I stirred up beneath my covers. My eyelids raised slightly to see the room illuminated by a streak of bluish hue across the ceiling. The diamond-patterned walls were slowly focusing into vision as I roused from my fading fatigue. Rubbing my eyes, I see both fillies sleeping soundly and laying completely still. The cool air filled the room as my breaths exhaled a light mist that dissipated in front of me.
It was cold. Too cold.
I shifted out of the covers and nudged the small mound right beside me. "Dia?" I prodded her again with rising concern. No response. I pressed my hoof against her, my pads didn't feel any heat emanating from the sheets. "Dia!" I shouted, swiping away at the blanket that was wrapped around her. There she laid bare, a pink filly laying on her side facing away from me. I prodded her shoulder again with no response, in turn, forcing me to turn her facing up. Her eyes were glazed open, an eerie neutral expression taking her gaze. "D-Dia?! Dia are you alright?!" I pleaded as I prodded her shoulder again. Under the clearing moonlight, I could see her as she remained cold and unmoving. Her gaze jolted towards me, causing me to flinch and stagger back. Yet my eyes didn't allow me to look away, for I continued staring into her shimmer-less pupils. Pupils that were once filled with so much life were now filled with null unfeeling darkness.
I breathed uneasily in uneven breaths, my hoof now pressing against my chest as I tried to forcefully calm myself down. I felt the icy air flow into my lungs and steadily breathed out.
Okay, stay calm. Take a look around, find out what happened, and-
Her pupils bulged outwards as if it was expanding directly at me. I staggered back again, my eyes widened in fear as the bulges violently increased in frequency. Her retinas tore open, streaming a flood of black mist, spreading over her body. Her mouth parted slightly, allowing another larger emission of this complete darkness to envelop her and the covers. I staggered back from the mattress and pushed myself against the edge of the bed behind me. The moonlight caused these dark emissions to shimmer slightly, revealing a countless number of black carapaces. Thousands of eyes glinted as this dark living mass spread and envelop the floor towards me.
It was an onslaught of spiders. An endless wave of them now rapidly filling up the room, all pouring out from Diamond Tiara. With a loud shriek, I climbed over the bed behind me. My eyes darted across the floor as this wave of spiders rose, stirring around the room like a viscous liquid. I jolted in fright as I heard a rancorous tear from behind me. I slowly craned my neck around and see Sweetie Belle convulsing on the bed, with large scythe-like protrusions erupting from her white coat. There were three, four, now five of these serrated limbs tearing away at the seams. Sweetie Belle's mouth parted unnaturally wide, her cheeks ripping themselves apart as eight red-beady eyes peered out from her throat.
"SCREEEEEEEE!!!!"
My heart rapidly pumped adrenaline throughout my body, my breathing now incoherent as I immediately leaped from the springy bed and towards the door. Sounds of multiple carapaces crunched beneath my hooves as I darted there, extending my hind legs so I could reach the doorknob above me. The cold winds blew behind me as I slammed the door and pressed my entire weight against it. Sounds of tearing flesh and loud vibrating screeches resounded. Moonlight peered beneath the door crevice as eerie shadows flickered beneath me, spiders now skittering out into the hallway. I closed my eyes tight-shut, my hearing completely focused on the creeks of the floor behind me. I hear small skittering running along the walls as... there was utter silence.
Seconds passed, but it felt like hours. The fur on my skin was raised with merciless tension, but even the skittering stopped. I exhaled a drawn-out breath I didn't realize I was holding. Just when I thought to let go of the door, an impact paralyzed my shoulders sending my body to the floor. My coat bristled with crushed carapaces and black foreign substances, my sense of taste was filled with begotten rot. I hurled in response to replace the taste with bitter burning vomit.
I couldn't take much more of this. My senses screamed at me to get up. My breathing heaved as I pushed myself off the ground. My eyes were in a slight daze as I tried to focus them.
