//------------------------------// // Revelations // Story: Of Dreams and Nightmares // by Saatchi //------------------------------// Applejack and Rainbow Dash were on their way back to Twilight, bringing with them, materials for a campsite. To pass the time Applejack engaged in conversation, although most of the discussion revolved around Twilight’s strange behaviours. “Ah’m not sayin’ she’s up t’ somethin’, but she sure ain’t tellin’ us somethin’.” “Relax AJ, we all know what Twilight’s like with keeping secrets. If she was hiding something she would’ve shown signs of it by now.” Replied Rainbow Dash “Ah know, ah know, but ah jus’ can’t seem t’ shake this feelin’…” retorted Applejack Rainbow Dash sighed, and rolled her eyes a little. “If you’re that worried about her, you can ask her when we get back ok?” Applejack nodded, her face was still adorned with a concerned expression, but in her mind she was a little more relaxed. The two ponies continued onwards, completely oblivious to the mess Twilight had gotten herself into. As they neared the camp, they found Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, but no Twilight. Rarity bounded over to the new arrivals, looking extremely distressed. “Has Twilight been with you? Did you see her?” asked Rarity, somewhat anxiously. “We ain’t seen anythin’” replied Applejack. “Why? What’s going on?” interjected Rainbow Dash. “Well Rainbow, at the risk of sounding pedantic, Twilight has disappeared…” replied Rarity, sounding a little more composed. “Ya mean she left us?” asked Applejack, quickly jumping to conclusions. We aren’t exactly sure, I mean she left Celestia’s saddlebags, and she certainly isn’t going to get far without the map” answered Rarity. “Twilight wouldn’t just randomly disappear like this, maybe something took her? Maybe it was the same thing that did this to Fluttershy?” replied an optimistic Rainbow Dash. “Or maybe she memerized th’ map an’ set off on her own?” said a slightly more pessimistic Applejack. “Hmm, regardless of your theories, we should still continue onwards, hopefully finding Twilight along the way…” continued Rarity. “But what about Fluttershy? We can’t exactly take her with us…” chimed Applejack. The three ponies stared at their deathly silent Pegasus friend, who was currently being examined by Pinkie. Applejack was right; Fluttershy was only going to slow them down. Rarity suddenly spoke out, breaking the silence. “I have an idea! What if Pinkie carried Fluttershy back to Ponyville, and you two continue on, whilst also looking for Twilight?” chorused Rarity. “An what about yerself Rarity?” replied Applejack dryly. “Hm? Oh, I’d go back to Ponyville with Pinkie, to make sure she stays on track. I could also search around to see if Twilight had gone back to town” answered Rarity confidently. “It seems Dash an’ ah are gettin’ th’ short end o’ th’ stick…” pondered Applejack, tapping a hoof against her chin “but ah guess we don’t have another choice…” “Excellent!” exclaimed Rarity, making her way towards Pinkie to inform her of their decision. “Ya reckon she’ll do much searchin’?” whispered Applejack “I think she’ll do a fair enough amount, but she’ll eventually go back to working at the boutique” replied Rainbow Dash in the same hushed tone. “Applejack? Rainbow Dash? Could we get your assistance here please?” asked Rarity, gesturing to Fluttershy. “Coming!” chorused the orange and blue ponies respectively. Rainbow Dash clasped her fore hooves around Fluttershy’s midriff, with some difficulty due to her stiffened wings. Applejack and Rarity helped to raise Fluttershy’s rump and upper body off the floor. Once there was suitable room between Fluttershy and the floor, Pinkie slipped underneath, pressing her back against Fluttershy’s stomach. Gently the others began to lay Fluttershy back down. At first they thought Pinkie was going to topple over, but she steadied herself and was raring to go. “Well I guess we’ll see you guys soon huh?” asked Pinkie. “Real soon Pinkie, me, Rainbow an’ Twilight” responded Applejack. “Farewell my dears” replied Rarity. Before Rarity left them completely, she levitated Twilight’s saddlebags onto Applejack’s back as a sign of goodwill. She then turned and followed after Pinkie, leaving her friends behind. Whilst Rainbow Dash and Applejack ventured deeper into the Everfree Forest. **** Twilight awoke screaming and sweating profusely. She hurriedly looked around, calming down once she realised she was in the library, safe in her bed. Had it all been a dream? The Princess’s task, the mysterious voice, the journal, had any of these things existed? “Hmm, Spike hasn’t come running like he usually does when I experience nightmares…Spike? Are you there?” “Twilight? Something wrong?” came the baby dragons response. Outside of her window a thunder and lightning storm had begun to ravage the outside world. Random flashes of light illuminated her room, making the most harmless of objects seem scary for the briefest of seconds. “Spike? What’s taking so long?” quizzed Twilight in a worried tone. This time there was no response. A flash of lightning lit up the room, illuminating a small shadowed figure near the stairs. “Spike?” asked Twilight meekly. Another flash of lightning tore open the heavens, preceded by an almighty roar of thunder. The lightning flash revealed that the figure had moved; now hiding somewhere else in the room. A low quiet hiss penetrated Twilight’s ears; “Twiiiliiight…” There was no doubt in Twilight’s mind that it was the same voice as before. She then realised that this meant that everything that was happening was just another episode in this terrible nightmare. A final flash of lightning illuminated a shadow at the foot of her bed. “Who are you?” whimpered Twilight, pulling the bedcovers over her mouth. “Now Twilight, it’s not who I am that should concern you, it’s what I am…” “What are you?” replied Twilight with a fake bravery. “Twilight my dear, I am the cause of your nightmares…” With that said he lunged at Twilight, hoping to pin her down. However Twilight was too quick for him, she rolled out of bed, and raced downstairs. “You can’t hide from me Twilight! You’re in my domain now!” Twilight didn’t care; she just wanted to put as much distance between her and this mysterious pony as possible. She raced outside, and into the raging storm. A powerful wind had begun to work in tandem with a sudden rainfall, to slow Twilight down. She bravely made her way through the storm, not looking back until she was certain she was safe. She heard his voice inside her head trying to coax her back to him. “Twilight, why run? You’ve got nowhere to go, no-one to help you; it’s a fruitless venture. Come back to me, and I can end your nightmares once and for all.” There was something stranger about his voice this time; it relaxed her, made her feel calm. His words drifted through her senses, running along her synapses. "Come on Twilight, you know you want them to stop. They've plagued you for days, they're an endless form of torture. Endless, unless you turn back now..." Twilight stopped in her tracks and actually began to consider turning back. She did want her nightmares to end, she just wanted to be left in peace. "What do you want from me?!" screamed Twilight, directing her voice towards the raging heavens. "I want a moment with you Twilight, that's all I ask, and in return, I'll get rid of your nightmares...Isn't that fair?" responded the voice, in it's hypnotic tone. It really wasn't much to ask, and Twilight really did want to have a peaceful nights sleep for a change. It went against plenty of her better judgements, but she turned around and began to walk back towards the library. Along the way she cursed the fact that she was going back, yet no matter how much she tried, she couldn't bring herself to flee. She continued into the stormy darkness, and just as she disappeared from view, she wondered how much she would regret her decision...