//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: Dreams of Nightmares 
// by Sunlight Rays 
//------------------------------//

The night sky was quiet, the clear full Moon silently bathing the forest underneath in its soft, pale hue. Crickets chirped silently in the bushes while fireflies danced above them. Clouds occasionally dotted the sky, adding a tender shade to the peaceful, serene atmosphere.

The tranquility of the night was abruptly shattered to pieces as a pony whizzed through the air, followed by a much larger pony. He turned and weaved through the clouds, trying to escape the terrifying menace on his tail. His lungs burned and his muscles ached, but he nevertheless pushed himself to his limits. His teeth were clenched while ragged breaths and small grunts escaped from his mouth.

He didn’t need to be told that his hunter was still on his tail; the sound of her baring her sharp, canine teeth was more than enough. He chanced a backward glance and noted that his pursuer was much closer to him than previously, her smooth black features and her glowing turquoise eyes piercing the pitch-black night sky. He knew that he couldn’t keep this up; he’d have to lose her, or she would soon catch up to him.

The stallion looked around frantically before spotting something that could aid him in his escape; a relatively large formation of clouds, wide and thick in dimension, floated nearby. He didn’t hesitate one bit as he turned sharply towards his means of escape, the dark menace close on his tail.

As soon as he reached the cloud formation, he dove into the wet, stuffy clouds, the cold droplets instantly soaking his coat. He flew through the cloud formation for a moment before changing directions when the hunter had left his vision, exiting the clouds in a completely different direction from the way he had come.

The stallion looked around, searching for any signs of the ebony threat. When he didn’t see his giant pursuer, he let out a sigh of relief. He relaxed and glided for a moment, relieved now that he was free from his danger before a shadow suddenly covered him from above. Startled, he looked up at the Moon—and froze.

There she was, her wings spread out wide, her midnight blue mane and tail waving against the Moon in the backdrop. Her silhouette covered the entire span of the Moon, casting a dark shadow on the terrified prey below. He saw her flashing her fangs in a predatory smile, those sharp, long teeth shining like daggers.

Then she dove upon him.

The poor stallion barely had enough time to react as his greatest Nightmare pounced him, knocking the wind out of him. Together they fell towards the earth, the thick canopy of the forest whizzing past them.

As the ground neared, the great hunter spread her wings and leveled out. She then angled her wings, slowing down before setting her prey and herself underneath one of the trees, pressing down upon the shivering pony underneath.

The stallion, lying on his back and trapped under the weight of the much bigger hunter above him, could only watch in abject terror as the Nightmare opened her mouth, revealing dozens of sharp teeth and a pair of fangs. Strands of saliva hung between her teeth, her turquoise eyes shining with a predatory glee in having successfully captured her prey. As the stallion watched in abject horror, she approached his face, mouth wide open, her fangs and teeth filling his vision.

Then everything went black.