Last night showed no mercy. usually the amount of reports and paperwork was overwhelming to say the least. The noble ponies that came in asking for changes to their properties and or accusing some pony of something redundant. However last night it was like a bomb went off in Canterlot's community. Thousands of letters addressed to Princess Luna, stating they are having horrific nightmares, all of which involve deformed monsters trying to kill them. Then when they wake up, they discover the injuries they received passed on to them in the real world. The whole situation was bizarre and shocking to the princesses. At first, they thought it had to be a resurrected King Sombra wreaking havoc. However that theory was dropped after remembering how Twilight had described how he died. Then, they thought it was another Tantubus attack. Maybe it had grown stronger then ever and now has the power to harm ponies in the real world. Again, it was dismissed. Celestia and Luna were running out of ideas on what could be the cause of the attacks. Now, three ponies have died from the dream attacks and time was running out until the next victim was claimed.

The afternoon glow of the sun shined through the colorful glass of Celestia and Luna's throne room. Twilight was also there, consulting with her fellow royalties. They had been discussing the situation for nearly two hours and so far none of the three came up with suspects. Twilight scratched her chin and thought about it for a minute. Why didn't they know? This should be a question that should have been answered by now. Seeing as how Equestria has its fair share of villains who would want to destroy or enslave ponies, not much options were left. She thought back and remembered Jason. Twilight remembered four years ago when he killed three of Equestria's villains. Sombra, Chrysalis, and finally Tirek. So those three were out of the question. But that meant the only villains left that could be behind this are-

"Discord." Twilight said to herself.

"Why do you suggest him?" Luna asks.

Twilight signed and turned to the colorful glass panel of her and her friends. The image of them sealing Discord away again brought back memories of when everyone didn't trust him with their lives. She also had no choice but to pick him.

"Because he's the only one that isn't dead. Plus, how do we know of he developed a new kind of dream spell similar to Luna's?"

Celestia and Luna looked at each other for a brief moment before breaking their glares and returning their attention to Twilight. She was right. discord might have found a way to copy the spell but twist it in his own way.

"Very well. Have Fluttershy question Discord about the subject." Celestia said.

Twilight nodded and bowed to her fellow princesses. Celestia and Luna doing so as well. The walk back to the train and long ride back to Ponyville gave Twilight a lot of time to think. All of her instincts would be pointing at discord if he wasn't already reformed, but for the past few years he's been clean. She knew he might angry at the accusation. That was the first thing she thought of when picturing the scene in her head. The thought of Discord flipping out sent a chill down her spine. However in Fluttershy's care, he's mellowed out. Then Twilight thought what Fluttershy might think. She was the one who helped reform Discord. How would she react? Would she be offended that her friend is being accused of something he might be or not doing. Or would she think the same thing? Twilight didn't know, and frantically she didn't want to think about it until it happened.

She arrived back in Ponyville, just as a golden light was coating the sky. Most of the towns ponies were closing shop and going home. The children were running back to their parents after a long day at the schoolhouse. Twilight was met with greetings from ponies around her as she walked back to her castle, escorted by guards. It would be to late to ask Fluttershy now, tomorrow would be a better plan. When entering past the massive doors to her castle, Twilight was greeted by Spike who was crouched on the floor, picking up scrolls that had fallen out of his arms. Twilight smirked and ran toward Spike.

"Need some help there?" she said.

Spike scrambled as he noticed Twilight looking over him. He quickly relaxed. Both of them picked up the scrolls, placing them under Spikes arm. Twilight stood up and placed her hands to her hips, giving her companion a grin.

"I'm guessing we've both had a long day?" she joked.

Twilight expected to have Spike be eye level with her but found herself starring at his chest instead. That's right, Spike had grown profusely over the course of four years. None the less, she didn't pay much attention to it.

"Yeah it has been a long day." he said.

-Thank Celestia his voice hasn't changed too much.- Twilight thought.

Spike and Twilight walked down the main room of the castle. The guards saluting as they passed by.

"So what did the princesses say about the attacks?" Spike asked.

Twilight hesitated to answer.

"We...agreed it might be Discord."

The drake gave Twilight a wide eyed expression with his jaw dropped. Was it that shocking?

"Thiers no way! Discord isn't capable of using dream magic!"

The two of them stopped in the middle of a long hallway. Their voices echoing off the walls.

"I know Spike, but he is the only suspect that isn't dead."

