• Published 13th Apr 2013
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Demon Days - carnivale



When a possibly-harmless venture into the Everfree Forest turns deadly, Rainbow Dash is stricken down with a disease, only to find out later that it's more than just ordinary... can the ponies help her in time before it gets out of hand?

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Chapter Three: Mirror Image

Demon Days
Chapter Three: Mirror Image

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Rainbow Dash drops like a stone to the floor, the ghoulish glow ceasing and her eyes returning to their normal rose-coloured demeanor. The perplexing, starry aura that’s around her begins to fade languidly into the air, and her fluffed-up mane lays flat again. She looks like the same old Rainbow Dash, thankfully, but the only difference that everypony fails to comprehend is the long gray streak painted traverse the crimson part of her mane.

The two trembling ponies huddled against the wall, their hearts hammering relentlessly against their ribcages, blink their eyes rapidly several times before letting the air flow freely through their lungs again. Fluttershy relinquishes a quaky breath, loosening her grip on Twilight’s leg. Both of them are at a loss for words. But, still, how can you possibly speak when you’ve witnessed something as terrifying as that?

At first, the two think Rainbow might be unconscious, because she doesn’t move or blink her eyes open. But then a slight twitch in her leg narrows their suspicions, and a shaky drawl of breath escapes her lips. A cyan hoof clutches at her forehead, rubbing gently at the skin there, and it isn’t long before her round eyes flutter open.

Twilight and Fluttershy release a long breath they didn’t realise they’d been holding, and they cautiously take a few hoof steps towards the Pegasus trying to steady herself up-right.

“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy says softly, moderately advancing a hoof towards Dash, who gladly takes it and succeeds on steadying herself on her haunches.

“Wh-what happened?” Rainbow Dash utters huskily, looking questioningly up at the two other ponies.

Twilight raises an eyebrow. “You mean, you don’t know?”

Dash shakes her head, completely oblivious, it seems. “No, everything suddenly went black…

Fluttershy and Twilight exchange glances, their eyes throwing the same series of questions at one and other. Their neck hairs still stand on end, but their expressions remain tranquil.

“…But I did see something.”

The two other ponies standing before her perks their ears, shooting her a wondrous glance. “What?” Twilight asks.

The butter-yellow Pegasus just despondently, soothingly stroking Dash’s temple with a compassionate hoof. And surprisingly, the other Pegasus doesn’t shove it away. It actually consoles her deeply to a point where her ravaging heart falters.

“It was like, some sort of vision,” Rainbow begins, grimacing when she feels her stomach begin to corkscrew in on itself. “Twinkling stars on a blank night sky, and then there was nothing.”

The gears in Twilight’s head revolve, and she suddenly feels herself being lost in deep thoughts. A vision about a night sky? Something clicks in her mind then. The familiar voice spieling from Rainbow Dash’s mouth when she was having some kind of strange outburst, chanting about endless night and who knows what else. Also, the vision Rainbow mentioned seeing. It all seems to fit together with an enemy she thought she’d defeated, along with her friends, long ago.

“How are you feeling, Dash?” Fluttershy asks softly. Her soothing, tender voice travels through Rainbow Dash’s ears peacefully.

“Surprisingly, better,” Dash says, and it’s true. Her head doesn’t feel like it’s been stuffed with cotton balls, her eyes don’t feel sullen and droopy, and sweat pours off of her like a waterfall, meaning her fever has broken. Except, unexpectedly, the writhing, pinchy feeling grows stronger, erupting in her stomach, and her throat bubbles. She clutches her abdomen, squeezing her hooves around her sides and leans forward. Her face bunches up and turns a sickly shade of green, her eyes beginning to water.

“Oh, goodness! Are you okay?”

Rainbow Dash crawls to the nearest waste bin, tips her head into it, and her hollow stomach releases itself into the empty metal can. Blue, wispy steam discharges from the corner of her mouth, and something within her depths cries out. Nopony seems to notice, though.

