Fear of Failure

Fear of Failure

Nighttime: an alluring time of day where ponies lie in their beds, imagining other realms and ideals that they wish could be. Others dream of horrible and inequine atrocities, which causes them to stir in their sleep or wake up in a cold sweat that drips from the tops of their foreheads.

This nightmare-like state is a horrifying reality for a certain pony.

That certain pony is staring out their window from the skies above.

The moonlight pierces through the window, casting a light, white glow upon the cyan fur of the pony. The light grey tinted rings around their magenta colored orbs showing clearly by the night’s rays. A little water fixated slightly beneath the pony’s right eye escapes its prison, the moisture sliding down their cheek. The pony’s eyes are red, puffy, which clashed with the magenta colored irises that has been part of their being since they were born.

“I can’t…” the feminine tone whimpers out, the depressed melancholy evident in its voice.

“I need this to stop!” the pony says with venom, her cyan colored hoof slamming down on the window sill. The sound reverberates throughout the sill, the window quaking by the sudden force.

While the glass shakes, the pony’s tears continued to escape.

“I…” she begins, bringing her gaze to the vast landscape outside her window sill. The hills roll far into the distance, the moonlight casting a soft, white glow upon the green treetops that dot the terrain. Alongside these trees are the mountains, their white snowy tops clearly defined by the light. The edges of these land formations imperfect, yet astounding to those who admire nature’s creations. Lastly, the more dark and scarred landscape pierces her vision. The trees no longer appear alive, their rotted bark and battered states show no signs of improvement. The grass never existing, the dirt almost black, the plants wild and unkempt; all of these characteristics describe the deathly sight in front of the mare.

The sight of death shakes her to the core, her hoof sliding off the sill as she slowly turns her attention away from the outside world.

I still can’t stop thinking of that dream…

The thoughts of her dream that replays in her mind begins to haunt her every waking moment as she slowly clambers into her bed, the tears still cascading down her cheeks…

___________________________

“So how’s the camping trip going so far for you girls?” A studious feminine voice says, a large crackling noise impacting Rainbow Dash’s eardrums soon after.

“Well,” a more pronounced female voice announces, drawing out her voice as she continues to speak. “If there was a spa around here, Fluttershy and I would be in complete relaxation!” The mare looks over to her yellow pegasus friend, her friend’s long pink mane contrasting the moderate cyan orbs that are peeking out from behind it. “Right, Fluttershy?”

Another small crackle hits Rainbow’s eardrums.

Where is that noise coming from?

Rainbow takes a glance at the fire in front of her, the fire’s small size annoying Rainbow. She gently knocks her hoof against a piece of wood, adding fuel to the flames.

Fluttershy lets out a small squeak and nervously responds, “Well, Rarity…”

“Yes?” Rarity says, fluttering her eyelashes.

Another crackle occurs, this one a bit smaller than the others.

“I-I don’t mind this…” Fluttershy says, her voice gradually lowering as she speaks.

“Pardon?” Rarity asks, raising an eyebrow. “Can you say that louder, Fluttershy?”

Yet another small crackle, the noise causing Rainbow to twitch on the wooden log she has been sitting on since this campfire was started.

“I-I don’t mind this trip…” Fluttershy answers, moving her mane out of her vision.

Rarity sighs and turns her attention to the rainbow-headed mare, her azure eyes peering. “How about you, Rainbow Dash?”

A large thunderous boom releases, the sound shaking Rainbow Dash’s entire core.

What do I say?

“Uh…” Rainbow Dash says without thinking.

“See! Even Rainbow agrees!” Rarity declares, pointing her right fore hoof at Rainbow Dash.

Are you crazy, Rarity?

“No I don’t!” Rainbow Dash finally shouts, standing on all fours. “I would never do that!”

Rarity sits down on her haunches, her eyebrows slanted. “Dash,” she growls. “Don’t you say that.”

What's her problem?

“What’s wrong, Rarity?” Twilight jumps in, sticking her left wing in front of Rarity. “Rainbow Dash didn’t do anything wrong.”

Rarity’s gaze did not leave Rainbow’s those azure irises gazing into her. Suddenly, in a blink of an eye, the azure pigments change to darker purple shade.

