Author's Note

Much OOC
Very trauma
So nightmare

Thousand Needles

Chapter 9: Thousand Needles

"Hmm?" Shining hadn't heard her whisper, and was now sitting up, blinking in confusion.

Twilight twitched her ear in his direction and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. Her body gave another involuntary shiver, with it she inhaled shakily. "I said no...I'm not ok." she clarified.

Shining sat up completely onto his haunches, "What's wrong? Is it the nightmare?" he placed a hoof on her shoulder and she flinched under the cold sensation of it.

"I suppose so...yet...it was different, this wasn't the same dream." Twilight rolled onto her back to face Shining.

Shining waited expectantly for her to speak further. Perhaps now she would tell him of what from her dreams troubled her so? "How so?"

Twilight inhaled once again, long and deep, closing her eyes, "In he usual nightmare, I am constantly reliving the night our parents died." she explained, Shining nodded, he had suspected that was the subject of her nightmares, it lightened his heart that she was not holding back. "This time...I-I can't truly describe it, it was dark, but not like a nighttime darkness. It was darker than black, if you know what I mean. It was also cold, but a different kind of cold, as if the very air itself was caressing my fur. It was very...uncomfortable." Twilight had sat up and was now stroking her left foreleg with the opposite hoof. Shining looked uncomfortable as well, realizing she may have felt violated, but Twilight continued: "And there was a voice, I could hardly hear it, and yet, it was so loud, because there was no other sound besides my own heartbeat. The voice, I assume it was a male's voice, called me the 'Destroyer'. When I asked who was there, the atmosphere changed; it felt like the air was suffocating me. And then I wasn't on the ground anymore, I couldn't breathe because of my hair, it was like being smothered. Then I woke up." Twilight shivered again against her will.

Shining furrowed his brow, thinking long and hard, it sounded like a strange and meaningful dream, but he couldn't make sense of it. He resolved to draw his sister into a hug and stroke her mane, "Do you still feel uncomfortable? Can you sleep?" he asked in attempt to change the subject and perhaps get her mind off of it.

Twilight chuckled without mirth, "No I don't feel uncomfortable I suppose, but I don't think I'll be falling asleep anytime soon." she sighed, getting to her hooves and shaking her fur loose. She walked silently over to the edge of the canyon and observed how the moons lit up the towering mesas below. Twilight looked up and smiled at the larger of the two moons, The White Lady. But then her smile faltered, where the hell was Luna during all of this? She was supposed to protect dreams, but Twilight hadn't seen hide or hair of her, ever. She frowned deeply now, perhaps she was a exaggerated "deity", such as the Old Gods were.

Shining watched her move away, he was tempted to follow her, but seeing the way she carried herself, he knew she wanted some space. Rightfully so, she had just confided in him a secret torment that she was always too scared to talk about, he would feel the same. "Oh Twilight...." he sighed.

Twilight was quiet the next morning, everypony else noticed her mood with ease. She quietly packed her saddlebags and solemnly ate her breakfast, not breathing a word to anypony and staring at the ground. "Is she ok?" Rainbow asked Shining, she, along with Rarity, were seated on the opposite side of the camp, watching the purple unicorn curiously.

Shining sighed, looking at Twilight in hopes she might notice his worried gaze, but she stayed where she was and didn't lift her eyes to meet his. "I don't know anymore...but she says she's not."

Rarity furrowed her brow at that, and Rainbow sighed. "What does she mean? She told you something?" Rarity asked, scooting closer so that she might better hear her companion.

"She told me about her nightmares, or shall I say nightmare, that has been haunting her these past four decades. Last night was different, she had a different dream, but it was no less frightening to her. She was shaking when she woke." he explained, his throat tightening at the though of her pain.

The mares seated beside him glanced at Twilight, she was no longer staring at the dirt, but rather at the flames. She had a somewhat maddened look in the deep, violet pools of her eyes, and when she felt their stares she lifted her gaze to meet theirs. Rarity immediately looked away, but Rainbow stayed staring into her eyes, there was most certainly something off about her dearest friend. She flinched and followed Rarity's example, looking away and taking interest in preening the soft feathers of her wings.

Twilight sighed, looking back down at the ground, she felt out of place today. She supposed her mind kept her preoccupied, but somehow she wasn't truly thinking of anything. How does that work? she wondered to herself, after all, how does one not think of anything? Her attention was drawn from the dirt once again, but this time because she heard a whisper. Twilight turned to her right, facing the canyon, or was the canyon never there? Where did it go? She looked back and forth in effort to see her companions, but she was suddenly alone....or had she always been?

