//------------------------------// // New Connections // Story: An Alternate Nightmare // by PirateCattheShipper //------------------------------// Twilight plodded at a steady pace through the dark, murky forest she was present in, mist clinging to her fur and moisture filling her nostrils as she breathed regularly. Where am I? A tick of confusion latched onto Twilight as she swiveled her head around, looking around for some sign to show her where she was. Nothing. And it definitely was not the Everfree Forest--especially because there was a clear dirt path winding through these woods, whereas in the Everfree Forest there was no path. And the fog; you couldn't even see a whisker-length past your own muzzle. Then, suddenly, the fog up ahead cleared, and the shape of a Unicorn was present a few yards before Twilight, of whom blinked in bewilderment, squinting through the mist and stepping closer to the mysterious mare. Coming closer, Twilight could see that the mare had a pink-purple coat and dark blue eyes that burned into her own hatefully, and bangs that curled onto her forehead as the rest of her mane transitioned smoothly to a curl at the side of her shoulder. Her fur was bristling and blood was matted in it, and her tail was burned off from a beam of Twilight's magic, a nick present in her ear, and battle wounds scarring all over her body, as well as a chipped hoof. "Starlight Glimmer." Twilight's solid voice was cold like ice sitting in a freezer as she took one last step up to the wicked mare, and she could feel her breath bathing Starlight's muzzle. "Ew! Back off!" Magic exploded from Starlight's horn and threw Twilight back, clearing all the fog and sending a burning sensation through the purple Alicorn's fur. Twilight quivered as she got up, her wings spreading (even though her ripped wing was very limp and drooping a little) and her eyes blazing a violet fire. She gritted her teeth and curled her lip in pure rage, magic sparking around her horn. "Aw, is wittle baby Twiwight gonna cwy? After all, you got us in this mess." Starlight teleported herself beside Twilight when the raging princess shot a beam of fire at her. "You're really bad. No wonder your friends don't like you!" Starlight jeered with a scoff. "I mean, you're weaker than Fluttershy!" Starlight seemed to have forced herself to say something mean about Fluttershy. Twilight's ears flattened and magic flowed and sparked from her purple horn. "My friends love me very much!" She hissed, her teeth glinting in the moonlight that cradled the deep, dark forest. "And it's YOUR fault we're here! If it weren't for you, then I would be with them right now, and we would be having fun, being together, and--" Twilight was interrupted by a bolt of teal-colored magic hitting her foreleg. "Oops." Starlight whimpered, covering her mouth with a hoof and looking back in false guilt. Then she looked back at Twilight deviously and teleported herself behind her, then shot a beam of fireful magic at Twilight's tail, burning the middle down off as Twilight had done to her. "Guess I'm just really clumsy today~" Starlight slyly stepped away from a lazerbeam that Twilight shot at her and taunted; "You still need to really work on your aim." A growl rumbled deep in Twilight's chest and she trembled with unmistakable rage, her eyes on fire and the hairs on her pelt raised. Her teeth ground together and the magic sparking on the tip of her horn intensified, her pupils thinning Her wings spread farther and her brow furrowed viciously. Finally, she sent a bolt of magic at Starlight, and tears started flooding in the powerful Unicorns' eyes, her pupils spazzing with her ears twisted back and flattened as fury boiled inside of her, as well as pain that shot through her and made her blood run cold. Starlight trembled, gasping and holding back spurts of blood that came up her mouth. "Wh-what'd you do?" She strained, her voice hoarse. She hacked up blood and coughed harshly, the fur along her spine spiking. Twilight felt a sudden twinge of guilt and galloped up to Starlight, who was backing up as her flanks heaved and chunks of blood were spewed from her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry! I-I can, can help you!" Twilight lifted a shaky hoof. Starlight fell to her knees, her eyes wide like glowing moons, and coughed up a huge pool of blood before kicking out spasmodically. A moan rasped from her lips and blood trickled from her gaping mouth, her blank eyes staring up into space and her muscles tightening in a certain trance called death. Twilight shook her head and backed away, her ears pinned back in horror and a foreleg held up against her chest. "The Princess of Friendship