The darkness overwhelmed me, sucking away every bit of light that was around me. I tried to run away from it, but it followed me everywhere I went. I looked up and saw that a dark blue mist was coming towards me.
I ran from it, fueled with adrenaline as I tried to escape the horrible darkness. It chased me through the emptiness that surrounded me. I could almost feel it breathing down my neck, which just made me run even faster.
Suddenly something tripped me causing me to fall over on the ground hitting my head on something that cut it deeply. Blood ran down my face as I looked up trying to see what was around me. What I saw next I wished I hadn't seen.
Those horribly beautiful glowing emerald eyes locked on me as she smiled that bewitching smile.
“Hello, my love.” she whispered in a honey sweet voice. The mist disappeared around her and I saw a faint sparkling of magic surrounding her as the darkness then ate away the last bit of light that shined down on us. All that was left was the faint glow of her magic.
I scrambled away from her and tried to scream but she pinned me down to the floor with her hooves against either of my legs and sealed my mouth shut with her magic.
“Shhh. It's okay.” she stroked my mane with her hoof as if to calm me.
I fought against her trying to get away from her grip. She simply sighed in annoyance and pressed down on my kneecap harder with her hoof, threatening to break it.
I was forced to be still as I watched her light her horn until flames burst from the tip of it, lighting the room.
She then levitated the flame above us then left it there, so we wouldn't be left in the darkness.
”Solstice. Don't be scared.” she comforted me as she levitated a bloody serrated knife into view with her magic.
I felt her hypnotic eyes lock on me, forcing me to stay laying on the ground before her. She then slowly let me go simply holding me down with her mind compulsion. Everything in me screamed at me to run, but I couldn't. Her magic made it practically impossible to resist her.
Raven chuckled her musical laugh as she raised the knife over my chest. The flames that burned above us became fiercer as if something was feeding it. Sparks flew into the air, threatening to burn the ground around us.
“This won't hurt a bit, my love.” Her eyes glowed with undeniable beauty as she whispered softly then gently brought the knife down to meet my chest.
My blood curdling screams were muffled by her magic as she drove the knife into me. It slowly pushed through my fur then broke through my epidermis.
“I suppose I lied.” Raven chuckled heartlessly as she moved the knife, torturing me further.
I faintly heard the muscle squish as she slowly twisted the knife. She released my mouth allowing me to finally scream.
“Stop! Please stop!” I begged as tears ran down my face, staining my cheeks along with the dripping blood.
She smiled as she shook her head, the flames had finally set the ground on fire, now it was slowly moving closer to us. “I love you far too much to do that.”
She pushed the knife deeper into me making me clutch at the knife’s handle, screaming as I tried to pull it out.
“I'm simply disciplining you, my love.” Her voice seemed to simply be dripping with sweetness.
As the knife drove deeper it cut and destroyed everything that dared cross its path sending a burning sensation through my body acting like a poison. I felt the serrated edges brush against my muscles, skin and bone as it slowly cut through them leaving a horribly painful sensation in me.
Then she suddenly pulled it out of me taking a stream of blood dripping along with it and causing me to scream in shock as the pain of the sudden removal overwhelmed me.
I heard drops of my blood sizzle as it landed in the flames that were now extremely close.
“Let us begin with your pretty little face shall we? I'm sure you'll look beautiful with some scars.” Raven smiled as she brought the knife close to my cheek then sliced it open.
I was about to yell at her but she sealed my mouth shut with her magic before I could make a sound. Then, she pressed the very tip of the knife against my eye, slowly examining my expression.
“Maybe I'll give you a slightly more elaborate design while i'm at it.” Raven cut down my cheek leaving the shape of a bloody cross on my face.
I fought harder against her, hoping to break out of her spell, but she was too strong for me. Her magic had taken a hold of my mind and now I had no choice but to obey her.
She traced the knife across my cheek, adding more designs to my face. It stung every time she cut, but the burning pain that remained is what hurt most. I could taste the salty rustiness of my own blood dripping into my mouth as it slid down from the cuts.
Suddenly something distracted me. I saw a pony appear a short distance away from us. The pony didn't seem bothered by the fire, which surprised me. Raven noticed my eyes wandering then looked over her shoulder seeing the pony. When she realized who it was she smirked.
“Seems even in dreams she wishes to disturb me. Or your Princess Luna is at work.” she sighed. “Ah, you know I once admired the Princess when she was like a Nightmare herself. She assisted us spirits, encouraged our work. We were allowed so many liberties when we followed her. But then she had to fall back to her weaknesses, falling submissively to her elder sister. Now she fights us every night as she did before, driving us away from ponies dreams. It's such a shame.”
Raven looked down at me then leaned down to whisper in my ear. “Do you not see that you do the same as she?” She asked. “Falling submissive to your mother and Twilight every time you are in their presence?”
The pony that was a distance away was now close to us. I couldn't quite tell who it was, but it seemed to be pulling the flames away from us. Strange, Raven sure was pissed by it.
