Chapters Chapter 1: Shaking Off the Cobwebs
Chapter 1
"LOCKS!"
Scarlet threw herself onto her haunches, sweat running down her forhead, her chest desperatly rising and falling. Her silver eyes scanned her surroundings while she wiped her head with a jittery hoof.
Imminent danger ruled out, she calmed herself down with slow, deep breaths. A dark shade of forest green surrounded her, the wind from outside whistling an eerie lullaby. Her ears twitched every few seconds, desperate to pick up anything hanging just on the other end of those flimsy walls. They kept the cold out, but she still couldn't help feeling vulnerable. Understandable given her choice of locale.
Her tent gave a gentle sway, and with another sigh, Scarlet plopped her head back down. A bit too hard, actually, immediately yelping when she felt the back of her noggin come in contact with the hard, wide branch she had chosen to settle down on for the night. A hollow knock forced a hiss threw her clenched teeth, and within moments, she was back up, rubbing the back of her head with another hoof.
No way of getting back to sleep now.
She reached forward, towards the gleaming zipper handle that sealed the tent from the forest. With her teeth, she pulled the flap down and took a quick peak outside: Nothing that she could immediately see from below, and the sky above was covered in Luna's bright stars and full moon. Were she back home in Canterlot, she'd have taken the time to appreciate the scenery.
"Art in motion," she whispered.
Now was not the time. She looked down. Her tent blended in well with the thick treetop she occupied, but the ground below was difficult to make out. The way the wind bent the shrubs and small foliage played with her eyes, fooling her into believing that creatures may be prowling down below. She muttered a brief prayer to the Princesses before looking to her sides. She was surrounded by trees on all sides, some reaching higher into the sky, others stopping just shy of a jump from where she was. Directly in front of the tree that served as her makeshift bed was a beaten path that stretched far towards the East, the other side of the road coated with wild trees that mirrored hers.
Satisfied that she was relatively safe, Scarlet ducked back into her tent, letting her body shiver at the chilly wind before she shut herself in with a sharp zip.
She scooted herself away from the entrance, pale moonlight leaking into her temporary bed from the treetops guiding her. Resting her back on the tree, she reached into a saddlebag stationed a hoof's reach away, pulling out a thick book. She rotated it until she could see the title on the front: Mythical Monsters of the East.
She reached back into her bag, pulling out a small crystal. The tiny thing had a string running through it. With a grin, she tossed it over her head, letting it sag just above the tuft of fur on her chest. Nestled in, she flicked the crystal, causing it to illuminate the tent a gentle shade of yellow. She had to give it another tap of the hoof, the crystal flashing, clearly running on what little arcane energy it had left. Eager to continue reading, her mocha colored hooves spread the book apart, hoping it would take her mind off of the nightmare she was thrust out of.
Scarlet occupied the next half hour studying the gift from her mother, eyeing every which kind of creature she could from the descriptions and photographs illustrated in the guide. She needed to know everything and anything she could possibly stumble across out here in the forest. She thanked the powers that be that she hadn't come into contact with any of them so far.
She shrugged. It wasn't uncharted exactly, but very few ponies braved the trek through the Eastern section of Everfree without damn good reason. She shrugged, recalling her days back in Canterlot. Ponies who willed themselves through Everfree this far out only had a few real reasons to do so: Curiosity, steel nerves, or a damning urge to escape Equestria. Scarlet chuckled to herself- she couldn't necessarily be categorized in any of those groups.
Her crystal sputtered again. It twinkled against the aging night. Then, in a brief, rapid series of frail blinks, it died out. Scarlet grumbled, grabbing the crystal in her hoof and yanking it off her neck, tossing it back into her bag. Charging it wouldn't be more than a nuisance if she was back home, but out here, she was blind in the night.
She brushed some of her wavy pink mane out of her face before, carefully, resting her head against the tree trunk. Her idle thoughts didn't take long to trace back to the nightmare that woke her up.
Isolation wasn't alien to her, but that didn't stop the earth pony from shifting her hooves about against the surface of her tent. Eventually, the night eased her, soothing the dull throb at the back of her head. Her head drooped, eyes following slothfully as she was pulled back into dreamland.
==========
Scarlet's legs burned as she ran down the pristine, ivory sidewalk. Ponies all around her casually shuffled about their days, enjoying the gorgeous sunshine and the warmth it provided. Her world jumped around her. Perhaps she was moving fast. Perhaps everypony else was moving slow. She didn't care.
In front of her stood a stale red building, one that most ponies without direct business with its occupants steered away from. It stood alone against the carpet-like grass around it, a single spiral that pierced the sky, elevated just a story or two higher than most buildings across the street from the lone structure.
She saw them all standing there. Her friends from Canterlot. A large mare, her raven black mane completely engulfing much of her head and the back of her neck, slung just above the ground in wavy curves, not unlike Scarlet's. Her deep purple eyes clashed with her light brown coat, and her thick, massive wings were spread wide, the only cue from the stoic pegasus of her excitement.
A light blue stallion, his crimson eyes intense. Short hair, black streaks running through it. She couldn't understand what he was saying, but she could see his soft smile, the simple sight flooding her with a familiar warmth that beat against her chest.
Two other ponies stood right next to them, waving at her with smiles on their faces.
Her father's bright, green eyes lit up at seeing her speeding towards them, his light black hair hanging off the side of his neck, his deep blue coat clashing against the color of his wife's. Her bouncing, familiar pink mane flowed freely, her magenta eyes sparkled with life as her hoof frantically coaxed Scarlet closer.
Scarlet didn't hesitate, she practically threw herself at them, eager to slam into them with her hooves wide open, ready to give them all a great, big hug.
A fifth pony slowly walked in from behind her entourage, and within just a few moments, all of Scarlet's attention was sucked into her heavy, black coat. Into those sharp, orange eyes. Her horn glistening with an equally colorful aura. With a whip of her head, her orange, straight mane swinging just behind her movement, she released a spell that coated the area around the eager mocha-colored mare.
Scarlet stumbled, tumbling over and meeting the concrete with her face. She flinched, expecting a sharp pain, but instead, her head sunk into the ground. An intense chill swept over her, tempting her eyes open. She shivered, looking down, finding nothing but snowfall blanketing the area. She let out a sneeze, sending flakes into the air in front of the black mare approaching from the other end.
The scenery changed. They were no longer in front of that lonely building. They were in an alley. A wide alley, one surrounded with buildings on either side of the pair. Snow continued to fall, and with another swing of her horn, the ebony pony changed day into night, a feat that simply seemed impossible for one of her small size. Scarlet looked back at her friends and family. One by one, they started to disappear.
