NOTE: The dream Zaria has in is first person, so don't bug me in the comment section about why it is in first person. Thank you! ~NYQUTIE

I stepped out into the hall with a pretty big grin on my face. Not only did I have royalty supporting the "Discord and Kayleigh Crisis," but I was also going to be staying in Canterlot—freakin' Canterlot!—indefinitely. And even though I had a couple of things to worry about, like the main reason the others and I were in Canterlot in the first place, staying in a castle with the girls and Lucky was almost virtual to a getaway vacation.

My grin must've made me look really stupid, because Maya raised an eyebrow and asked me, "What's go you so happy?"

"Zaria's smiling?" Pinkie jostled Maya out of the way and was beaming with joy when she saw my grin which, in a matter of seconds, turned into an uncomfortable frown when the pink pony was all up in my face. "Aww, it disappeared!" Pinkie cried. She suddenly turned her head upside down and gasped happily. "Oh, no, wait! There it is!"

I couldn't help but chuckle. Leave it to Pinkie to find any way to cheer someone up. "I guess I'm just relieved to have Princess Celestia help me out with this whole..." I twirled my hoof in the air, trying to think of a suitable word, but my mind went blank.

"Situation?" Pinkie offered. "Catastrophe? Crisis? Dilemma? Pr—" A light brown aura circled around Pinkie's hoof, causing it to jam straight into her mouth, preventing her from saying more.

"Thanks Maya," I said half-heartedly, rubbing my throbbing temples.

"Don't mention it," Maya replied, chuckling a bit at Pinkie's muffled speech. The nine of us dispersed to our assigned chambers, and I was a little disappointed that I didn't get Maya or even Rainbow Dash as my roommate. Instead I got Lucky. And not the adjective. Literally the noun—er, alicorn.

If I even uttered a word that was similar to a complaint, I'd receive yet another one of Lucky's lectures. So I had to phrase my words very carefully...

"So, isn't it great that we're staying here in Canterlot for a while instead of that cottage?" Shoot. I made our own home sound bad!

"I mean, not that it's bad or anything! But, uh, it was actually pretty nice for the Princess to help me out. Even though she doesn't really need to take time out of her schedule just to—" I face-hooved myself. Maybe shutting up would be beneficial to not only me, but to everyone in Ponyville.

"I'll just shut up," I repeated my inner thoughts, blushing slightly out of stupidity and making my way to the double bed that could fit up to five ponies.

As I put my hoof on the soft comforter, I felt another hoof rest on my back. (What, not my shoulder this time?) I turned around and came face-to-face with Lucky. I couldn't identify his facial expression, but I was pretty sure it was compassion. Or relief for me to say I'd be shutting up.

"Zaria," he began softly, "you know you don't have to be so nervous when talking around me." I shrugged his hoof off and turned to face him.

"Yes, I should," I argued. "I'm nervous I'll say something stupid and offend you. I'm nervous my big fat mouth will get me into more trouble than I need. I'm ner—" My sentence was caught off by a pair of soft lips. My eyes widened, and I wanted to pull away, but I just couldn't fight the sudden affection.

Instead, I lowered my head down to Lucky's chest, my ears listening to his faint heartbeat. I felt his hooves stroke my mane which, I slowly realized, hasn't been combed in days. But that was okay. Lucky's hoof acted like a comb, and soon my mane was no longer matted, yet not silky smooth like I've always dreamed it to be. Somehow, Lucky and I made it on the bed, but thankfully nothing kooky happened there. (If ya know what I mean).

I also found myself dozing in and out of sleep, and finally admitted defeat when Lucky's soft strokes against my mane, light heartbeat, and sturdy wing wrapped around me lulled me into slumber.

I feel majorly different. Not as in I-just-woke-up-and-I'm-still-groggy different; different as in....I spring up so fast The Flash has nothing on me. (Reference to LuckyBlitz's new story, The Time Space Adventure of Lucky P. Blitz!) I let out excited and confused breaths, feeling over my familiar human form.

"Oh, my legs!" I hear myself scream, absent-mindedly patting my knees and thighs. "How I missed walking on two instead of four!" I laugh happily and run my hands—my back slightly tingling at the tough of my five fingers—through my soft hair. I start to wonder if it was because Lucky smoothed out those tangles.

I gasp out loud and slap my hand over my mouth. "Lucky?" I gaze around the bedroom. The bed is neatly made, as if he and I had never laid our bodies on it, and it was creepily silent. Not quiet, silent. It was as if the whole room was holding its breath, just waiting for me to make one fatal mistake so anything lurking ahead...waiting to scare me...could just jump out and give me a heart attack.