Another impact resounded and my eyes instantly became acute. Spiders stirred once again as they now started to crawl up my legs as if they wanted a taste of the rot that stained my lower body. A loud crack splintered open as my eyes stared at the door in front of me. A black scythe now embedded through the wooden door, missing my pupil a small breath away. A loud shriek enveloped the room, my ears hearing it clearly now. The deadly protrusion retracted back and I heard loud skittering backing from the door.
My head pivoted around me as my eyes darted for any salvation in my vicinity. A small wooden-glass case with a vase perched on top stood on the opposite end of the door. I darted forward and pulled my weight behind it and the wall it laid upon. With a heaved breath, the case toppled over and obstructed the wooden door, another black scythe piercing through the both of them. It pulled back but was met with resistance. The serrated edges were getting caught on the bent metal frames.
I Immediately trotted towards the end of the hallway where the staircase was located, each desperate step was met with a resounding crunch. My legs stopped at the edge of the stairwell as it loomed ahead of me, darkness obscuring the very bottom. My ears perked to hear another ear-piercing screech followed by sounds of splintering and bent metal, I couldn't afford to look behind me as I proceeded to descend hastily in a panic. Fear and blood were pumping throughout my body as sweat and grime seeped into my barrel and legs. The air had a taste of cold metal and a faint bitterness to it, my legs slowly becoming numb in the process, but I didn't stop. I couldn't stop. God why couldn't it stop?
Tears started to swell up, blurring my vision. I felt my legs becoming increasingly numb with every step. Then I felt nothing. I saw my vision blurring up completely as my body was rolling down the staircase. I felt numerous impacts throughout my body until I finally laid still, staring at the ceiling above me. I slowly craned my neck and tried to raise a hoof to rub my eyes, but then I saw red. Looking down I saw that my right foreleg was bent open at irregular angles, bones now protruding out of numerous gashes and wounds. Blood seeped out in short disgusting bursts as spiders crawled out of my wounds. "Fuck. God fucking damn it!" Yet despite my cursing, I didn't feel any pain, only the cold air against my bare flesh.
A loud vibrating screech echoed from the staircase above me, causing my senses to scream at me again to get up. Slowly, one leg after the other, it appears that the rest of my body was still functional. Pulling the rest of myself up I could see that I was in Rarity's dressing room, the front door laying across from me. I limped across the floor, to reach it. Eventually, I reached out my left foreleg for the doorknob, but when I turned I felt a pitiless click as it refused to open. "Damn it! Fuck! Open damn it!"
My ears perked up to hear a loud thunderous crash above me, the shattering of glass could be distinctly heard as thunderous skittering could be heard. "Shit shit shit. Think Sil, think!" Hope rekindled as my eyes darted towards the kitchen. "The window!" Immediately I rushed to the room adjacent to me and entered the kitchen where Rarity served us supper. I glanced around the room before my gaze landed directly on the windowsill. The skittering of spiders filled my ears as I desperately pushed a chair against the edge of the sink, hopping on top of it before trying to ram my body against the glass. A loud smack vibrated in the air as the window didn't budge. "No, nononono!" I rammed into it again, but still nothing.
I heard skittering going down from the stairwell now, my heart racing as my rapid breaths painfully took the cold air into my lungs. "Oh fuck, fuck fuck!" My eyes darted to the table, the unlit candle placed on it, the shelf, the stove, the lighter, the knife rack, and to the floor. "Shit, there has to be something, a crowbar I can use, a key, I need something! I need an idea, some idea!" My eyes eventually landed squarely on the fridge, "A... any idea..." The pit in my stomach became increasingly noticeable, but I swallowed hard. "...I need a lighter."
I jumped out of the sink and ran across the edge, reaching the lighter. Grasping it in my mouth as I leaped from the counter and towards the table. Jumping on a spare chair, I held the lighter in my hoof, my pad grasping against it as I flexed my hoof. A click could be heard as the lighter alit with flame. I lit the candle on the table before dropping the lighter and darting towards the chair next to the sink. "The stove!" Pushing the chair near the said stove, I turned every knob on max and proceeded towards the fridge. I pulled the fridge door, the cold air rushed towards me with an unfathomable numbness on my coat. "Everything about this is a horrible idea and I'm going to die."
