Breaking Innocence

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The sound was unnerving, rhythmic, exact, constant. The symbolic seconds of the day living and dying in their own little frames, a single moment trapped in a sound. Inconsequential to the being sitting at the foot of her bed, merely the sound of another second's death, joining its brethren in the ever-expanding graveyard of Time.

Without the omnipresent clock, silence would rest within the room, quiet, observant. Within it hides much, things a pony could never see, never hear, never feel, but would always be there, watching. What they couldn't see could see their every move, what they couldn't believe would hear their every thought, every curse, every wish. Every single little thing carried on like an inescapable whisper to the being in the room. Dreams from the slumbering mare echoed within their head, pleasant dreams of success and fame, pomp and circumstance; things that turned the being's stomach.

A shift in the covers, a yawn and a sigh. Signs of awakening.

"Mmm... that was a nice sleep," the mare whispered in her half-conscious state, stretching out. "What to do today?" Her forelegs gently laid down on the slightly-disturbed sheets as she basked in the warmth of her bed and in the dark of her sleeping mask, it still resting over her eyes.

The being didn't shift with the voice, no urgent need to move or hide, no panicked thoughts towards making a story to cover their presence. They didn't feel an ounce of... anything. A blink was the greatest acknowledgement managed, crystal-cyan eyes having watched the mare for quite a time, a freezing lack of emotion held within them. A prayer had called the being to this town, this building, this very room, a voice that they had recognized from only a few years ago. The voice of an innocent, crying out for help, a prayer so strong that it forced the being out of their own dreams.

The mare in the bed rolled to the side, her alabaster coat shining perfectly in the sunlight, hoof patting along the bed towards the end table. She tapped the wood a few times before registering that she'd found her target, grasping the source of the ticking as she raised her sleeping mask. "Nnn... seven AM. Too early, usually wake up at nine on a weekend. Suppose I could sacrifice a bit of time for more rest." With a sigh, the mare smiled and rolled back over, closing her eyes. Her smile shifted to a frown as she spotted something moving out of the corner of her eye, slowly opening them and looking down towards it. The tip of a mane?

Her eyes followed the ethereal substance back to its source, her heart stopping dead for a moment as she saw the face of the being. "P... P-P..."

The stuttering was answered with a simple adjustment of the being's eyes, the beginning of a glare appearing. The mare quickly silenced herself, sitting up in her bed as she sorted out her thoughts. "Pr... incess... Luna?"

The ticking of her clock was her answer as the alicorn at the foot of her bed barely even moved, simply staring at her. "Er... I-I do wish s-somepony had told me y-you would be dropping by, I w-would have cleaned up sooner." A nervous chuckle escaped her before her expression changed again, falling a little. Luna didn't return any of her jovial tone, sticking to her silence, speaking volumes through it. "H-How might I s-serve you, Your Highness?"

Simply more silence from a royal who had done everything in her power to ensure that she spoke near-constantly, and at quite a volume as well. The mare gulped, looking around the room for an open door or window. Her door was closed, her window still had the blinds around it... not a soldier in sight, or even Twilight kicking in the door to warn her of the Princess' arrival. It was just her and Luna, alone in her bedroom at seven in the morning, no rhyme or reason to her visit, or why she was sitting at the foot of her bed.

"Am... er... d-does Twilight know a-about this?" Rarity asked, trying not to run for the door and escape Luna's burning eyes.

"...No." So matter-of-fact, so calm, so undeniably terrifying was Luna's answer. Almost sinister, if Rarity hadn't known the Princess personally.

"S-So, er... w-would you l-like some breakfast, or a-a drink? P-Perhaps some tea?" Rarity grinned, trying to rub the sleepyness out of her eyes.

"No." The word was like ice, Luna's glare only worsening as she tried to blow a hole right through Rarity's forehead with her eyes alone.

"Um... u-uh... i-if I m-might be s-so bold, Your H-Highness, what inspired th-this visit? Oh, I-I know! You require a new dress, yes?"

"No."

Rarity raised her eyebrow, doubt rolling in her mind like a boulder, trying to catch up to her confidence. She shivered slightly, another gulp falling down her throat. She suddenly felt rather cold, like something was creeping up her back and spreading through her body. "S-So... why a-are you here...?"

"...One reason." Luna's glare fell back to a neutral stare, not even blinking. Her body hadn't moved an inch since the conversation began, like a statue watching over its guarded treasure. Though Rarity felt more like a prisoner under her sight.

