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// Chapter Eight: Nightmares 
// Story: Remilia's Scarlet Equestria 
// by Dragonborne Fox 
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I am accustomed to pain. One does not simply live to a century or two without a single moment of exquisite flesh torn asunder, perhaps a bone in twain for a moment. Particular is the risk of wounds to a person who is not human. As such, my agony was no more even as I awoke to a world of shade and ill will. I had simply come to gaze into the night, the beautiful shade I once walked in full without fail. Now, I rest beneath. I feel so foolish and so weary of my plight. I could sense the sun somewhere. Laying in a flawless reminder of my weakness, I felt as though the celestial body was mocking me. It was frolicking in my defeat. Quoth I; “Let it.”

Living was unpleasant. I had no reason to believe I would ever prove my might to these unholy beasts. So lost in their selfish desire.

Questions raced through my aching head; how long had I been resting? Was this place still a haven? Were there others in this hell, apart from the shrine maiden who had taken it upon herself to aid me in my plight? And where in this dreaded plane of pastel horses was that damned gap youkai?!

I had been aroused again by Reimu, who for a moment looked worried. And that was putting it very lightly in these circumstances. Her face was redder than it usually was, and looked as if stained by tears or perhaps sweat, given that her bangs clung tightly to her forehead. What she said then would have made me start panicking, had I the strength to do so.

“We have to move elsewhere. They’ve found our hiding place, and are coming quickly.”

The maiden-turned-horse hefted me onto her back, as slowly and gently as she could. I winced a few times, but dared not utter a word of my pain. In this particular occurrence, there had simply been no need to bemoan the blatant obvious.

And then, my impromptu sanctuary began to whirl by me as my makeshift caretaker flew like the bloody wind, not once letting me slip off of her speeding form. She darted here and there like the crow youkai news reporter, albeit a lot slower. I heard shouting masculine voices, whence then I knew Reimu hadn’t been lying—we were indeed caught, found out like animals who had fallen right into the traps of crafty hunters.

The shouting stallions would have sent my rage spiraling into an uncontained fury had I not been as crippled as I am now. I could only attempt to cling onto my saviour for dear life as the maiden flew out of the caverns and into the bright blue sky. Fortunately, the sun was covered by clouds, but I still felt it was jeering at me nonetheless.

Next thing I knew, we were in a dense thicket of woodland. A thicket so dense not even the sun could penetrate it. Near-darkness surrounded me and Hakurei, but this was a good thing on our behalf.

Unless, of course, the horses found this thicket and brought bloody lanterns with them.

The maiden had found another cavern, this one covered a great deal in moss. She carried me in there and laid me upon the damp floor, and I shivered as the touch graced my form. It was considerably more comfortable than the previous resting place, and darker too. I’d have a chance of recovery, away from the laughing rays of the sun for once in my stay of this hell.

“You need anything?” Reimu asked, her question causing me to snap out of my stupor. I looked at her and nodded.

“Blood. Give me blood…”