First, her father. With a somber look at his daughter, he turned and walked away, fading into the night.
Next, her blue colt friend. Mimicking her father, he vanished without making a move.
The titanic pegasus followed. With a violent snort, she jumped into the sky, disappearing from view.
Her mother stood there, watching her, bags growing underneath her eyes. She didn't vanish. She stood there, watching as the black mare approached.
A black hoof lifted her from below her chin. Her attention was right back on the black mare.
"Scarlet," a soft, shaky voice came from the pony's mouth. "I'm sorry."
Scarlet's ears folded back. She looked into those orange eyes. Within them, she saw a reflection of herself. She was so different. She looked like another pony. A familiar face that she couldn't shake. Her mane was as red as her name, and just as messy and unkempt. Her coat was a pathetic gray, as if all the color was sucked completely out of it. A dull, deaf, lifeless gray. Her eyes mirrored the sentiment, and, had they shown as bright as they do now, they'd resemble her father's.
"Who...?" She looked at the orange maned mare.
The mare moved her lips, but nothing came out. Scarlet panicked. Despite being unable to hear what she had said, her body reacted.
She froze in the snow. In that moment, she collapsed. Her vision faded to black, her body welcoming the bitter sting of winter that covered her body.
Suddenly, a cry pierced the darkness, a sharp, shrill thing that absolutely rattled her to the bone.
==========
"AHH!" Scarlet lurched forward. She gasped for air, choking it down. She looked over to her saddlebag, pulling a small canteen of water from it and downing a hefty gulp. She leaned back quickly, splashing her face with another helping. Shaking her face, she blinked hard, brief images from that dream still poisoning her thoughts.
"Damn it," she cursed under her breath. "Two for two. Tonight's a bad night."
She looked through the walls of her tent. The moon still hung high in the sky.
Scarlet was lucky she did. Something caught her attention in the corner of her eye. She turned to the opposite end of her tent, spotting something that clearly shifted. A silhouette of what appeared to be a claw of tree branches hung from outside her tent. They rattled with the shrill breeze outside, almost convincing the pink haired mare.
"There wasn't a tree branch there when I looked outside earlier," she peeped with a hard gulp. She slowly stood up on all fours, not wanting to alert the rattling branch outside. It hung lower, right at the entrance to her tent. Another breeze blew by, and as Scarlet loaded her saddlebags with her supplies, she kept her eyes glued to the shadow. It was sinking, slowly, carefully, methodically. She refused to blink her eyes simultaneously, fearing what it may be. Having loaded her equipment, she placed a small helmet on her head, the bags resting snug on her sides.
Patiently, she waited, watching as the shadow crept lower. Lower.
Legs. Not branches. Long, slender legs. Thin in comparison to most creatures. It sagged lower to reveal a disc shaped body. It was almost as large as she was. More legs appeared with it. Four hung from the top. Four continued to rattle. Then, the creature stopped altogether.
It jumped. At the tent. It's body slapped against the sealed entrance with a loud plop, it's eight legs stretched wide. It screamed.
It screamed.
Scarlet gasped, throwing herself against the tree trunk. It was shrill, forcing her ears against her head in pain. She had to get out of here. The spider blocked her exit. It was the only way out.
The spider screamed again. It rattled her mind mercilessly. Without a second thought, she jumped towards the silhouette, quickly spinning on her forelegs, loading her hinds in, then springing them out, bucking the large creature.
The beast let out a painful scream, it's bottom four legs dropping their grip on the tent. It sagged against the tent, still gripping it with it's upper legs, but no longer suspending itself against gravity.
The tent lurched.
"No."
It tilted further forward.
"Nooo..!"
The creature fell out of sight, no more than a single moment of relief filling the young mare before she felt her entire tent fall down with it. Her scream was trapped in her throat as she braced for impact.
The tent tumbled, bouncing against several stray branches before making a clean drop to the ground below. She felt gravity pull her down for what felt like an eternity, but, inevitably, she hit the ground with a deafening crunch .
Another high pitched cry pierced the deadly night from right underneath her body. She could feel it through the walls of her tent, scrambling underneath her before coming to a complete halt. Creeped, she quickly jumped to her hooves, running into the wall to spin the tent around. Shaking and trembling, and also shocked that she stole herself from death's door with only a minor scratch on her body, she unzipped the flap and sprung from the tent.
She was a curious mare, turning around to look upon her assailant.
It was tough to see since the light was blocked out by the crowded trees, but she could barely make out several of its legs, spread out and curled inward at the ends. It's body was round, and far thicker and larger than its shadow had illustrated. A large abdomen pulsed, a large, glistening string hanging from one end. Webbing glittered and pulsed with a strange blue aura.
If the web didn't perplex her, then the bright, glowing star on its back would've done so. It shined bright against the sky, and, had it been hanging above her, she would be unable to distinguish it from the stars in the sky.
"That's not a spider I've ever seen,' she straightened her saddlebag and dug her hooves into the ground. "I can't even tell what kind of web th-"
The color in her face drained when she heard a familiar sound. A shriek that destroyed the gentle evening.
Sounds . Another one.
And another.
A chorus.
Scarlet uttered a prayer under her breath, then tore off running to the East, the sounds of skittering beasts rustling all around her.
==========
"Oh god!" She panted, "Damn it!"
Her hooves trampled against the ground. She looked to her left. She saw another one of those eight legged freaks scurrying against the trees, almost keeping up with her. It quickly jumped from one to another, before landing on the ground and giving chase, a large swarm right behind it.
Her ears fixated on the sound of rushing water ahead. She gulped, thoughts of being devoured by dozens of spiders urging her forward. Of their little, or big fangs gouging her from the inside out. Or nibbling on her until there was nothing left.
"I can't tell which is worse!" She pushed on, skidding to a stop only when the path curved against a cliff. Her heart sank.
A roaring river was definitely ahead. The rapids splashing violently against the edge of the coast... about three stories down.
She turned back around. She eyes widened. It was far more than a dozen. Two dozen. Arguably three. Some larger than the one she smashed. Many smaller, but that only made thoughts of them running through her mane all the more prominent in her mind, her coat rising on edge at the single thought.
"Nope."
She didn't hesitate to jump backwards, leaving a group of hissing spiders to overlook the cliff as she fell. A sharp pain swept through her from one of her hind legs before she slammed into the water with a heavy splash.