"And th-that reason is, er," Rarity's voice trailed off as she stared into the Princess’ eyes, barely able to blink as she almost fell into the freezing emptiness. Her voice fell to a meke whisper, a chill running down her spine. “I-Is Equestria in... trouble?”

Silence, and a thoughtful expression crossing Luna’s face answered her for the next few moments.

“Is it?” Rarity asked again, feeling some strength returning to her voice. It must be... why would Princess Luna come to me otherwise? Especially on such short notice, and with such... w-why is she being so quiet?

“...Not entirely.”

The two words simply brought confusion to the dressmaker as her brow furrowed. She didn’t dare rise from her bed, but the fear was slipping away, at least. “What do you mean ‘not entirely’, Your Highness?” Rarity tilted her head slightly, now flipping through other reasons a royal could drop by. Design advice? Perhaps a makeover? Maybe she needs help planning for an upper-class party? Oh, maybe she wants me to help plan for the next Gala! That would be delightful! A smile lit up on Rarity’s face as she continued on through her reasons.

“I mean exactly that.”

Did... somepony just flatline? Rarity’s eyes widened at the simply flat tone of Luna’s voice. “That doesn’t make sense, Your Highness.”

“Makes sense to me.” Luna’s expression began to shift to a more angered state, wrinkles appearing just slightly along her brow as it furrowed. “Though... what doesn’t is the actual danger.”

“And you need my help to find out about it?” Rarity’s mouth curved up at the side, a thoughtful ‘hm’ following. “Wouldn’t Twilight be more suited to that?”

“I don’t believe so, no.” Her brow fell further, Rarity’s spirits dropping right along with it.

“S-So, er... since I’m helping, i-is there anything I should know?” The mare chuckles half-heartedly as she tried to break eye contact, look at anything besides the molten pits of emptiness in Luna’s eyes, anything to get away from the silent storm assaulting her.

“A few things, actually...” The hidden flicker of a flame behind Luna’s voice dragged Rarity’s attention back. The glare worsened as Luna simply stared at her, brow falling to its greatest low. “One... it was brought to my attention through a normally-quiet source.” Rarity’s spine quaked with the words, a weight greater than the world sitting on her shoulders.

“N-Normally... q-quiet?” Rarity stammered, checking herself as another bolt of a shiver raced up her back. Why am I so frightened...? She’s asking me for help, so what is this... feeling? This freezing cloud along my back... the attraction in her eyes... e-every word feels like a blow to my stomach...

“Indeed... very quiet. For the source rarely has a problem. Meagre things that would only matter to them, a quiet whisper occasionally.” Luna’s mouth dropped ever so slightly from her neutral frown, her words picking up in intensity, though barely changing in volume.

“I-Is that so? Well, we h-had better help them... s-so, er... P-Princess, c-could I ask why you’re s-staring at me like that?” Rarity backed up slightly against the head of her bed, lungs barely functioning as she felt her body chill, the feeling of ice growing on her coat.

“...Two. The claim had carried with it a very serious implication, aimed at somepony.” The two barely moved from their positions, simply staring at each other.

Is... i-is she getting closer to me? A shivering breath escaped Rarity as she fought against an instinct to escape, to simply run for the door, out of the shop and into the arms of one of her friends, hyperventilating, stammering in pure terror. What... u-unholy creature is sitting in front of me...? She gulped, feeling her lungs struggle for more air, but they simply wouldn’t function under the weight of the stare.

“Three...”

Rarity’s eyes shot wide, her lungs stalling mid-gasp, as something lit inside the Princess’ eyes; barely noticeable, but felt through her entire being like the ice from before.

Heat. A fire. An inferno slowly growing in her chest as the flame grew in Luna’s eyes.

“I’ve been hearing this same claim... for a year and a half.”

“A y-year and a-a half, you say? W-Well, erm... u-uh... th-that sounds like a v-very difficult problem t-to solve...” Not even a single breath of a chuckle escaped her, feeling the crippling weight increase even more. Her forelegs shivered, threatening to give out under her, the weight trying to throw her down through the building below her, down through the dirt. Bury her alive. Stop... s-stop staring... at me... c-can’t breathe...

“It is... the source spoke to me personally, after all.” Luna whispered, every single word like a spear into Rarity. “I heard many things... saw, many things... things that kept me awake during the day. Sent bolts down my spine...”