Twilight got to her hooves and stumbled briefly when she realized it was dark again. That sickening darkness that was deeper than black. She grit her teeth and widened her eyes, willing the slightest bit of light to enter them. She thought maybe she heard voices, but she ignored them, for suddenly there was a dim light ahead, and she felt compelled to walk towards it. She tentatively took steps towards it, peering ahead in curiosity, perhaps she was dreaming again? She placed each hoof carefully, making sure there was ground beneath them before she continued. The voices that she was ignoring changed tone, from inquisitive to concern and surprise. But Twilight continued ignoring, taking more steps towards the light. Suddenly she gasped as the darkness ebbed and she tumbled forward, she let out a scream at the sensation of falling, but it was caught short with a firm grip on her tail.

Twilight panted and stared in disbelief at the bottom of the canyon, her hind hooves were planted on the very edge of the rock, forelegs spread and stiff in attempt to stop her fall. She heard her friends distressed voices much more clearly now, and she swiveled her ears to better hear them. Cyan fur filled her vision as Rainbow flew before her and pushed her back up the cliff face.

"Twilight! What were you thinking?!" Shining pulled her into an embrace and nearly squoze the breath out of her.

Twilight felt her body tremble, out of fear and pure horror at her own actions, "I wasn't..."

The trio who had been watching her were now preoccupied with idle chatter, when Rarity noticed Twilight move suddenly. "What's she doing?" she murmured.

Shining and Rainbow looked across the now-dying campfire to observe Twilight's movements. She looked about frantically, her eyes widening and nearly bulging, she scrambled to her hooves and stumbled shortly. "Twily?" Shining called, "What is it?"

His question was ignored as his sister's frantic glances ceased, she looked at the sky beyond the canyons below and began to carefully proceed towards the canyon's edge. "Twilight? Did you hear him?" Rainbow called loudly, loud enough to startle Pinkie and Applejack - who were deep in conversation whilst packing - into noticing the scene.

Twilight behaved as if they weren't even there, and continued to tentatively place one hoof before the other. She was dangerously close to the edge, and Shining suddenly stood when he realized she did not intend to stop walking. "Twily!" he called out in panic, leaping over the campfire and running to grab her.

"Twilight!!" her remaining companions shrieked and followed Shining's example. Twilight's hooves were over the edge before she jerked, as if suddenly aware of her surroundings and began to scream as her body toppled forward.

Shining leapt for her, fearing he'd be too late, when the male brave caught her by her tail. Twilight's scream stopped short and she whimpered, suddenly realizing her predicament. Rainbow flew ahead and helped bring her back up, and Shining pulled her into his arms and gave the panting brave a thankful glance. "Twilight! What were you thinking?!"

Twilight began to shake violently, "I wasn't..." she murmured.

"What happened?" Pinkie asked, her voice high with uncertainty.

Twilight hiccuped and Shining realized she was sobbing against his chest when he felt the warm wetness of her tears soak his fur. "Everypony...just...let me talk to her." he helped his sister to her hooves and led her away from them, towards the other side of the camp.

The Tauren turned to leave, but Rarity grabbed his shoulder, "Thank you..." she whispered sincerely with tears in her eyes.

"How'd you know she was going to do that?" Rainbow asked.

The brave turned to face them, being joined by his companion, "Neera could sense her inner darkness, and after last night, she needed watching over. She warned me long before your friend attempted anything." the bull gestured to the female brave, who's name was apparently Neera, and she smiled, nuzzling his neck.

"You should consider keeping her from any situation she could harm herself with. It is not of her own will that she attempted this, but she will try nonetheless. Be careful." Neera warned, before turning with her companion to walk back to their posts. The ponies who remained where they were standing turned to look at Shining, who was in deep conversation with his crying sister.

Twilight collapsed as soon as she was at the edge of the camp, "Shining...I-I was so terrified! I didn't r-realize what was happening!" she cried, hiding her face in her hooves as her sobs wracked her body.

Shining knelt beside her and stroked her mane, "Twily, I don't blame you, I know you would never purposefully attempt that."

"But I did, Shining!" Twilight struggled to get to her hooves and promptly fell onto her haunches. "I nearly did...and it scares me...it scares me so badly!" she held her head in her hooves and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. "What's happening to me?" she murmured.

Shining bit his lip, "I.....I don't know, Twily." he answered honestly.

Twilight nodded and began to cry once again, softly this time, and leaned into her brother for comfort. "I think..." she hiccuped, "...I think I'm going mad." she whispered.