What the hay?

Rainbow quickly blinks and looks away from the offending gaze of her friend, the white unicorn clearly beating her stare.

“Ha, you couldn’t stand me,” Rarity says, her pitch changing dramatically lower as she speaks. “You couldn’t even beat me in a staring contest.”

This is not the Rarity I know…

“But Rarity, why does that matter?”

A long drawn out sigh comes from the designer. “You know, Twilight, I appreciate you, but I want to bask in my small victory over the best pegasus in Equestria,” she replies. Rainbow ears perk up at this as she brings her attention back to her friends, noticing Rarity’s countenance suddenly shifting to a calm, collective state. “I can’t let her stand up to me, can I?” Rarity flutters her eyelashes once again at Rainbow, causing Applejack to step in.

“Shoot, Rarity. I’ve neva knew ya had that competitive nature in ya,” Applejack says, her eyes plastered upon Rarity’s gaze.

That’s odd...

“I have to be very competitive, you know…” Rarity states in reply, her voice trailing off. “I can’t let Canterlot’s top designers out match my beautiful wardrobe creations.” Rarity flicks her mane, the curls poofing as she does this.

Didn’t Applejack know this about her already?

“Well that’s true…” Applejack sighs, retreating to her spot and sitting on her haunches.

“Exactly, darling,” Rarity says, leaning back. “Standards are high and I can’t let those ponies in Manehatten beat me. I need to keep the name of the Carousel Boutique alive and well!”

Why do I feel like I’ve had this conversation before?

“You shouldn’t have a problem with that Rarity!” Twilight says cheerfully. “After all, you’ll have the support of us there, right girls?”

Wait a minute...

A resounding chorus of yes’s are all that are heard.

Except the one of Rainbow Dash.

I did have this conversation...

“Rainbow?” Twilight says, getting up from her seat to seek her friend’s attention.

This isn’t right...

“Hello?” she says, waving her hoof in front of Dash’s eyes.

Run.

Rainbow Dash doesn’t take her sweet old time, galloping away from the campfire with speed.

As she runs, she hears the sounds of her friends behind her, their voices layering over each other with different statements and questions.

“Dash!” One shouts from her left.

“Stop runnin’!” Another sounds off to her right.

“Where are you going?” One sounds off behind her.

And she pays no heed to those voices.

She takes a hard right, diving deep into the dark depths of the forest, not caring about her friends not finding her.

She needs a place to think, not a place to be antagonized by the likes of them.

“What is going on here…” Rainbow Dash says quietly, approaching a large yet eroded boulder, sitting on it as she views the sight in front of her. Death: the whole landscape had changed from the pleasant trees she was surrounded by at the campsite, replaced by the rotting remnants of life.

Why was Applejack unable to remember that?

She notices the trees, their entire beings cracked by the pressure of nature or pony intervention.

Why was Rarity upset with me all of a sudden?

She notices the dirt, the soil of life now black, burnt, scarred.

And why did her eyes change color?

She notices the ponds, the once blue she knew of the great rivers and streams near her now polluted and brown.

What is happening to me?

Her wings slowly flare open, only for them to sag down.

I can’t...

“Rainbow Dash?”

Scootaloo?

The mare turns around to see her, a dark, orange-colored filly with her cerise mane coming from the trail Rainbow came from. “What are you sitting here for?”

“I…” Rainbow begins, losing her voice as she looks at Scootaloo, the filly’s eyes bloodshot. “What happened to you, Scootaloo?”

Scootaloo shakily sighs and nuzzles against Rainbow’s chest. “I was worried about my sister…”

She…

“Scootaloo…” Rainbow says, her voice wavering. She sighs and nuzzles Scootaloo back, her cheek rubbing against the filly’s.

Scootaloo continues her concern, “Rainbow, when I heard you ran away from the others, I just had to find you. They just... went back to the campsite because they assumed you’d come back!” She shouts, her voice gradually rising as she speaks. “Even Sweetie and Applebloom stayed behind! I cou-”

Rainbow sighs and pulls Scootaloo closer, wrapping her large cyan wing around her friend. “Scootaloo, I’m fine…” Scootaloo pulls her head away from Rainbow’s chest, her desaturated purple eyes shimmering.