She felt the sting of cold water stab against her skin, followed by the deafening rush that completely enveloped the helpless mare. She gasped at the sensation underwater, choking on water that invaded her lungs. She crazily kicked to the surface, tumbling all of the way. Her head breached the rapids, heaving and coughing as they carried her downstream. She kicked and paddled against the current, looking for a way to pull herself to shore, a spare hoof gripping to her drenched saddlebag drowning underwater.
She saw stars darting about against the trees at the edges of the river. Shooting stars.
Scarlet made sure to back away from the coast.
The roaring water picked up speed, making it difficult for her already worn body to keep itself afloat. From the river, the moon clearly shined down upon it, giving her just enough sight to notice that the rapids appeared to stop moments up ahead. She could see distant landscapes of the forest on either side. The tops of trees down below the cutoff of the river...
Scarlet would've cursed again if water hadn't rushed into her mouth at the last second. Without mercy, the river spit her over the waterfall, sending her towards oblivion. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, seeing everything down below. Her saddlebags, finally free of the hoof that held them, drifted away, coming loose just at the crest of her fall.
She held her breath. Maybe, just maybe, if her bones didn't get completely shattered upon landing on the water's surface, or against the jagged rocks most likely nestled at the bottom of the drop, she'd have enough strength to climb to shore and be devoured by whatever kind of glowing monstrosity that had chased her so far.
The air was punched out of her chest when she felt a thick, heavy body slam into her midsection. Her breath came out as a gasp, or a wheeze, before it wrapped around her and pulled her back into the waterfall.
Everything went black, but she could still feel her body being yanked further, far beyond where the cliff's wall would've been. The coil let go, forcing her to bounce violently against the rocky ground with a heavy, wet slap. Her helmet came flying off.
She took in another sharp breath of air.
"I'm alive?"
She started to chuckle.
"Sweet Celestia I'm alive..."
Her laughter dropped a notch down to a giggle, then a snicker, before Scarlet's body just gave out, giving herself to whatever had saved her from a watery grave.
Author's Note
Hello everyone. I'm back for the time being. I've been planning a bunch of short stories to tell, and the first chapter of Nightmares is the starting point from which the entire project will extend. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 2: Lucid Dreaming
Chapter 2
A chirp from above snapped her eyes open. Her senses sluggishly kicked in, taking in the feeling of every blade of grass that lay beneath her cheek, its earthly scent tickling her nose. With a stretch of her hinds, Scarlet pulled herself to her knees. Her forelock lazily dangled between her eyes, the young mare blowing it to the side to take in her surroundings.
Something about this place wasn't right. Now on her hooves, she peered around in confusion. Straight ahead of her was a cliff. The sound of rushing water rose up from below, forcing memories to rush back to her from last night.
"Am I dead?" She ground her hooves into the dirt. She felt light, almost ethereal, pulled to the ground by a force weaker than gravity. Lifting a foreleg, she licked her lips. Her teeth pinched a mouthful of leg, hard enough to elicit a groan from the back of her throat. Death was out of the question, if the sting on her leg was anything to go by.
She struggled to remember what had happened before she fell unconscious. She landed on something hard last night and stumbled into a cave beneath the waterfall. She was absolutely sure of it. Her mind kept replaying her escape from those wretched spiders, failing to recollect anything before she collapsed.
She snorted, walking along the cliff's ledge. In plain sight was a thick log. It bridged the land she tread with the other side of the forest. She scanned down either side. There was no other way across as far as her eye could see. Below the log, the river roared violently.
Placing a fraction of her weight down on the log, she frowned at the moan of the log under the pressure of her mocha hoof. She backpedaled, planting her hooves on the grass. She stared beyond to the other side of the forest.
A path lay bare on the other end, leading toward an opening, where the sun shone so bright that it blinded her to what lay beyond the spread of branches hanging over the exit. Turning around, she spotted where she had presumably come from. The path was riddled with wild flora tangled amidst the trees. It looked difficult to traverse. The brambles covering the path engulfed the other path in pure darkness. It would take hours to cut through the thick vegetation.
Her ears flickered when she heard something feral beyond the darkness, a guttural sound that made her fur stand on end. She gulped, eyes back on the log. It wasn't long. A few feet. Wouldn't take more than a few seconds to get across it.
That's when her silver eyes finally spotted something on the log, exactly at the half-way point. It crept into clear view with its eight slender legs, positioning itself as the guard to the brightened path. It skittered in a tiny circle, a large star pattern glowing on its back, its eyes glowing an eerie yellow right back at her. It stared, multiple eyes unflinching and its rigid, sharp movements of its legs giving off all signs of how dangerous it could be. Scarlet couldn't help but compare her options, constantly looking back at the dark path behind her, then back towards the bridge leading to what she hoped would be safety.
She looked below the edge for an alternative route. The sides of the cliff proved impossible to scale without proper equipment, and it was a long drop into the small river down below. Jagged rocks decorated the riverbed, a guarantee to any unlucky creature that falling would certainly result in a messy death.
The spider kept staring at her, daring the trapped pony to cross its domain. Scarlet dryly gulped, turning back around with a nervous groan.
Just as she looked back, she noticed the darkness of the forest behind her grow. Almost like tendrils, the shadows crept ever closer, her tail flicking against her body to avoid its touch. Her hoof pressed down on the log again, hearing another weary creak from the wood as she put her weight on it.
"This is insane. I-I can't do this."
The pale brown color of the makeshift bridge didn't ease her worries. Chips of its body fell as she put her other hoof down against it. A small branch jutting out of its side shuddered, a single leaf shivering with her step. Her eight legged foe didn't flinch even for a moment.
She held her breath. This was it. Chanting a prayer in her head, she gave herself to the log, lifting a hind and pressing it down. The log reacted instantly, a light crack heard directly underneath. A shiver ran up her spine as her last leg surrendered itself to the aged wood, her body stock still as her other hind planted itself against the bridge.
Nothing happened. She couldn't help but let out a breath. A forehoof rose, steadily moving forward. She kept up her momentum, trying not to move too fast. A sudden move could easily startle the spider. The thought of it running about in her mane, or jumping at her forced her to a complete stop. Another snap underneath, and her ears shot straight up. Freaking out was no longer an option she could entertain. She bit her lip thinking about what she would do to make the spider move, taking a few more steps and closing her distance to her little roadblock.
"Do I scare it? What if it's poisonous? Maybe I can just ask it to move?"
Her right forehoof came down on the log, feeling it sink into a soft spot underneath.
"Soft?"
Her hoof broke through a molded point, forcing her hoof to swing off and towards the side. Her body tumbled, spinning over the side with a violent twist. She screamed as her other leg desperately wrapped itself around the surface of the log. Her body helplessly swung over at the same moment, hanging like dead weight over the cliff. Her hinds kicked underneath, trying to grab onto anything to no avail. Her silver eyes widened, her other leg wrapping around the splintering bridge.
