Bliss in Darkness

Malefic Visions

I dove to the side just in time to narrowly avoid the manticores' paw. I danced around the creature with ease, taunting it with a meal it would never taste. I swiped at the large beast with a sword I had found earlier in the old castle courtyard. I continued to dodge until my eyes gazed upon an opportunity to strike. 'Left... now right... and GO!' I reeled forward with my closed left fist and struck the manticore with my bare fist.

Stunned for a moment, the manticore yelped out in pain and staggered backwards. It was all the advantage I needed. This beast was mine. I lunged forward, eager to end the battle. My steel tasted the flesh of the manticores' soft underbelly, tearing through the organs and muscle within. Unable to fend off its attacker, the manticore admitted defeat, and embraced death at my hand. It gave out one last roar as I thrusted my sword through its neck.

It has been seven days since I met Nightmare Moon. She seemed to be generally pleasing, but there was something... odd about her. It was as if she was extatic whenever I was around. Granted, I did not know what she was normally like without me, but she still seemed a bit.. odd. It was as if something was always on the tip of her tongue, like she could barely hold it in. Almost as if she had plans for us, and did not want them to be revealed. Whatever her problem was, at the time I was more concerned about staying alive. That is why I hunt in the jungle every day. Sure I could have killed that manticore with my power, but what fun is that? Plus, I needed to get out and exercise. You never know when a little physical fitness will come in handy, especially since I have taken up residency in what Nightmare calls "the most dangerous area in Equestria."

"Hmm. Manticore meat. Wonder what that's like?" I said as my stomach growled. The past week was not kind to me, as I had to learn to hunt the hard way. I had suffered many injuries, anywhere from minor cuts and bruises to full blown gashes and broken bones. Whenever a creature bested me, I used my powers to deal with it. The pain helped me learn quicker. It was the ultimate form of discipline. Break your arms enough times, and you will remember your mistakes.

Nightmare helped me learn to survive when she could, but she seemed to disappear whenever the sun was shining. Come to think of it, in the past week I had been living with her I never saw her in the day. 'Part of her personality I guess... Maybe she just sleeps somewhere I don't know about.' I thought. Trying to read her was like using a brick as a magnifying glass on a closed book. She looked at me in ways I could not understand. Like she longed to be a part of me. It severely freaked me out, and I took to sleeping outside in the courtyard most nights.

I took a hefty chunk of the manticore to roast on back the fire at the castle. It was an hour away, but my hunger persuaded me to move a little faster. This was my first successful hunt, and for the last week I had sustained myself only by draining animals. I asked Nightmare how to get food the first night we spent together and she looked at me with a mischievous smile.

"Now Charlie, thou cannot have something for nothing. We will teach you to hunt. To become strong!" I recalled her saying aloud. My Nightmare impersonation was getting good.

One night, I remember her telling me all about Equestria. Her sister, Celestia, ruled the waking world and rose the sun every day. I thought that was odd, considering thats nothing how my old world works but the physics of this planet wasn't exactly open for discussion. I asked her about recent events, but she simply denied me any answers.

"Not until the time comes, dearest friend." She would say. The way she spoke the word 'dearest' sent chills up my spine. Sure, she gave off a decent vibe most of the time, but the way I caught her looking at me sometimes chilled me down to the bone.

I was so caught up in thinking about her that I wound up back at the castle in no time at all. I entered through a hole in the ruined wall where a gate must have been. It had long rotted away. According to Nightmare, this place was over 1,000 years old, and it sure looked it. I dropped the large carving of flesh I carried and made my way over to my makeshift camp in the courtyard. I decided to live out in the open partly because I wanted to become self sufficient, but mostly because Nightmare had become increasingly odd in the past few days. One night I caught her staring at me through the window in my old bedroom. Another night I heard her dragging something through the halls. It sounded like meat on sandpaper. Something about her left a bad taste in my mouth, and I decided to try to distance myself from her as much as possible.

Hours passed after my hunting trip, and I was very satisfied with my meal. I considered entering the castle to visit Nightmare, but I decided against it. 'With my luck, I'd walk in on her planning another Equestrian apocalypse, and I don't want to have her point any fingers...er... hooves.. at me when this Celestia shows up.'

Another hour passed, and day turned to night. The sun shrank behind the trees, casting eerie shadows that seemed to dance across the ground. After a few minutes the shadows sank further and further until the sun was gone, completely enveloping the area in darkness. I had been in the forest at night, and it was dark. But this place... this shadowy oasis was beyond dark. It was subtle at first, but as time went on, it seemed like even the light of day would avoid the castle grounds. It was peaceful at first, but now I felt the presence unnerving. I tried to ignore it, but it was like ignoring my own breathing. After a while, it fades into your subconscious, but its always happening whether you think about it or not.

Just as I was settling in to fall asleep I felt an omnipresent stare boring into my soul through my closed eyelids. I opened my eyes to a surprising sight. Nothing. The black expanse of sky and stars was all that was before me. I closed my eyes again, chalking that up on the list of weird shit that has been happening around here lately. Then it happened again. I felt breathing this time. I opened my eyes and... again nothing. This was no dream. It couldn't have been. I knew I felt that breath on my cheek. I touched the area where I felt the breath and was shocked to find that it was wet. I tasted my fingers. It was the unmistakable taste of blood.

I shot out of bed and reached for my weapon. Something was there. I could feel it watching... waiting... savoring every moment of my fear. I knew I would not be able see it in the crushing darkness, so I used my power to scan the surrounding area of life. Nothing. My eyes darted left and right as my mind played tricks on me. I backed myself into a corner, fearing that if anything was going to strike it would be from behind. I followed the wall until I found the entrance of the main castle building. Figuring it would be easier to defend myself in a smaller area, I entered.

It was then that the presence stopped. The fogginess in my mind, the darkness, the visual tricks. It was all gone. I felt silly. I thought I had been afraid, but in reality it was my mind just playing tricks. Right? I sat there debating with myself.

'It felt so real...'

'But it couldn't have been. There was nothing there.'

'Not visually, no. Maybe not even physically, but there was something there. I could feel it.'

This internal conversation went on for a few minutes as my logical side battled with my gut instincts. I thought of all the things it could possibly have been. But nothing fit perfectly...

"How could you explain the blood? And then it ended and I could barely remember it. Kind of like a...." My blood ran colder than ice in my veins as my head pieced it together

"Kind of like a nightmare."

Authors notes: Sorry for the wait, this was very close to being done this morning but I had work, and then I had to move. It's been a hell of a day for me, and all I wanted to do is write for all of you! Also, I'm looking for an editor. If anybody is interested in previewing all my chapters, hit me up! Also, feel free to point out shit that doesn't make sense, or if I messed something up grammatically. My goal is to make this as fun to read as it is to write.