“Just let me help you, Solstice. You know I can. You have witnessed it with your own eyes!”
I glared at her and shook my head. “I would rather go to Tartarus than let you ‘help’ me again.” I spat the words with venom in my voice.
Raven smiled as she wiped her hoof across my cheek a sense of supposed kindness in her emerald eyes. “Oh love, so stubborn. I shall come to save you from her.” she hissed then she threw the knife into her heart of the pony.
I looked to see who she had just killed and when I finally recognized the pony my heart dropped.
“Sunset?” I whispered.
”No! No!” I screamed as I woke up in a cold sweat, clinging onto my bedsheets with my hooves as if my life depended on it. Oh thank Celestia, it was just a dream. I thought for a second then I quickly looked around the room, terrified.
Was, ugh I can't even bear to even think of her name. Was….she here? Had she given me that dream? I wouldn't put it past her since I knew she loved giving nightmares. But how could she? She's been banished and will not come back right? Right?
Suddenly I heard the sound of trotting footsteps coming towards my room. Oh great, now I've caused a ruckus and Twilight is probably freaking out. What in Equestria am I going to tell her? I looked to the door as it opened expecting to see the Princess until I saw that Twilight hadn't come to my aid this time. It was Sunset.
She lit her horn to a soft glow as she walked towards my bed.
“Solstice? Are you okay?” she asked, concerned.
I wiped the sweat off my face thankful that she was alive and that the moisture on my face was sweat not blood. “I'm fine.”
Sunset shook her head as she put her hoof on my forehead. “Don't lie to me.”
A flashback of her emerald eyes glowed in the back of my mind and I cringed. My breathing sped up slowly. I clutched my sides trying to control it, but the harder I tried the worse it became.
The images of the nightmare flashed in my mind again making the attack even worse. I was now hyperventilating really hard as I put my face in my hooves, trying my best to make it stop. Fear overtook me and anger seemed to be right on the edge as well. I couldn't see past any of these emotions. All I saw was darkness and hatred. And it scared me.
Nothing could drive me out of this until I felt a hoof rest on my shoulder and pull me close. I glanced up to see what was happening and I saw Sunset had climbed on my bed and was pulling me into a comforting hug, leaning back on the beds padded headboard for support as she did so.
“Shhh. It's okay.” Sunset whispered in a soft voice.
I shivered at the sound of her voice. I was so used to her musically sweet voice that when I heard Sunset’s strong yet wonderfully passionate voice, I felt different. Almost peaceful. But still, her words reminded me of...ugh her.
A glow of those emerald eyes reappeared in my mind and I buried my face in Sunset’s mane breathing in her scent, trying to comfort myself. Instead of the sweet apples or sugar cookies or whatever her scent was back in the other world I had encountered when I took her jacket, she smelled a bit different in this world. I guess her natural scent here would, of course, be different since this is her naturally her home.
I couldn't quite put my hoof on it till I thought for a second, then I realized what it was. She smelled like jasmine. It was a smell I had only encountered once at school, when we were examining flowers for a science experiment. Since then I had always loved the smell of jasmine. Fascinating that Sunset smelled like it.
Sunset stroked my mane in a soothing manner as she held me. I flinched away from her and gasped. No. She also did that. In my dream.
She noticed my strange reaction to her touch and was taken aback by it as she allowed me to jerk away.
I breathed heavily as the momentary adrenaline coursed through my body. I knew it wasn't her, but that simple touch made my mind subconsciously believe that it was. I don't know why, but it just did.
Sunset seemed to realize that she did something wrong so she decided to do something different. She cautiously put her hoof on my cheek then gently brushed my golden mane away from my face.
I looked at her as she closed her eyes then used her magic to extend around us then wrap us both in some sort of cover. I looked at it, confused. What was she doing?
She opened one of her eyes and smiled warmly as she put out her glowing horn then conjured a flickering flame from the tip of her horn then she levitated it to a candle that was sitting next to my bed. She closed her eye again, concentrating deeply on her spell. The magic expanded away from us, spreading to the edge of my bed. The glow grew brighter as it became stronger, building layer after layer until I noticed that she was making a magical shield of some kind. But why would she do that?
Sunset opened her eyes, satisfied with her work and smiled. “Do you see this barrier?” she asked.
I nodded, still confused.
“I learned this some time ago when I learned of these spirits. Thought it may come in handy.” She smiled crookedly. “The shield will keep her away from your dreams.”
How did she know that….she was in my dreams?
“Twilight and I did extensive research on this, so don't worry. We are very well informed on this matter.”
I shivered at the thought of what she meant. If she took the time for that did that mean she believed that possibly…
“Solstice?” Sunset asked putting a hoof on my shoulder. “Talk to me.”
I glanced up at her moving my messy mane away from my face. “What if she comes back? I couldn't… I mean what if-”
Sunset gently covered my mouth with her hoof then pulled me into a hug. I just sat there not returning her hug, unsure of what to do. She kissed my temple then rested her head on top of my own.
