Envy, Greed, and Ignorance

It had been a few hours after the most welcoming supper, that Crimson has ever had with anypony, besides his daughter. Not to mention this one was with Princess Luna. Petunia was upstairs sleeping. He didn't need to worry too much about her. She can take care of herself fully, and actually doesn't need Charcoal to foalsit her. The only reason he was still her foalsitter was because, Petunia enjoyed him a lot, almost treating him as a second father, and Crimson could afford to pay him. This Pegasus didn't have many skills, and he did a bad job on the weather. Soo Crimson decided to keep him, and pay him accordingly.

Crimson took a quick ten minute shower, and headed off to the bar. He had looked in saddlebag, and found only 37 bits. He was starting to get a little too shy on bits, and his OCD prevented him from ever not being able to pay the water bill, municipal and federal taxes. He needed to get some working done, and hopefully he made at the minimal of twenty bits, by next week Wednesday. The bar was always the best spot to find work.

When he arrived at the Ye Old Pub, he was greeted by Berry Sweet, who was currently attending the bar. "Looking for work?" asked Berry Sweet. Crimson smiled at the bar keeper.

"Yes i am Berry Sweet." said Crimson. "Do you got any leads?" asked Crimson.

"You are in luck, they are going to start construction on new home, at the northern edge of town, but first they need somepony to knock it down. Crimson smiled at the prospect of demolishing a home. "Also The Mayor, was the one who posted the job. She is in the back, over by the stage." said Berry Sweet.

Crimson Prodigy walked over to The Mayor. She looked up, and had a confused look on her face, then it turned to realization. "Of course the most powerful Unicorn, in the town (besides Twilight), would the love the opportunity to test his skill, and power." said The Mayor.

"How much is they pay?" asked Crimson.

"Thirty bits for the a group job, but since i'll be hiring you. It'll be 10 bits, since you can easily tear it down." responded The Mayor.

"Fine by me." said Crimson. The two shook on it.

"Tomorrow midday, at 167 Huckle Berry Trot." said the Mayor.

"I'll be there, and i hope you are there to see my hoof work." responded Crimson. He trotted out, and went back home. He needed the extra sleep, if he was gonna tear down a four bedroom house.

Crimson found himself once again, sitting at his kitchen table. He was eating his third cupcake, and believed he needed the extra comfort. He was about to fall asleep again, Crimson was curios, but afraid. He had never went through such terrible nightmares, not since he failed to save Vanguard.

He reluctantly went to his bedroom, and just lied there, awaiting sleep to overtake him. About fifteen minutes later it did. He tried to resist, but knew it was pointless.

Crimson awoke in the same scene as before. He was in that grassy field, and saw himself pushing his daughter on the swing. He turned around to see some sort of portal that showed the service scene. Crimson turned away, and awaited for something different. Prodigy was waiting for what seemed like hours. Just watching himself pushing his daughter at the swing set. Then it stopped, like everything stopped. It was like he was in a still picture. The scent of a swamp hit his nose, and the scene switched to what appeared to be the Everfree Forest.

He recognized the path he was on, and started heading towards Ponyville. About a few minutes later, he heard a scream, a scream he recognized. Crimson Prodigy turned around, and started galloping towards his daughter's voice. He heard the howls of Timber Wolves, but ignored them. The screaming stopped, and he arrived in a clearing. There in the middle, was his daughter's barely recognizable corpse. Crimson immediately burst into tears, he failed as a father, he failed Trillium, and he failed Vanguard. He looked up in shock, to see his daughter's corpse get up and stare at him. The right eye hanging out of the socket, her entrails dangling from her belly, and her face that had been crushed by the jaws of a Timber Wolf.

She appeared to smile at him, and gimped over. He couldn't run, he couldn't move, and he was frozen in fear. She hugged him, covering him in sickening body fluids, and looked directly at him. Just then, she started to scream, and she burst into flames. This time though, the flames spread to his body, and the pain was unbearable. The scent of his, and his daughters flesh burning hit his nose, and he blacked out.