A shivering breath was all Rarity could manage in response, her mind stalled as her attention was simply burned within the growing fires of Luna’s eyes. Her voice dripped with neutrality, but her eyes contained nothing but pure malice.

“I hear... many things during my slumber. Little whispers coming to me through the dark, and I follow those voices. Thoughts of happiness, of sadness, and I try to be a part of those experiences,” Luna whispered as her glare faltered just slightly. “Your dreams, I have visited on more than one occasion. Always full of generous feelings, trying to provide for others.”

Rarity twitched, a small breath relieving her lungs of their agony. “I... t-try...”

“But, for the last year and a half... I have heard one voice screaming out above the rest. One. Single. Voice. And I have been pulled into his dreams again and again...” The frown fell further as the glare worsened, Luna’s eyes burning brighter. “And I have seen something... again, and again... something that never should have occurred in anypony’s lifetime... including my own.”

Rarity pressed herself up against the head of the bed, her bones quivering under the stress, her lungs barely functioning, the world swimming around the sharpened image of the Princess. Need... t-to run...

“I have felt pain unlike any I’ve ever felt in my centuries of living... and now, that danger must be answered for.” Luna’s body finally moved, a forehoof rising up past her wing. “That voice... must be put at ease.” Her hoof curled, gripping air.

Year... and a half... s-she’s here for... a s-single voice? Her mind battled through hurricanes to seek the answer, searching for anything that might have happened back then. O-One voice... h-happened... l-last year...

“The voice... the pony, so very young, with his entire future ahead of them...” The air bent within Luna’s grip as her pupils turned near-red from the flames burning within. “A pony... who reached out to his Princess... begging for help. Begging for peace...”

Young...? C-Colt...?

“And now... after so long... after so many nightmares...” The air turned solid in Luna’s grip, gaining color, a material presence. A wooden texture, smoothed to perfection, slightly curved. “His prayers will be answered.”

Young colt... y-year and a h-half ago...

Suddenly, all the pieces fell together in Rarity’s mind, and the world fell dark. She floated in the infinite black, Luna mere feet away from her. Panic lit inside her mind like the sun itself, an earthquake raced through her body, air raced into her lungs, and on the first instinct she could manage through the terrible storms clouding her vision, she weaved a spell.

Need t-to run! Now!! The teleportation spell wrapped her in an aura, sending her away. She flew through the air, seeing a dirt road race towards her before her belly crashed onto it, dragging for a few meters before she jumped back to her hooves and ran. Her legs took her through the streets of her home, making a straight line through the town. Her eyes looked behind her, filled with a primal terror, though it faltered slightly when no inferno greeted her.

She rounded a corner, greeted by something only a nightmare could conjure. The street before her was torn asunder, massive fissures cutting and carving it into random pieces. The buildings all hovered in the air, beign torn apart by some invisible force as the wood and hay burned. She turned, only to run face first into an explosion, throwing her back towards a growing fissure. “Ahhhh!!” She screamed as a quick levitation spell set her upright, sprinting as quickly as she could away from the fissure. A rounded corner simply showed her more destruction, buildings melting down in the molten Tartarus she found herself in.

Her eyes darted around like some crazed animal, houses falling down into darkness, or bursting into flames, or outright destroying themselves in a chaotic tornado. The ground was torn to pieces, islands crashing into each other with mighty thunder, storms and lightning vaporising the stone that was spared impact. In only moments, her home had become something from a fairy tale. Some twisted creation of a creature’s dark mind.

She turned once more, greeted by only one sight in the apocalypse. Red lightning crashed down around them as the sun blotted out, casting the land into darkness. Shimmering steel on a wooden staff, a dark blue hoof holding it at its master’s side. A black robe hid the being’s face, two glowing, burning red eyes staring through Rarity.

“C-Celestia... h-help me...” she squeaked, shrinking down onto her little, crumbling island.

“Nopony can help you... nopony would.” The being snarled. “We grant thee a single chance.”

“A... ch-chance?” Rarity whispered, staring up into the two infernos, feeling her very heart being torn apart, simply by being near this creature. What... d-demon is this?

“Rarity!” The beast roared, thunder exploding around them. Rarity screamed out, covering her head to try and protect herself, trying to escape this newfound Tartarus. “We have endured the nightmares of another, another whose soul is torn by a past act!” The last bits of Ponyville fell down into the darkness, incredible heat rising from the abyss around them. “We could never experience the fullest extent of this one’s pain, a child who cannot fight their own battles. And so, we demand one single thing.”