“Are you surrreeee, you’re okay?” Scootaloo asks, staring into Rainbow’s gaze.

No, I’m not.

“Yeah…” Rainbow reassures. “I’m sure.” A small tear falls down her right cheek.

“But you’re crying, Rainbow,” Scootaloo says, raising a hoof to Dash’s cheek.

“They’re happy tears, Scoots.” Rainbow gently pulls her into her chest once again. “Happy…” she says, her voice collapsing.

I’m not happy.

“Yeah…” Scootaloo mumbles. “Happiness.”

Rainbow Dash nuzzles her again and closes her eyes, attempting to close the floodgates. “Thank you.”

I need you.

It’s Scootaloo’s turn to return the gesture, nuzzling her as she wraps her left foreleg around Rainbow’s foreleg. “You’re welcome, I always know you’ll watch over me too.”

Scootaloo...I don’t know why but I can’t lose you. You’re just so important to me…

Scootaloo pulls away and looks up at Rainbow.

Don’t leave…

“You bet! You and I are sisters, remember?” Rainbow says defiantly. “I have to be there no matter what!”

“Yeah sis…” Scootaloo says quietly, her mane rubbing against the tuffs on Rainbow’s chest. “We always have each other in the end…”

The two sit upon their stony perch, wrapping each other in their wings, neither caring about their surroundings.

That is, until a loud roar sounds off in the distance.

The two open their eyes, the sudden roar cutting them off guard. They look at each other and nod, turning around and hightailing it back to the main trail, their wings folding up in the process. As they reach the main trail, the scenery turns back to the forest green that glistens in the night’s shining white light.

As they start to come closer to the campsite, Scootaloo asks, “Rainbow?”

Rainbow looks over at Scootaloo, the tears no longer present. “Yes, Scoots?”

“What do you think that roar was from?”

“Probably another manticore getting a wooden shard stuck in it’s foot.”

Scootaloo giggles. “That happened?”

“Of course it did, Fluttershy figured that out for us on our way to stop Nightmare Moon,” Rainbow says, looking at Scootaloo. “Didn’t I tell you about that whole situation?”

Scootaloo looks down at the ground. “No…”

Now Scootaloo doesn’t remember…

Rainbow opens her right wing, putting it over Scootaloo’s back. “Don’t look so down, Scootaloo.”

Scootaloo sighs and looks up at Rainbow. “I know, I just thought that I knew everything about you…”

Rainbow smiles, nuzzling Scootaloo’s neck while she removes her wing from Scootaloo’s back. “You learn something new everyday, squirt.”

Scootaloo smiles and nuzzles back. “Yeah, from the most awesome pony in all of Equestria!” She says with excitement, her wings fluttering rapidly. “I can’t wait to be just like you!”

Trust me, you don’t want to be like me.

Rainbow Dash simply perishes the thought. “Just like me…” she murmurs, tearing her gaze from Scootaloo to see the trail.

As they walk towards the campsite, the crackles begin to come back.

“Do you hear that, Scootaloo?”

“What?” Scootaloo replies, tilting her head in confusion.

You can’t hear that?

“That crackling noise…” Rainbow hisses out, her wings flaring out. “Scootaloo, stay behind me.”

“D-dash?” Scootaloo says nervously, slowly slinking behind Dash. “You’re starting to scare me…”

“It’s okay,” Dash begins, pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts. I have to protect her… She turns her gaze to Scootaloo, the pegasus looking at back at her fearfully. “It’s just to keep you safe.” Rainbow Dash turns her attention back to the frontlines, keeping her wings stretched out.

“W-what i-is the noise you’re h-hearing, Dash?” Scootaloo stutters, her voice cracking as she begins to shake.

“I-I don’t know,” Rainbow replies calmly, curious yet cautiously approaching the source of the noise.

“Scootaloo…”

“D-dash?”

…

“We’re at the campsite.”

