“Being brave means you’re scared too. I’ll just have to do what heroes do.”

Like a drop engendering ripples in a pond, Rarity’s mind stilled to all but just that one thought. She opened her eyes even as a tear streaked out of one and took in all that lay around her. Crowds of ponies she was responsible for were noticing the fires creeping up on them and were screaming in fear, the smoke and heat was muddying her vision and stinging her lungs, the cutiemark slab she needed to activate was so far out of reach, her friend was locked in a titanic death match against a foe he confessed he couldn’t beat unless somepony got him help, and a monster who for all intents and purposes had come out of nowhere was bearing down on her.

Rarity was sometimes a fearful pony, for justifiable and silly reasons alike. She was afraid of an eternal night killing the sun and she was afraid of a bad mane day ruining her mood. She was afraid of a time-lost tyrant of the north returning and of having to eat her baby sister’s cooking. And of course, she was afraid of nightmares, figurative and literal. But fear led to effort. She’d plan around Sweetie Belle’s visits to take her out to eat, she’d study up on the best shampoos to use to keep her mane curled and bouncy, she’d play crowd control for hours in the Crystal Empire to keep morale up, she’d find herself chosen for a legendary power to help stop a night that wouldn’t end. And when she worried her dark echo would seize control of her again, she took the effort to combat it from the expert.

She felt the cutiemark containment jar in her saddlebag radiate with a dark power contained within.

Rarity was sometimes a fearful pony, both for herself and for others. But Harmony’s Elements never picked weak souls, and she wouldn’t let that fear stop her. After all, if Junior could give her such good words after taking inspiration from her; not obliging him the same would just be hypocritical!

Rarity drew up the jar and though scared out of her mind, she smirked as she prayed; smashing the jar open on the rock above her and letting the dark mass flood over her like a drawn shower.

And a lady is anything but a hypocrite!

Dark thoughts and fears seemed to trickle into her mind. Declarations of weakness, unfulfillment, and failure. But Rarity commanded them to cease, feeling the influence having been weakened from the recent excursion into Godzilla Junior’s mind. This time, she was the one in control and giving the commands; influenced but not superseded. Waves of black and sapphire magic shot across the ground in waves, blasting back smoke and snuffing out the flames as a glimmering haze took its place.

Eyes of starry sapphires, a flowing mane of jewels in purple and white.

A giantess statue covered in fur of the night.

Begat by a princess, with rushing magic carrying all of her might.

Nightmare Rarity stood tall, ready to fight.