A New Nightmare

by LittleAngelStocking

Chapter Four - Late Night Thinking

Twilight was all alone. She had her eyes clenched shut tight; the air around her was freezing cold. The ground underneath her hooves was cold and hard, shivers wracked her frame.

“No,” she whispered. “No. No, no! NO!” She ran, she didn’t know why. But she did. She felt angry – enraged, furious! “NO!” she yelled again, and leaped. Her horn glowed; the air was thick with arcane energy. But not all of it was hers… she prepared to release a blast of purple energy into the void. She opened her eyes, and quickly closed them again when her retinas were assaulted with bright, unbearable light.

Suddenly, something hit her. She screamed in agony, flailing and screaming. “NOOOOOO!”

she was sent flying backwards, as though she’d been shot from a bow or slingshot. Bright yellow light surrounded her.

And then she was gone. Lost, shivering, alone. Hitting the surface with enough force to break bones, yet she was unharmed – there was no surface to hit. She was trapped. Trapped, all alone.

“NO!” Twilight shot up in bed, flailing and yelling. She fell to the floor, shaking.

“Twilight! Are you okay?” Spike jumped out of his bed and rushed to her side. She lay there for a moment, eyes wide, uncomprehending.

“Twilight? Twilight!”

She turned to face him, and then slowly got to her hooves. The blanket fell off of her and onto the floor.

“I’m fine,” she said coldly.

The dragon was slightly taken back, “Do you need a glass of water?”

“…Yes, please.” She gave him a weak smile. He hurried down the steps and she took a deep, shaky breathe.

“That was… unpleasant.” She closed her eyes. She cast a glance to the chest in the corner. Her stomach twisted into a knot, she forced herself to look away.

Just a dream. It doesn’t mean anything at all – it’s insignificant. Nightmares are normal! Nightmares. Nightmares… Night Mares…

Twilight paused, and then smiled to herself “This is silly. The armor... the scroll… Luna’s playing a joke on me. That’s all it is. I’m sure of it,” She laughed, a high pitched, hysterical sound. “I’ve been silly. It’s nothing to worry about!”

Spike returned with her water, and she eagerly took it and gulped it down. “Are you okay?” he asked, wide-eyed with almost child-like innocence. Twilight smiled and hugged him tightly.

“I’m fine, Spike. I just had a nightmare, is all.”

~~

Dear princess Luna

Today, I

“No.” The purple unicorn crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the wastebasket. After tucking Spike back into bed, she’d decided to come downstairs. The indigo chest piece was resting on the little table she often used to read.

She levitated over a fresh piece of parchment and dipped the quill into the inkwell.

Dear Princess Luna

I sincerely hope you are playing a joke on me. A very mean joke, but a joke. I hope you stop by soon to pick up your armor, because it’s making me very nervous…

“No.” She said again, furrowing her brow uncertainly. What if it wasn’t a trick? It didn’t make sense. The vision, the dream, the creepy tingly feeling that sent shivers down her back and caused her stomach to churn.. She cast the armor a quick glance, before tearing up the paper and trying again.

Dear Princess Luna

Luna, I have matter of what may be great importance at hand. Yesterday after arriving home from Canterlot, I discovered an odd scroll, and not a moment after opening it I found the chest piece of Nightmare Moon’s armor in my room. I hope it isn’t a cruel trick, because I had a horrible vision and a similar nightmare. I am deeply disturbed, and hope you may shed more light on the matter.

Your Good Friend, Twilight Sparkle

She read it over several times, before nodding slowly. She set the quill down and rolled it up. She set it down on the table, and yawned. It occurred to her she couldn’t send it without Spike.

“I’ll have him send it in the morning,” she said, then turned to the shiny armor. Owlowiscious was perched by the window, eyeing it distrustfully.

Twilight stepped up to it and lightly placed a hoof on the cool surface. There was not a single dent in it, it looked brand new. “How did you get here?” she questioned herself, it was much smaller than it was on Nightmare Moon. Any average-sized mare could wear it, if they didn’t mind the weight.

Wear it. Twilight cocked her head, it couldn’t hurt right? She imagined herself wearing it, along with the helmet and horseshoes. It looked so… right. She almost wished she had the rest, as creepy as they were, and as terror-inducing, they were actually quite lovely.

She carefully levitated it up, lowering it down over her head. She closed her eyes,

Yes, wear it! It was made for you!

Twilight smiled. Princess Twilight Sparkle. It had a wonderful ring to it.