“A-Anything! Please, j-just spare me!” Rarity shuddered, feeling her body cook in the skyrocketing temperature.

“Spare thee!? When thy malice be so powerful, that thou would not spare the child!? You speak madness!” Every word brought another bolt down from the heavens, eruptions of lava flying up past Rarity, each one drawing closer to her, the blazing heat threatening to destroy everything she was. “Our demand is simple. We demand that you tell us who We speak of.”

“Wh-Who you’re talking about...!? I-I have no idea! I swear! Please!” Rarity didn’t dare remove her forehooves from her eyes, fearing what she might see. She felt bits of her coat catch fire, the heat becoming too much for her body to handle. “D-Don’t kill me, please!”

“Who. Do. We. Speak of!?” Another slam of the staff into the island below the being shook the very fabric of the space around them, Rarity’s island shattering to pieces. Her flailing hooves granted her a full sight of the maw below her, filled with lava. The heat built as she fell, screaming to the heavens.

“Princess Celestia! Save me!! Please!!” She flailed more and more, turning and flipping through the air as her tears evaporated in the building heat, eruptions reaching her as soul-shattering explosions, her own screams deafened by Nature’s wrath.

“Nopony will save you! Answer Our demand!!”

With nowhere else to go, nothing else to say, and no hope left in her burning mind, Rarity screamed out the only thing she could think of. “You’re talking about Pipsqueak!” Earth met her back with a bone-shattering impact, and only managed a gasp as precious air flew from her lungs. M-My... legs... I... I-I can’t f-feel my legs...

The thought was quickly dashed by the robed figure appearing above her, staring down into her eyes. The air chilled, froze around them, a frigid fog blanketing the inferno below. “Pipsqueak is who We speak of.”

“Oh h-holy Princesses...” Rarity’s eyes widened and watered with tears, the image over her blurred, her sight consumed by the inferno within the being’s eyes.

“Rarity. We hath come to answer for a crime. Pipsqueak had reached to Us in a prayer, one that shook Us to our roots... our very soul. That one so young would have something so precious stolen away...” Every word fell further into a beastly snarl, white teeth - fangs - shining in the dark of her hood. The scythe stood at the ready next to her. “That you would take it... again. And again. The Element of Generosity would be so selfish!? So blind to one’s own feelings!?”

Blind...? But... b-but... Rarity’s eyes shook as she searched for a way to quell the monster’s rage, but it simply wouldn’t come to her. I... h-he...

“Speak, criminal!!” The world shook with the monster’s roar, Rarity’s own scream lost to the darkness.

“H-He w-wanted to!”

“Foolhardy, brutish lies!! We saw the horrors within dear Pipsqueak’s nightmares! Thy act was evil! Pure, demonic evil! Thou stole his innocence, scarred his mind! We could not do a thing as thou continued thy selfish actions!!” Rarity felt her chest crushed down under a hoof, pressing more air out of her already-struggling lungs. “What say thee, monster!?”

“He... n-never... ob... jec—” A quick stomp to the neck silenced her, and her vision filled with the wrathful glare of the inferno, the being’s face not three inches away.

“Objected? Thou require an objection to cease thy horrific rape...? Thy soul is darkened beyond Our expectations.” A short gout of flame from the monster’s nose banished the darkness, revealing the enraged face of Princess Luna. Fissures criss-crossed her face, burst veins ran across her eyes, fangs so tightly pressed together that the steam of her breath escaped in thin jets. “Pipsqueak remained silent for so long... he prayed with all his heart and soul, begging somepony for help. And We answered, after a year and a half. Nopony helped him! His nightmares continued to shatter his soul, but one light reaching into the darkness, trying to pull him from thy grasp!”

W... h... o...? Rarity’s mind ceased existing, destroyed by the twisting fires in Luna’s eyes. All she was capable of was staring back, feeling her body and mind fall apart at the seams.

“One generous soul... one little filly reached out to him. One life had kept his from ending. Yet thy continued acts kept him so close to the edge... thy image was that of a demon, a black-hearted evil spawned from the depths of Tartarus, come to sweep away everything he held dear! Thy threats, acts, lustful stares and grasps! We witnessed everything, and now, We have come to answer!” Luna stood up and raised her scythe, the air torn by lightning and erupting lava, and the world fell to silence. “Criminal Rarity... for thy crimes, continued aggression, thy heinous actions that spat in the face of everything Equestria holds dear!”