“Don’t worry.” she whispered softly. “I'll protect you, as long as I live.”
“But Sunset-” I began as I pulled back to look at her.
She gave me a look that shut me up. “Solstice. I'm here now, you don't have to worry anymore.” Sunset hugged me tighter as she rubbed my back with her hoof. “And as long as I'm here, you don't have to be scared. If Raven dares comes back for you I will do everything in my power to end her. She will never take my sweet little dewdrop from me again.”
I didn't expect the nickname she called me so I chuckled. “Dewdrop?”
She laughed a little as well. “Yes. When you were born I normally just called you my snowflake. Since spring is almost here I found that one to be a bit inappropriate.”
“Well, I suppose a changing nickname fits. But please. No dewdrop.”
Sunset smiled and ran her hoof through my golden mane. “I've never noticed your ear piercings before.” She commented as she examined my face closer seeing one more tiny diamond. “Not even your muzzle piercing. How did you get away with so many in school?”
I shrugged.“When you’re friends with Princess Twilight and Princess Celestia, I think that adds some, ahem, privileges.”
Sunset laughed and tickled my belly. I laughed and squirmed trying to get away from her, but she was relentless. She pinned me down and continued ticking, sending me into a laughing fit.
“Oh! You spoiled little filly you!” Sunset chuckled as she tickled me.
I laughed, squirming around the bed, desperately trying to get away from her. The tickles were simply too much!
“I'm not a filly.” I laughed.
She raised an eyebrow mischievously as she tickled me even more drowning any word I wanted to say.
“You will always be a filly to me, snowflake.” She giggled.
“Ha! Ha ha! Ha ha ha! St-st-stop it Sunset!” I managed to choke out between laughs.
“Never!” Sunset said.
I continued laughing, trying to speak, but it was hard as I was running out of breath.
“We're going to wake Twilight!” I laughed.
Sunset saw my point and stopped tickling me allowing me to breathe. I gasped for air and laid on my bed looking up at Sunset. She smiled and laid down next to me. She wrapped her hooves around me and pulled me close to her, then she rested her tail over my own, curling it around my body protectively. I swished my tail as I looked into her cyan eyes.
Sunset rested her head on my pillow and smiled. “Go to sleep, snowflake.” she whispered.
I shook my head, completely prepare to protest. “The nightmares.”
“I'm here.” Sunset reassured. “I’ll be here until you fall asleep and I'll be here when you wake.”
I wanted to keep arguing, but sleepiness was starting to overtake me. No! Can't let myself sleep. I must stay awake.
Sunset seemed to just know I was fighting the urge to sleep because she used her magic to do something that was quite amazing. She put out the candle on my bed stand and conjured a spark from her horn. The spark twinkled then shot onto the ceiling from her horn causing a magical explosion to quietly happen.
I blinked then was amazed to see thousands of glowing stars sparkling on the ceiling. But how? This has to be extremely complicated magic, yet she just did this with little to no effort!
“When I was young, Princess Celestia would do this to help me sleep.” Sunset sighed as she recalled the memory. “She would tell me that whenever she did this spell she would alway be reminded of when Princess Luna taught it to her. She said that one day she hoped I would meet her. I still have yet to do so.”
I chuckled. “Me too.”
Sunset looked down at me. “Night owl?”
“Totally.”
She chuckled. “You never fail to amaze me with our similarities.”
“Well, I am your daughter.” I smirked.
I felt the shadow of drowsiness start to overtake me even more. I wanted to fight it, but it was getting harder.
Sunset saw that my eyes were drooping and she smiled.
“Come on.” She encouraged as she stroked my mane gently. “Close those beautiful eyes.”
I fought so hard to keep them open, but the more I tried the harder it became.
I must stay awake. Can't let it happen. The flames, her eyes, being under her control. I can't I just can't. I can't bear to see her again.
As I thought madly for reasons to stay awake I found myself feeling a bit dizzy from forcing myself to stay awake.
Sunset then took advantage of my state and did something I did not expect. She began to sing.
Her voice sounded so...beautiful. It rang with a sense of majesty. I loved it.
Her soft lullaby and the twinkling stars soon put me under their own type of spell and I yawned. I laid my head deeper into my pillow, snuggling closer to Sunset.
The sense of drowsiness became stronger than ever so I finally surrendered to it. I allowed my body to grow heavy, all the stress and tension melting away. I let the terrible images of the dream fade into the darkness, only concentrating on Sunset’s warmth and the stars that shined down on us.
The last thing I can almost barely remember was Sunset gently placing a kiss on my forehead then whispering in my ear.
“Goodnight, my Solstice.”
I smiled a little as I was almost about to fall into a pretty hard sleep. I finally allowed my eyes to fully close then sighed.
“Goodnight…mama…I love you...” I whispered softly and fell asleep.