soon as they locked lips, a white light glowed around them.

Meanwhile, Princess Luna and Nightmare continued their battle. Nightmare summoned a swarm of bat-winged eyes and commanded them to fly towards his adversary. Princess Luna used a beam of magic to instantly vaporize the winged monstrosities. She then summoned five orbs of light, which formed a circle around her. They then fired beams of light at Nightmare. He summoned a wall made up of bones in front of him. The wall successfully absorbed the attack.

He flew through his own wall, surprising Luna. He then uppercut her jaw causing her to fly into the air. He flew after her, and slammed his hooves into her abdomen. As she fell towards the ground, he summoned a pony skull, and launched it towards her. As Luna landed on the ground, she looked up and saw the skull, alarming her.

KA-BOOM!

The skull exploded on contact, creating a mushroom shaped cloud of green fog. When it disappeared, Luna was revealed to be barely conscious. She was breathing heavily, and she tried to lift her forelegs. They were then held down by Nightmare's minions. One of them went to bite her in the neck. Before it could, Nightmare landed on the ground with a thud.

"No. She's mine."

Nightmare confidently walked towards Princess Luna. He summoned a green sword with a skull-shaped pommel, holding it with his magic. He brought the tip of the blade down underneath her chin.

"Looks like I really am the Master of Dreams. I have grown more powerful than you, Luna. It took months of sneaking into others' dreams and drawing strength from their fears under your watch, but thanks to Wade Wilson, I finally have the power to capture the entire Equestrian populace in one big nightmare!"

"H-How?" Asked Luna weakly.

"It's simple, dearly. All I had to do was give each of my victims a nightmare equivalent to a jump scare, then collect their fear and let them go. But Wade, the stallion is a vessel for fear. His entire life has given him nothing but grief and fear. Fear of being rejected, fear of repeating the same mistakes, fear of losing everything he has now. He gave me the last bit of fear I needed in order to be strong enough to enslave Equestria. And once I accomplish that, I will be powerful enough to put every being in the world in a shared nightmare. I would've shared this with you, but alas you would rather have everyone be free than to be a queen. So, this is goodbye, my love."

Nightmare brought his sword up over his head, ready to deliver the finishing blow. Princess Luna closed her eyes in preparation for the blade to cut through her flesh.

BLAM!

"GAGH!"

Before Nightmare could bring down the might of his blade, a bolt of light shot him in the shoulder. He dropped the sword in agnony, and looked for the source of the attack. He found Deadpool and Twilight Sparkle standing together. The former held one of his pistols in his hoof, and both ponies were glowing white. Upon seeing them, Nightmare's minions screeched in terror before teleporting away.

"Grr! Cowards!" Shouted Nightmare angrily.

He summoned a giant dragon skull, and launched it at the couple. The skull coming towards them didn't faze them one bit. As soon as the skull made contact with them, it simply phased through them. The sight of this shocked Nightmare.

"What?! No! How is this possible?! I showed you your fears! You should be trembling at the thought of being alone!" Said Nightmare to Deadpool fearfully.

"Well, it helps to have a great friend to help you through your fears," Said Deadpool.

Deadpool pulled out one of his katanas, and ran towards Nightmare. The latter held up his forelegs defensively, but they wouldn't be able to help him.

SHLUK!

Deadpool pierced his blade through Nightmare's chest, coming out of his back coated in green blood. Nightmare's eyes and mouth began to glow white.

"NNNNNOOOOO!"

As Nightmare screamed in agony, his body gradually glowed white. After several seconds, the light faded away. With the light gone, Nightmare was revealed to have been severely weakened. His body was lanky and withered, his clothes had faded in color, his wings had been reduced to small bony bat wings, and only a few patches of his mane remained while his tail was completely gone. Deadpool removed the blade from his chest, and kicked him away.

"I could have won…! Equestria could've been mine to gather fear! But you… all three of you foiled my plans…!" Said Nightmare weakly.