The dragon softened his look of shock upon hearing that. It was true. Discord was the only one left. So it only makes sense he's being accused of this. But it just seem right to Spike. Why turn now? Out of all the times of the year to strike, he choose the week of Nightmare Night? it just didn't make sense.

"I'll follow it for now Twilight, but this whole situation feels like a screws loose."

The alicorn patted her friend on his shoulder and the two carried on down the hallway. Twilight saw at the corner of her eye a book in Spikes collection that caught her attention.

"A Collection of Dark Mysteries?" she said aloud.

Spike chuckled, grabbed the book from the bottom of the stack and placing it on top.

"Yep, I found it deep in the library so I figured I hadn't read it yet. Out of the many you've made me read before by the way."

Twilight gave Spike a cocky smile.

"Oh...is that why you were snooping back there? I thought you were trying to get ahold of the new Playcolt issue again."

Suddenly, the dragons cheeks burned a furious shade of red. He turned toward Twilight and gave a small growl. However the look Twilight was giving had him shrink back to normal. Twilight giggled and slugged the drake on his arm. Spike gave a laugh of his own. The two approached a pair of large doors which were opened by guards standing on the outside. The room behind the doors was the court of the elements. Spike placed the books on the round table and Twilight sat in her seat.

She grabbed one of the books Spike had brought in and flipped it open, without reading the front cover. Twilight noticed how graphic and dark the book was. She read stories and legends of ancient cults, blood thirsty monsters, and notorious serial killers. It was like reading a encyclopedia of gore. She closed the book and look at the front. Sure enough, it was Spike's book that he found in the back of the library. However that only sparked a question in Twilight. Why was this in the far back of the library? Not to mention this is the first time Twilight has ever heard of, or read, this book. The feel of it was rough, as though it was stitched together. Matter of fact, it did look like the cover was stitched leather.

"Say Spike, why did you pick this book?"

The drake turned and saw Twilight holding the book. He grabbed it and looked at the leather cover.

"Y'know I'm not sure myself. I didn't recognize it from the tremendous amount of times we reshelfed the damn place." Spike said in a annoyed tone.

Twilight shot Spike a glare but he turned and whistled to himself. The mare looked back at the book for a second before placing the stitched cover on the table and turning her attention to the other books. However, she soon sees a crimson glow out the corner of his eye and she quickly glances up to see a line of red fire tracing the outer line of the round table. Soon, the whole table if engulfed in red and the books on top burned away. Twilight and Spike watched in horror as shapes of skeletons wearing armor, weapons swinging in the air, and the sound of screaming could be heard. Then, the shapes of ponies being decapitated, hung on ropes, and being tortured appeared in a red mist forming above the table. The ponies were Twilight and her friends. Then, the scene changed to a burly figure with a hammer in its right hand. Blood flowed from the pony he was beating with the hammer. It stood above the pony, breathing heavily and with a blood soaked shirt. The pony it was beating on looked like...

Twilight couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed the book off the table and threw it up in the air. She then blasted it with a magic stream from her horn which caused it to explode. Both her and Spike sat in the chairs next to each other for what seemed like hours. The vision in the mist that was shown had nearly caused Twilight to have an anxiety attack. She was holding her arms and was quivering in her seat. Spike was like statue, remembering the sight of seeing Rarity being hanged was etched into his mind. Then, the door to the chamber creaked open. Stepping inside was Fluttershy who saw Twilight and Spike sitting in silence. She quickly flew over upon seeing their expressions.

"Twilight! Spike! Are you okay?"

They didn't saw anything. Twilight suddenly grabbed Fluttershy and brought her into a tight hug. Fluttershy squeaked from the amount of power Twilight was putting into the hug. Then, she started to sob in her shoulder. The pegasus looked at her friend with an even more worried expression. She then looked up and saw Spike death gripping his own hands and a look of anxiety on his face.

"Please tell me what happened!" Fluttershy cried.

Outside a window for the castle, a little form watched as a teary eyed Twilight talked to Fluttershy. He broke his spying and dropped down from the shoulders of a blood soaked guard with a half eaten lollypop in his neck. Sam pulled his lollypop out and walked through a garden of the castle. He passed by another guard he killed who had her own sword through the center of her chest. He hummed a playful little sound as he made his way out the front door of the castle and toward the Everfree Forest. As his little foot hit the floor before entering the forest, a voice called out from behind him. Making him freeze.

"Hey! Wait for me!"

Author's Note

The foreshadow is real! XD