Crimson awoke in his bed. He was screaming. His body was in shock, pain was in ever loin, and his nose was bleeding. He was coughing violently, and blacked out again.

Crimson didn't dream though. He awoke once more to his daughter violently shaking him,and screaming at him to wake up. Crimson shot up in bed. Petunia was balling. "Are you OK daddy?" asked Petunia, tears streaming from her eyes. "I heard you screaming and coughing, and got here as fast as i could!" shouted Petunia. "Sweet Celestia! Your nose is bleeding, and your eyes are very bloodshot!" yelled Petunia in shock.

"I'm not fine Petunia, this dream was the worst yet. I'm more worried about Princess Luna, she would of experienced the same thing" responded Crimson, in an extremely coarse voice.

"What happened in the dream daddy?" asked Petunia, who was crying more.

"I don't wish to tell you." responded Crimson.

"But...but, you've never kept secrets from me! Not since the you told me the truth about my parents!" shouted an enraged Petunia. She began hitting him on his chest.

Crimson restrained his daughter with magic. "This severity of this dream is something you shouldn't know about. All you need to know, is that i saw you die, and i'm gonna leave it at that. No more questions Petunia." said Crimson with a very serious tone.

"Oh....OK dad. I don't really want to know anymore." responded Petunia glumly.

"Good, i'm glad you understand." said Prodigy. Crimson got up, and went down stairs, his daughter accompanying him. He grabbed a glass of water using his telekinesis. He looked at the clock. It was 9 morning, and the sun wasn't up. Realization suddenly hit him. His glass dropped, shattering on the floor.

"Celestia must have experienced it too. Either that, or Luna turned into Nightmare Moon again." said Petunia.

"I highly doubt Luna would have turned into nightmare moon again." responded Crimson. "Petunia... we are going to Canterlot." said Crimson. A magical energy radiating from Prodigy, engulfed them both, and they were swept away on a teleportation spell.

Crimson and Petunia reappeared in front of the castle. "Just where i wanted to go." muttered Crimson.

"It's so big, and beautiful!' shouted Petunia with glee. Crimson levitated Petunia on his back, and headed up to the castle entry hall. They were met by royal guards before they could enter.

"Stop right there!" shouted one of the guards. "State your business!" shouted another.

"What has happened to Celestia?" asked Prodigy.

"We don't know, her chamber doors are shut tight with magic, and Princess Luna is working on breaking the seal." responded another guard.

"I do know something." said Crimson. All three guards raised an eyebrow. "I have been subconsciously communicating my dreams magically, but these dreams are like every fear you've ever had came true. I believe Princess Celestia has managed to pick them up, along with Princess Twilight, and Princess Luna." said Crimson, in an elevated tone.

The guards were taken aback by this. They didn't really understand what was going on. "Right this way, we'll lead you to her chambers." said the second guard. A crowd had started to appear at the front of the castle.

Crimson and Petunia were lead into the Entrance Hall, and lead up a long flight of stairs. They reached the top, to find Luna concentrating on breaking the seal. The guards left them in privacy.

Petunia decided before Crimson could. She trotted up to Luna, and hugged her. Luna's eyes shot ope, and her concentration broke.

Luna looked down confused, and noticed Crimson standing at the staircase. He was smiling, at the productivity of his daughter. Luna's confused face turned into a frown "That dream you had, apparently you see the whole thing when you're sleeping. I'm not to sure what is going on Crimson, but it can't be for the best. Celestia must have been experiencing them the whole time as well.

As if on Que, Celestia's doors flung open, and what they saw was horrific. There she was, Princess of the Sun, loved an praised by all. Her beauty radiating through the land, but this Celestia had been reduced to nothing. Her mane was not flowing, her eyes were even more bloodshot than Crimson's, her nose was dripping blood, and she was covered in burns.