Holy Nightmare

Holy Nightmare is the Nightmare Alicorn form of Holy Steel. They take this form after the attack on their sister leaves her hospitalized, due to stress.

Appearance

Holy Nightmare has a dark grey coat, with the same markings as Holy Steel but slightly altered: the heart on their chest is broken, and the tip of their horn is black. Their wings are black and dark grey. hey have black, jagged markings going up their legs, evidence of the Curse. Their feathers have grown out to cover their hooves entirely, long and wispy at the backs of their legs.

Their mane and tail have turned white (with a slight bluish tint, in some lighting). They still have short bangs in the front, but the side-pieces have grown out to reach their knees. Overall, there's a slightly more unkempt appearance, implying that Holy is not taking care of themself in their anguish.

Their Cutiemark has also changed to reflect the rest of their palette, with black flowers on a grey stem, still dripping vibrant red blood. They do not have an ankle heart.

Holy Nightmare does not smile. Their expression is either neutral (and exhausted) or twisted with sadness and rage. There are dark circles under their eyes, and they have unusually small irises.

Holy Nightmare is significantly taller than Holy Steel, as well as Queen Dusk. In most buildings, they would have to duck to avoid scraping their horn on the ceiling. Usually, though, they stand with a hunched, withdrawn posture that makes them appear shorter.

Their wings are very large. When folded, they're longer than Holy's body and they don't quite sit right. When Holy is in a particularly poor mood, they might not fold their wings at all and let them drag on the ground at their sides.

Personality

Holy Nightmare embodies the extremes of Holy Steel's negative emotions. Without their sister, they sink into despair and anger, stoked by Queen Dusk's manipulation. All joy has been drained from their body. They feel only numbness, blinding rage, and all-consuming sadness. They barely speak, barely look at other ponies.

They spend most of their time at Chalk Dust's bedside, or in the sky. They listen to Queen Dusk, but only barely, therefore their participation in battle is limited. Ultimately, Holy feels that life without Chalk Dust, their only remaining family member and truly their only tether to the world, is meaningless. If they cannot save her, they will destroy everyone else, including themself.

Biography

Transformation

Holy Steel was already a highly respected and feared Unicorn warrior, therefore they had already accumulated a large amount of magical energy that--when combined with immense stress--facilitated their transformation into an Alicorn.

It didn't happen at first. When Chalk Dust was attacked, they would have been able to feel the Curse advancing if they tried hard enough. The stress of that made the stain of darkness climb up their legs and creep towards their heart. When they discover that Chalk Dust is beyond their help, that their magical prowess isn't enough to save her, that's the moment the transformation occurs. Complete hopelessness is the catalyst (which Queen Dusk predicted).

Luckily, it happened in the castle and not in the hospital room. The transformation is painless and instant, but strange. Getting used to their new body and new magical capacity is difficult. They feel so hollow inside, they can't quite appreciate the novelty of it all.

Ending the World

From a young age, Holy was a scholar of magical texts. In their studies, they came across mentions of a spell that would end the world. No one ever transcribed it. However, as an Alicorn, they find the spell within them as though they always knew. It is, apparently, an inherent piece of Alicorn power.

At their most hopeless, they decide to use it. It takes a significant amount of time to prepare and cast, which leaves a window for someone to stop them, which Dovesong does.

Notable relationships

• Chalk Dust: Their sister is their only anchor. They still hold hope that she will wake up, but the fact that their magic doesn't work on her is slowly degrading that hope.
• Queen Dusk: When they're lucid and in the mood to listen, Holy Nightmare does the Queen's bidding. The Queen is their only remaining ally in the world, and can direct their justice towards a supposedly deserving target. They don't have it in them to ever question her judgement.

Playlist

Radiohead	Man of War
Placebo	Infra-Red
Left at London	Pills & Good Advice
Ivri	Tower of Memories
Kyte	IHNFSA
Radiohead	All I Need

Gallery