//------------------------------// // Gotta love reoccuring nightmares // Story: Warhorse // by Hypnotwist //------------------------------// I got up and left the journal on my bed, I went downstairs and opened my fridge. This time my sense of smell wasn't assaulted by a vicious stench, I hum an old lullaby princess Celestia used to sing whenever I was anxious and grab a snack I bought two days ago when I'd gone to the store with Rarity and close the fridge door. I turn around and go walk over to my couch, and sit down to enjoy my nice chocolate bar. I don't remember getting sleepy but the next thing I know I'm back in that cage that the royal guards had thrown me into to get me to.. Where was it? I turn around and look at the soldiers pulling the cart that I've been locked in. "Sir, where am I going?" The guard doesn't give me a proper response, he just turns his head to glower at me. "I'm in a fucking cage I think I'm entitled to an explanation." I snap at him and he stops suddenly, he and his partner detach themselves from the front of the cart and walk over to the cage's door, he opens it with his magic and his hoof meets the side of my face as he slaps me. "Quiet, prisoner. You have been sentenced to Tartarus by her majesty for your crimes." "W-What? But I thought she-" The soldiers don't reply and instead close the door, hitching themselves up to the cart again to pull me to my new home. I don't say anything for a good few minutes as I'm too shocked to form the words I wanted to. I thought princess Celestia forgave me? I'm suddenly aware that the clanking of their armor had stopped, I swivel my ears around to listen for anything and I'm praying that we haven't reached Tartarus. I'm staring at the bottom of the cage, I don't think that I'll be able to keep myself from screaming for help if I look up. "Your majesty, the prisoner we are transporting has been condemned by her majesty, princess Celestia." I hear the stallion speak, he sounds nervous and I wonder if princess Luna is here to bring me to Tartarus personally. "Release your prisoner, guards. Tis an order." "But your majesty-" "Do you dare disobey a direct order from your lunar princess?" I look up at her and I see she looked angry, I feel my heart beating faster, is she here to bring me to hell? He salutes and detaches himself from the cart, I watch him walk around the side and once he gets to the door our eyes meet. He glares at me and does as he is told. I step out of the cart, my legs are shaking and I can barely stand, let alone walk. I look up to her and her expression softens. "It's simply a nightmare Sunset, Celestia has forgiven you long ago and occasionally asks me how you are doing." I look around and notice the surrounding has changed into Canterlot Castle's dining room, she takes a seat and motions for me to do the same. I take a shaky breath and do as she wishes. "Princess Luna, why am I having these nightmares?" "I don't know Sunset. Your nightmare has been about my dear sister banishing you to Tartarus, correct?" I nod, my legs are still shaking slightly from the fresh memories of the nightmare. I don't know why I'm having that nightmare or why it continued this time. "Yes princess.." "I believe that your subconscious doesn't fully believe me when I say that Celestia has forgiven you. She misses you greatly Sunset, she heard about what you were going through from Twilight and I had to convince her not to find a way to open the portal and storm through to the other side and.. Tear them a new one." "Maybe.. I just- I don't know Luna. Something happened today and it's likely that I've got PTSD. Things are only getting harder and I don't know if I'm going to make it through, I've told my friends that I will only because I don't want them to worry.." "Oh Sunset.." The sadness in her voice is painful to listen to. "I know things are incredibly difficult as of now, but I know that you are stronger than you give yourself credit for. You've proven you're already strong, you went through a living hell and came out alive." "I'm scared, princess. I want to talk to Celestia again but I'm so scared. What if she didn't truly forgive me?" "Sunset." She says sternly, I can't meet her gaze. "If she hadn't forgiven you would she have pardoned you for your crimes?" "I.. No, I don't think she would have." "She's forgiven you. I told her that you wanted me to tell her that you send your apologies and her face lit up when she learned I had spoken to you, she wanted me to tell you that if you should return to Equestria that she'd like you to visit her in Canterlot." My breath hitches and tears form in my eyes, she really has forgiven me and I was being paranoid over nothing. "I.. Thank you Luna. I'm sorry that-" She held up an armored hoof up to stop me. "Nonsense, I will not accept an apology when you have done nothing wrong." I sniffle and wipe my eyes with a hoof, I feel a lot better now thanks to the stunning lunar princess. "Thank you." She nods and looks around at the dream castle. "Hm. You haven't seen the renovated castle yet have you? This is the old dining room." "Old dining room?" "Oh yes, when I returned Celestia was in the process of having many of the old wings of the castle refurbished. The dining room only got redone when I pointed out that there were hazardous materials in the walls, I had learned later that the last time the castle got updated was in the mid eighteen-thirties. I did a little digging and found that the ponies then used very unsafe building materials that caused death and a variety of health issues." "Oh wow. Yeah the ponies back then also didn't give babies painkillers for operations because they had the impression that they couldn't feel pain. Anyways thank you for talking to me Luna, I've been an idiot recently and I guess I'm going to have to work harder than I thought I'd have to." I sigh. Shit, things were getting more complicated and it was starting to get annoying, but I only have myself to blame for that. "I'm aware, they didn't give foals painkillers before I was banished either. Mainly it was because modern medicines weren't around. And it's no problem at all Sunset, you are my friend and I will always do my best to be here for you even though we are a world apart. It's time for you to wake up now, but when we meet next I'm hoping to hear about further progress with rekindling your old friendships." I nod and she lights her horn, I'll never get used to the sensation of being aware that I'm waking up, it's incredibly strange and it feels like I'm neither here nor there. I close my eyes to try and negate the odd feeling and it works, soon enough I feel the couch cushions pressing on the back of my neck and I'm aware that I'm not in my bed. Oh. Right, I fell asleep on my couch. I ended up on the floor with my head on the cushion in a strange and incredibly awkward position, I get up and stretch, groaning as I do so. I wipe the sleep from my eyes and look around. The sun's only just starting to peek over the horizon so I know it's early, I grumble and wonder why princess Luna couldn't have just let me sleep a little while longer, my stomach rumbles and lets me know I haven't eaten for over a day. My legs carry me over to the kitchen where I open the door to my fridge, I have nothing much in my fridge except a few chocolate bars and other snacks that I didn't really need, I remember that I was in a coma for two weeks and Rarity helped me get rid of all the old food. Well fuck, I know what I'm doing today I guess.