She looked towards the middle of the log. The spider was gone.
"Help m-"
Her lifeline snapped in half with a disgusting crunch. Her weight shifted, gravity finally rewarded for its efforts as the helpless mare tumbled off the cliff.
She couldn't breathe. She couldn't stop it. All she could do was watch with her petrified eyes as the cliff she was on slowly shrank away as her body desperately rushed to meet the rocks down below.
==========
A chirp from above snapped her eyes open. The familiar scent and feel of grass brushing against her cheek set all kinds of alarms off in her head. She stumbled to her hooves, gasping for breath, her eyes moist.
"Wh-What the hell was that!? Did I... what?"
She calmed her racing heart with slow breaths, using that time to look at her surroundings once again.
"But I fell..."
She was back on the cliff, the log still placed firmly between both sides of the forest. The light from the other end shined just as greatly as before, while the darkness behind her continued to grow. Another growl from her end snapped her out of her dazed state.
"I-I'm back. How? What's going on?"
Turning back to the log, she noticed the spider, still firmly planted in the middle. She could feel the darkness of the forest creeping closer from behind, her tail flittering nervously. The confused mare couldn't help but be drawn towards the bridge again, looking over at the jagged edges of the surface below. Nothing down there, just like last time.
"I can't," she muttered, the memory of tumbling below absolutely fresh in her mind. The fear and helplessness she felt was real, the sensation of the wind blowing through her mane as she plummeted to her apparent death turning her pale at just the thought.
"I can't..."
Her forehoof pressed itself against the wood, making it creak. Already her heart was speeding up, panic setting in as she realized what she was doing. Her eyes looked directly at the log, eyeing it carefully. The molded spot was there, just as last time. She practically slid across the log, her legs feeling too heavy with fear to lift themselves.
"Why am I doing this?"
She took a step around the weakened part of the log that had lead to her undeniable death. The spider flinched as she passed her previous checkpoint. Scarlet stopped right in front of it, giving the little cretin a few feet of safe space. Her forelegs trembled as she bent them, kneeling down to stare into those pulsating eyes at the spider's height.
She pursed her lips. "I must be going mad. C-Can you help me? I, umm, need to get across."
The spider's two front legs lifted off the ground, almost as if they were reaching towards her. She pulled herself away a bit in turn.
A high pitched screech drilled into her ears. The spider lunged at her, fangs extended. Scarlet's body flew into a frenzy as the creature landed on her neck. She felt a light sting burn against her coat. Her body threw itself backward, slamming into the log hard enough to splinter it right down the center. Her eyes shot open in shock as her body sunk below the bridge.
Her hoof desperately reached for a fragment of the log that fell down into the depths with her, feeling a strange toxin bore through her system before everything went black.
==========
A chirp from above snapped her eyes open. The fresh scent of the forest welcomed her. She recognized the patch of grass by now.
She couldn't will herself to rise. Her mind was still reeling from the spider's attack in her 'previous life.' Her body trembled and curled up against the grass, eyes watering up.
"What's going on here? I can't do this. I-It's too hard."
She choked on her words. Tears ran down the side of her face, wetting the ground in a small, messy pattern.
"I'm not brave. I'm not like the others. I'm just..."
Canterlot. Her home. She thought about everypony waiting for her. Images of Mysty, Amethyst, and even Flex flashed before her.
"I'm not the same. Why did I think this was okay?" She lifted her head, wiping away stray tears with a weary hoof. "What the hell am I doing? Jess is probably a million miles away by now. She has magic. Strong magic. Amethyst can fly. I'm just me.
"Useless little Scarlet," she snorted at the ground. "Just like all those years ago, right?"
The darkness from the woods behind her was creeping in. From the corner of her eye she could see it lapping at her hind hooves like a hungry shadow. She dragged herself towards the log, sniffling when the little spider in the middle of the path came back into view. She was trapped.
"What do I do?"
The strange growl from the darkness forced her to lean against her end of the log. Using it as leverage, she finally lifted herself to her hooves. She couldn't stay here. It wasn't safe.
"I can't..."
She took her first step on the log, tears dripping quietly onto the wood surface. The shadows engulfed the side she had left behind. She turned forward, the bright light on the other end seemingly mocking her with a warmth she couldn't quite reach. Scarlet sighed, dragging herself closer to the spider that would surely attack her again. Her ears folded, her heart feeling heavy in her chest.
"There's no way."
She sat down on the log. It fractured, shifting a little, but not enough to shatter it. The spider scurried, but found its footing and continued to stare at her with a creepy longing.
"What do I do?"
Her eyes catch something shifting from the other side of the log. She hadn't noticed it before, but after wiping her tears, she spotted the light from the other end. It was moving towards the log, much like the shadows from her end. The spider seemed to take notice as the light reached its end of the bridge. It quickly twisted in place, facing the light instead of Scarlet.
A whisper came flowing from her exit. A strange mist drifted from the edges of the light's rays. Her ears perked up, but the words it muttered were completely lost on her. They came jumbled together as a gentle hiss.
The spider flinched at the noise, making the young mare tilt her head in confusion as it screeched back with its front legs stretched out.
She gasped as the rays of light reached over the log, practically touching the spider. It screeched again, falling onto its back. It quickly flipped itself over, and much more like a roach than anything else, it rushed towards Scarlet. Her eyes shut, waiting for the inevitable bite and blackout, but nothing came. She opened them just in time to see the spider emerge from the underside of the log, before making its way to the side she had come from. It landed in the shadows, fleeing like it was scared. Scarlet, her tears all dried up, looked to the other end. The light retreated, another inaudible noise coming from the exit.
She lifted herself back to her haunches, sniffling as her hooves started to move again. She pulled herself towards the other end, the log starting to fall apart below. She yelped as she jumped into the air, hearing the sounds of the broken wood snapping in two and falling into the abyss. She hit the ground rolling, tumbling into a heap on the other end with her head hanging just short of the cliff. She looked down, watching as the wood tumbled to its doom by the riverbed.
Finally on the other end, she rolled onto her back, her chest rising wildly.
"Thank goodness," tears ran down the sides of her eyes again.
The light by the exit shone brighter, reaching towards her and blanketing her in its warm glow. Her ears perked up as the voice came to hear, as clear as the bright sky overhead. It sounded familiar, its dulcet tone a reminder of the father she had lost a long time ago.
"Be brave."