Shining held her at hoof's length and looked her in the eyes, "Twilight, you are not going mad. That wasn't you, you said so yourself. I think it was the voice from your nightmare last night." he told her.

Twilight blinked, the...spell...she must have been under was extremely similar to her dream, "Maybe...but, what if he tries again? How do I know I'll get lucky and be stopped? Why does he want to kill me? What did I do?" she rambled on many more questions, but Shining simply silenced her with a hoof and pulled her into another hug.

"Twilight, I'll always look after you. You know that right? And even though I don't know the answers to your questions, we'll figure it out in time." he whispered, feeling her forelegs tighten around his shoulders, she sniffled quietly, nodding. "Now, we need to go..." he helped her stand, a task much easier as she had calmed immensely.

Twilight nodded again, "Ok, help me pack?" she asked in a pleading tone. She was obviously not wanting to be left to her own devices, and Shining smiled.

"Of course."

They had packed up camp and now were piling into the Lift. It was a strange contraption, obviously magical in origin, as the elevators themselves weren't necessarily attached to the poles that ran down into the canyon. The wooden platform was just barely big enough for all the ponies in the group, and when the braves pulled the lever they slowly began to descend into the canyon.

Twilight felt their stares, all of her companions were keeping a wary eye on her. She was also sandwiched in the middle of the lift, they were not taking any chances, no doubt. She looked down at her hooves while they waited for the elevator to reach the bottom. It was a long way down after all, and they waited a good two minutes before nearing the canyon floors. Twilight sighed, she was starting to doubt her sanity, despite Shining's assurances that it was the work of that mysterious voice in her dream. Why else would one suddenly blank out and try to walk off a cliff?

She felt a weight on her shoulder when the lift stopped moving. Twilight looked over her shoulder and forced a smile at her brother, she followed him off of the elevator. It led onto a platform that was hoisted off the ground by thick poles. The platform led to a ramp that sloped down to a barely-used path. The mesas that had seemed so small from above now towered many stories above the ponies, and sheer size alone made them feel puny when compared. Twilight looked back at her companions and smiled in what she hoped was an assuring gesture, "Lets get to the Mirage, I doubt we'd like to be caught out after dark." she wasn't going to let them see her fear again. She looked to Shining, the one who knew what was truly going on in her mind, and silently informed him that she was back in control with just her gaze. In truth she was not sure exactly if she was in control, but she was going to do her best to try.

She turned to the path and broke into a trot, hearing her companions behind her spurring her on. She made her hoofsteps light and held her tail high, displaying an emotion opposite of what she was feeling. Turning her ears back towards them, she could make out hushed conversation between Rainbow and Shining. Twilight grit her teeth, she knew exactly who they might be talking about. And she couldn't stand it, but she ignored it and turned her ears forward, partially blocking the sound. They had a long walk ahead, she couldn't afford to dwell on her companions.

They had been walking for hours, the sun having long since reached its peak in the sky and begun its descent to the western horizon. Yet still the path twisted around the massive mesas and continued on, no sign of the massive salt flats that housed the raceway. "Are we ever going to get there?" Rarity whined, "My hooves are killing me!"

"Ya said that five minutes ago..." Applejack mumbled under her breath.

"Well excuse me if I'm a little tired from our walk, we even ate while we traveled for Luna's sake!" Rarity exclaimed, it was true, in their determination not to be caught in the mesas at sundown they had eaten whilst walking to save time.

"Well lucky for you, there's only one more mesa to pass before the flats." Twilight announced after putting her map away. She had been counting as they went to keep her mind occupied and compared them to the amount of stony formations on the map. All of her companions were suddenly alert and peppy at that, no doubt they would be, walking for hours in such a dangerous and monotonous place would be dreadfully tiring.

The cobblestone path widened, then disappeared entirely into a thinner, less defined road that was barely distinguishable from the rest of the vast salt flats ahead. The sky seemed to have a permanent gray tone to it, and the flats themselves shimmered slightly. Hence the name: Shimmering Flats. Twilight led her companions on, across the salty terrain on the somewhat treacherous-looking path. There were some buzzards in the sky that circled the newcomers in curiosity as they walked, but soon left when they saw there were no stragglers or corpses to feed upon.

Off of the path there were a great many giant tortoises, each bigger than five ponies combined. They were all white and nearly blended in with the flats if it weren't for their sheer size. There were also some scraggly hyenas, but they kept their distance, knowing better than to attack. And finally, there were white basilisks, crocodilian creatures that were encrusted with gems of varying types depending on the sub-species. They seemed to mind their own business, smart creatures indeed, though facing one is difficult, for their gaze alone can turn one to stone.