The woozy Pegasus drops onto her haunches, wiping her lips with her front leg, creating groggy moans with her mouth as the world around her starts to fuzz out. Her head feels empty, her stomach feels empty, her world feels empty – and the last thing she sees before blacking out is two ponies rushing to her side to catch her as she falls.

: : : :

Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy gallop through the Everfree Forest, Rainbow Dash draped over the lavender unicorn’s back, slightly jostling with every stride she takes. Gnarled branches and sharp thorns bite at the withers and joints of the ponies clopping down the dirt path winding through the trees, sucking musty air into their lungs.

Soft, disconsolate sounds and sniffles pour from the nervous Pegasus trying urgently to keep up with the lavender unicorn racing through the trees. Maybe the stifling sounds are triggered by the spooky aura of the Everfree, or the knowledge that Rainbow Dash is deathly ill – but Twilight knows, whatever that’s causing her to cry, it isn’t supposed to turn out peachy.

“A-are we almost th-there T-Twilight?” Fluttershy sullenly queries, her throaty chokes easing slightly.

“Yes, we are – I can feel it.”

Fluttershy nods, her gaze shifting to the unconscious Pegasus slumped on Twilight’s back. Thinking about how they could save her, but not conscious of what is stirring beneath her sickly core.

: : : :
Rainbow Dash’s heavy eyelids flicker open, the fuzziness of her edges easing away. She shakes her head, clearing away the grogginess clouding her mind. She fully wakes, only to find out that she’s utterly alone.

An unearthly blackness surrounds her; beneath her hooves, encasing her mind in its nightmarish depths. Nothing, it seems, can be seen for miles – or maybe there really isn’t anything to be seen for miles. Rainbow Dash can’t be sure, but she knows that if she even tried to run to find a light source, she’d end up galloping forever in space’s endless wake.

But how did she get here? What is this place? It feels as if she’s dreaming, but there’s nothing dreamlike about this. It’s dark, spooky, and sinister. It’s most definitely a nightmare, this she knows. But she feels as if something is missing.

Suddenly, a manic sound erupting around her derails her train of thought, and she’s thrown back into the real world – or if it really is the real world and not something crazily depicting her vast imagination. The intangible ground beneath her trembles as the noise grows louder, filling her ears with its uncanny pitch. But, as it continues to get more boisterous, she takes note that it isn’t just a spine-pinching sound, it’s the hearty bellow of evil laughter.

Rainbow Dash doesn’t know where to look, doesn’t know which direction the laughter is coming from. It feels like it’s in her hears, crawling in her chest, her head, her core – and it chills her to the very marrow of her bones.

Images begin to flash on invisible screens surrounding Dash, her eyes being able to catch hints of blue and black and star-speckled indigo as they flicker on and off in mere heartbeats. Her head whips in all directions, trying to catch the images in her grasp. But as they travel all around her, she soon recognizes an onyx face, turquoise, dragon-like eyes, a blue headpiece surrounding a tall horn, and a shimmering aura of a mane flowing out in front.

Dash freezes in place, squeezing herself tighter, trying to get away from everything this dark world places in front of her. As much as she wishes she could just sink and become one with the dark floor, as hard as she tries, it’s no use.
Words begin to swirl in her mind like a movie reel, a cackling voice speaking about ‘everlasting night’ and ‘glorious subjects’ and ‘be kneeling before me’, but her brain is too bugged to comprehend the reminisces. She grabs the sides of her head as the words grow to be more forceful and painful, folding herself in half and crumpling to the ground. She feels so vulnerable, so visible, so frightened. And she hates to be so.

Then the words stop, and the world shifts. Rainbow slowly opens one eye, then the other, unfurling herself from her current position. She suddenly finds herself in a damp room, one made of scratched stones, some oozing a strange moldy liquid from between the cracks. The sour stench of decay and death immediately hits her in the face, and she grimaces.
Luckily, the images and the loud cackling are nowhere to be seen and heard, so Rainbow Dash allows herself to relax a little. The tension in her muscles loosen, but it isn’t long before they tighten up again when strange tendrils of indigo mist begin to curl around her legs and neck.