Rarity’s lungs stopped. Her heart stopped. Her eyes fixed on the blade of the scythe, and everything fell away. The only thing she heard besides the voice of her executioner... was the ticking of a clock.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

“We sentence thee to DEATH!” The scythe blade cut through the air, Rarity’s eyes following its edge on its roundabout course.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

Tick. To—

Silence. Darkness. Air thick, yet no smell. Only heat.

Blazing, inescapable heat.

“Pipsqueak! Hey!”

I quickly turned around to see Dinky running up behind me. “Oh... hey.”

“You weren’t going to try and leave me behind, were you?” She offered me a small smile and started walking away from the school.

I slowly shook my head, glancing in all directions. “No...”

She didn’t notice my hesitation, happily walking. “That’s good. I still haven’t forgotten that time we were walking and you suddenly were just gone!” She moved backward to stand next to me as we walked. “Just like a ghost, or maybe even a ninja! Or...”

“A ninja ghost?” I offered. Dinky nodded and nudged me, signaling that we should walk.

She had a point though. I had disappeared that day. But it hadn’t been my choice. Almost nothing during the last year or so had been my choice.

A year and a half. Or eighteen months. A long time. I couldn’t remember before then, before she had taken me into that horrible room with no light, no freedom...

Rarity had made me a promise, and she had followed through on it. After the first time, I remember waking up in my room. My first thought was to go tell my mum about it, maybe she could do something. I had leapt out of bed to do so, and saw a sheet of paper tacked onto the inside of my door. With three diamonds on it in a triangle shape..

That was when my nightmares had begun. But not just when I was sleeping, but when I was awake too.

I had refused to walk to school by myself for an entire week, my mum thankfully walking with me. After that, I managed to do it by myself without having panic attacks. And come home from school the same way. A month went by, and I started to think that it had been some sort of an awful dream.

Nope.

I had been traveling home from after school, having spent some studying time with Miss Cheerilee on my maths. I remember yawning, and then I just knew that it hadn’t been a dream.

The second time had been worse. I... I don’t remember all of the details, but it had hurt. So much. The pain had felt like something that was only in a bad dream. But it wasn’t.

After that time, I knew that I wasn’t safe. I started to... change. On the outside, I was still me, kinda. But not on the inside. And as it continued, as Rarity continued to hurt me, it leaked out of me, kinda like if you poke a hole in a balloon.

I started to hide in my own mind. My happy, cheerful self started to fade away from me, until only sadness and anger was left. I started to snap at my mum and dad, at my friends, almost everyone that I knew. My marks in school started to go down, to a worrying level. And I was always, always afraid. That the next day would be the one that she came again and snatched me.

And she did. Many times. I didn’t know why she kept hurting me, I had never done anything wrong to her! No matter how many times I told her, she continued.

I thought it would never end, until my favorite holiday arrived a few weeks later. Nightmare Night. I didn’t dress up, only flopping my pirate hat onto my head. Even if I wasn’t myself anymore, I couldn’t forget to offer my share of candy to the princess. So I went around with my friends, collecting candy from the ponies in town that were participating. Dinky had stuck close to me, I think she had seen something in my eyes, but I don’t know.

We had reached the offering place and I deposited what I was supposed too. Then I turned to leave, Dinky glancing at me.

“You aren’t going to wait for Princess Luna?” She had asked me.

I had shaken my head. “No... I want to go home.”

Dinky had nodded and given me a hug. Out of our class, she was the only one that didn’t care how I had been acting. She only did what she could to cheer me up. “Okay, Pip. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

I simply nodded and left, weaving though ponies to get out of the area. And then, from the corner of my eye, I noticed... her. She was wearing a really nice-looking dress, and she was staring directly at me. As I looked in horror, I saw her smile and give me a wink. I screamed and ran.

I didn’t know where I was running to, only that I had to leave, escape, get anywhere but there. I had turned around a corner, tripping over my hooves and slamming into a wall. I dropped my basket of candy, hearing it roll around on the ground. Then I did what I had been doing for months, I rolled myself into a ball and started crying.

There hadn’t been any question about it. I knew that she was going to take me tonight and I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to stop it.

“Maybe... if I just stay here... forever...” The thought drifted away as I launched into a fresh wave of tears.

I stopped crying and tensed up as I felt a hoof on my shoulder. “No... NO!” Without thinking, I uncurled and jumped at the pony in front of me, trying to bite them in the throat. That failed as I was lifted into the air by magic. I had my eyes clenched shut, trying to struggle.