does not kill!! You will never be one of the best princesses! You are stupid, weak, and hopeless!!" Little voices whisper-screamed into Twilight's fuzzy ears. "No, no, stop! I beg of you stop!!" Twilight cried as images of Starlight's stiff, dead body paused in front of her eyes, consuming her every thought and vision. Hooves poked at Twilight, shaking her, and finally she opened her eyes to reality. "Oh!" Twilight exclaimed, shooting upward from the bed. "It was all just a dream!" Nightmare Moon backed away fearfully from Twilight, her eyes flashing. Then, sitting up on her haunches, Twilight's relief mingled in with her other overwhelming emotions and, bringing her forelegs up to her chest, she wept, her withers shaking and her brow furrowing so hard that it hurt the skin between her wet, bloodshot eyes. Nightmare Moon leaned her nose into Twilight, then flinched back, and repeated this process until she worked up the courage to finally press her nose into the matted fur on Twilight's forearm. Twilight's bawling did not increase nor ease, but in her heart Nightmare's soft presence and comfort soothed her a bit--but her dream still left dark thoughts lurking in the cobwebby shadows of her mind. Had she really killed Starlight Glimmer? Twilight opened her eyes and examined her forehooves, puling them away from her chest but keeping them folded. "There's blood on my hooves!" She exclaimed in a panic, emotions flurrying inside of her and straightening her front kegs so they were splayed out on the bed. "So much blood!! Dripping, dripping. . ." Nightmare retreated her muzzle from Twilight's fur and stared at her forelegs, and what she saw made her face screw up in concern and utter bewilderment. "There's nothing there. . " She muttered. "Oh, no, it's all over my hooves!! And my fur. . .Its splattered all over my hide! Just look, I am a failure as a princess!!" Twilight sobbed, lowering her forequarters and sliding her head between her forehooves. Nightmare shrunk into her fur, starting to get weirded out by Twilight's odd behavior. "I-I can't see it. . ." She choked out, hoping it would help the mysterious Alicorn out. "I am imagining things now?!" Twilight got to her hooves indignantly, her fur lifting and her tears streaming. "How can you not see it??" She yowled, her voice strained over the lump in her throat, pointing a hoof at the blood clotted in her right forehoof with her left. "It is Starlight Glimmer's blood!" Nightmare flinched, her ears pulled back. "I'm sorry. . ." Her voice was a wisp of air and a heavy frown set on her face. She started to tremble, tears lodging in her ice-blue eyes and her smokey tail oddly closer to her rear end. "I was just trying to help. . ." She crouched and stepped backwards uneasily, fear worming its way into her churning belly, her gaze locked on Twilight as though she was going to lash out and hit her. Twilight sniffed and closed her mouth, her gaze growing softer, and pain gripped it's cold, mental claws hard on her heart. "Oh my gosh. . .I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." Her voice was a bittersweet honeysuckle from the rasp it contained, yet the guilt that bit into it made it seem forgiving. Nightmare's pointed pupils were thin and small, her blue iris being tackled by slashes of white light that made her look like a scared kitten, cold and with a slavering dog standing over it. "I-I really am!! I haven't hurt you yet!" An image of Starlight's dead, bleeding body flashed Twilight's mind and she shook her head rapidly to get it out, her ears flapping against her skull. "I just had a nightmare. . ." Sympathy flashed in the little filly's eyes. "I have nightmares all the time. . ." she confessed, scratching a foreleg nervously and sitting up onto her shivering haunches. "But, the thing is, sometimes I wonder, and often I find a door. I open the door and walk into it, and, and I see somepony else, and it looks like their own dream because there's been real ponies I have seen before and they are in a state I cannot label." Nightmare's description was not the best, but Twilight knew that she, in fact, was the pony that literally tried bathing all of Equestria in the dark tub of night, scrubbing them clean of their daytime memories. "Oh, honey. . ." Twilight said softly, taking Nightmare in her presence gingerly with her hurt wing (her left wing). "Tell me when you do, OK?" Ignoring the blood Twilight felt was present on her fur, she hugged Nightmare tightly. "O-okay." Nightmare nuzzled into Twilight's chest fur, of which had fur burned off from her real battle with Starlight. Twilight sighed. Well, at least we have a friendly connection now. . .Or, special connection. . .