Twilight halted her friends when they approached a "wall" of hay bales. She turned to speak when a loud, rumbling goblin contraption sped past, the wind from its speed sweeping the manes of the ponies present. She turned back to face the track when a second contraption - gnome-made - followed loudly. "Welcome to the Mirage Raceway." Twilight chuckled, fanning the dirt that had been kicked up from her face with a hoof.

"Wow!" Rainbow exclaimed in excitement, she had wanted to see the Raceway for most of her life (and even possibly compete), but never had the chance.

"So they just race all day?" Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow at a tiny pony in a tiny contraption slowly making its way down the track in a supposed "attempt" at racing.

"Apparently, though I've heard there's big money in it." Twilight began to walk along the wall of hay bales, towards a black and white checkered banner in the distance. Her companions followed, but kept their gazes on the racing contraptions. The Raceway itself wasn't all that grand, and the architecture was obviously goblin-made. It was composed of four major buildings: an inn, a watchtower, a garage, and a house overlooking the flats. Besides the larger buildings: there was a small stand to place bets at, stands on either side of the starting line, a tiny, outdoors restaurant - more like a mess hall in most respects - and a great many odd inventions or contraptions strewn about the Raceway.

Twilight made her way over to the stands and sat down on the first wooden seat she could reach, placing her hooves on either side of her and swinging her hind legs with a smile. "Shouldn't we go into town?" Shining asked in confusion, but he followed her incentive and sat beside her on the stands, not unlike all other mares present, who squealed in delight and began making bets between themselves.

Twilight pointed out the race-track, and Shining noticed that the majority of the buildings that made up the Raceway were inside the ring that had been made by the track. "We can't cross the track while it's being used. Might as well relax and watch the show while we wait." Twilight leaned back in her seat with a sigh as the racers sped by again.

Shining nodded, momentarily wondering about the safety of having stands on the outside of the track, but his worries were quenched at the sight of goblin bruisers. The giant, and stereotypically dim-witted creatures were often used in goblin culture as guards, as the brute strength of them alone was enough to ward off any intruders. Shining relaxed and resolved to make bets with Rainbow Dash, who was quivering with excitement at being at the Mirage.

Twilight, on the other hoof, was having trouble keeping her eyes from dropping shut. She closed them momentarily and began to drift off, sleep never felt so inviting..."YES!! Haha! I told you so! I told you so!" Pinkie cried out in triumph, apparently she had won the bet. Twilight jerked at her sudden noise and blinked groggily, Shining noticed her sleepy appearance and smiled in a somewhat sad way.

"Should we get to the inn? I think you deserve a good night's rest." Shining prodded for her to stand, and Twilight sighed, giving in simply because she was too tired to fight him anymore.

"Come on everypony!" Rarity called to her still-clamoring companions, Pinkie was teasing a disgruntled Rainbow and Applejack, who had bet on the goblin contraption. They immediately sprung to their hooves and followed the trio of unicorns.

The group crossed the track and made for the inn, a tall, two-story building that was covered in that typical, tacky, pineapple wallpaper the goblins so cherished. The building was doorless, so the ponies walked straight in. "Good evening! Come to stay at the Mirage Raceway have ya?" a cheery, short, yet slightly cute, green pony with a brown mane pulled into a high-ponytail and wearing a barmaid's dress, bounced over to greet them.

Twilight smiled, goblin mares never ceased to make her smile, they were simply adorable creatures. Not that she'd ever tell one, they tended to be tomboys and she'd no doubt sport a black eye for admitting that. "Hello, yes, but just for tonight, do you have room for six?"

The goblin mare's eyes lit up at the number, "Of course! We have many rooms upstairs that each have two bunkbeds, then there's the single beds down here." the mare pointed to a tiny, and slightly precarious-looking, elevator to the second floor, then towards a hallway to the right, filled with doors. "For six, along with the dinner and breakfast, that'll be ten gold coins, and twenty silver." the little green mare had bounded to her desk and calculated the cost of the stay while her customers were discussing the sleeping arrangements.

Twilight rummaged through her money pouch and retrieved the required payment for the stay. "Thank you, when will dinner be ready?" she levitated the coins and dropped them in the other mare's open money pouch.