“Pipsqueak... whatever troubles you so?” At her voice, I stopped. That wasn’t the voice of a monster. That was the voice of...

“Princess?” I squeaked, slowly opening my eyes. And it was the princess, or at least her mouth. I was upside-down in front of her.

She smiled at me, which looked like a frown. “Yes. We would like to understand why you attempted to injure Us.” She flipped me over and set me down.

I looked down, shuffling around to retrieve the bits of candy that had fallen from the basket. The Princess helped also, and we got it all back in a few seconds. “T-thank you...”

Princess Luna sat down in front of me. “It is no trouble. Now, tell Us why you were weeping here alone.”

I looked at her, a tinge of hope in my eyes. She could help me, she was a princess! I could tell her the story and she could help! I’d never be hurt again...

Suddenly an image of Dinky flashed before my eyes, causing me to gasp. I saw the Princess slightly tilt her head, her face looking worried. “Pip—”

I jumped up and grabbed my basket in my mouth. I remembered to bow to her before I ran, heading home as fast as I could. I didn’t know if she was following me, and I didn’t take the time to sneak a peek behind me. After a few minutes, I stopped, gasping for air. I took a particularly strong breath, and I smelled something... sweet. I felt a horrible jolt of fear lance through my body as I sank to the ground, sleep running up to me.

That night gave birth to the worst nightmare yet.

I remember praying... praying to both of the princesses in the hope that one of them would hear me. I wasn’t directly saying anything, so Dinky would be safe, right?

“Pipsqueak!”

“AHH!” I jumped, landing back on my hooves with a thud. “I’m sorry!”

Dinky giggled next to me. “You gotta stop doing that, Pip. Look, we’re here!”

I glanced up and saw my home standing in front of us. “Oh, yeah. Thank you, Dinky.”

“Of course!” Dinky smiled.

I started to walk towards it, but looked back at her. “Dinky, why do you do these things? Like walk with me or sit with me when I’m alone?”

She didn’t lose her smile for a moment. “Because you’re my friend, Pip. I can tell that something’s up with you a lot of the time. But I don’t care about that... I just don’t like seeing you sad. So, I’m going to cheer you up.”

I looked at her for a moment, before I gave her a hug. “Thank you Dinky.” She hugged me back, smiling.

I pulled away from her, and yawned. Instantly a bolt of fear shot through me. “I... guess I’ll see you later?”

Dinky nodded. “Yup! Bye, Pip!” She turned around and skipped away from me. I didn’t waste anytime in getting inside my home, making my way to my room. I knew that I should go tell my mum that I was home, but I just wanted to hide in my room. Maybe I’d be safer in there.

I ran into my room and shut the door, shedding my backpack and curling into a ball on my bed. I yawned again, feeling my eyes shut by themselves. I was home... so I let myself sleep, relaxing on the bed.

It didn’t take too long before I opened my eyes again to some kind of... dark place. Well, maybe dark wasn’t right, there definitely was light... little lights all around. Stars? I looked around, watching all the shiny lights above and around me, even... “Gah!” I screamed, seeing the same empty space below me. I was floating!

A laugh broke my focus, and I looked up at the source of it, seeing... Princess Luna? But, what was with the robe on her?

“Greetings, dear Pipsqueak.” She smiled at me, though the big, bladed thing on her back just made me worried.

“P-Princess?” I stammered out, staring at her. “Where am I?”

“Well... you’re in one of my dreams right now, actually. We apologize for the cloak and scythe. They are common implements during our travels through others’ dreams.” Th-The scythe was common? Um... wait, what did ‘common’ mean again? I looked off to the side in worry, mouth curving up at the side slightly. “You have nothing to fear, Pipsqueak. The day I draw this weapon upon my back only comes when somepony deserves it.”

I bowed to her, slightly shaking. “I-if I might ask, Princess, why am I here? I was in my room and now I’m in...this place.”

“Raise your head, dear Pip. We are equals in the land of dreams, after all.” I did as she said after a bit of thinking, looking up at her. Wait... was there something in her eyes? They looked empty for some reason. “We wished to speak with you.”

“Did...did I do something wrong?” I felt worried. What did a Princess do if they were upset enough to drag you into her dream?

“Actually...” She looked down at the stars under us, sighing. “It is We who have done wrong.”

I frowned. “How could you do something wrong, Princess?”

