//------------------------------//
// Rainbow in the dark 
// Story: Nightdreams and Daymares 
// by mareinthemoon 
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Twilight had seen something she knew Rainbow Dash did not want anypony to know about, Who would want to tell others about such a depraved being in their dreams. The thought of this monster mercilessly tormenting her friend was enough to make the purple unicorns face twist in contempt. She would not tolerate anything that would harm any of her friends.


Twilight quickly closed the sketch pad and began to ponder the plausibility of Rainbow Dash surviving the lighting strike and the fall of her own volition. The longer the purple unicorn thought about it, the more and more the evidence was piling up against such a thought. No pony can survive being stuck by lightning in the back of the neck let alone while wet. The laws of reality simply wouldn't allow such a thing to occur. Rainbow had been hit directly at the one place where it would cause instant death yet somehow the cyan mare only sustained broken limbs.

The chances of this happening were nonexistent. Even the mighty Princess Celestia would fall dead to such a blow.

Something was terribly wrong and the drawings were a clue as to what.

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Rainbow took in her first breath of fresh air in nearly six months; the warming sensation of the wonderful sun light upon her fur was enough to make her forget of the seemingly bottomless darkness she had stumbled upon. The pegasus was glad to swallow her pride and use the wheelchair, her legs far too weak for such things. The bones were healed and the wounds turned into scars, but the ghostly pains of her once shattered limbs and useless wings still lingered within.

With a reluctant sigh she opened the bottle of pain medication and swallowed the red pill. It tasted like cherries and chalk, leaving her mouth horribly dry. As Fluttershy pushed her along gently down the road from the hospital and back towards Ponyville, the all too familiar scent of blood and rusted metal filled her nostrils and overwhelmed her senses.

"Fluttershy, d-do you smell that?" the cyan mare asked sheepishly as she covered her nose in a vain attempt to block out the horrid smell.

The yellow Pegasus beside her looked down upon her friend with deep concern in those cerulean eyes.
Rainbow was near frantic again. The look upon her friends face was that of confusion and fear and it only served to raise her concerns higher than normal

" All I can smell is fresh cut grass and the daffodils, Are you alright Rainbow Dash? W-we could always head back to the-"

Her soft words were quickly interrupted by a now manic Rainbow Dash, her eyes pleading to Fluttershy.

“Please, for the love of Princess Celestia don-"

The cyan mare stopped herself mid-sentence. She had to appear like everything was sunshine and rainbows, even if it was quite the opposite.

"I mean, that’s okay Fluttershy. There is no need for that," Rainbow said with a forced smile, looking more and more flustered by the second. 

"Please Rainbow Dash, let us just go back real quickly. Maybe it’s a side effect of the medication and we could switch prescriptions,” the gentle pegasus offered as an idea.

She was worried about her dear friend and was trying to suggest the best possible solution for the issue at hand.

Rainbow Dash appreciated her concerns, but being all alone in that room, at that things mercy only frightened her more.

"Fluttershy I really don't think..."


'You’re far too soft Dashie dearest. Allow me.'

The cyan mares smile turned to an enraged scowl, the thing invading her mind and taking control of her body. Rainbow Dash could only watch through her eyes as her body acted upon its own accord.

“I said no. Stop mothering and smothering me. I am not one of your idiotic pets" the possessed Dash screamed at the innocent Fluttershy with an underline gurgling noise in her voice reminiscent of a demonic growl and boiling water.  

Fluttershy gasped, unable to handle Dash's outburst. Rainbow was in need of help but was being difficult and resistant.

"Okay D-dash.”

The shocked Pegasus was shaking in her hooves; the odd sound her friend made as she spoke filled her with dread.

Rainbow took a deep breath as she was allowed control over her body once again. This was beyond horrible. Fluttershy was to the point of tears now and the voice was getting louder, able to make her do horrible things.

'Do not cry nor fret for our fun's not over yet.'