Scootaloo cranes her head around Rainbow’s backside. “What the…” Scootaloo steps to the left of Rainbow Dash, coming to her side. “Where did they go?”

I haven’t the foggiest…

“I don’t know, but I know one thing,” Rainbow says defiantly.

“Hmm?” Scootaloo hums out. “What is it?”

Another large crackle sounds off.

We need to find them.

“We need to search the area, maybe for some clue that could tell us where they went.”

Scootaloo nods slowly. “So you want to split up?”

Those crackling noises are bothering me and I don’t want to leave her…

“Let’s stay together, I don’t know what’s out here,” Rainbow states. “They could’ve been taken for all we know.” Rainbow moves up towards the tent areas with Scootaloo in tow. With each step they take, Rainbow could hear various sorts of cracking, the noises gradually growing louder with each step.

“Scoots?”

“Yeah?”

Rainbow pulls Scoots towards her, using her wings as protection. “Stay by me.”

Scootaloo blushes lightly and looks away. “O-okay…” Her flank bumps against her idol, the two walking close together.

Upon seeing the tents, Rainbow gasped.

Each roll of thread, needles used, fabric placed and sewn, and all those blasted spikes; all that effort wasted.

They were destroyed, the tents Rainbow once knew now in shambles.

“What…” Scootaloo says quietly. “Dash, what happened to them?”

“I don’t know,” Dash responds quietly. The shock coming full circle. “Let’s get a closer look at these tents.”

The two walk towards one formally known as Twilight’s Mini Library, the purple and indigo shaded tent no longer existent, the remnants of it clearly showing. The fabric is torn in more ways than one, the spikes that held it down now bent in several places, and the star on top now shattered into millions of tiny pieces. The only pieces left standing are a large, white pole that kept enough of it intact to keep the remaining fabric up.  It is a complete mess. This couldn’t have happened by natural causes.

What...happened here?

“Rainbow?”

Rainbow looks over at Scootaloo. “Yes, Scootaloo?”

“Is that...blood?” Scootaloo says, pointing her hoof at the offending spot.

Oh my Celestia…

On the spot between Twilight’s and Fluttershy’s tents is a puddle of blood, the blood splattered on Fluttershy’s tent.

“Let’s…” Rainbow begins before her voice collapses. Did they… She slowly approaches the puddle, Scootaloo staying right beside her. ...get… She cranes her head around the divider. ...oh my.

In the dividing space lies Fluttershy, her body bathed in her own blood. Her chest is opened up for the two ponies to see her entrails. Most of her organs were still in tact, while others, such as her stomach, were ripped to shreds, the acid that was previously in her stomach now leaks onto the ground, the bile mixing in with the red, splattered blood. Her heart still beats and pumps blood, but the deoxygenated blood is squirting out onto the tattered tent that Fluttershy owned. Her hooves are cut open, blood collecting at the edges of her toes.

How is she still alive?

Fluttershy looks at the two girls, her red colored irises staring into Rainbows’ coldly.

“Save them…” she says, a bit of blood spurting out of her mouth as she speaks. “Save…”

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow says, running up to her. Scootaloo stays back, looking at the other tents for survivors.

What happened here?

“Rainbow...the edge of the forest…” Fluttershy breathes out, her eyes slowly closing.

“Don’t worry Flutters, you’ll going to be okay…” She says, nuzzling Fluttershy’s neck.

She’s dying...

The other mare whimpers before giving her one last breath, one last word that she’ll never forget.

“Death…”

With that, Fluttershy lies limp, her eyes gently closed, and the last of her blood slowly sliding down her neck.

“Fluttershy…” Rainbow Dash says quietly. She continues nuzzling her friend for a few more moments before pulling away. Her friend is gone, yet she has no time to mourn.

I need to find the oth-

“Dash!” Scootaloo screams.

As Rainbow looks beside her, she realizes that Scootaloo didn’t stay next to her.

“What the hay?” Rainbow questions, yelling back at the same volume. “I thought I told you to stay by me!”

She rushes over to the shout, her mind running rapidly due to the sudden turn of events.

What attacked them?

Rainbow Dash exits the tent area.

Why was Fluttershy’s eyes red?