"'Look at me, I'm the Boogeyman, and I've been thwarted by two princesses and a costumed vigilante!'" Said Deadpool in a mocking impression of Nightmare. "Nopony makes me relive my past and tortures me with my fears in order to get enough power in order to carry out a cockamamie scheme to enslave Equestria and the world as we know it in one dream, and gets away with it! You got only a taste of what you deserve, fantasy-fucker!"

Glaring daggers into Deadpool and his friends, Nightmare summoned a portal behind him.

"Mark my words: this is not the last any of you have seen from me…! I will be back to terrorize you all someday! For as long as there are those that dream, I will never truly be vanquished!"

Nightmare then walked through the portal, and closed it behind him. Princess Luna painfully got up from the ground. With Nightmare finally gone, she, Deadpool, and Twilight sighed in relief. Just then a white light filled the area around them.

Twilight and Luna found themselves back in the former's bedroom. Now free from Nightmare's grasp, Deadpool was able to wake up.

"Phew! Thank goodness that's over," Said Twilight in relief.

"Is it over, though?" Pondered Deapool.

"We defeated Nightmare, so that means we're back in the real world."

"Sure, but how do we know this isn't another dream? For all we know, this is a dream where I'm having a threesome with you and Luna."

WHACK!

With an exasperated look on her face, Twilight smacked Deadpool in the back of the head.

"Still think we're in a dream?" Asked Twilight rhetorically.

"Ow. No, definitely in the real world," Said Deadpool painfully.

Princess Luna chuckled at the couple's banter. Twilight then turned to her.

"Princess Luna, thank you for helping us. We wouldn't have been able to beat Nightmare without you," Said Twilight gratefully.

"You and Wade are the real heroes, Twilight. Wade was the one who vanquished him by overcoming his fears, and you helped him get past his fears. I only just helped you two find each other," Said Luna humbly.

"You've gotta take some credit. Twi wouldn't have even known about Nightmare if you hadn't come by. Speaking of which…"

Deadpool looked over to a wind-up alarm clock on Twilight's side of the bed. The position of the two hands indicated it was five o'clock in the morning.

"It's almost morning, and I'm tired after that adventure. I don't know about y'all (Yawn), but I'm sleeping in," Said Deadpool.

Deadpool inelegantly shoved his face into his pillow. He instantly fell asleep, his snoring filling up the room.

"That's honestly not a bad idea. For being in a sanction of the Dream Realm, I am surprisingly tired," Said Twilight.

"Now you know how I feel. I still have to do some last minute dream inspections before Celestia raises the sun. You can bet, though, that when I am done, I will be doing nothing but sleep for the next twelve hours. Have a restful, uh, early morning, Twilight Sparkle," Said Luna.

"Good bye, Luna."

After saying her farewells, Twilight gently fell onto her back and gave in to her sleepiness. As Princess Luna was about to step into a portal she created, she looked back at the sleeping couple. With a grin, she cast a little spell. A small thread-like beam of magic connected between Deadpool and Twilight before disappearing. Once her spell was complete, Luna stepped into the portal before it closed behind her.

Meanwhile, in a dream, Deadpool (who wasn't wearing his mask) and Twilight were laying on a hill overlooking Ponyville. Both ponies were watching the sun rise over the horizon. Twilight was laying against Deadpool's chest while he held her in one arm. They both looked into each other's eyes, then smiled warmly. They then continued to watch the sunrise while holding onto each other a little tighter.

Fin.

---

What's up, everypony?! Hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter of "Deadpool: Mercenary of Harmony"! I apologize for how long this chapter has taken to publish. This chapter went through several revisions before I came up with a final product I was happy with. Regardless, I hope you all enjoyed! Be sure to stay tuned, because the next chapter will serve as the final chapter for the season five arc of the story. Until next time, this has been ThePhantomArchives, and I hope you all have a fantastic day!