Scarlet swallowed again. Silently nodding while looking towards the path beyond. Clearing her throat and rubbing her reddened eyes dry, she walks towards the exit, feeling a sense of relief as the weight on her shoulders was removed.
"I just have to be brave."
Chapter 3
The evening was still young, countless stars dotting the sky in creative patterns. Several spun together in a cluster, impersonating a large pocket of speckled clouds hanging pleasantly, hundreds of miles away. Each individual star brightened up the dark world below, accompanied by a gentle breeze that delicately brushed against the branches of nearby trees. This wall of trees separated an empty field of grass from the forest behind its thick wooden borders, and should one find themselves here, blessed are they to witness a perfect spot for pensive meditation.
A single soul was out tonight, her haunches resting against the soft grass and mane drifting with the soothing breath of the wind, her silver eyes almost shining in the darkness as she took in the cosmic blanket of white twinkles above. Out here, away from the busy lights of Canterlot, and the buzzing glow of civilization, constellations lay bare, each one woven into Luna's sky in an intimate, meticulous pattern. This beauty stole the mocha mare's breath as some of the brighter lights bobbed around each other. A shooting star stretched across the sky before flickering out of sight.
Her gorgeous setting helped ease the pony's thoughts. She refused to look back at the beaten path, the one leading back to the dreadful repeating cliff that confused her. Struggling to understand it all, she closed her eyes, her smile changing to a small frown.
"I don't know what's going on anymore," Scarlet said. "I think I'm dreaming, but I feel everything," she shivered at the memories of crashing into the jagged rapids. "I can feel this grass. I can feel the wind, but none of what just happened makes any sense. Why is it dark now? It was bright and sunny just a few minutes ago..."
She paused. A realization just dawned on her as she finally looked back towards the blockade of trees behind her.
"How did I get here?"
Several stars in the sky stole her attention. They were three in total. All very bright and catching her attention amidst the wealth of white dots above. They spiraled around the dark sky, weaving through other constellations with a smooth finesse that bothered her. It wasn't a wild, thoughtless motion like the rest of the sky had shown her. It was intentional, slithering around the constellations above with purpose and direction. Her eyes stayed glued to the familiar line of stars drifting about the sky.
As she did, she noticed that the other stars where being covered by the moving constellation, blocked from sight. The stars in question swelled in mass. They looked to be growing in size.
She couldn't help but stare back, curiosity winning out in favor of fear. As the stars grew, she started to notice an outline decorating a space just outside the line of stars. Something was surrounding them, a slender body. She couldn't make it out in the dark of the night, but the way it weaved around lifted her back to her fours.
"They're not getting bigger. They're getting closer!" Just as Scarlet was about to turn and run back into the cover of the trees, she heard a voice drift through the skies.
Don't be alarmed. I wish to help.
The voice hissed from all around her. She looked in all directions, dread inching ever closer in the form of the mysterious body.
Finally, the subtle lighting from the night illuminated the mass moving towards the field. It had a massive form. No legs, arms, or claws to show for itself. A strange field of magic surrounded the creature in a dark blue aura, the power carrying it across the sky. The arcane energy hummed as the beast hovered over the grass, pausing right above it. A small shockwave rippled through the grass from the center of this creature's body.
It landed in front of her with a plop. It's body stretched outward, cutting off every exit save for the one directly behind her. The head raised itself to meet her at eye level. Scarlet gasped: The constellation she saw shifting around in the sky was present on the underbelly of the creature, each "star" shining bright in the night. A small hiss came its dark mouth, forcing Scarlet to step backward in caution. A forked tongue poked out, flicking in the air before retreating back inside with a wet slap.
"A snake," Scarlet took another step. "I've never seen one like this before."
I mean you no harm.
Scarlet heard the voice clearly. It came from all directions once again, but she couldn't help but look back at the reptile with a quizzical look. "Is that you? You can talk?"
It is. And I can.
"Wow," she gasped. "You... I mean..." She dropped her thought as the snake elegantly coiled its body together. The constellation of stars on its underbelly were buried underneath, but their glow still leaked out in small cracks. Its glowing eyes refused to blink, and with another flick of its tongue, the snake came to a rest. Its pupils narrowed, their shape just like the stars adorning its underbelly. The snake's scales, while hard to make out in the night, were clearly a shade similar to that of the night. The serpent practically blended into the sky from top and bottom, its eyes the only reliable way for Scarlet to keep track of its form.
Hello. What is your name?
Scarlet gave the question a moment to sink in. "My name is Scarlet. Scarlet Trace." The snake hummed to itself, lost in thought, before she added, "What's yours? What are you?"
I do not possess a name given to me by my kind. However, while I drift about in the skies of dreams, I've known some to claim my stars to be "Orion's Belt." It is the closest to a title that I have ever attained.
"The three bright stars on your belly," she said. "May I call you Orion?"
I have no qualms with your request, Scarlet. As to what I am, I'm a creature of dreams. Historically, many have called us Dreamweavers. Creatures that roam about the dreamscape.
Scarlet's mind ran through the book her mother had given her before her journey. Nowhere in the book had she found anything about a creature as strange as the self proclaimed dreamweaver in front of her. Nevertheless, she found the name to be a powerful indicator of what was going on with her sudden drops in memory, as well as her troubles crossing the log bridge.
"So I really am in a dream?"
In many ways, yes. I was traveling towards the land of Equestria, resting in an abandoned cavern in the wild forest, when I heard the Nightcrawlers giving chase after prey. The snake moved its head closer, flicking out its tongue straight at Scarlet. Their target was you, dear Scarlet?
"The spiders?" She shivered. "Yeah. They chased me off a cliff. It was you that caught me at the waterfall, wasn't it?" Scarlet didn't give him a chance to answer, a gentle smile growing on her face. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
I'm afraid that your preemptive gratitude may have to be put on hold, Scarlet. After I managed to recover you and your belongings, I had to carry us to safety elsewhere. The nightcrawlers, they are capable of feats similar to my own. They can sense when creatures nearby have entered the dreamscape. That's where you've been, Scarlet.
"Luna's dreamscape?" Scarlet's eyes widened. "So it really is a dream."
Indeed. However, you've been subjected to their toxins. As of right now, you cannot willingly leave the dreamscape until it runs its course through you.
Scarlet looked down at the grass. "I do remember feeling one of them bite me before I fell into the water."
Nightcrawlers have the capability to render their prey asleep with their bite. If the dosage is high enough, their prey can become comatose. You are a lucky pony, Scarlet. This isn't the case. Not just yet.
"Yet? Is something happening back in the waking world?"
Sadly, I was unable to escape the swarm giving chase. I managed to escape, but they have since retrieved your body for nourishment.
