//------------------------------// // The Nightmares // Story: Instant Teenager // by SeasonTheWiccan //------------------------------// 'That's 4 times now that she's gotten in a hoof fight with somepony,' Rainbow thought to herself as she was getting a makeshift ice pack for Cue she then wrapped the washcloth around the ice and said, "I said it once and I'll say it again...of all the messes you get into!" She flew to Cumulus and pressed it to her temple which made her wince in pain, "For the record, all these incidents all center around Diamond Tiara or her brother's marefriend...none of them are my fault." "Well...you've got a point there....but still the fighting has to stop, just don't make any snide comments and walk away." "I'll remember that next time." Then Rainbow heard a voice call her name below her house, "Ms. Dash! Ms. Dash!" "Keep that ice pack to your head, I'll be right back," she said. She went outside and looked over the side of her house to see Filthy Rich. "Hello Mr. Rich, can I help you?" "Ms. Dash, can you fly down here? It concerns your daughter." Rainbow felt a shiver of panic run through her but flew down to the ground. "What's wrong?" she asked. The police Sheriff then stepped beside him, Rainbow then felt the panic intensify! "You're not here to arrest her are you?!" "No! No! Of course not! She's such a sweet mare and she didn't even start it," said Filthy Rich. "Then...why..." The Sheriff then spoke, "We just wanted to know if your daughter wanted to press charges." If it were Rainbow's decision, she would say yes on the spot, but she didn't know about her daughter. "We haven't even talked about this yet, I'll get her." Rainbow then flew up to the house and opened the door, "Cue, can you come out here for a sec?" "Sure, what's wrong?" "It's nothing honey, the Sheriff just wants to ask you some questions." Cue came over to her, "Am I being arrested?" "No, he just wants to know if you want to press charges against Diamond Tiara." Cue's eyes widened, "I...um....I'll...be down in a minute." "Okay." Rainbow flew down and waited for Cumulus, she was probably thinking it over. "How is she by the way?" Filthy Rich asked Rainbow Dash. "She's got a big goose egg on her temple but other than that she got out with a few bruises." Filthy Rich shook his head in shame as Cumulus came down. "Okay, I've made a decision," she said as she landed. Everypony there waited, she took a deep breath, "I would like to press charges, I hope you're not angry with me Mr. Rich..." "Don't worry about it, Diamond needs to learn her lesson that she cannot behave like this. I just have to close off the family account to her so she can't buy herself out of this." "Alright, well, we'd better get ready to turn in," said Rainbow, it was 9 at night and they weren't attending the celebration so there wasn't a point in staying up all night. "I understand, have a good night ladies and feel better Ms Cumulus," said Filthy Rich wholeheartedly. "Thank you Mr. Rich." He then turned and left for home, tomorrow he would got to the bank to block his daughter from his account. Rainbow and Cumulus flew back up to the house and went inside. "Are you sure you feel comfortable doing this?" Rainbow asked. "Yeah, I feel TOTALLY comfortable with pressing charges against somepony else who terrifies me and could do the same thing to me again!" "So you're freaking out..." "YES!!! I mean, what if she does it again when she gets out? Not just to me but to somepony else?" "She'll probably get scared enough that she will actually be nicer." Cue shook her head, "I'm going to bed." Rainbow sighed, "Night hun." "Night." She went upstairs and closed her door, trying not to let the guilt get to her. She crossed over to her bed and tucked herself in; meanwhile, Diamond was being arrested. Filthy Rich entered the house with the Sheriff and called Diamond Tiara down from her room. She came down the giant staircase like a princess, "Yes Daddy?" She then saw the Sheriff, "Why is HE here?" The Sheriff then spoke, "Diamond Tiara, you are under arrest for assault and battery." "What?!" "Sweetie, this is the only way you'll learn." "But Daddy, you