“Despite Our lofty position, We are but a pony, dear Pip. And We had assumed wrong in the past...” She looked back up at me, looking pretty troubled. “We thought that somepony would come to your aid.”

“Princess, I’m afraid that I don’t understand.” I had a small idea of what she meant... but I wasn’t allowed to say anything.

“Pipsqueak, you... kept Us up during our slumber. We could not dare fall back to the land of dreams, in fear of being dragged into your nightmares.” Her look fell from... whatever it was to sadness. “We thought that, in time, you would reach out to somepony before We had to act...”

“A-are you talking about my nightmares?” I asked, glancing around myself to make sure that I was safe.

As my look finished, letting me feel better by not finding any white coats, I felt myself get picked up by magic, and started floating over to the Princess. She just... grabbed me in a hug, giving my mane a light rub. “We are... and thy prayers were so loud, they shook Us to Our core. We should never have waited...”

I shuddered. “I... I’m not allowed to talk about it, Princess.”

“Thou need not speak a word. Just know that... thy prayers hath been answered, and the demon is gone.” She went quiet after that, tightening her hug a bit as the cloak surrounded me. Weird... it felt really warm.

I hugged the princess, until something she said hit me. “W-wait? Gone? What do you mean?”

“It... took us a year and a half, dear Pip. Your nightmares became worse, your prayers came more powerfully with every passing day, and We simply... well...” I heard her sigh, another gentle rub on my mane. “Despair filled Us. We travel many dreams, but whenever We slept, your nightmares dragged Us away from our peace... We witnessed much. Too much.”

I stepped back from the Princess and hung my head. “You saw all of it...?”

“We did... and...” I raised my head to see her... bowing? Th-The Princess was bowing to me!? “We apologize profusely for not acting sooner.”

My eyes widened. “Y-you’re not supposed to bow to me, Princess! It wasn’t your fault!”

“An apology when one has done wrong is always accompanied by a bow, Pipsqueak. It was Our fault for not acting... we’d heard your voice for so long, and avoided numerous sunrises so We might not be pulled into thy nightmares. It angered Us that nopony came to your aid, beyond a single, sweet little filly.” She raised her head, sitting back up. “One soul amongst an entire society, and even she did not know... did she?”

I shook my head. “I never told anypony... I didn’t want her to suffer, too. She didn’t deserve that. She just cared about me, even though I wasn’t myself anymore.”

“Putting thyself between danger and thy friends... a very brave stance indeed. Much greater than Our own. As for the demon being ‘gone’... We have taken care of things. We believe it will appear as a headline in newspapers soon. Tomorrow, perhaps.” My brow furrowed as I looked back up at her. She just smiled at me.

“If I might ask...” I started to say. “What happened to her?”

The smile faltered as the Princess looked away. “She... will not do such things to anypony ever again. We have made sure of that. In time, thou shalt come to know her fate.”

I looked down. Something told me that it would be better if I didn’t press the topic with her. “Okay, Princess.”

“Very well... We wish thee a pleasant rest, dear Pipsqueak. And should anything trouble you, reach out in your dreams, and We will find a way to answer.” With a last smile and hug, the stars went out, and Luna disappeared. I blinked, opening my mouth to try and say goodbye to her, only to see a green field in front of me.

I glanced around the area, thoroughly confused. “Wow... This place is beautiful.”

The field was huge, the sky was clear, and the sun was really bright and warm. It felt like Summer all over again, the clear shadows of leaves around me, an oak tree sitting behind me. The green and blue drew an honestly perfect line at the horizon, going on for miles... birds chirped overhead, and a cool breeze moved across the field, clear waves moving lazily off from the grass moving.

I sat up, taking in a deep breath. “Was this the Princess’ gift to me? If so, it’s great!” I walked over to the tree and sat down under the shade.

As I looked around, though, it did feel really lonely. Just me and the tree, and, well, Nature of course. Still, wish somepony could be here with me... “Wonder what Dinky’s doing? Probably off at home reading or something, heh.”

A sudden hug from the side took me by surprise. “Or I’m here with you!”

“D-Dinky!?” I looked over to see the filly’s smiling face staring back at me. “Wh-What the!?”

“C’mon, Pip, you know I’m never far away!” Her smile grew to a grin as she squeezed me again, sitting down next to me.

“B-but....I....how did you get here?” I asked, shocked.

Dinky shrugged. “Does it matter? Look at where we are! It’s so nice here!”

