Perception

by Xz Hacker

“Surviving Until Tomorrow”

Chapter Six: “Surviving Until Tomorrow”

Luna stumbled back, surprised by Rarity's sudden appearance in front of her. Rarity stared at her for several seconds, waiting for an answer. Luna gathered herself and stood up straight. “Do you not remember? We discussed putting you to sleep in order to talk more freely, and address the speed of your thoughts.”

Rarity blinked, the memories coming back to her. “I remember now, but... that has been four days ago at least.”

Luna eyes widened. “That... we joined you in your dream no more than a minute after you had fallen asleep, and you say that has been four days for you here?”

Rarity closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. “And what a frightening four days it has been! There has been a monster chasing me all through this dreadful forest every single night.”

Luna looked around. “Is the beast here now?”

Rarity shook her head. “No, I haven't seen it during the day, only at night.”

Luna nodded. “All right, for now let us think. If you have been here four days, and I took a minute to arrive, that would mean each second spent in the waking world would be over an hour here.”

Rarity nodded. “I can vouch that time certainly seemed to move that slow when I was awake.”

Luna shook her head. “We think you do not understand how dire this situation is. If that estimate is right, then this eight hour sleep will take us over three years to wake from.”

Rarity stood shocked. “I... I didn't even think about that. Three years?!”

Luna nodded solemnly. “There is no way for you to wake up from this sleep spell, and there is no way for us to leave your dream.”

Rarity began pacing. “No, no, no, no, no, that won't do. This thing stalking me at night, I can't escape it! I have barely managed to survive these four days, but a year? No, three?!”

Luna walked in front of her. “Please calm yourself Rarity. You need to remember that this is a dream, your mind controls what happens here.”

Rarity looked up and smiled weakly. “Thank you Princess, that does makes me feel better.”

Luna smiled. “It is nothing, and considering our current situation, we believe it would be best if you called us 'Luna'.”

Rarity nodded. “So where do we go from here... Luna?”

Luna looked off into the horizon, at the now setting sun. “Night is fast approaching, we think it would be best if you took us somewhere where it is day.”

Rarity looked over at the setting sun. “What, you want me to teleport us somewhere else? Forgive me princess, but I have never learned a teleport spell.”

Luna shook her head. “No you misunderstand us, this is your dream Rarity, this setting is a reflection of your thoughts and fears. You must close your eyes and think happier, then you can change what is around us.”

Rarity nodded. “OK, I'll give it try.”

Rarity closed her eyes and began to focus. She began thinking about her shop, and making dresses, and how happy she is when she finishes an order. She thought about the last project she just finished earlier that day, and how long ago that felt now. When she opened her eyes she was standing in the middle of her shop.

Luna smiled. “Good, at least here we are safe.”

Rarity walked over to the window and looked outside. She could still see the sun setting in the distance. “Um... princ.. Luna?”

“Yes?”

“The sun is still going down, nothing changed but where we were.” Rarity said, panic beginning to rise in her voice.

Luna walked over to the window and looked outside. “Everything is fine Rarity, please try to calm yourself, look around you, we are in your shop, your sanctum.”

Rarity started taking in deep breaths. “Yes of course, we are inside and that creature is out there. He can't possibly hurt us in here.”

Just then three loud knocks were heard on the door, each hit sounding almost a whole second after the last. Both Rarity and Luna froze, staring at the front door. Three more knocks sounded, louder and more quickly. Rarity and Luna looked at each other nervously. Rarity's breathing became faster. “Luna, we need to run.”

Luna was beginning to worry herself. “We need you to calm down, nothing here can hurt you unless you allow it.”

Three more incredibly loud bangs in rapid succession came from the front door, coupled with the sound of cracking wood. A small splinter-filled hole was forming in the middle of the door, through it you could see a dark silhouette of something. Suddenly a deep wheezing sound came from the creature. “Raaaariiiiityyyy!”

Rarity squealed and began running up the stairs nearby. The creature then proceeded to destroy the remainder of the door in three more blows. It stepped into the boutique slowly. It was a bipedal creature that was incredibly tall, with no face. The creature was broad, but with even thicker, disproportionate arms, and was wearing a black suit with a red tie. Luna quickly noted that Rarity's fashion sense even leaked into her nightmares before turning and running up the stairs behind Rarity.

Rarity was in her room crying under her bed when Luna walked in. “Rarity please, we need you in order to escape this place.”

Rarity wiped away tears from her eyes. “I caaaan't! I'm too scared to think of anything else! That thing is going to catch us and then... well I don't know what, but I'm scared Luna!”

Loud thumping was heard below them, the creature had begun to climb the stairs. Luna looked around, hoping to find something to help them out. She found hope in an open window. She grabbed Rarity by the hoof. “Then we shall fly out!”

She dragged Rarity to the window and grabbed around her waist. She spread her wings and leaped out. Outside was nothing but endless forest again. Rarity's boutique was the only building in sight. Behind them Rarity's bedroom door burst open, the creature running towards the window as they ascended. It stuck its head through the window, unable to fit it's arms through, and craned it's neck to see them flying away and began to scream, still with a menacing wheeze. “Rarityyyyyy!!!”

Rarity's breathing slowed as she saw it fade into the distance as they continued to fly away. She sighed in relief. “Thank you so much Luna, I don't know what I would have done without you.”

“No, it is us who should be sorry. That was not a normal manifestation of fear, that was something deep within you.”

“Deep within me? Some sort of fear I have buried away? But would could it be?”

“We are not sure. It is hard to be certain of such things with so little known. We rarely see such a manifestation, and they are often easy to deal with in time, but this may prove different given the circumstance. We are afraid it may even worsen with time.”

“Worsen?! What could be worse than that thing?”

“We would ask of you not to think of it, for you may get your answer, and you may not like it.”

Rarity swallowed. Luna was right, if that thing was a product of her imagination and fear, then thinking about worse alternatives could only make things worse. “I understand, but what are we going to do for tonight?”

Luna looked around and spotted a cloud. “We were told you once walked on clouds with the rest of your friends, do you remember that day?”

Rarity nodded. “Of course how could I forget? The wings I had were absolutely gorgeous.”

Luna hovered just over a fairly large cloud. “Think of that day, and the feel of the clouds on your hooves.”

Rarity closed her eyes, and remembered how soft clouds felt, and how springy they were to walk on. “I remember.”

“Then open your eyes.”

Luna had descended enough to have Rarity's hooves touching the clouds. Rarity could feel the solidness of them waiting to catch her. Luna let go, and Rarity gently fell down onto the cloud. “I did it!”

Luna smiled. “Very good, let us sleep here for the night.”

Rarity laid her head down on the soft cloud, it was very comfortable. She began thinking of all the times she had seen Rainbow Dash asleep in a cloud. Now Rarity understood why that lazy pegasus was always falling asleep up there, they were just that comfortable. It wasn't long before she fell completely asleep.

Comments

[Wade]

Ehg... is that a Slenderman reference? Feels really out-of-place.

Everything else is still very good, though. Good to see Rarity get done relief from the incredible frustration of the time displacement!