Chapter 2
“Man, this place has changed a lot since I left.” Shining Armor was looking all over, looking at what felt like a foreign town to him. It had been two years since he last visited, and everything seemed so new to him, except Twilight’s library.
“You’ve certainly gotten taller since I last saw you sis.” He looked at her up and down, and she had definitely grown taller. He supposed she was just growing up from the alicorn in her, and it saddened him to think that his own sister would be as tall as him some day.
“You think so? I mean, I have noticed that I’ve had to look down at some ponies.”
“It’s all good though, makes you look more regal, like a real princess.” He chuckled softly as she pushed him playfully. Twilight still didn’t like being thought of as this regal royal type. Something’s just never change. Walking into the library, he was greeted by a lonely looking bed in the guest room that was calling his name, and in a flash he dropped his bags and quickly rushed over to flop down on it.
“Oh sweet Celestia Twily, you know how to prep a bed for your dear brother.”
“It’s no crystal palace bedchamber I know, but I try my best for my B.B.B.F.F.” she giggled softly, watching her brother roll around in the sheets, getting comfy. “Remind me again Shining, how old are you?” she scoffed.
“Old enough to know I’m still the big brother and you’re still a squirt.”
“And yet I don’t play around in my bed like some foal.” She let out another giggle and went around the library to do her usual studying. “When you wake up, I’ll make you a nice meal.”
He just let out a powerful yawn as he mumbled off into his sleep, “That…would…mmm…be just…fine…”
~~~~~~
Steam billowed from cracks in a rusty pipe as Shining shot up from his slumber. He looked all around, panicking and clueless of his whereabouts.
“Shining….” A disembodied voice rang through his ears causing him to jump in fear as goosebumps formed along his hooves. Chills run up his spine as he looked around in what he figured was the steel rafters of a foundry. Another burst of steam came from the pipes above and Shining felt incredibly uncomfortable as he began taking steps back, trying to figure out where he was.
“Is this another dream? It feels so real though.” He clopped around the steel-wired walk way, getting his bearings straight as he climbed up and down stairs.
“Shining…” another disembodied voice rang out as a cold gush of wind whipped around his legs, sending him skittering up another flight of stairs and towards a dark corridor.
“Where the Hell am I supposed to go now?” he cursed into the air. He looked down one hallway, and then down the other. Nothing visible down each as he contemplated which way to go.
“Acksluph…” a deep gurgling was heard behind him as he quickly whipped around to see pure horror as his white coat turned pale. When he turned around, standing before him was a pony in a tattered hazmad suit. His right foreleg, burned as a chunk of flesh was missing, leaving nothing but bone there. The facemask was cracked as an eerie black smoke oozed from the cracks. This “pony”, if you could even call it a pony anymore, was slowly limping its way towards shining. The sight of this blood spattered suit was enough to lock him in place as he froze in fear. Shining Armor knew not what to do but stand in place and watch this thing slowly inch closer to him.
“W-what are you? What are you?!” he screamed as his body began moving on its own, bolting him down towards the right hallway. He did not dare to even look back to see if that thing was following, the fear of what was happening kept him moving as he just kept running, and running, and running. He couldn’t stop running, nothing did stop him. The hallway seemed to go on forever.
“Shining Armor!” a loud voice boomed through his head as his legs stopped moving. He looked around to see he was still in that evil place, but he didn’t feel fear, he felt peace. He felt something protecting him, not a shield or spell, but a presence. A presence he knew all too well, all too familiar in the dream world.
“Princess Luna?” he called out into the dark hallway.
“I am here my child.” A bright light flashed in front of Shining as Luna stepped towards him. “Shining Armor, I am sure you have realized it by now, but you are dreaming.”
“This is all another dream?”
She simply nodded with a grim look on her face as she stepped closer to embrace the shaken stallion, “I have watched you have these dreams for weeks now. A dark presence has plagued your thoughts and your heart. A presence I am afraid I cannot mend.”
“Princess, what do you mean? Where am I? Why do I keep having these dreams?” he was panicking as he began hyperventilating. Luna looked upon him with fear and sorrow as he raised a hoof to him trying her best to calm him. Her touch was soothing to him as his nerves settled, her presence was almost motherly.
“You have committed a grave act my dear Shining, and this is what it has brought upon you. This is the dream of a guilty conscience. The nightmares you see are influenced by a curse. A curse I am afraid you reawakened.”
