//------------------------------// // Introduction - Consumed by nightmares // Story: Wherever the Light Shines: Part 3 // by MLPSolarDash1907 //------------------------------// The soft glow of Luna’s moon illuminated onto the ground below. All was quiet aside from crickets chirping and frogs croaking in a nearby swamp. Nearby, is the town of Ponyville. Aside from partying teenagers at the edge of the town, everypony was sleeping soundly in their beds. To the town’s north is a School of Friendship where all kinds of creatures go to learn about the Elements of Harmony and friendship. Just next door is a giant crystalline castle that homes Twilight Sparkle, Spike, and their great friend, Starlight Glimmer. However, Starlight wasn’t having a good night’s sleep. In her room that held numerous kites, Starlight was tossing and turning in her bed. She let out a few whimpers as her nightmares intensified. Starlight shakily walked along the blackened ground, the fog wisping around her hooves as if it were a ghost. There was no moon in the sky to light her way. All she had was the turquoise light emitting from her accursed horn. Every step she took sounded like it echoed through the confusing forest. She swore she heard little whispers every few seconds or a creature scurrying somewhere in the distance that made her heart leap every time. The worst was what she felt like she had eyes bearing down on her no matter where she went. The unicorn walked over a small hill and got the clearest view of the environment she had been wandering endlessly. Fog spewed out of every corner of the nearly pitch-black forest. Even the grass, flora and a nearby stream were completely dark. The trees were gnarled and twisted as their leafless branches spread out and reached into the starless night. All she knew was to follow the stream downstream to find a larger water source and maybe there would be somepony around to lead her home. “This is too much for me...” she whispered, her breath coming out as a wisp in the cold air. Starlight walked up to the stream, but could barely make it out. When she accidentally stepped into it, she retracted her hoof from the ice-like waters. Starlight shivered and walked a few feet away from the stream, the light on her horn seemingly growing dimmer with each step she took. She wanted to call out for anypony, but she had tried that for hours before. She was alone. Starlight sensed somecreature behind her. All instincts within her told her not to turn around for who or what she might see. “Don’t turn around, don’t turn around,” she whispered, shaking like a leaf. The presence was closer, causing her presumably battered heart due to how much it had beat against her ribcage. But curiosity overtook Starlight. She slowly looked over her shoulder, expecting a monster from the depths of Tartarus. It was something worse. It was her mother, Moonlight, looking at her with a hateful glare on her features. Starlight’s gasp got caught in her throat, her hooves became rooted to the ground. “You are one disappointing daughter,” Moonlight hissed like a snake. Those words were like a hot knife to Starlight’s heart. “How could you be so selfish in wanting to ruin my happiness away from you?” Starlight wanted to vomit, her breaths coming out rough and ragged. “I am in eternal bliss. Now, I will make your life a living Tartarus.” Memories of her foolishness, her arrogance, and determination to bring her mother back from the grave flashed through Starlight’s mind. From the spells and to digging up a grave. Starlight sensed another haunting presence. Her father. “How could you betray us like this?” Firelight asked, coming up next to his dead wife with the same glare. Her father never looked so intimidating or hateful towards her. She wished he would shower her with affection. But none came. A third presence. And this was probably the worst of them all. Her former mentor and one of her best friends, Twilight Sparkle that matched her parents’ glares. “You betrayed my generosity, my kindness, and all I’ve done for you,” Twilight said, her voice dripping with venom. “You shall not escape from the darkness you created for yourself.” She leaned forward, “As you always have had.” Moonlight, Firelight, and Twilight’s heads all stretched, deforming and gaining sharp teeth as their eyes turned beady red. Starlight watched in horror as all three ponies turned into a monstrous blob that had four legs, dripping from what looked like blood and muck. The deformed heads of the three ponies were all at where the head should be. Their mouths opened impossibly wide, letting out a screech that sounded animalistic and like it was ponies screaming. Starlight tried to let out her own scream but nothing came out. Whirling around, the unicorn galloped away as fast as she could. Not daring to look back, she could hear the being’s hooves clattering on the ground and crashing through the trees. Starlight ran faster as it got closer. She couldn’t imagine seeing three ponies she loved so much in such a horrible state. A million thoughts swirled through her head, but one thing was clear, she had betrayed the ponies she loved. Now they hate her. The sky above turned into an ominous picture of deep crimson and gold as the trees’ branches seemed to stretch higher towards it as if they were claws. The screech from the abomination echoed through the seemingly endless forest again, causing Starlight to run faster. The forest