“No!” she said suddenly, eyes flying open. She dropped the armor in front of her. It made a massive clanking sound as it hit the wooden floor, and she flinched, expecting Spike to wake up and come running down the steps.

He didn’t, and she realized she was holding her breath. She let it out slowly.

“I won’t let you control me,” she glared at the chest piece. “Owlowiscious!”

The owl snapped to attention, and she levitated up the sealed letter and carried it over to him. “I need to take this to Princess Luna, immediately.”

The bird nodded and held out his claw, which she tied the scroll to. He fluttered towards the open window, and then jumped out into the fresh nighttime air; soaring towards the mountainside city.

Twilight trotted up to the armor, and licking her lips she levitated it up. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but I’m going to find out.” She murmured to the inanimate object.

~~

Owlowiscious soared high in the sky, gliding along the wind currents. The Pegasi had scheduled a clear, but breezy day. Luckily the wind was not going against him, which was good. He could see the city of Canterlot looming ahead; it wasn’t that far, at least for one with wings. It was mostly the fact that it was atop a mountain that made it so seemingly hard to get to.

The owl cocked his head, sensing something following him. He hooted softly, speeding up a bit. Whatever was behind him, he didn’t like it. Finally, spotting a bare branch poking up and out from the side of the mountain, the owl landed. The branch swung gently up and down at the sudden weight.

Owlowiscious turned his head completely around, searching for any creature that might be following him. Seeing nothing, he then flipped his head upside down, scanning the early morning night sky.

Again seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he turned his head back forward and right-side up, and then flapped his wings, preparing for lift-off.

As he began his ascent, he didn’t even notice the faint, ghost-like presence wrap around his scaly-skinned leg, and then undo the string holding the scroll.

~~

Princess Luna sat in her office, writing down on parchment. She had dismissed her guards, who stood right outside the door nonetheless. She clucked her tongue, “The things ponies take to court these days,” she sighed. “Farmers are arguing over who gets authority over an orange tree! An orange tree!”

The Princess of the night could only be so lucky that most of the harder things were held during daylight, while she was sleeping.

She frowned when another thought came to her, that feeling. It made her uneasy; she didn't like it at all. And ever since Twilight had left... Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of flapping wings and a soft hoot. She turned her head, and saw a little tawny owl sitting on her open windowsill.

“Oh, how precious!” She cooed, pulling herself off the chair and taking a cautious step forward. “An owl, a nocturnal creature of the night! How do you do?”

“Hoo,” the owl replied. Luna smiled, and stepped closer, seeing that the bird didn’t seem to be afraid. “I used to have a pet owl, like yourself. She was a barn owl, beautiful thing. Her name was Moonlight, because her face glowed like the moon at night.”

The owl cocked his head, and ruffled his feathers. He held out his leg, eyed it, and then he tucked it back underneath himself, looking wide-eyed. It turned its head, searching for something?

“Hoo! Hoo!” the owl flapped its wings, turned around and flew off into the night.

Luna watched him go, tilting her head thoughtfully. “What luck, it’s not every day an owl lands on ones windowsill.”

Comments

[Divine Path]

Oh dear...
Awaiting further releases.

[Ledomare]

As he began his ascend, he didn’t even notice the faint, ghost-like presence wrap around his scaly-skinned leg, and then undo the string holding the scroll.

Well, I'm not a fan of puppeteers, but I have a nagging fear...

*sunglasses*

...that someone else is pulling at the strings.

YEAHHHHHHH

Also, that's "ascent". I'll watch this story, it intrigues me.

[Mr.Market]

Twilight WILL embrace the Dark Side of the F-"The Farce!?"
.....yeah, let's go with that.

On another note: Twilight is known for being head strong(ignoring her breakdown episodes); I'm curious to see how you will write the equal-point struggle between her and Nightmare more than any other state of mind.

Also: I'll admit that I haven't been in FiMfiction very long but I've read several fics in which Owlowiscious is just "kinda there". Will he be getting a decent supporting role or is this the most to be expected of him?

[Nightning]

1661216 The Dark side of The Horse, buddy, The Horse.

[LittleAngelStocking]

1661216 I'm hoping to use Owlowiscious more, but I can't really promise anything right yet

[Field_Marshal_Luna]

166345329.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lltzgnHi5F1qzib3wo1_400.jpg troll.me/images/creepy-willy-wonka/please-tell-me-more.jpg seriously mate when is the next update coming