Chapter 8: As The Quiet Settles, Silence Shrouds The Living
After that disturbing, but puzzling visit from the creature, Twilight decided to have an after-action review with her friends. Rainbow nodded and flittered about the room uneasily, while Applejack surreptitiously positioned herself on the opposite side of the bed, so that the bed was between her and the door. As they settled in, with Twilight every so often glancing over her shoulder, Rainbow began the conversation by bring Applejack up to speed.
“…And that’s when you woke up,” she finished, her raspy voice was a little raspier... or was that Twilight’s imagination?
“Wha’ Ah don’ get,” Applejack wondered out loud. “Is why tha’ creature make us so scared?”
Rainbow huffed. “I’m not scared! Are you scared Applejack?”
Applejack raised an eyebrow and crossed her hooves in front of her. “Ah’m not scared either!” Her lips were set into a stubborn line. “Y-You should be more honest with yerself!”
Rainbow’s nostrils flared as she grounded herself. “How about you be more honest with yourself! Just admit you’re scared!”
“I’m scared.”
Both mares turned simultaneously to Twilight as she heaved a shaky breath and said the words again.
“I’m scared,” she repeated, this time tears welling at the corners of her eyes. “For the first time in a long time, I feel like a foal.” She sniffed and wiped away some of the tears as she continued. “I can’t do anything to help my friends, I-I’m not getting any sleep. I’ve never felt as helpless and alone before now.”
She raised her head and stared Rainbow Dash in the eye. “I’m scared, Rainbow.” She turned to Applejack and did the same. “I’m scared, Applejack.”
At those words, neither mare could find their own to justify their earlier behaviour. They glanced at each other and shifted their hooves.
“Sorry Twi’,” Applejack mumbled. “Ah guess we were so caught with ourselves, that we didn’t consider you.” She looked away. “Ah thought that Ah could provide the support you needed, but Ah didn’t consider that support would be useless if Ah lied to mahself.” She hung her head in shame. “Ah’ve betrayed our friendship by being dishonest. And that hurt us both pretty bad.”
Rainbow looked equally guilty. “Yeah Twilight, sorry. I think we were a bit over the top.” After a long pause, she dove right into it. “If it helps, I’m scared too.” Both mares gaped at Rainbow Dash in surprise, and perhaps a little bit of awe. Seeing her admitting her fear, seeing her this vulnerable, shocked them to the core.
“I know,” she continued, seeing their reaction and kicking the floor. “It’s just that, I thought you guys needed me to be strong. I thought that strength is being seen as a rock in the storm.” Her wings fluttered a bit as she tried to put words together. “It’s just so hard trying to be tough, you know? I think it just made me weaker…” She gave Twilight a smile. “I think you’re the bravest of us all, Twilight.”
The three tentatively hugged, with the physical contact exchanging far more than bodily warmth. Unnoticed by the three of them, a figure retreated, leaving the three to their reconciliation.
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Princess Celestia blearily sought out her cup of tea among that bits and bobbins on her writing desk. Several times she levitated a book or scroll unintentionally, until finally she managed to grasp the tea. It was getting harder and harder to maintain focus nowadays, with the absurd levels of sleep-deprivation clutching at the edges of her consciousness, waiting for her to succumb to the sweet release of slumber. She caught herself several times, for she knew if she failed, the creature would be there at the other end, smiling its grim smile and carefully placing its thin, cold appendage to her lips.
The Princess stumbled on her way back to the bed, spilling the tea and shocking herself from her semi-awake trance. She hurriedly coalesced the hot, scalding liquid off herself and the floor, tossing the offending substance out of the window and into the garden beyond. Celestia was beyond caring if there were somepony there, she simply wanted to embrace the bed, to feel the warmth of the sheets, to embrace the comfort that only rest could provide.
“I want to rest,” she bemoaned. “I want a break from all of this.”
The room was silent save for the gentle ticking of the clock. She sighed, slumping into her bed and twisting around. Maybe a short nap… surely that would help…
Despite knowing what was coming, Celestia drifted off to sleep…
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It was the beginning of the evening when Celestia woke with a start, the reason she did so becoming apparent when she saw a pair of cyan eyes regarding her thoughtfully.
“Luna,” she greeted drowsily, but her voice was tinged with revitalised energy. “I feel so much better.”
The Lunar Princess harrumphed before replying. “That is because you have been sleeping, whilst I have been keeping vigil, sister.” Her gaze softened as she saw the improved condition of her cherished elder sister. “You have been sleeping well, I take it?”
Celestia nodded in wonderment. “I haven’t a nightmare,” she whispered, eyes widening. “It is like a burden has been cast away.”
Luna nodded. “The creature did not deign to make an appearance while you slept. I did not know why. It had been diligent in its appearance, caring not for who might be in the room with you.”
Rather than gladdened, Celestia looked perturbed. “It doesn’t make any sense,” she muttered. “Why did it stop now?”
Luna gave her sister a pat on her back. “I think we should count our blessings and not question these things.” She bit back a yawn and stretched, struggling to her hooves. With an unsteady gait, she staggered out the door before Celestia could protest.
“Luna,” she called out to her retreating form. “Why don’t you stay behind?”
Luna shook her head and merely replied. “Sorry sister, there are duties to attend to.”
With a despondent sigh Luna steeled herself and trotted towards her own room. She needed to be strong, like her sister. Too often Celestia would bear the burden of other pony’s problems.
Someday, Luna thought. I could care for others like my sister.
As she opened the door to her room, she froze as a sudden frisson of fright jolted her frame. For a moment, she had thought that the creature was there, shrouded by the curtains, but when she blinked, the creature was gone.
Luna shook her head, as if to dislodge the fanciful dreams from her mind.
There is no creature there, she thought furiously. It is only within my mind.
Then it was there, in plain sight. Giving a muffled scream of fright, Luna back pedalled, tripping over a loose scroll to lie sprawling on her bed. As she struggled to get up, the monstrosity leaped at her, locking hellish eyes with her as it straddled her on the bed.
“Shhhhh,” it commanded with its soft tones. Luna could only comply with a jerk of her head. It laid an icy, thin appendage on her pliable, promiscuous lips. “No tears,” it croaked, dragging a hand through her ethereal mane. “Just dreams…”
Luna stared at the creature as it smiled in a way that Luna could only describe as chilling to the core.
BANG!
The loud sound startled Luna and she whipped her head to the left seeing the window clattering as it swung in the deviant air currents of the sudden draft that had entered the room. She looked back to see the creature gone. Nervously, she got up, her heart still racing from the adrenaline and fear coursing through her system.
Again, as expected, a singular note was left in the creature’s wake.
Grasping the note, she read the contents, fearing what it would say.
Your terror of me is nothing compared to the terror within.
I am a manifestation of what you need, perhaps what you desire.
You just don’t know it yet.
Discover yourself before you discover me, Luna.
Signed,
….
Before she could read the end of the note, it crumpled and withered, blackening into the familiar residue of ash.
The note was more puzzling and disturbing. What did it mean? How is it a manifestation of what she needed? Hot anger flashed through Luna. How could it be what she desired? There was no way she wanted to live in constant fear!
Her mind swirled with all sorts of questions as she collapsed on her bed, terrified tears streaming down her cheeks. Troubled thoughts accompanied her while she fell into a dreamless slumber.