//------------------------------// // A steaming pile of Generosity and a dash of Kindness // Story: Nightdreams and Daymares // by mareinthemoon //------------------------------// The heavens above and hell below. Then where are we? Not many do know. Rainbow Dash was furious and frightened at the same time, It was going to kill all of her friends now. It had her. Why would it go to such lengths when it had already won the war? "Twilight, what happened to you?" the cyan pegasus asked to her now dearly departed friend. Twilight stared into her eyes as she tried to recall what had happened to her. Had she died? Did a spell backfire and she was now hallucinating? There were many logical ideas her rational mind conjured up as a way to explain her sudden removal from life. The emptiness that was growing within her once fulfilled soul proved that something horrific had befallen her and Rainbow Dash. The longer the purple unicorn thought about what had transpired, the less and less she found in her now fading memories. The funeral for Rainbow Dash was even beginning to blur in her mind like an old film reel, parts becoming distorted and burned at the edges. Everything from that point on was pure white noise, A storm of static like at the end of an old VHS tape surrounding her forgotten memories, Her mind censoring something. "I don't know Rainbow Dash. I feel empty." The purple unicorns words struck Rainbow Dash hard. Was nothing sacred anymore? There was no evil it would not stoop to, no depravity it would not commit? She searched the dark for her tormentor, for Twilight's murderer. But those eyes that leered at her, that pierce deep into her very soul were nowhere to be seen. It had come by only to drop off its haul before venturing off to 'play' once more. ------------------------------ Fluttershy awoke as she normally did with an anxious and irritated Angel bunny siting upon her chest. The agitated woodland creature tapped its foot with no sense of patience, He was hungry and he wanted food now. Fluttershy met this frown with her delightful smile, kind to the bone the yellow Pegasus was. "Oh my Angel, Lets go get you something to eat," she said with a smile as she scooped up the small rabbit into her hooves. She flew down to the kitchen as she hummed a delightful tune. She made him an elaborate salad rather quickly but with the utmost care, She gingerly sat the bowl down before her bunny friend. "I'll be right back Angel, I'm going to go get the mail. Derpy was supposed to deliver the chicken feed today," the delightful mare said with glee as she headed to the door. She opened the door and took a deep breath as she did every day to drink in the fresh morning air. Fluttershy immediately began to wretch and heave, suddenly regretting not opening her eyes before her morning breath of fresh air. She opened her eyes and wished she had not. They widened as her pupils dilated at the sight before her. The buzzing of flies was the only sound to be heard as she stared in shock, unable to move her body. Before her on a crude metal spike was Twilight's skinned body, The spike was driven through the corpse's mouth and abdomen. The flesh had begun to rot and peel away as insects had begun laying their eggs in the exposed muscles, maggots stirring in the once living being's now vacant eye sockets. Fluttershy was hyperventilating, praying that she was still asleep and that this was all some horrible dream and then a red light shined in the darkness of the empty eyes like small glowing pupils that moved to focus on Fluttershy's shaking form. 'Wanna play Fluttershy?' The voice was that of Twilight's but eerily distorted as if it had been stretched and pitched with an odd static noise following its words. Fluttershy backed away from the corpse as it began to slide itself off the pole, the mix of coagulated blood and entrails smearing onto the metal pole as it moved. With all her might Fluttershy ran inside and barred the door closed behind her with everything she could find, the body cackling and taunting her from the other side. ---------------------- Rarity sighed as she stared at her newest creation, everything she did only served to remind her of her dead friend. She missed her terribly, as did everypony. She had been up all night sewing as she had done every night sense the funeral, Her dreams only taunted her with the memories of her fallen friend. The unicorn sniffled as she started the sewing machine up again.The room was all but silent except for the hum of the needle as she passed the fabric underneath. She was the spirit of generosity, a fun target to play with. The shadow lurked behind her with a depraved grin, it knew just what to do to make this game extra special. It came off the wall and took the shape of Rainbow Dash herself, the fur substantially darker and the hair toned down. He did not do as well with bright and colorful. This was the best he could manage. "Rarity," the specter spoke to the sleepless mare. This would be fun indeed. Rarity turned around to meet this voice. It was Rainbow Dash. She was here before her, the sight bringing a tear to her eye. " Rainbow Dash! But you died. Where are you?" "I'm behind the wall Rarity, I'm finally here and you know what? Its beatiful." Rarity watched as the other spoke. Those eyes were wide in madness. Something was horribly wrong. Had she been in the right frame of mind Rarity would have immediately caught on. All she could register was that Rainbow was here with her, telling her of a beautiful nirvana that awaited every pony after death. Her eyes watered as she stepped closer to her friend. "But you can't go there. You get to go to hell." its voice roared as it spoke the last word, its shadow creeping along the floors and ceiling to engulf the light around them. Rarity's dream was now suddenly that of a nightmare, The eyes and faces of several ponies now looking upon her in judgment. The room warped to that of a courtroom, The figure in its white alicorn form took position as the judge and executioner. Rarity found herself in an iron cage dangling above the room, a strange iron wheel around her throat. 