All of the color in Scarlet's body drained away. "Wait a minute! Does that mean... a-am I...?"
You are still alive. Just asleep. Nightcrawlers are many, but they lack intelligence. They solely rely on animalistic instinct to feed and grow in numbers. However...
Scarlet's hinds started to tremble.
Should you wake up while in their grasp, they will be sure to inject enough toxins into your body to render you lifeless until your final days.
Scarlet let the information sink in. She took a deep breath. "Is there anything you can do?"
I cannot. They are far too numerous. Too fast. They control the forest, and I am but one. I came to you immediately. Perhaps with your knowledge, we can think of a way to retrieve your body.
"Wait, you're in the dreamscape, correct? Is there any way you can reach out and contact Princess Luna? If it's still night in the waking world, then we can get a message to her!" Scarlet moved closer to the creature, her mind racing.
That is correct. It has been eons. Never had I considered contacting the Princess of the Night.
Orion gave a defeated shake. Even if that were an option, there isn't enough time between when your poison wears off, and when the nightcrawlers will put you into an eternal sleep. I also fear that should your "Princess" were to find me in the dreamscape, she'd find and destroy me.
"Huh? That doesn't sound like the Princess to me. She's a kind ruler now. Perhaps your kind had only known her during her time as Nightmare Moon?
Dreamweavers feed off of dreams, Scarlet. Nightmares. They are what sustain us. By devouring them, we also grant the dreamer a night of restful sleep. It's a relationship that, long ago, grabbed the attention of your Princess Luna. She had similar goals in mind for her ponies. Rewarding their daily work with a peaceful slumber drove her to create a relationship with my kind. The ancestors of my ancestors worked alongside her to make her vision a reality.
We lived in your Equestria, shrouding ourselves in the night sky every night. The dreamweavers watched her actions from a distance. Over time, we saw her grow wild with power and overthrow the kingdom of ponies. It was during the birth of that mad princess that my ancestors fled out into the world beyond your borders. With her new power, she hunted my kind down. One by one, she destroyed all that remained hidden within the dreamscape.
Dreamweavers are a peaceful species. We cannot survive in the outside world for long. We cannot fight back. We waited for hundreds of years, afraid that the mad princess would find and finish our kind off. When news came that she had been cleansed by the Elements of Harmony, I cautiously began my long journey back towards your kingdom. However, with so many nightcrawlers lingering in this forest I've been unable to make the journey back.
We lived to serve other species in their sleep. It's what drives my kind. When I saved you, I looked into your dreams. You are a unique creature, Scarlet Trace, and I wish to keep you alive.
Orion cleared his throat, looking up at the sky. So when you say that your Princess Luna has been cleared of the madness that drove her to attack my kind, that is the whole truth?
Scarlet looked at him with a mixture of joy and concern. "I'm sorry to hear about your kind, Orion. I had no idea that your species' history was so intimate with Princess Luna. And thank you for putting yourself in danger to try and rescue me.
"Yes, Princess Luna has since been reformed and acclimated to present day Equestria. You have my word that she wouldn't have any reason to harm you in the slightest. Finding her in the dreamscape is probably the best shot we have at getting me away from those spiders."
Orion flicked his tongue around. Nightcrawlers and Dreamweavers typically distance ourselves from one another, but those dreadful creatures have been known to feed off of my kind in desperate times.
There was a pause in his "voice." He stared directly into Scarlet's eyes, a thoughtful hum filling her ears.
It will take some time, Scarlet. I cannot promise that I can contact Princess Luna in time. However, there may be a way you can stall them long enough for us to find you.
"What is it? I'll do whatever I can! I need to get out of this forest!"
Orion slithered closer to her. The nightcrawlers are all preoccupied with you at the moment. They're preparing to feast on your dreams. All of them. With all of their attention on you, I could make my way through the dreamscape, and alert your Princess Luna of the emergency.
"And how exactly would I stall them? You said yourself that there I don't have long."
Yes, but there may be a way for you to postpone their feeding. If you can force them to pause, it should give me a better chance to locate your princess.
"Make them stop? How? I'm asleep," she said. Scarlet's legs gave out and she fell back to her haunches, struggling to understand Orion's intentions.
I say this with confidence, Scarlet, so please listen carefully:
You only have a few minutes remaining before the bite you suffered wears off. I have dealt with Nightcrawlers for a large part of my life. I too, have fallen into their traps and have been captured. If I'm correct, they will have placed you in their webs by now, and are preparing themselves. They will feed on all of your dreams, good and bad, until you eventually give out.
However, Nightcrawlers are gluttons. They feed until their prey passes on. They know no restraint. When I was captured, and they fed on me...
Orion's voice froze, as if he was looking for the right words.
I GAVE them my dreams. All of them. Everything I could imagine. It was in that moment that I awoke, and they had all vanished. I am unsure of what happened, but with time, I was able to untangle myself and make my escape. My concern for you is that far more are surrounding you than the few that I managed to handle.
Give them your dreams, Scarlet. This is what you have to do. When you can feel your dreams being swept away, you need to give them up, willingly. Do not fight back.
A roll of thunder loomed overhead. Scarlet hadn't noticed how cloudy the sky had become, the stars being overtaken by subtle flashes of light. The thunder shook the ground beneath the pair.
Orion became encapsulated in the magical aura once more, lifting hastily into the sky. We've run out of time, Scarlet! You only have minutes to do this! I believe you can do it just as I have.
Before Scarlet could yell anything back, Orion vanished in a flash of lightning. The wind pulled at her mane and tail, making them wildly fling against her. She trembled under the oncoming storm, the scent of rain filling her nostrils as the clouds grew darker still.
A familiar voice played out in her head: Be brave.
"I can..." her eyes grew heavy, glistening with moisture. Her legs trembled underneath her as she pulled herself back up.
"I can do this."
Chapter 4: Vivid Dreaming
Chapter 4
The dark clouds loomed overhead, the smell of ozone permeating the air around the lone pony in the grassy field. The wind effortlessly pressed the trees behind her backwards, her mane and tail flailing all around her.
She noticed a faint, tingling feeling. At first, she raised a brow in confusion. Scarlet hissed when the ticklish feeling became a pinch. Her head throbbed, forcing her to sit back on the grass as the world dulled. Her eyes shut while her head threatened to split in two, the mare struggling to remember the simple instructions left behind by Orion.
‘Let them have it.’ She internally repeated this rule, offering no favors to the pounding that was coursing through skull. Scarlet rubbed it with her forehooves, taking in slow, deep breaths. Just as promised by her new friend, she felt something invasive inside her mind. Her mind pried open and the contents of her dream were exposed for a grand feast. She felt something pull inside.