She looks around and hears the shout again, this time, fainter.

What happened here?

As Rainbow approaches turns sharply around the corner, she gasps.

The edge of the forest...

“Scootaloo!” She screams, her wings snapping to full span. “I’m coming for ya!”

As she catapults herself into the dark forest, she remembers what she saw.

A green mush hoofprint engraved on the floor,

Accompanied by several others of the same size,

And two large claw marks, their swipes curved and long.

But among the markings was the horror of all things:

The blood of the young filly Scootaloo, the red trail of the forest.

“Scootaloo!” Rainbow shouts loudly. She continues to fly, batting her wings rapidly in an attempt to go faster as she follows the small trail of blood. As she flies, she begins to notice the trail of blood growing wider, the surroundings around her being covered in blood. The trees were painted red, the bushes were red, every little thing became the color of red.

After a few minutes of following this trail, Rainbow Dash looks up and sees a bright light at the end of the trail of blood. Along with the light, she hears shouts of her name, the shouts seeming to resemble a certain somepony.

Scootaloo!

She flies forward into the light, the bright flash suddenly blinding her.

Why is it so bright?

The light slowly fades away, leaving a clearing in its place.

The clearing has one large hole in the middle, a different trail of blood leading to its edge.

Rainbow Dash lands on the ground, her wings still out as she cautiously approaches the edge of the hole. Her mind begins shooting out random possibilities.

Where is Scootaloo?

Is she dead?

I hope she’s not like Fluttershy...

She slowly peers over the edge, gazing down into the black abyss.

Everything she could possibly imagine..

...came true.

They’re gone…

Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, and Applejack lie in this very hole, their bodies torn. Bones are missing; limbs are torn, their muscles lay scattered in the pond of blood.

The sight of this made Rainbow Dash turn her head, her wings sagging down as the unexpected rise of her healthy eats now lies beside her, the green, brown, and orange mixture becoming mixed with blood.

Rainbow returns her gaze to the hole, having her stomach now finishing its reaction to the entire scene. She knew her friends were dead, the only ones left are the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

They must have hid somewhere, they couldn’t be dead too.

As Rainbow brings her gaze up, she looks around the clearing. Not much else was there, just blood, claw marks, and bones of every sort.

There must be a reason to this.

Where are they?

Turning to her right, she spots an odd set of eyes appearing at the edge of the forest.

“Hey, wait!” Rainbow Dash shouts, her wings flaring up again as she takes flight. “Don’t move!” The figure in the dark; it’s her only chance.

In seconds, she comes to a slow as she arrives in front of the unmoving glare.

“Hello?” Rainbow says, waving her hoof in front of those…

...greyish purple eyes.

A rather unnatural light shines upon those eyes, revealing who they belong to.

It’s Scootaloo, her eyes are as wide as her sadistic looking grin.

“Behind you, Dash.”

As she turns, she is confronted with the rest of her body, its hooves now turning into claws.

“Death…” Scootaloo’s head says from behind Dash.

And then, the claws came upon her.

______________________________

“Gah!” Rainbow Dash yells as she pops off her pillow, looking around the room frantically. She flails and kicks off the remaining sheets and curls herself up in a ball.

“Why…” she whimpers, looking at the room in sudden fear, her muzzle scrunched up and her eyes closed tightly.

Death…

Suddenly, Dash’s eyes snap open. She didn’t want to go back to sleep, she didn’t want to close her eyes. She wanted to just be happy and with her family, nothing else.

She looks at the window again. Maybe she’ll stay awake and watch the stars go by.

Nah, too boring.

She shakes her head and brainstorms for other ideas.

How about going to Twilight’s house? Maybe she can help me with these dreams.

The idea is certainly appealing for Dash. She wants these dreams to end and Twilight would know what to do. And if she didn’t know, then the Princesses would certainly know, right?

As she slides out of bed, she lands on all fours and gasps. A sudden stinging pain racks her whole being. She doesn’t remember getting hurt before she slept.

Why am I in pain all of a sudden?

Rainbow looks at herself and screams.

Her right foreleg is bleeding, the claw mark stretching all the way to her shoulder.

“Death…”