'Today is the case of Rarity. the simple mare of generosity. But alas we shall see, she's not what she pretends to be.' The gavel struck thrice against the podium as the jury made of greed consumed Rarities all nodded in agreement. " I have done nothing wrong. This is a farce." Rarity cried out in defense from her swinging confines. ' We have proof to which you shall see. You are by no means the being of generosity' The room became black and red, the eyes of the jury shining with hate and greed as they began to pass up boxes of evidence in order to play judge. Rarity went to open her mouth as to defend herself once more but suddenly the shadow rose from the foot of her cage and began to turn the knobs around the wheel causing metal spikes to drill into her neck, her blood oozing down. The spikes cut into her vocal chords and rendered her unable to speak. She could only make a gurgling noise. The judge opened the box and grinned with delight, today indeed was the real nightmare night. A being in the image of Rainbow Dash approached the jury with a devious smile. "Ladies and Gentle colts I do hereby present, A horrible sow of failure and regret. A hoard of a dragons and full of contempt, Her sickness tells her its not enough yet. She uses her charms to get her way, honestly dear ponies listen to what I say. This liar will be put to justice by the end of this day!'' The jury cheered on the Shadow Dash's words, all of them chanting guilty as loud as they could. 'I believe no longer they shall fall for your spell. Take your last breath, your going to hell.' With delight and a sinister grin it pulled the lever aside the podium, The cage's bottom opened and Rarity fell down in the darkness below. The laughter behind her echoed in her ears. She was unaware that this was the first leg of its delightful game. ------------------------ Fluttershy was screaming for help in her cottage. Alas she was too far away from pony ears. It was a big mistake, living so close to the Everfree Forest and so far from Ponyville. Black blood was seeping under the door, the substance traveling up the pile of dressers and chairs in lines looking like trails left behind by snails. The Pegasus ran upstairs to go get Angel. She would fly away to freedom and escape this nightmare. "Angel," she cried out looking for the assuredly frightened animal who was most likely hiding under her bed. She ducked down to check under the bed. She was met with not bunny but teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red. She let out a scream. her animals could only watch her body convulse as her head remained under the bed. Fluttershy managed to pull away, her face covered in horrible wounds, her eyes gone. She got up and attempted to run but her long pink tail began to pull under the bed. "No," she screamed as her body began to get pulled under, her hooves gouging into the wooden floor. The bed shook side to side as the room echoed with her horrifically pained screams. Her front hooves reaching out from under the bed, flailing frantically before they simply shuddered and fell to the ground. Her hooves dragging under as the sound of gnawing bones and splattering blood echoed in the otherwise silent room. --------------------------- Rarity awoke floating in a tub of liquid, her normally perfect mane twirling around her like the stingers on a jellyfish. Her body felt heavy and weak, unable to life a hoof. She had been paralyzed. 'Strange what one well placed cut can do.' She managed to move her head side to side looking for the source of the voice, her eyes half lidded. 'But, it only halts the function you can still very much feel.' "Why are you doing this?" she managed to squeak out in a pained and softened voice. It hurt so much to talk. The shadow approached her but had no smile upon its features, It left a more chilling feeling in the unicorn's body than that smile had done before. ' What Dashie wants, Dashie gets.' Its voice was calm and collected, a stark contrast to the way it normally carried itself about. Perhaps it was the flavor of the pegasus still fresh in its mouth, the sweet taste of liquid life that proved to partially sate its carnal desires. Only partially. Rarity's white body was suddenly spread wide, her legs nearly breaking from the pressure. She cried out in agony from the sudden pain in her otherwise dead body, unready for what was in store. The legs on the white mare continued to stretch before, Snap, Crackle, Pop. Her legs floated in the water, the bones ripped from the sockets but fully attached to her motionless body. The pain sent ripples of nausea through Rarity's sensitive body causing her to vomit violently onto her own body, the sticky mix of food and bile matting down her once perfect white fur. Then the flesh on her joints began to tear. Her eyes tore in pain as she began to bleed, the blood mixing with the bile and food in the water surrounding her. The blood poured down and the water level began to rise around her, her muzzle the only thing above the water. The bones in her arms now visible as the power urged them to splinter and shatter, her now removed arms falling into the water around her causing the water to rise. The bubbles formed from her mouth and muzzle as the blood and bile began to rush into her lungs. Rarity began to choke under the water, the overwhelming smell of her own blood making her vision to dim but the griping pain forcing her to remain awake as the near death adrenaline coursed through her veins. Her eyes widened began to glaze over as the life was strangled out of her, blood seeping from her mouth and flowing into the water. ---------------------- Rainbow Dash was frantic as she tried to look through that infuriating crack in the forsaken world. " Whats happening out there? This is so stupid," she groaned in frustration. The suspense too much to handle. " R-Rainbow." A voice called to her from the darkness behind Twilight. The cyan pegasus turned in horror, afraid of what she would meet. Before her stood Fluttershy, her face scarred and eyes missing. The sight was enough to cause Rainbow to yelp in shock. Beside Fluttershy another being emerged from the darkness, stitches along her joints and the iron wheel still around her neck. It was Rarity. The demon had claimed them both as well. "N-no. Its, oh Princess Celestia." Rainbow collapsed into tears at the sight of her friends in such a state. They had been killed by it too? Was anypony safe from its darkness? 'Twinkle twinkle little star, Don't pick your wounds or they may scar. Into darkness you shall fly As your friends all fall Twinkle twinkle little star how I wonder what you are.'