I reached for the food trays with my only foreleg and pulled it out, spilling all the random assortments of food and milk products. I pulled one tray after another as I heard the loud thunderous skittering getting closer and closer. I finally emptied the fridge and proceeded to hoist myself up in it, the spiders across my coat dying to the cold and falling off me. After getting my entire small frame inside, I pulled the door shut.
Silence.
I couldn't see anything, and I could feel everything standing still for a moment. Yet then I heard small stabs piercing the stone tiles, slowly but getting ever so closer. I could hear breathing behind the door, then more skittering as furniture could be heard being toppled over. I held my breath tightly as cold ice overtook me.
"SCREEEEEEEEEE!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOM!
..........
....................................
................................................................
.......................................................................................................
My ears were ringing non-stop. I felt cold sweat dripping off of my head as I exhaled another breath. I opened my eyes to see nothing, but my foreleg felt the edge of the fridge bent slightly open. With a heave, I pushed the door with it not budging. I twisted my body so that my back was laying against the fridge wall and placed both my hindlegs against the door. With another heave I eventually popped the door hinges off, revealing a flood of water spilling over some pipes and the floor around me. The entire kitchen was scattered wreckage of debris and dead carapaces, the sink and windowsill completely blasted open. Moonlight shined downwards through the opening as I gently stepped forth out of the fridge. My eyes revealed an ever-expanse of the unfettered void with dark mists overbearing the skies. Water rushed past my legs as it spilled over the edge of the void, creating an endless misty waterfall. The moonlight shone brightly overhead as I craned my neck upwards, seeing the iridescent full moon.
I was entranced, my gaze completely overtaken by the sight of the shining sphere above me. Smaller details soon revealed themselves, as I saw a small black dot staining the surface of this moon. My eyes peered forwards as I squinted my eyes, focusing on the image. Then the black dot started to extend across the moon's surface, forming a small vertical slit. It then widened to reveal a cyan iris, the dot expanding into a cat-like pupil. I felt it's gaze staring back at me. As if it were peering into my soul, the essence of my very being.
"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!"
I jumped up beneath my covers. My eyes wrenched open as a streak of orange hue laid across the ceiling. The diamond-patterned walls were clear as I pulled myself up. Turning my head, I see both fillies sleeping and laying soundly in their beds. The air was warm as I realized I was hyperventilating. Pressing a hoof against my chest, I breathed in and out. My rapid irregular breathing and heart rate slowly steadied itself as I pressed my left hoof against my forehead. My foreleg was still intact, I felt cold sweat dripping from my forehead. I exhaled and inhaled deeply. "Another nightmare..." I sigh deeply into both my hooves. Seconds passed as I heard chirping from outside the window.
But... this was different, I told myself. I never fought back in my dreams, and I never once successfully escaped. But this time I did... sorta. I lost a limb and I didn't manage to completely kill whatever that was sure, but I fought back at least. That was good.
I breathed in before letting out another sigh. This was going to take some time to get used to, but-
I had to fight back an incoming hurl as I covered the edge of my mouth, the fresh memories of bitter vomit and rot from my dreams resurfaced. I begrudgingly swallowed hard as I forced myself up from the mattress, my legs were noticeably still shaken from that encounter. "I-I'm going to need some coffee..."
Why did you come at me with this literal nightmare fuel as I'm going to sleep you sick monster.
I patiently await your next entry
Good to see dot nightmare thingy's not having it all its own way. As a wise man once said, "if it bleeds, we can kill it."
10857476
Here I am, thinking it too. looks in direction of the shelf where supposedly are my Victorinox knife, a lighter and some wd40 cans
10857476
This. So much this. All of this.
Oh… ok.
When dream Diamond's eyes ruptured into a darkness that spider-like horrors crawled out of, is it wrong that I thought of that one scene from some cartoon (I don't recall which one) where some generic monster was cycling through a bunch of different nightmare fuel bits while a kid just stood there looking unimpressed?