began to open up in front of her. Hope began to rise within Starlight for an escape. She galloped harder than she had her entire life, the pounding of the abomination’s hoofsteps fading in the background. And when she reached the edge of the forest and climbed over a hill, she froze. “Ponyville...” Starlight whispered, barely above a breath. Or what was left of Ponyville. She could make out the towering castle’s blackened silhouette against the ominous red sky. The cottages were heavily damaged or destroyed, vines grew on the streets. It was silent and devoid of life. When she looked to where Canterlot’s mountain was, she saw nothing but a pulsing red column with black veins pulsing through it. Suddenly, a loud rumble echoed through the area. Her ears perked. Goosebumps formed under her coat as she realized it wasn’t coming from the ground. It was coming from the sky. Almost as if she were forced to look, Starlight looked up at the crimson clouds. She didn’t see anything at first. Until she saw clouds moving. It looked like a large black silhouette was moving around. She could make out an arm and what to look like a paw with claws. Starlight couldn’t move. Feeling complete malice from the entity. When the figure began moving away as if it were a part of the clouds, Starlight nearly breathed a sigh of relief but it got caught in her throat. The loud screech echoed from the forest behind her, taking away Starlight’s one second of relaxation. With nowhere else to turn, she ran into the hellish-looking Ponyville. Starlight ran through the streets. She wanted to call out but her words died before she could say anything. Where is everypony?! Starlight thought wildly, I need to find them! She screeched to a stop in front of a damaged Sugarcube Corner. It lacked the cheerful atmosphere as she looked at the gaping hole in its side and roof. Before she could think of anything else— Laughter began to echo through the damaged Ponyville. Starlight’s blood turned to ice as her hooves became like glue to the ground. Heart racing, chills surging through her body, Starlight slowly turned her head and looked up to a nearby cottage. Her pupils shrank, her breath caught in her throat as the laughter grew louder, pounding in Starlight’s ears. There, on the roof, was the towering, blackened figure of a werehyena named Nightfall. His piercing brown eyes bore right into Starlight’s soul. His teeth glistened in the ominous red light of the sky. Starlight wanted to scream. To make any kind of noise for anypony to help her, but nothing came out. No matter how much she tried, she could not scream in her trembling, vulnerable state. “N-No...” Starlight whispered. The cackling Nightfall took a step off the roof. That was enough to snap Starlight out of her trance. The unicorn turned and galloped as fast as she could. She galloped through the cracked, overgrown streets of Ponyville, lightning flashing in the sky above. Tears rolled down her face, wanting to make any kind of noise but it was as if her throat were clogged. Trixie?! Maud?! Celestia?! Anypony?! Starlight’s thoughts ran wild. She saw Town Hall was completely demolished and it was right next to a crevasse that seemed to cut through the town. “Anypony! Anypony out there?!” a familiar masculine voice cried. Sunburst?! Starlight perked up. “Help me!” Starlight ran over to the crevasse which seemed bottomless. Looking along the edges, she could see roots that dangled above the abyss. When Starlight tried to call out, nothing came out. Come on! She thought, now growing angry, Say something! But nothing came out once again. “Anypony?!” Sunburst called again. Starlight galloped in the direction she heard him calling, making sure not to fall into the crevasse. The laughter of Nightfall was growing louder forcing her to move faster. Then, she saw a familiar orange mane and blue robe as he dangled from a long root with him at the end of it. Thinking fast, Starlight grabbed him and the root with her magic, but it fizzled out. Sunburst began to fall, but Starlight grabbed the root with her hoofs. With her strength and pure adrenaline, Starlight pulled the root. I got you! I got you! She got close to the edge to see Sunburst was almost to safety. He looked up at her. “Starlight?!” Sunburst cried, a look of anger taking over his expression. “You’re saving me?!” Yes! Starlight thought, trying to pull him up. “I’d rather be saved by Tirek than the likes of you!” Sunburst bellowed. “How could you be such a selfish, impulsive brat?!” Starlight nearly let the root go, but she continued to pull him up despite her hurt. “Let me go!” “No!” Starlight cried. “Get off me!” Sunburst shot a beam of magic right into Starlight’s face. Starlight yelped, accidentally letting go of Sunburst to cover her face. She gasped and tried to reach Sunburst, but all she saw was her friend falling into the abyss below with his angered expression. Starlight tried to scream again but found her windpipes clogged again. Why can’t she scream? She slapped herself. The booming laughter of Nightfall returned, sending a deep chill down Starlight’s spine. It was getting closer with every second. Starlight opened her mouth to curse at the being, but ended up choking on something. She choked, hurled over and coughed. She gasped. Her teeth had begun falling out of her mouth. But she couldn’t think much of it, as she sensed a massive figure right next to her. Starlight whirled around and galloped