The goblin nearly squeaked with glee, "Oh no, thank you!" she grinned at the group, gold was indeed the most precious thing in the world to the goblin race. "Dinner'll be along in just a few minutes - HARLEY!!!" she shrieked suddenly, running to the left side of the building and into what was supposedly the kitchen.

"WHAT, WOMAN?!" an annoyed stallion's voice sounded, the group had to stifle giggles at the ensuing yelling.

"Ya need to get your fat ass off that chair and stir the stew! We got customers!"

"Damnit, Molly! I ain't fat!"

That was all they heard before Rainbow, Pinkie, and Applejack burst into boisterous laughter. Twilight, Rarity, and Shining had a hard time keeping from doing the same, and resolved to move the group upstairs. They chose two rooms, separating into two groups of three: Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie in one room, Rarity, Shining, and Twilight in the other.

Both groups unpacked and freshened up using the bath facilities in each of their rooms. Rarity, although abhorred by the fashion sense of goblins, admired the quality and cleanliness of the inn. Twilight waited for her companions to finish freshening up before she did. She went into the bath and locked the door, lighting a couple extra candles and filling the tub with warm water.

She removed her clothing and resolved to wash it, for it was caked and stained with blood, sweat, and mud. She sank into the warm tub and sighed as she released her mane from its braid. Twilight dunked herself underwater to wet the thick locks and began to scrub, noting that she hasn't felt as clean for some time. After she was done lathering her fur she dunked herself once more and stepped out of the tub, draining the water and tossing her clothes down the laundry chute with a gold coin for the trouble.

Twilight rubbed her coat and mane down with a towel and draped the cloth over her back as she left the bathroom. Being clothe-less was not taboo amongst the majority of races, but it was not widely appreciated. Twilight could care less, it was a welcome change to constrictive clothing to have one's coat free and unhindered. The now-refreshed unicorn plopped onto the nearest bed and sighed.

Shining averted his gaze from her when he realized she was bare of clothes out of respect, not that he hadn't seen a mare who didn't wear clothes before. Peasants tended to not wear clothes in most cases, but clothes were a great protection as they were normally enchanted to enhance the performance of a pony in any regard. Hence most ponies being used to the garments and thus a naked pony really stood out.

"Twilight, darling, don't you have a change of clothes?" Rarity asked, braiding her mane.

Twilight lifted a hoof and waved as if she didn't care, "Yeah, yeah, in-a-minute..." she mumbled into the pillow. Shining chuckled at Rarity's disapproving frown, looking back down at his armor and continuing to polish it.

They had long since eaten and Twilight now lay in one of the top bunks, apparently Shining wanted to be able to keep on eye on her, so she shared with him. She heard both of her friend's soft breathing, they were lucky. She hasn't been able to fall asleep, it was strange, she was so tired when they had arrived. Now that she was actually in a place that she could afford to sleep in she couldn't fall asleep! That's always how it works isn't it? Twilight grumbled in her thoughts.

There was likely a reason, perhaps that strange voice had something to do with it? In her dream it had sounded so quiet, yet so loud, and oh so very ancient! No doubt it was a powerful entity, but why would something supposedly powerful consider her a threat? I'm nopony...just a simple Mage... she told herself. She knew that wasn't the reason...something deeper and more emotional was causing her insomnia. Rolling onto her side carefully, so as not to cause the bed to creak, she peered down at Shining, he was out like a light. Rarity was a similar case.

Twilight gently lowered herself from the bunk and pulled on a baggy, woolen shirt. She walked quietly out of the room, after having shut the door she trotted to the elevator and went down to the first floor. She would have gone onto the balcony, but the morning's incident ruled out that option. Twilight met nopony on her small escapade, and she was glad. It was late, the moons were nearly full, and the stars were shining brightly. Such a case did not warrant lighting of the lamps, but they were lit nonetheless to keep animals away.

Twilight went to the stands that were on the inside of the track and climbed halfway up the steps. She sat down with a sigh and stared at the moon. There was a gentle breeze that lifted her mane and ruffled her fur, so she closed her eyes and leant into it. One hoof went to the emerald that she still wore, she had never taken it off over the past two years. Why she still had it she didn't know, it was a painful memory.

"Thinking of him?" Rainbow's voice might have startled her, but she heard her soft hoofsteps and wingbeats long before she sat beside her.

Twilight inhaled deeply and opened her eyes, looking down, "It's official...two years to the day since.." she wavered, "..s-since he died.." she grit her teeth when her eyes suddenly welled with unwanted tears.