Her dream reacted violently to the tug in her head. Her eyes crossed for a second as the dull, dark colors of the stormy field jumped about. The grass beneath her flank flashed a bright variety of blues and greens. The sky and trees flickered, and the awkward scent of the bazaars of Canterlot wafted from seemingly nowhere. The ground beneath her gave way, her body sinking into oblivion below.
She repeated Orion's order. Giving control to the nightcrawlers was easy enough. The pull on her dream was powerful, and her instinctual reaction to cling to it was easier to resist than she had anticipated. To Scarlet, it was much like a game of tug-of-war. She took another breath, trying to steady herself, ending her resistance. The world she had been cast into since she fell asleep drained of all color and sensation. She fell through it, as if punching through a cloud of smoke, before tumbling into the void below. Her headache disappeared, a sense of accomplishment welling up inside of her.
Scarlet continued this for some time, letting go of her dreams as they came. She gave a quizzical glance at some of her older dreams, many of them from her youth, images and scenes playing out in front of her. A nightmare about a monster under her bed? Gone. Dreaming of jumping from cloud to cloud? Easy to let go. So many frivolous sensations of fear and joy played their role, casting her from place to place from her fillyhood. Though each was being sacrificed, the nostalgia of seeing each of them before they were swallowed up by the nightcrawlers was a welcome sight. A bittersweet frown formed on her lips as she sent them off to be sacrificed.
Her silvery eyes glanced around as another dream took shape around her. Many of them came in chunks of choppy details and semi-solid shapes surrounding the main subjects of the dream. Namely her and her friends or family. This dream was far more vivid in its imagery, the complexity deep enough that the sidewalk she was on clapped against the sound of rushing hooves.
A gentle river ran through the area, with healthy, fresh-cut grass adorning its banks. Concrete spiraled around the grass, several benches forming along the path with incredible detail.
Scarlet gasped as the situation began to draw itself out. She rushed down the road, towards a familiar lump of grass by a small bridge. Her head absolutely pounded as she came face to face with what lay before her- an image so perfectly crafted from memory that, just for a moment, she had forgotten that she was within the dreamscape.
A stallion lay under the bridge, his deep blue coat darkened by the shade granted by the dip in the land. His black mane and tail lay sprawled out against the grass, lifeless and dull. His jade eyes, frozen in time, did not blink, twitch, or stutter.
"LET ME GO!"
"HOLD HER DOWN!"
"GET HER OUTTA HERE!"
"I NEED TO SEE HIM!"
More screams echoed deep inside. Her eyes shrank, her legs giving out underneath her. The day her father was found dead. Memories flooded her, her ears folding back in pain as her headache violently throbbed. It was so vivid: Steele pushing her away, a crowd of ponies doing their best to cover his body, and that unmistakable scent of magic being gathered nearby as the Canterlot emergency unit warped him away.
In a flash of light, the body, and everypony in the area that had gathered to investigate, had vanished. Only she and her friends remained. The last time she'd ever see her father. She choked on her own breath as tears ran down her cheeks.
That familiar tug pulled against her head, and for the first time since her trip into her own dreamscape had begun, she pulled back.
"No. Don't take this one. Please."
Another rough tug knocked her off balance, forcing her to the ground on her side. She stumbled back to her hooves, a single forehoof pressing up against her forehead as she looked down. She didn't bother wiping the tears away, letting them rain down on the green hill. Another tug pulled deep inside, each time draining away more and more detail from her. The river came to a complete stop, the sidewalk crumbled away, then the bridge faded.
Scarlet kicked out behind her with a grunt. She looked back at the empty spot where he had been. She approached it, kneeling and taking in the small grooves that shaped his body in the grass. Scarlet couldn’t help but think about all of the little details about him: the scruff he was always to lazy to trim, the way his muzzle sorta curved to one side of his face, and how a single thick strand of hair always bobbed in front of his face. She leaned down and nuzzled the empty spot before backtracking a few steps away.
Looking straight up at the blackened skies, she wiped her tears. Scarlet calmed herself, enjoying the frozen moment in time before finally releasing her hold. The world around her disappeared one blade of grass at a time as it was devoured by the nightcrawlers in the waking world. She felt herself float back into the empty stream of her memories as she waved goodbye.
"I love you."
==========
Scarlet passed through a dozen other dreams through her dreamscape, many bringing back fond memories of her life as a foal. Training under the tutelage of her mother and father, learning how to investigate. Slammed with tons of books at the library by Mysty and her incessant drive to make sure Scarlet could recite a dictionary verbatim on the fly. She was studious, and a hard worker, but raw talent for the job was a power that she knew she didn't have within. The one component that held her back from truly making her parents proud.
There was another dream of the very first time she tried coffee. A single taste was all it took for the mare to spiral into a comically crippling addiction. She waited for the next stop, plopping right down on a bed that was far too familiar to mistake for any other.
The room was compact, clearly designed for only one pony to live. Everything was connected by a single walkway, from bedroom to kitchen. A sink that led to the private bathroom on the other side of the room from her bed dripped from its leaky faucet as she dropped off the springy bed.
Scarlet stumbled across the messy room, cautiously pulling herself towards the sink to look into the mirror. A different mare stared back at her. Puffy, dark bags hung under her deep green eyes, and her pale grey coat looked messy, as if she had just woken up from a bad dream. The pony in the mirror looked back at her, matching her movement perfectly as she twisted and turned her head. The reflection's mane, as red as her name, sagged, devoid of energy and absent of life.
It was another vivid dream, one that relentlessly shoved itself into many of Scarlet's sleepless nights back when she was living in Canterlot. When she used to work for the Royal Guard.
A single mocha hoof rose up against the mirror. She could see the entirety of the room behind her reflection, her bed the same mess it was every morning before work. A pipe in the ceiling drooled right above the small area that was her unused kitchen. A black coat and hat hung against a pole right next to the exit, an outfit that Scarlet tried to look away from once it caught her curious eye.
"It's..." she paused. Her reflection's ears drooped as it looked back at her brown coat. Her bright pink hair. Her glowing silver eyes. Scarlet's hoof reached out to touch the grey hoof that mimicked her every move.
The glass that separated the two rippled like a puddle, and a small clop of hoof against hoof rang out into the emptiness behind her. Her eyes widened, letting her hoof extend past the grey mare. Scarlet's hoof grazed against her cheek through the mirror. Immediately, the reflection, granted a life all its own, stepped back. She backed away from the mirror, turning her body to the side and raising a single foreleg up as if to defend herself. Her green eyes, as beautiful and familiar as they were, refused to look into her own for more than a moment, her head cast down and away.