The tendrils tickle her skin, leaving her breathless, her magenta eyes watering. The hard tickles grow more merciless until she’s writhing in agony, shrieking and screaming helplessly for them to cease. The star-spangled mist disengages slightly, but the tendrils around her throat add much more pressure. Croaky, incompetent sounds spill from her mouth as the coils of mist clasp her chin, forcing her head to look in a different direction.

Rainbow Dash instantly screams at the sight before her.

Five corpses hang on the stone wall, their hooves bound with sharp metal clasps above their heads. The most disturbing parts about them is that their eyes are missing, leaving gaping black holes in their faces. Pieces of their coat are tattered and eaten away, and it looks like they’ve been gutted of everything: their organs, their bones, their skulls. Just their haggard, bloody skin hangs gruesomely by the hooks that bind them to the cold stones.

And, they all look insanely familiar.

Blonde strips of matted hair is attached to the orange corpse, while purple and rose colored hair is attached to that of the lavender corpse. Light pink hair hangs from the butter-yellow corpse’s head, vibrant pink strands hang from a muted-pink corpse, and royal purple locks rest on the ivory-colored corpse. Two are unicorns, one is a Pegasus, and the other two are earth ponies.

Rainbow Dash feels like vomiting.

Her friends… dead before her very eyes. Bloodied, battered, destroyed. Left for the Death itself to take them into his merciless grasp.

A strange light glints in her eyes, and she unexpectedly finds herself staring into a rusted, golden-rimmed mirror. Her eyes widen at her reflection, and her face contorts into that of pure horror. Turquoise, dragon-like eyes glare back at her. Her muzzle is longer, face painted black. Blue armor rests upon her head, a star-speckled, indigo mane flows out from beneath it. The image flashes like a streak of lightning, barely showing her own face for a millisecond before returning to the face that causes her to cringe. She staggers back in terror.

Because it isn’t her face at all. It’s the face of a monster.

“NO…”

She’s the monster.

Another ear-piercing cackle slices through the air, and Rainbow Dash lets another terror-stricken scream rip from her throat as she feels herself being sucked out of the disgusting world she’s been played in like an unfortunate puppet on strings.

: : : :

“She’s waking up!”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes fly open, her body drenched in cold sweat. Her throat feels scratchy, and she knows that she’s been screaming aloud. And she continues to do just that, kicking her legs out in a frenzied manner, her eyes shrouded in terror and alarm. The world around her is blurred, blended into one giant mass. She thrashes her head about, her shrieks changing into mere whimpers as her strength begins to drain from her body.

She then feels a gentle hoof stroke her soaked forehead, and a mouth lean next to her ear, whispering soothing, soft words. It causes her to relax a little, the whimpers convulsing into minor breathing sounds. Her hooves are suspended above her, haphazardly grasping at nothing but the air, until the words being whispered into her ear grow a bit more forceful, and they drop back to her sides again. The movement left with her is the shaky rise and fall of her chest as she breathes.

“Rainbow Dash?” a wary voice says hesitantly. It sounds soft and demure, soothing to her savage breasts.

The cyan Pegasus blinks her eyes rapidly after calming down, the blurriness ebbing away from her vision. She looks up to see six familiar faces gazing down upon her: Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and Zecora. All of them look genuinely anxious and worried, even Pinkie Pie, who’s usual ear-to-ear grin she always wears is nowhere in sight.

“Hey, sugarcube. How ya feelin’?” Applejack asks smoothly, yet her concerned expression betrays her tranquil tone.

Rainbow Dash makes to sit up, but a sharp pain rocketing up her spine causes her to flop back down on a flocculent surface. She studies it with her hooves, and it feels like a fluffy mattress and cushiony bedding, only to figure out that it’s Zecora’s bed. The ancient, wood-painted masks that hang on the walls stare at her, causing her only to grimace as she remembers the atrocious images of her sudden nightmare.

The sullen Pegasus rubs her head, her eyes flicking around the room. “A-Applejack? Pinkie? Rarity? When did you all get here?” she inquires weakly.