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Fluttershy dropped Rainbow off at Sugar Cube Corner so Twilight could talk some sense into her.
Rainbow was sitting in the pink room all alone, unless you counted the voice in her head. It was like a scene from a horror comic. A party of one she thought to herself.

The lights flickered and went out and as the darkness filled the room. The red eyes appeared before her, the demented smile creeping under it.

"What do you want from me? Leave me alone," Rainbow Dash cried out frantically, her tone far less proud than before.

The response was just the same as before, causing Rainbow resolve to slowly begin to crumble away.

'Just you.'

Rainbow Dash began to hyperventilate, what possibly was this monster before her? Was this a demon? Could it possibly even be the devil? She wondered as she began to back away slowly, as the being approached her to maintain the distance between them.

Of all the questions in her mind, one was the most prevalent. Why her? She could see if she was an evil pony like Nightmare Moon or even like Discord but she was a good pony. She worked hard every day, was loyal, kind and a good friend. Why had she been chosen to be subjected to such a fate?

“What are you? Why do you haunt me?"

The cyan mare’s voice cracked as she spoke. She wanted to know the truth and be done with it so she could be free again. The figure did not reply. It only crept closer and closer to her. The smell of blood and rusted metal filled her nose again as it had done many times before.

'I am *****.'

Rainbow looked at the being cockeyed for a moment. In the moment it had spoken its name only an odd gurgling noise and static was heard. It was almost as if her mind could not comprehend its identity nor its purpose. Before she could ask again, the lights came back on and the figure once more was nowhere to be seen.

Pinkie was bouncing down her stairs with vigor and her trademark smile.

"That was weird Dashie, only the lights in this room went out. Weird right?" she giggled to the frightened pegasus.

It was getting more and more alarming by the second. She could hear it normally but when it came time for her to know its name, it was like it had been censored out. Rainbow looked to the pink earth pony with a determined look upon her face. She would figure out what it was, its name and most of all what it wanted with her and why it would not go away.

"Say, Pinkie do you have some paper and a pen? I want to write to the princess." 

Rainbow watched as her friend trotted happily to the table and collected her requested items.

“Here you go Dashie. Do you need any help writing it?" Pinkie asked with her trademark smile.

To this Rainbow simply shook her head as she put the pen in between her teeth. It was a rather private manner and she did not want Pinkie to know.

"So what are you writing about? Ooh! Is it about us? Is it another fantastical life lesson?!"

Pinkie's positive attitude and cheerful grin was putting Rainbow on edge. The last six months were a horror fest that she was slowly adjusting to. She was no longer screaming bloody murder every time she saw it and was able to talk without the urge to vomit or urinate herself for the most part. But this attitude was making her angry with Pinkie Pie for no apparent reason.

' I know what you want to do.
You want to shut up her sunshine and rainbows act for good.'

The voice had once again returned but this time, she would show it who was boss of this body, before it  could do something rash like yelling at the top of her lungs to the voice and looking like a complete psychopath to one of the already seemingly mentally unstable ponies in all of Equestria. She thought it over. Perhaps if it could speak into her mind if she responded in her head it would hear, while nopony else would be wiser.

Great, this was the one situation where talking to yourself, or in this case the voice in your head could be the only way out. So with a deep breath she proceed to think to herself.

'No! I don't want to hurt anypony. You, monster, get out of my head.'

'Harsh words Dashie dear. But I am not some monster like Rake or the Slendermane. Frankly, I am hurt that you think that I am in the same group as such insignificant world-bound beings.'

Dash nearly screamed right there. The Slendermane and Rake were actually real? She had always thought they were an old mare’s tale told to fillies to keep them in line. It was frightening to learn that the boogeyman was real and there was always a monster in your closet.

'If not like them... Are you the devil then?' Rainbow asked curiously.

She was now more curious than afraid. Her natural determination shone through. If the other had been visible in that moment, a smile would have been seen a mile away.

' Ah finally, there you are Dashie.'