Horrifyingly brilliant this might give me nightmares.
Not sure how I feel about this
I mostly just skimmed until the end of the dream so I could get to the chapter. Understandably, I was rather underwhelmed. That's not a critique of the writing; dream sequences in general just don't interest me in the slightest, particularly nightmares. My imagination isn't vivid enough to scare me, and the obvious lack of consequence for the character tanks my engagement.
10857578
I wouldn't say there aren't consequences~
But to each their own.
10857568
Just your normal nightmare~
Me gusto el capítulo, me sorprendion en la parte donde le arrancaron una extremidad 🤯🤯🤯😀
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
you managed to write a nightmare that i consider one for shure. spiders why
Fantastic nightmare scene. I'm intrigued if this issue is one born of silver's own mind, or from external influence.
The commissioned art piece is spectacular, and I feel it fits the tone of the writing perfectly.
Ah yes, the old classic "Spiders slowly bursting out of the eyes" bravo, I'm sad I read this before bed, you actual monster.
How did Luna miss this?
10857634
This is pre-return of NMM.
Twilight hasn't even moved in yet.
10857476
10857500
10857553
10857514
10857611
This is completely unintentional,
but I'm glad that I did.10857634
I wonder if this is IDW canon. There were those dreamscape inhabiting creatures from the Moon...
I’m really enjoying this fic, especially the interactions with DT.
Reasonably sure these would qualify as full on night terrors.
10857838
She's been having these for a while now.
Eventually you just get tired of screaming and condition yourself not to.
Dear Silver, why not invite Sweetie Belle , Scootaloo and Bloom to create the CMCs early? With you and Dia as extra members
You know, we thought "oh another update, surely a nice chapter before sleep would be fun!" Well great, now we're seeded for a nightmare, how lovely.
Interesting, it's almost like friendship is magic...
For some reason i felt some Dead Space vibes from this chapter. A few more nightmares like this where she's fighting back and she may as well start manifesting a plasma cutter strapped to her leg.
Oh hey, an update. I wonder what's going on in this cha-
The nightmare was so strong that even NM saw it. Will she give Sil some therapy soon or after episode 1?
10857651
Jokes on you Fanatic. I already had a nightmare this past night!
welp i'm spooped
Well, that was intense. If this was the first time NMM has shown herself, I wonder if she was the cause of the nightmare, or if she drew her gaze to it after the filly blew a hole in the side of her dreamscape.
I kinda hope that after luna comes back, she remembers the filly with enough strength to fight a nightmare and win.
You need to add a gore tag. This was nice up to this point but if this is the direction you are going I'm dropping the story.
10858450
Understandable, have a nice day!
Nice chapter, hope you continue with the fic! thank you! very good pinch of NM
10857547
Monsters, Inc.?
10859037
Sorry for the confusion. It wasn't anything Disney, Pixar, or Dreamworks, and it wasn't a movie. I just remembered what scene I was thinking of, and the character who looked unimpressed wasn't a child.
Turns out I was thinking of the scene from Spongebob Squarepants where the Flying Dutchman was trying to scare the titular character in his home. I just couldn't recall anything aside from a few things the scarer did and the look on face of the character being confronted by the scarer. Case in point, I thought it was a nightmare scene I was recalling.
10858074
Now I could be wrong, but I believe it's safe to assume Nightmare moon is causing, or atleast influencing the nightmare.
Well, this was pretty intense, and it seems NMM was either drawn to it or influencing it.
Also, this really does not need that gore tag.
Is this normal, or is this... Personal?
10860129
Anyway, if it repeats, wouldn't she notice that she in the dream? And if you know that you in a dream, nightmares can only spontaneously combust when you wish so.
Well, i wouldn't know. Never had any.
10860136
More will be revealed later on.
This is probably one of the better horror sequences I've read on this sight, bravo! Although, a lot of people seem to be quite distraught over this, expecting nightmares and such. Meanwhile, I haven't had a nightmare in a few years. Is that normal, or is it just me?
10860506
I haven't had a nightmare ever.
