//------------------------------// // David's Nightmares // Story: Poniocracy Side Stories // by sunnypack //------------------------------// Chapter 1: It Begins “Aw, come on David, put another steak on the barbie!” “David! Watch it! You’re going to burn the steak!” A rough hand pushed David’s out of the way. “Gees, David, you still in fairyland?” The grizzled man turned, smiling. “Tell me, what did the unicorns say?” A drop of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. A keening sound filled the air. David whipped around. He whipped back. His father wasn't there—only darkness. The keening came closer. What was that sound? It sounded like… David woke with a start. He brought his hands in front himself, examining them. They were free from any grime or dirt, but covered in coarse hair. The hair of an adult. He sighed. It was all a dream. Only a dream. "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Daaaaaaaaavid," an ominous voice permeated the room. A cold sweat broke out along David's forehead and trickled down his shivering contours. It was her. She had found him. "To be fair," he called out. "That was totally an accident." A rasping chuckle filled the room. "I know, David," the voice replied, softly… calmly… The room went silent again. David kept vigilance with wide eyes scanning the room. It didn't appear to have anyone else in it. His eyes swept along the jagged contours of the furniture. She wasn't gone, was she? David shook his head. No, after what I did she wouldn't let me go. She's in the room, I'm sure of it. He edged to the end of his bed, swinging his legs over the side. His feet hit the carpet as he sidled over to the light switch. As his hand brushed the switch, he hesitated. His eyes widened. I don't have carpet. With a jerk, his head tilted down and he flipped the light switch. Twilight's pupils shrunk to pin-pricks as light flooded the room. David gently eased his feet off Twilight's back. Twilight stood up as David stumbled backward. "W-Wait," he stammered, trying to reason with the deranged mare. Twilight shot forward until her muzzle hung inches from his mouth. She gave a long, slow lick to the side of his face. "I. Taste. Your. Fear," she whispered in his ear. David let loose a choking whimper. Chapter 2: It Continues Twilight slept contently in the knowledge that the ‘human problem’ was dealt with. That night, she dreamed of stars and light and pleasant fields and meadows. It was a quiet night and Twilight felt at peace within herself, for perhaps the first time in a very long while. “Twiiiiiiiiliiiiiiiiiggght,” a voice murmured in the darkness. It was soft, barely audible among the other sounds of the night. Twilight’s ear flicked in response. “Twi~light~” it continued. It was louder this time, rousing her from her sleep. “Huh– bwuah?” she mumbled, raising her hooves to her eyes and rubbing them blearily. “Twilight, it’s been such a long, long time…” Instantly, Twilight shot upwards, her eyes wide open and staring. She swept her head around the room in an effort to locate the sinister voice among the darkness of her room. She clutched the bedsheets closer to herself. “Is anypony there?” she called out uncertainly. There was no reply. Gingerly, Twilight poked her hoof out of her bed and placed it on the floor, slowly. The voice chuckled maliciously. “Why Twilight, forgotten me already?” Twilight swallowed and her eyes widened. “No,” she moaned. “It’s not possible.” “Yes,” David replied, stepping out of the shadows. “I’m back.” Chapter 3: It Ends David and Twilight relaxed, listening to the sound of the waves on the shoreline. After a full year of trying to scare each other to death, they found that the experiment had been a resounding failure. David cleared his throat. “Yes?” Twilight mumbled, her eyes half-closed in bliss. “You know,” David began, rocking his rocking chair a little for the fun of it. “This was actually quite fun.” Twilight nodded, sipping David’s home brew beer. She found she acquired a taste for it. It had something in it that was similar to Applejack’s cider. She smacked her lips in appreciation. “It was fun while it lasted, although it was a failure,” her tone turned a little somber at that. “Oh heck, Twilight, just submit a report like you usually do. A scientist once told me, negative result is just as interesting as a positive result.” He scanned the horizon. “Mmm,” Twilight muttered, sinking into the chair a bit further. “Thanks, David.” “No problems.”