I shake my head to clear that horrible thought from my brain, and quickly make my way outside. The hallway is the same as the bedroom—creepily silent. I resist the urge to call out for someone, anyone really, to at least make a noise so I'll know I'm not alone. The last thing I needed was to represent those dumb girls in horror movies who scream their heads off for the least bit of help. Hesitantly, I check the other girls' room. I'm not really surprised to find each and every one of them vacant. But I am surprised to find that Princess Celestia's quarters are not only barren, but stripped down from the thrown to the carpet. The room holds a strong resemblance to a newly built house before a person/family moves in with their own belongings.

I turn around and around in circles, the ceiling blurring and refocusing until I collapse on my back from exhaustion. What is going on?! My mind screams at me. How should I know?! I scream back. I mentally smack myself. I do not want to be recognized as the insane girl who talks to herself via thoughts.

"I need some fresh air." My own voice startles me, and my feet react before my brain can even think about the words that just flew out of my mouth. It takes a while, but my brain finally registers the fact that I am indeed moving. I wish it had acted slow for a little while longer.

As soon as I push open the front doors, a massive wave of heat coats my body. It heats me to the point where I'm somehow paralyzed, and continues to torment me from then on. I feel as if my insides are being cooked to a crisp. My brain is screaming at me to move, but my feet are being stubborn. Somewhere in the distance, a faint cry of agony flows through my ear canals and targets my eardrums. How is it possible for such a faraway shout to sound like it's close to me?

Once my body is mobile again, I slowly make my way outside, taking in the environment around me warily. Subtle pieces of nature slowly warp into scarring items. A cluster of luscious orange-brown trees disintegrate into starched, decaying tree stumps. The ground beneath me shifts from concrete to rugged, almost damp cement. And the empty streets become...well, less empty and more mournful. Piled around me are the lifeless bodies of not only humans, but ponies of all races and gender. Pegasi, Earth ponies, Unicorns, fillies and colts...adult couples, children, teenagers, elders...

I sink to the ground and cover my eyes. Now I've had some real nightmares in the past few days, but nothing like this! As terrible as it sounds, there should be enslaved people instead of the deceased. It may sound despicable, but the air shouldn't be deadly silent; the infamous screams of people sure beat an eerie silence. I tell myself that if I don't want to have to endure this torture, I've gotta wake myself up somehow. Digging my fingernails into my palms until half-moon circles appear, I rise up to my feet. Just as I take a solid step forward, something lunges downward, nearly striking my skull. I screech and peer at the lump through half-closed fingers.

My lungs shut off, my stomach explodes, and my eyes widen. It's not just a lump; it's two. And they're not moving. "M-MAYA! LUCKY!

A loud scream roused me from sleep, and I quickly realized it was me who was doing it. I felt myself trashing wildly in Lucky's arms and winced when I made impact with the wooden floor. My head whipped left and right, mimicking a pinwheel out of control. Since my eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness yet, I felt like I was still trapped in my nightmare. I jumped when I felt something pull me into a hug, and I sighed in relief when I realized it was just Lucky.

"You-you were dead," I managed to spit out. I'm sobbing now, drowning out Lucky's soothing sshs and comforting assurances. It must've been an hour or two of me crying, because when I finally ended it, Lucky was sound asleep next to me. His arms were still wrapped in a protective grasp, as if whatever hid in the dark corners of our room would jump out and—

My throat made some sort of squeaking noise, and Lucky's eyes snapped open. He continued to console me for another half and hour, and I almost whined again when I felt his arms slide off. He turned to me with an exhausted and sympathetic expression and held his hoof out. I didn't even need to hear the words "Let's get back to bed" to deny Lucky's suggestion with a quick shake of my head. The closer Lucky got, the farther I backed away from him.

"I can't go back to sleep," I whispered from my dry throat. Lucky gave me a look.

"Zaria—"

"NO! I CAN'T! I WON'T!" My brain took over my body as my wings shot out and whooshed me out the room...down the hall...and into the bone-chilling night that reminded me way too much of the nightmare I'd escaped.

Author's Note

I couldn't really think of a suitable title, so I chose the current one. Probably because it accentuates the endless torment Zaria goes through in her dreams. I mean, losing her best friend and husband? Can you spell "NOT cool"?

Anyways, hope you like it! As always, like/favorite/comment, and if you spot any grammar errors, please don't hesitate to tell me!

~NYQUTIE