Hoped I wrote one well enough.
So Nightmare Moon is aware of her. Ok. And she's not an idiot, so she surely she recognizes the significance of this and knows that Nightmare Moon is aware of her. Curious to see where you go with this. My impression was that this was going to be a low-key slice of life story, but this chapter seems to suggest that Silver is going to be drawn into world events, one way or another.
Will Nightmare Moon see her as a potential ally, or an interloper? Villain though she may be, she still probably intends to rule over her ponies after bringing eternal night. If she's aware of an interdimensional interloper wearing a pony body, she might consider that a threat to ponykind that as the "Rightful Ruler" it is her duty to contend with. But this being so close to the end of the prophecied thousand years of her banishment, she might be asking herself how she can employ this to her advantage.
On the other hand...this whole setup could also be used to simply explain things that were poorly or not at all explained in the original. Suppose we take the view that Luna is the goddess of the moon. She's clearly integrated with the moon very deeply. She see this both in how the moon takes on her visage and in how she's able to obverve Equestria from it like a giant Eye of Sauron. She's the mare in the moon, not the mare on the moon. So let's say that rather than her banishment simply sending her to the moon, what's really happending is that she fundamentally is the moon, and her banishment is severing her connection that allows her to project a physical avatar of a pony into Equestria.
Well, we now have an extradimensional human suddenly showing up in Equestria for no obvious reason. Except we now have a reason: the barriers between dimensions are weakening because the thousand years are up, Luna will soon be able to once again project herself to Equestia...and your protagonist is simply some random innocent who was in the wrong place at the right time and fell through the weakened barrier.
We now have a reason for why he's here, with no need to invoke Discord or Dues Ex Machina at all. Luna might even be expecting this sort of thing near her release. He might not even be the only one. When dimensional barriers are weakened, who knows what might slip though? Celestia might be aware of the potentials too.
And it leaves a lot of room for how Luna might choose to contend with him: potential ally, potential enemy...or irrelevant.
Curious to see where you go with it.
10860594
She's more or less aware that NMM is most likely the source of her insomnia, however she doesn't see herself as any exception to any other fillies with night terrors. Due to her being a sheltered pony, she's making a lot of assumptions that many other fillies and colts are suffering nightmares much like her. Or at least, she recognizes that she's more prone to these for whatever ill reason she isn't aware of.
That was always the intention my dear friend.
As far as Silver Spoon knows, this was the first instance of actually "rebelling" against her nightmares, at least marginally successfully. The whole breaking out of the dreamscape and seeing the moon-eyeball-of-Saron is new though.
And as for NMM, for her this is the first instance of a filly of all things doing exactly that. This is all as much as a surprise to her as it is to Silver Spoon, and she may be watching very carefully.
An interesting interpretation of Luna and to extension Celestia. However the origins of the two sisters are going to be much less grandiose than that I'm afraid. Reasons for that will be revealed later on in the story.
Wow, congratulations you guessed it half-right. All I will reveal now is that there is some sort of barrier activity going on, but not for the reasons you think.
No comment.
10860528
Yes, it's a great nightmare sequence. Cliches are your friend, as most people have nightmares that are pretty unimaginative, (how ironic) compared to what a good horror writer could come up with. So, this has just enough of the cliche trope type stuff in nightmares, with the horror, and more original concepts sprinkled in.
Extremely well execution on this one, and pretty realistic to my nightmare experiences. However, not having a single nightmare, even as a child? I don't think I've ever met anyone who could say the same, how interesting.
10860528
somehow I'm in the same boat
10860629
I had a idea as to what might happen in the future, when I saw how DT learned about generosity from Silver.
Now that Nightmare got involved... that pretty much makes me think that I am right.
I’m gonna bet on a new set of bearers.
10857578
I have something special for that lack of vivid imagination of yours~
cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/629212678283591698/855343136935116810/thisgonnabelit_1-min.png
I even made a blog.
Concept I haven't seen before, super well written, lots of potential, cool art, but an absolute shame there isn't more. Can't wait for updates!