Rainbow's magenta pools glistened as well, and she wrapped a hoof around her maternal figure's shaking shoulders. "I miss him too, he was like a father to me." she sighed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hoof. Twilight leaned into Rainbow's touch and silently let the tears fall, one might think it would get easier, but the grief continued on and on. "I was always waiting for the day he'd propose to you and then I'd be your official daughter." Rainbow chuckled sadly.

Twilight smiled sadly, "It almost happened...but fate is a cruel player isn't it?" she sniffled and looked down at the emerald, "I still have this." she held it up for Rainbow to see.

Rainbow gently grasped the gem and admired it, "I can't believe it's really only been two years...it feels like forever." she murmured.

Twilight nodded, sitting back and looking up at the sky again, "I wish I could forget."

Rainbow looked at her in surprise, "But weren't we happy? Why would you want to forget the time we spent with him?"

Twilight closed her eyes and sighed, "That's the point, without that happiness life seems empty. Better to not have known such times than to mourn them forever."

Rainbow gaped at her, "Twilight, just because those good times aren't coming back doesn't mean you have to pine away for them the rest of your life! Yes, you need to acknowledge the good memories, but don't cling to them. You have to learn to be happy with the ponies who love you now and make new ones." she scolded Twilight, who looked up at her through her lashes.

"How do I do that? It feels like I'm forgetting about it when I try to move on." she whispered.

"You aren't!" Rainbow exclaimed, taking her hoof in earnest, "You'll never be happy if you cling to the past, Twilight. Let go and look to the future, maybe you'll even find love again." she held her hoof for a few moments before she placed in down on the wooden bench with a sigh. "I'm going back to bed...goodnight Twilight." she mumbled as she left.

Twilight rubbed the bridge of her muzzle with a hoof and sighed, Rainbow was right, but it was easier said than done to move on. She knew she had to, but she she would do so when she was ready, and right now, she didn't want to let go. Twilight stood and left the stands, quietly re-entering the inn and making her way to the room she was sharing. She got back into bed without a sound and closed her eyes in search of sleep, hopefully it would be dream-free...but she doubted it.

"Oh Celestia!" Twilight groaned, it was the dream again...pitch blackness all around. She closed her eyes when she heard the voice again, he did not speak yet, but she could hear and feel his breath. Twilight shuddered and opened her eyes to search in vain for light when he whispered.

"You are not welcome here...go back, Destroyer...go back..." he hissed.

Twilight dropped to the ground and covered her ears, "No! No, you go away! Leave me alone!" she screamed back at him, pressing her forehead into the supposed dirt beneath her feet. There was silence, a long, agonizing silence, and Twilight raised her head slightly in hopes that he had left. Laughter...she cried out when she heard it begin, rumbling from some distant corner of the abyss until it was blaring in her ears.

Twilight clamped her hooves over them and shook her head, "Go away!" she screamed again, continuously screaming incoherently until her throat was sore. "Leave me alone..." she sobbed, "Just...leave me..."

"Twilight!" Shining's voice permeated the air, Twilight awoke with a start, immediately pushing away from his grip on her shoulders.

"No! Let me go!" she couldn't see it was her brother, as the room was dim.

"Twilight! Calm down! It was a dream, just a dream..." Shining held her tighter and silently thanked Rarity for lighting her horn.

Twilight looked around frantically and blinked in confusion, her pupils shrinking to pinpricks despite the low lighting. When the violet orbs finally landed on her brother she stared at him for a solid twenty seconds before she went limp in his arms, panting heavily. "Just a dream...just a dream..." she continuously mumbled to herself, causing Shining to worriedly glance at Rarity, whose brow was furrowed in the same emotion.

Twilight kept repeating the phrase to herself, repeating and repeating until Shining scooped her up out of the bed and laid her on the bottom bunk. He gently shook her shoulder, "Twily...you can stop now..." he prodded.

Twilight's eyes fluttered open again and she glanced at her brother with a deep sigh, "Hi...." she whispered with a small, forced smile.

Shining automatically smiled at the unexpected greeting, "H-hi." he chuckled, "How are you doing?"

Twilight shrugged, but her eyes became glossy, "Tired...I had that dream again you know." Shining sighed and nodded. "Can I sleep next to you again? I'm sorry I have to ask at all...but it helps a little." she sheepishly asked.

Shining smiled gently, "Of course, whatever helps you out, I don't mind." he climbed onto the bed and pulled the covers over her first before he got under them.

Rarity watched the scene with sorrowful eyes, that darkness she had sensed was growing stronger by the day. It was only a matter of time before it consumed her entirely...