off, her lungs burning and heart thudding hard against her ribcage. The ground gave way and she tumbled into the crevasse. As Starlight fell, Nightfall laughed all the more. The abyss got darker and darker. She could not scream no matter what. Starlight awoke with a start. She was drenched in sweat. The unicorn looked around to see that she was back in her room. Almost immediately, the memories of being in Oogundaa’s wilderness, the defeat of Nightfall, and coming back home returned. She closed her eyes, tears rolling down her face. Even though she had grown used to having nightmares, they were never easy to deal with. I’ve got to keep it together, she thought disdainfully. She pushed the soaked covers off her. The atmosphere surrounding her was colder than her covers, so she got a chill that caused her to shudder. Play it cool, Starlight. Play it cool, she thought. Climbing out of bed, the unicorn walked over to her window. A small sense of relief came over her to see the town of Ponyville underneath the moon’s soft glow. She couldn’t help but wonder where Luna was and if she had chosen or forgotten about checking her dreams. Almost every day this past week of these nightmares, she thought. She brushed the crust off her eyes, knowing that she has to counsel students in a couple of days. She remembered that Twilight was concerned about her but she’s done her best to assure her friend that she’s fine. A small selfish part of her was grateful the alicorn wasn’t here to question her anymore. The unicorn hated herself for that. What will Maud, Trixie, and the others say when I do finally reemerge out into the world? She couldn’t stay in the castle forever, and had to face them and the music. “I’m just wanting you to be happy, Starlight!” Pinkie’s voice echoed. The party pony stopped by about every day to cheer her up, but Starlight managed to keep her from staying too long. Starlight sighed. The memories of the nightmare flashed through her mind again, causing her to wince. “Nightfall is gone,” she told herself out loud. Not even a peep from him since his demise by falling into a flaming inferno. Starlight decided to go to the kitchen to have a warm glass of milk and cookies to calm herself. Her favorite dessert. The unicorn turned towards her door, walked over and headed out into the hallway. She did her best to forget her nightmares but couldn’t help but worry about falling asleep yet again. Eventually, the unicorn reached the kitchen, she used her magic, opened the freezer and grabbed the tub of strawberry ice cream. Focusing her magic on a nearby drawer, she levitated a spoon out and took the lid off. The unicorn went back out into the corridor and began walking to the castle balcony. She remembered the romantic night she and her presumed former coltfriend had and how wonderful the food was. His wonderful smile, dashing eyes, and cute goatee. And I threw him away for myself... She tried to suppress the argument she and him had before her trip to Oogundaa. The unicorn’s ears flattened as guilt surged through her body. Starlight recalled Luna’s words of confronting your fears and insecurities. Easier said than done, Princess. Even though one of Equestria’s beloved mothers tended to her a couple of nights, she hadn’t heard from Luna recently. I don’t blame her feeling obligated to help me, Starlight thought. “Remember to face your fears and uncertainties before they consume you,” Luna’s voice echoed. “Yeah, easier said than done, Princess,” Starlight said aloud, taking another spoonful of ice cream. Then, Starlight stepped out onto the balcony. She enjoyed the ice cream a little bit, but it barely helped at all. Starlight paused. She saw she was using her magic. The tinkling sound of her horn made that more evident. She clenched her jaw, barring her teeth. “No!” She stopped using her magic and threw the tub of ice cream aside, sending it over the balcony’s edge. I can’t use it anymore! she seethed and slapped herself. I won’t use it anymore! Starlight huffed, realizing she used her magic for every little thing in her life. Well, not anymore. It would be one more burden for her to carry. And she was fine with that. Starlight looked out onto the peaceful night that surrounded Ponyville. All of these innocent, lovely citizens would probably spare asking what was wrong with her. She would ensure that. The unicorn sighed, realizing that Twilight and her friends would find out about her new normal way of life. But she’ll still be the same Starlight, just without using her magic. Then, Trixie came to mind. Starlight squeezed her eyes shut. How would they do their magic lessons? Shaking her head, Starlight forced a smile. No need to worry about that! I can give her instructions if push comes to shove! Yeah, that would work. Starlight tried to relax and look up at the moon’s glow. However... the thought of her mother crossed her mind again. A groan escaped from her lips, she flopped down onto her stomach, shielding her face and shutting her eyes. All she could see was Nightfall’s evil eyes. Starlight rolled onto her back, opened her eyes and just saw the night sky. No moon was visible. “Just keep calm, Starlight,” the unicorn whispered to herself, shivering because of the crystalline balcony. Starlight tried to forget Nightfall’s gaze. Even though she knew he wasn’t around anymore, she didn’t know if she was paranoid or not, but she couldn’t help but sense his presence wherever she went.