can bail me out!" "No, Diamond, I can't...you need to learn that you can't always get your way." The Sheriff approached her with hoof cuffs and attached them to her as he said, "Diamond Tiara, you have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if cannot afford one...one will be provided for you in the court of law." "Daddy, I cannot go to prison!" Jewel and Shiny Bit then came down the stairs, "Rich! What's going on!" "Diamond Tiara assaulted Cumulus." "She did what?!" Jewel exclaimed. "She attacked me first Mommy!" "Diamond Tiara she did not and you know it! She's blind first off and she'd never hurt a fly!" Filthy Rich exclaimed. "Diamond Tiara, how could you do this?!" Jewel exclaimed. "I'm sorry Mommy," she sobbed, she did not feel sorry for what she did, she felt sorry that she got caught. "'Sorry' isn't going to cut it missy! You're going to prison!!" Diamond could only cry as she was escorted out of the house by the Sheriff Shiny Bit was totally silent as the huge doors were closed by the butlers, but he only thought to himself, 'I'm somehow gonna get you back for this Cumulus.' Meanwhile, back at the Dash house, Rainbow was dreaming her nightmare. She squirmed and cringed as she slept through the nightmare she had every night now, the thing that scared her the most was in this nightmare. Rainbow was surrounded by flames and smoke, the fire was crackling and roaring and above it, Rainbow heard a familiar voice, "Mommy! Mommy! Help me!" A giant wall of fire was between them, "Don't worry honey! I'm coming!" Rainbow shouted. But when she tried to fly over the wall, she realized two very important things: her wings were gone and her hooves were glued to the ground! "Mommy! Help me!" "I can't! My wings are gone! And I can't move my hooves!" "Mommy! It's burning! It HURTS!" Rainbow felt panic seep through her as she realized what was happening, "No...NO!!" She then heard the screams that would torture any mother, "MOMMY! IT'S BURNING! PUT IT OUT!!!" "No...NO NO NO!!! CUMULUS!!" Rainbow jolted awake with a gasp, the door creaked open and a voice that instantly calmed her down spoke, "Mom? Are you okay?" It was Cumulus, the sound of her adult voice calmed her down, Rainbow saved her from the fire 7 years ago. She was alive, not dead, she was alive. Relief washed over Rainbow like an ocean wave. "Oh thank Celestia...I was dreaming." Cue crossed over to her, "Mom, what is happening in these dreams that's scaring you so much? Is it just re living or something?" "Cue, hun, it's not your problem." Cue rolled her eyes, "Mom, what time is it?" Rainbow looked at the clock on her nightstand, "3:05 AM." "If I'm waking up at 3:05 AM to make sure you're okay then it IS my problem...come on, what's going on?" Rainbow took a deep breath, "I dreamt that....that I wasn't able to save you." Rainbow put her head in her hooves and sobbed, remembering how incompetent she was in the dream. How much of a failure she was, not even trying to save Cumulus, she hated feeling like a failure especially as a mother. Cumulus wrapped her arms around her mother as she sobbed, this really frightened, "It's okay Mom...I'm okay, I'm alive because of you." Rainbow looked up at her, "No, you were in that situation because of me...I should've just told you." "Mom, it wasn't your fault!" "Yes it was!" "No, it wasn't! We've been over this! It was Diamond's fault...you would've broke it to me easily. Diamond was...well...being Diamond." Rainbow nodded, realizing that she was right. "Just focus on the positive right now, I'm alive...thanks to you." Rainbow smiled and hugged her daughter, she has always been thankful that she kept the filly in the basket. And what a mare she was turning out to be! "Do you want me to stay with you?" Cue asked. "Please?" Cue tucked herself in next to her mother, Rainbow then took Cue in her arms and petted her mane before she fell asleep with her head resting on top of Cumulus', thankful that she was able to save her back then. Cue fell asleep felling safe in her mother's arms just as she did when she was a filly and was scared at night. Rainbow herself didn't have another nightmare that night.