//------------------------------// // Night Mares // Story: Sirens of the Night II // by The Crazed Werewolf //------------------------------// It was Christmas Eve, and not a creature was stirring all through the house. Not a creature, except for Sunset Shimmer. It hadn't taken long for her to fall asleep, and as soon as she had the nightmares had begun... Sunset found herself standing in the halls of CHS, moonlight shone brightly through the windows. Before Sunset was a door, but no matter how long she walked towards it the door never came and closer. In the back of her mind Sunset could hear echoing laughter. "Hello, is anyone there," Sunset asked. "Oh you know the answer to that question," a familiar voice replied. Sunset recognized it as her own. "How are you still here," Sunset asked, "Twilight destroyed you on the night of the Fall Formal." "She suppressed me," Sunset's demon persona explained, "she failed to destroy me." Sunset could not believe that the demon that she had once turned into could still exist. She had tried so hard to put her past behind her, but it seemed that her past sins were catching up with her. "Only you have the power to destroy me," the Demon that had once been Sunset said, "and you don't have what it takes to destroy me." Sunset watched as the door in front of her began to open. Sunset took off running towards the open door. This time she actually made it through the door. Inside she found a scene of destruction and death. Sonata, Aria, and Adagio stared at Sunset through lifeless eyes. Celestia sat at a desk but her severed head sat on the desk, an unnatural smile on her face for all of eternity. Scootaloo struggled to her feet, she looked at Sunset with empty eye sockets and whispered out a single phrase. "This is your fault." Scootaloo whispered hoarsely before she collapsed. Sunset awoke with a start. She was covered in a layer of cold sweat, and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She could feel where the tears has ran down her cheeks. Sunset curled her self into a ball and cried for the rest of the night. She refused to go back to sleep. Celestia was the first one to notice that Sunset hadn't come downstairs for breakfast. That wasn't like Sunset. Despite her name, Sunset normally beat Celestia as the first one up in the morning. "Scootaloo," Celestia said, "could you go upstairs and wake Sunset please?" "I'm on it Aunt Tia," Adagio said as she bounded up the stairs. She didn't want anyone else to know it, but after what she had revealed to Sunset the previous day, she had been worried about her cousin. She hoped for the best when she reached the door to Sunset's room. Reaching out with her hand balled up into a fist she gently knocked on the door. "Sunset," Adagio called out, "it's breakfast time and your mom is making pancakes." "Go away Adagio," came the muffled reply, "it's better for everyone if I stay in here." "Sunset," Adagio said forcibly, "I'm coming in there so you better be decent!" With that Adagio opened the door and stepped inside making sure that she closed the door behind her. Once she was inside, the first thing she noticed was the stench of stale sweat. The second thing she noticed was how dark it was in the room. In the gloom she could just make out a shivering lump on the bed. Adagio reached out and turned on the light. "You're evil," Sunset groaned hoarsely from underneath the blankets on the bed. "Yes well," Adagio said nonchalantly, "we all have to be great at something Sunset. Now get out of bed or do I have to drag you downstairs." Sunset sat up in bed and the blankets fell away, revealing how little sleep Sunset had gotten. The remnants of her tears staining her face. Her hair, which was normally askew in the morning, was even more of a tangled mess than usual. "You would do that," Sunset said. Adagio looked her cousin up and down. She knew that if she took Sunset downstairs in her current state, everyone would ask too many questions. Questions that She couldn't answer, and questions that could possibly damage Sunset's already fragile psyche. She needed to do something, and she needed help. Thinking quickly Adagio formulated a plan in her head. "Sunset," she said, "wait here. I'll be right back." With that Adagio stepped back out of the room and rushed downstairs. Sunset didn't have to wait long, soon Adagio returned, followed by Raven. Raven took one look at Sunset and asked a single question. "Nightmare," Raven asked in a serious tone. Sunset could only nod. She had been crying so hard that she had lost her voice and it was difficult to speak. Raven looked at Adagio. "It's a good thing that you got me and not your mom or your aunt," Raven said, "Sunset, we'll get you cleaned up and if you don't want us to say anything about your nightmares we won't, but I think that it would be best if you atleast told your mom about them." "I can't," Sunset croaked out, shaking her head vigorously, "I can't relive what happened in my nightmares. You were all dead, and I killed you!" "But you didn't," Adagio said as she embraced her cousin, wincing at how clammy Sunset's skin felt, "we're still here and we won't let anything or anyone harm you." "But what if it's already inside me," Sunset said, "how are you planning to stop that thing inside of me." "Honestly, I have no idea," Adagio said, "but we'll come up with a plan together! I won't lose you, you've done so much for my sister's and me, now it's our turn to save you." For the first time since she had awoken from her nightmare, Sunset smiled. She knew that as long as she had her family and her friends, she could beat this demon that was lurking deep down inside of her. Sunset took a deep breath and for the first time, the stench in the room hit her. "I could really use a shower," Sunset said hoarsely. "You go do that," Raven said,"Adagio and I will change the linens on your bed."