“Rarity, Pinkie, an’ Ah saw Fluttershy and Twilight rushin’ into the forest carryin’ you on their backs,” Applejack explains. “We ran up ta see what all the commotion was about, only ta later learn that yer really ill. An’ now we’re all here at ye ol’ Zecora’s place.”

Rarity nods, her perfectly-shaped eyebrows furrowing into that of apprehension and worry as she gazes at her sick friend. “How are you feeling, darling?”

Rainbow Dash internally rolls her eyes. She knows her friends mean well in worrying for her well-being, but that doesn’t mean she should be treated like a foal. She decides not to portray her vague annoyance, and calmly murmurs in a respectful tone, “That’s about the third time somepony’s asked me that today, but I’m feeling fine. Much better, actually, than this morning.”

“Oh, how wonderful to hear, darling.”

And it’s true, however, her head complies to spinning, and a woozy feeling completely floods her senses. Her eyelids immediately feel heavy, flickering tediously, but she prods herself in staying awake with her friends. Zecora notices these actions as she leisurely approaches the bed.

“Ah, I see the Ambien is working its magic foretold, it won’t be long till sleep has its hold,” the zebra reports in her usual consoling balladry.

Twilight nods. “Yes. Zecora has given you a special medicine that she’s brewed which makes your sleeps more peaceful, and we figured you may need it because your lack of tranquil slumber you displayed earlier.”

A pinching shiver crawls maliciously up her spine after the lavender unicorn spoke the words. And lack of a tranquil slumber it was. The images do not cease to eat at her brain, and her insides begin to writhe like a bunch of squirming worms all compacted together tightly. What was that whole nightmare even about? Her mind fails to comprehend nagging questions because of the grogginess that grabs her in a firm grip.

Dash fights herself to stay awake, not wanting to plummet into the depths of nightmares no matter how much Twilight’s promise of a peaceful sleep reassures her, but to no avail. It isn’t long before her eyelids close and she’s nodding off to sleep.

The ponies gathered around the bed wait until they’re sure she’s really asleep before delicately heading over to wear Zecora is settled, the zebra muttering eccentric incantations to a steaming pot of bubbling brew. They remain silent until she finishes her string of confusing words, exchanging glances with one and other as tension and worry seeps into their bones. Worry for their friend. They hope with clenching hearts that Zecora knows what’s wrong with her, and even better that she has a cure to make her well again.

“So, do you know what’s wrong with Rainbow, Zecora?” Twilight asks, echoing everypony’s degrading thoughts.

The zebra nods once, although her confirmation is still quite unsure. “I have dealt with many sicknesses like this before, and I find it quite abhor,” she says, tossing in another hoof-full of herbal ingredients. “But there is a way to make sure this illness won’t stay.”

All of their faces light up, this time exchanging glances of high hopes and relief.

“Really? How?”

“Well, this remedy is sure to do the trick. At least – “

Zecora is never able to finish her sentence because of the horrible hissing noise that slithers its way through the ears of everypony in the room. Their expressions go slack, and they slowly turn their heads toward the bed, where the noise is most certainly coming from.

Rarity screams.

A strange-looking pony with teeth as sharp as fangs, eyes glazed black as the night – only emitting a harsh glow of yellow, green and blue -, rusty, cyan fur sticking up all over the place, and a vague illusion of claws unsheathing from her hooves has replaced the ill Rainbow Dash on the bed, its back arched like a cat. But the hissing, frightening pony has Rainbow Dash’s mane, and Rainbow Dash’s cerulean coat.

It is Rainbow Dash.

The ponies collide with each other, squirming in each other’s flimsy grips and huddling against the wall, their eyes wide, fixed on ghostly pony who’s claimed Rainbow’s body for its own. Fluttershy presses her hooves against her eyes. Zecora backs away, too, but her curious eyes scrutinize Rainbow Dash as she contracts in one of her deadly fits.

Suddenly, a voice that isn’t her own spills from Rainbow’s mouth. It sounds throaty, and loud, and most definitely wicked. And deathly familiar.

