> Not All Bad Things Are....Evil.... > by The Pony of Lost Legend > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ~Somber Nightmares~ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cadence jolts awake in a cold sweat. Huffing hard and eyes wide. Her husband, Shining Armor, stirs and wakes to comfort her. "Are you alright Cadence?" He asks, his tone thick with worry as he looks to his trembling wife. She takes a deep breath. "J-Just another nightmare is all...I'll be okay..," She says with a forced smile. He looks to her doubtful as he sighs. "I really think you should talk to Princess Luna about these nightmares Cadence...You've been having them for much to long...," he says laying back down. She looks to him as she lays back down as well. "I shall...in the morning. But you must know..everypony has nightmares. It's nothing new Shining...," Cadence states as she yawns and rubs her eyes. "Still....," he mutters and rolls over. Cadence sighs again as she hears his breathing slow, signaling he had fallen back to sleep. Cadence closed her eyes only to hear the voice return to haunt her thoughts. "Saaave meeee,"It hissed. Cadence shivers as she squeezes her eyes shut, trying to force it away. But it only made it worst. Only made the voice his louder and angrier. "FREE ME," Cadence shuffled out of bed, careful not to wake her husband as she crept to the bathroom rubbing her head. She drops he face in the sink and turns on the water. Splashing herself in the face with the chilled water to cool her down she jolts up as the voice screams in her head once more. "FREE ME," Cadence huffs again. "J-Just tell me where you are so I can help you!!," she whimpers. The voice sounded like it was in pain, like it lusted for freedom. What she didn't know was....it did. It lusted for freedom and so much more. > ~Where the Voices Shriek~ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The morning light poured through the window as Cadence awoke the next day. Looking around rubbing her eyes she noticed Shininig's side of the bed was empty. She sighed. No doubt he was off talking to Princess Luna about her nightmares again. He worried for her. She knew that. But she could take care of herself. Cadence got up with a yawn and her ears perked as she heard Luna and Shining's hoofsteps heading for her bedroom door. She jumped out of bed. Cadence really didn't want to trouble Luna just because she had a scary dream. After all..everypong had bad dreams for Tia's sake! And just like that...she was gone. "She should be right in here...I really feel you should talk to her my Princess...her dreams are going haywire," Shining mumbles as he opens the door and walks in with the Princess of the Night by his side. "Ah. Tho shall talkith to Cadenza about thy's dreams...," Luna spoke in her olden tone. The two looked around to see Cadence missing. "I was sure she'd be here..," Shining frowns. Luna pats his shoulder. "Im sure we can find her dear Shining Armor!," Luna shouts in her Cantorlot voice. He sighs. "Right..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cadence blinks and opens her eyes to a darken room. She couldn't see even her hooves in front of her. "Where am I?," She says softly to herself. She'd bed in her bedroom and in the blink of an eye she had been brought here. "Welcome at last dear Princessss," A voice..The voice that had been in her nightmares hissed. A shiver ran down her spine. "W-Where am I-I?," Cadence whimpers in fear. The voice only chuckles. "The Crysssstal Cavesss,"it replies. She blinks in surprise. "This place has been shut down for years after.....h-him....," She shivers in memory of the dark king that use to rule over the crystal ponies with fear and agony. The voice laughs darkly. "You seem to fear this 'him'," It says in what sounded like amusement. Cadence steps back. "Do you not know of him? Of what he has done to this Empire and it's ponies?!," she asks the darkness. It gives a crackle as the voice speaks once more. "Do I KNOW him? Do I KNOW what he's done?!," The voice laughs loudly, echoing so loudly it causes Cadence to sink to the cold crystal floor in fear. "Don't be foolish young filly. Of course I do. In fact...I know better than anypony in this damn place!!" "W-What do y-you mean?," Cadence asks in a almost whisper. The voice gives another dark chuckle. "Is it so hard to figure out mm? Fine. Let me help you." The voice coes. "Why does nopony come to these mines anymore my dear princess? Why did they close it off?" Cadence begins to think. "B-Because there were stories that t-the ponies who would come in here would go insane over hearing a.......voice....," Cadence's eyes widen as she began to tremble. The voice chuckles. "Yessss. Who's voice did they say they'd hear? Who was the pony banished to this damn place?" Cadence looks into the darkness, eyes wide with fear. "S-Sombra." > ~Sombra~ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- A shadowy figure formed itself in front of Cadence causing her to jump back in alarm. It grins at her. "Hello Princessss," Sombra says, grinning wider. Cadence backs into the corner as Sombra makes his way closer and closer. "Aw come now, I don't bite," he coes. "S-Stay a-a-away from me!," Cadence shouts. "S-Shining will come f-for me!!" Sombra laughs darkly. "Nopony can hear your cries princess!! Scream all you want!! Your only amusing me! Cadence's eyes fill with tears. "Y-Your lying! You are!!," She cries hiding her face in her hooves. Sombra grins. "Im not lying. I'm alot of things, but a liar isn't one of them," He laughs. "N-No.....," Cadence whimpers. "....no." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Where could she be??," Shining asks himself as he paces their bed chambers. Luna sighs. "Tho is not sure where Cadenza could possibly be...," Luna says looking to the pacing colt with worry. "But tho does know you should not worry yourself as such...." "She's been gone for hours princess!! She's never gone this long!" Shining frowns and continues pacing. Luna sighs again deeply. "Yes yes....of course.." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "I brought you here for a reason princess." Sombra says as he rests his blood red eyes on the young alicorn. Cadence looks at him, no, glares at him. "No reason that is important to me! Release me Sombra!," Cadence growls losing what fear she had to anger. Sombra sighs. "I only wish for something in exchange....," He says calmly. Cadence looks to him in suspicion. " I shall not release you from this prison Sombra. You've earned your banishment," she huffs. He shakes his head. "I do not wish to walk freely in Equestria dear princess.....I wish to be freed permanently to where I can harm no pony...," he says. Cadence is taken aback for a moment. "W-What do you mean??," she asks. He looks to her with eyes. "I wish for death," "But your already dead!" Cadence says disbelievingly. He sighs once more. "If only that were true....No princess...I'm only half dead...I'm a lost spirit just waiting for final and complete peace," He explains. Cadence looks to him with...pity.. in her eyes. "So you brought me here....to kill you?" she asked in a hushed whisper. He nods. "Indeed....Your element is my opposite...Love.....All you would have to do is hit me one time...and i'll be gone forever," "A-And if I do it...you'll send me back home?," she asks. "You have my word," he says with a bow of his head. Cadence takes a deep breath. "Then yes Sombra....I will fill your request...." "Thank you my princess...." he dips his head and closes his eyes, waiting for her to finish him off. Cadence lights her horn with a deep breath. Touching it to his shadowy head, Sombra gives a final thankful smile and disappears with a whisper. "Thank you." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cadence opens her eyes to see Shining in front of her with a face full of worry. Luna standing beside him as Shining pulls her into a tight hug. "Where were you!? I was worried sick!," Shining asks looking to her. Cadence gives a small smile as Luna nods. "I was helping an old friend."