“Well... yeah, but—”

“Seriously, Pip, you’re gonna ask questions about this? Just enjoy it.” I felt her pull me against her side in a one-legged hug, looking over the field in front of us. “It’s the middle of the day, and we’re under a shadey tree, the entire world in front of us. Isn’t it great?”

I looked out over the horizon again, smiling. “You know what, yeah. You’re right.”

“Of course I’m right.” She sighed and leaned against me, watching the swaying grass draw white lines off into the horizon. Kinda like a green ocean, come to think of it.

I was quiet for a few moments, thinking. “Hey, Dinks?”

“Hm? What’s up?” She asked.

“Thanks.” I simply responded.

“For?”

I waved a hoof. “The last year. I know that I’ve been...not me.”

She smiled and nudged me. “Please. You’re my friend, right? Of course I’m going to take care of you. Even if you don’t smile at ALL anymore.”

I smiled at that, a real smile for the first time in a while.

“Well, look at that! A genuine smile! Never thought I’d see the day.” She grinned back.

“Always a surprise with me, huh?” I asked, starting to relax.

She nodded. “Hey, you know what? How about we just relax here for a while? Maybe take a nap or whatever.”

I rubbed my chin and nodded. “One of these days, I’m going to be the one that comes up with the good ideas.”

She rolled her eyes and laid down. “Yeah, and I’ll be the next princess of Equestria.”

“Hey, it could happen.” I laid down next to my friend.

“Yeah, yeah.” She closed her eyes. “Now, it’s time for us to relax, got it?”

I nodded. “Gotcha.” I also closed my eyes, lying on my back. I felt something warm press up against my side. And maybe I was wrong, but I could have sworn that warm feeling was my friend keeping me safe, even now.

“Good morning, Pipsqueak!” My mum smiled at me as I wandered into the kitchen, still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

“Hi, mum.” I slid into a chair and yawned again. “What’s for breakfast?”

My mum moved around the kitchen. I had always compared her to some sort of a machine when she was in there. “Simply some oatmeal today, dear.”

“Okay.” I sat down, noticing the newspaper that my father was holding. I remembered what the Princess had told me, about the paper and how I should look at it the next day.

My father had a very... shocked look on him, definitely. He looked over the story a few times before speaking. “Honey, have you seen this?”

“Hm? Haven’t read the paper yet, dear. What is it?”

“It’s... Miss Rarity. She’s in the paper.”

“Oh? What’s the story?”

“‘Prominent Starlet Struck Down.’ She’s been admitted to Ponyville General Hospital for suddenly losing all feeling in her legs... she’s been diagnosed with total paralysis in her hind legs!”

“Oh my goodness! D-Did they find out what’s wrong?”

“That’s... just the thing. There isn’t a mark on her... and so far, she’s completely checked out. But she’s paralyzed...” The shocked look in Dad’s eyes didn’t vanish, and Mum quickly joined him in that look, trotting over to his side to read the story over. Was... that what Princess Luna meant?

“Miss Rarity, age twenty-four, a prominent dressmaker and rising star in the world of fashion, was admitted to Ponyville General Hospital yesterday at ten AM, taken there by close friend Twilight Sparkle, age twenty-three. Doctors are currently running preliminary diagnosis, but at the time of writing this article, Miss Rarity has been diagnosed with total paralysis in her tail, hind legs, and belly... and it’s... unknown if she’ll ever be able to... walk again...” Dad’s voice got quieter with the last few words, his hooves shaking slightly. “Is... i-is this some kind of... wh-what’s going on?”

“Isn’t there more to the article?” Mum asked, pushing her head in a little closer to the paper. “Diagnosis will continue, Doctor Thread Ream, Ph.D in virotology reports, but thus far, no suggested intrusion has been found, bacteria- or virus-based, and there are no injuries to speak of on Miss Rarity’s body. A full report will be given at the end of the week, when tests are completed and the results are processed.” She placed a hoof over her mouth and gasped, going wide-eyed. “What happened to her!?”

“I don’t know! She’s a perfectly nice mare, to have something like this happen... it could have an incredible impact on her career!”

I put my head down, my mind spinning. She...paralyzed her. She can’t come after me again. As my parents continued to talk to each other about the article, I silently thanked the Princess. Thank you, Luna. For everything.

I knew something at that moment. I was free from Rarity, but I wasn’t free from myself. Not yet. It was probably going to take a lot of time. Maybe I’d never even recover from it. But at the very least, I was finally free.

True to Princess Luna’s words, my prayer had been answered.