“The spirit’s wrath is overtaking!” it shrieks. “Be wary! Learn well! Sunset’s embers shall fade away and leave darkness in its wake!”

Then, after the last word, the darkness shrouding her eyes fade away to rose-colored irises and white sclera. Her coat flattens, and her fangs shorten back into normal teeth. Her eyebrows furrow, and with a weary groan, collapses onto the mountain of sheets. There’s a minor twitch of the leg, and then she lays motionless.

“What in… tarnation?” Applejack breathes, pausing between each word. “R-Rainbow?”

Twilight gathers herself before stepping forward, gently picking her way towards the mare in the bed. Rarity presses a hoof to the lavender unicorn’s flank, halting her with frightened cerulean eyes. “Don’t go near her! Didn’t you see what just happened?”

Twilight looks at Rarity, her purple eyes shrouded with anguish and fear for her friend. She shakes her head. “This isn’t the only time she’s done it, Fluttershy and I can count on that for a fact,” she says gravely. “This isn’t an ordinary illness, I know this for sure. And somehow, I know she can’t control what happens to her. She isn’t dangerous.”

“B-But Twilight, what happened?” Pinkie asks, irrational fear overtaking her usual peachy-keen voice that she usually voices with a high-pitched melody. “Her eyes went all loco and she started saying freaky-deaky things in a weirdo voice!” The pink party pony uses hoof gestures to expand on her sayings.

“I don’t know exactly what’s happening to her, but I think it somehow connects with her venture into the Everfree Forest, and Nightmare Moon.”

Her friends gasp. “Nightmare Moon?” they repeat in unison.

Twilight lowers her head, a stretched, dejected frown portraying her features. “And if it is, it’s all my fault.”

The unicorn feels her heart wrench. She knows that this crazy illness somehow connects with the Everfree Forest. She’s heard ancient legends of ponies coming out of there with anything but ordinary afflictions possessing their well beings. The illness Rainbow is carrying could’ve come from anything – an animal bite, a poisonous plant, or possibly anything lingering in the humid air. And the sayings… the voice that pervades Dash’s own voice is too familiar, so agonizingly familiar that it burns. And just a few moments ago had she figured it out. The declarations of everlasting night. It all fits together too well.

And it kills Twilight that, if Rainbow Dash really did catch this mysterious illness from the Everfree, it’s her call for sending her in there, for her own greedy wanting.

She feels a hoof rest delicately on her shoulder, and she swivels her head around to come face-to-face with Zecora. Despite the gentle approach, the zebra has a grave look inscribed on her face. Twilight’s eyes search hers, but even if there is an answer behind the zebra’s own eyes, she can’t find it.

“It kills me to say, with great terse,” Zecora begins, regaining her posture in front of the ponies. “That your friend is, in fact, cursed.”

The five of them gasp loudly, hooves clutching at mouths, eyes wider than dinner plates. Fluttershy lets a forlorn sobbing sound escape her lips.

“Possessed, moreover. Very prune.” The zebra makes her way over to her boiling pot of perplexing brew, beginning to busy her hooves in throwing different herbal ingredients and suspicious liquids into the brimming cauldron. She takes a moment to peak an eye over her shoulder at the ponies who continue to try and grasp what they’ve been told before. “By, yes, the one they call Nightmare Moon.”

Nothing springs from their mouths then, only tense silence. No words, no gasps, no sobs, no nothing. Just the looks of pure horror and sorrow on their faces portray a string of words already. Even Fluttershy’s flow of tears have come to a standstill, her body frozen in utter shock.

Applejack dares to shatter the thick silence, her voice quaking uncontrollably. “P-p-possessed? But h-how?”

“Come over, my little ponies, by me, right here,” Zecora directs, motioning with a hoof for the ponies to gather around her and her pot. “But the truth isn’t something you’d always like to hear.”

Author's Note:

I intended on this being put up earlier, but my schoolwork got the best of me. Luckily, this chapter is longer! So I hope you enjoyed it.
Also, I hope you like the coverart, because I drew it myself.