Shining felt fear rising up in him again as Luna turned and moved to the side to reveal a familiar sight. A tall tan pony with a large pyramid shaped helmet, wielding a large blade with a blood red magic. The being before just stood there, a good 200 feet from where he was. Shining turned around and was about to make a run for it, only to see a wall appear, blocking his only escape.
“Princess Luna, please help me! Wake me up! Please!” he begged at her feet and looked up to see Luna only staring sorrowfully at him, shaking her head and denying his request. Tears began to well up in his eyes as he looked back at the pony who was now slowly making his way towards him with heavy hoof stomps.
THUD….THUD….THUD
“I cannot help you Shining Armor. Even if I wanted to, I cannot. The magic of these dreams are too complex, too powerful for me to break. You must face your guilt,” her voice began to fade as her body slowly disappeared into a midnight mist, “or perish.”
“Luna no! Please no! Don’t leave me here!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, begging her to come back.
THUD….THUD…..THUD
The blade wielding pony was getting closer as a low disgruntled growl emitted from it. Its coat, spattered in blood as the rusty blade dragged across the floor creating a loud screech as sparks flew from the floor. Shining Armor felt a feeling of dread and evil coming from it, only getting stronger and stronger as it came closer. The presence was suffocating to Shining, he felt incredible weight being forced upon him from an invisible force.
SCREEEECH, THUD…..SCREEEEECH, THUD….
125 feet. 100 feet. 80 feet. The thing was closer, Shining could smell the scent of blood coming from the stained coat of his pursuer. He had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. He was truly alone in this hallway, face-to-face with what was surely his executioner. The mysterious pony was now standing over him, the blade on the ground, surrounded by its blood red magical aura. The blade came up as a mighty hoof came crashing down on Shining’s throat, stealing the breath away from him. Shining Armor could only watch as the pony brought the large rusty blade down with a fatal swing.
“No!!!!” he screamed as he jolted up from his bed, feeling a soft pair of hooves trying to restrain him.
“Shiny stop! It’s me! It’s your sister!”
“Twily?! Twily!” he buried his muzzle into her violet coat, strong tears pouring through his eyes as his entire body trembled. She felt large beads of sweat dripping from his forehead as she saw the sheets soaked in sweat.
“Shhh, your sister is here, everything is okay Shiny, it’s okay.” She cooed, trying her best to console her brother, anything to calm him down from his escapade. She grew worried for him, never before has she seen her brother so mentally destroyed. She couldn’t keep herself together as small tears streamed down her cheeks in fear of her brother’s safety and well-being. She stayed in his room all night, keeping him in her hooves, holding him tightly in her embrace, making sure that he was safe.
~~~~~~
The next morning, Shining woke up and ate breakfast. Twilight didn’t even bother asking him about his nightmare, she didn’t want him to go through and explain whatever happened last night. He had been through enough she thought. His coat looked unhealthy, his eyes had large bags under them. He looked terrible and sick. He got up and went outside, leaving his breakfast barely touched, only one or two bites missing. She needed answers from somepony, and she knew only two that could help.
“Shining, I’m going out to Canterlot for a bit, princess duties and such. I’ll be leaving you in the care of Fluttershy ok?”
“Oh, alright sis. You sure you don’t want me coming with you?”
“You stay here, you’re officially off-duty for the month you hear me? I’ll be fine Shiny, and when I return, we can have a little brother-sister bonding like we used to.”
He couldn’t help but smile, and he knew she was right. He needed this vacation to calm himself, take time off guard duty, and spending some time with the kindest pony in all of Equestria would be exactly what the doctor ordered.
“That sounds perfect sis, have a safe trip.”
Twilight boarded her train and departed. Shining clopped back to the tree house to find Fluttershy waiting for him with a picnic basket by her side.
“You ready Shining Armor?” she asked.
“Uhh yeah, but where are we going?”
“Well, whenever I’m not feeling well, a good stroll through the field usually clears my head, and it’s always nice to spend time with the precious critters. I also invited the others to join us, they’ve all missed you so much.”
He thought about it for a second and nodded, it would be nice to see the mane six again. Ever since the battle with Tirek, they never really got to spend any time together. So they left and ventured out towards the field to see the rest of gang all gathered on top of a hill just by the lake.
“This just might be exactly what I need.” Shining Armor thought, but little does he know, the true nightmare has only begun.