Scarlet pulled her hoof back through to her end of the mirror. The reflection sniffled, and she could barely make out the shimmer of moisture in the sad pony's eyes. She stared at her, her ears folding as she watched the other mare sit, still turned half-away from her, struggling to make eye contact.
"It's me."
She knew what was going to happen next. Her heart raced, and the pain in her head began to build up once again. Scarlet took another careful step towards the sink, leaning her face towards the mirror. Her muzzle dipped into the mirror, sinking through to the other side without any hesitation. Calmly, she slipped her head through, followed quickly by her legs and body, until everything slid through the rippling waves.
The other end of the mirror was different. It was all black, filled with absolute emptiness save for the oval shape that made up the mirror behind her. Her apartment was still intact on the other end. She skipped a beat as she approached the mare sitting in the middle of the void, her grey coat a morbid beacon in the vast emptiness. Scarlet's hair stood on end as she came up to the pony, hearing the sound of gentle sobbing beneath her messy red mane.
This wasn't part of her dream. Nothing like this ever happened over the numerous times she had experienced it. It was bizarre being so close, and far more intimate than anything she would've been capable of dreaming up. Scarlet tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. Silver met green, and the look of utter defeat on her other self did something to her that she hadn't felt since the initial attack from the spiders.
It was the feeling of familiarity. This pony was her. Fear crawled down her back.
The gray pony looked back to the floor as Scarlet sat next to her.
"It's all my fault," she said.
Scarlet leaned in closer, wrapping a single forehoof against her dream-self. She looked at the ground with her counterpart, knowing full well what she was going to say throughout the entire exchange. She no longer cared whether or not this was a dream. A sensation deep within her chest urged her to answer regardless.
"What is?" Scarlet asked.
The other her continued, "Dad died because of me. Mom quit because of me. I disappointed them both when I joined."
Scarlet winced. In the dream proper, she would rail against herself in the mirror without pause. Each uttered word would tear into her self confidence like a hot knife, to the point that she would start waking up in cold sweats because of how abusive the words coming from her nightmare would become.
"No," Scarlet said. "Dad didn’t die because of us. It was beyond us at the time. We... You can't blame yourself for something like that. It’s not fair."
The grey Scarlet hesitated, trying to look her way, but failing.
"Mom had all sorts of internal troubles at the Agency way before that too," she continued. "She disliked Steele and hated the hours. She grew tired of it. She didn't quit because of us."
"And what about me?" she replied. "I was a failure. I was given the paperwork. I filed. I barely went out on call. It was a disgrace to the both of them. Anypony could’ve done what I did. I was replaceable."
Scarlet growled as the tug in her head pulled harder. “We did our best. Someone had to take care of the work back at the offices, and we were plenty capable. You knew that putting us out on the job was a big risk. We weren't ready for it!"
Grey Scarlet immediately snapped and looked at her, teary red eyes on full display. "Is that what you tell yourself when you cry at night? Just excuses to make yourself feel better about what happened!?"
Scarlet jumped back with a gasp. That wasn't part of the dream.
Grey Scarlet turned back to the floor, crying under her breath.
"Did you just?"
The grey mare remained quiet.
Scarlet stepped closer, this time far more carefully. "I'm telling you the truth," she said, sitting down next to her, not as close as before. "I'm not happy with the answer either. It's not enough for me. It makes me upset just thinking about it.
"I wish so much that I could go back with what I know now. Even if it was just one small detail, anything that could've saved them. I could’ve changed everything.
"But that's not an option anymore. Like it or not, I have to accept my life for what it is."
Her dream-self sobbed harder. "I know. I think.” She couldn’t hold herself back any longer. “I-I'm sorry! I just want them back so much."
"Me too," Scarlet scooted until she was close enough to hug the other mare. "I miss them all so much."
"Do you miss me?"
"Huh?"
"Do you miss being me?" The grey Scarlet traced her hoof against the darkness, her tears dripping quietly against the black ground. "Do you miss being what I am?"
Scarlet waited for a moment. "I've never even considered that you and I were different ponies."
The grey Scarlet scoffed, "Not even once? I'm not like you." She looked deep into Scarlet's eyes. "You know how it was being me. Being so tired all the time. Being so weak and so scared of everything because of it. Y-You've forgotten how that feels, haven’t you?
"That's what it feels like to be me, Scarlet. I don't have your magic. I don't have your strength. And I certainly don't have your confidence."
"...You want to know the truth?"
Grey Scarlet nodded.
"You're right about a lot of that. Since Jessica vanished, the magic that had been suppressed all my life has been flowing through me. It's world changing. It makes me feel strong. That's something I just couldn't afford to be back then. I had to be careful because any wrong move could mean life or death for me.
"But I haven't forgotten."
"How?" she asked.
Scarlet replied, "Because I'm still scared. All of the time. I don't know what the hell I'm doing out here. I don't know what I'm going to run into. I'm on the verge of death at this exact moment! I have no idea where I'm going, or how or if I'll even get there! I have no idea what's going on in my life anymore!
"I just took this opportunity because somewhere deep down, I feel like I'll find some place where I belong. Where somepony like me can survive."
Scarlet looked back down and hugged her dream. "Truth is, even though I seem different, I still feel very little different than when I was you. You, Scarlet, made the choice to pursue the case. To travel to Ponyville and back, even with your condition worsening. That takes a special kind of strength, and that came from you. Not me."
The pull from the spiders grew. The entirety of the dream shuffled about, the mirror shimmering as her apartment on the other side tumbled and spun around.
"That's why I cry at night," Scarlet said. "Because I remember what it felt like. Because I still feel it all the time. I still feel lost."
The grey mare wiped her eyes. A small, gentle smile grew on her face. She nuzzled against Scarlet. "Thank you. F-For making me feel better. I'm sorry if I upset you."
The pain in her head finally gave out, and she let go of the rope. The entirety of her dream crumbled around her, the image of the mare next to her fading away.
"Please don't forget about me."
"Never."
==========
Scarlet's eyes flashed open with a gasp. Sweat was running down her face, the sound of crickets chirping in the distance snapping her out of her daze. The sky was dark, stars littered across its entirety. All four of her legs were spread apart, and a warm substance felt as though it was spread throughout her entire body in large patches.
She tried to move, feeling a force snap her body back into position with little resistance. More of the substance was wrapped against her forehead. Suspended, she looked around in the dim light. A pulsing ring of lights ran down the strings that were wrapped all over her, with stars flashing against large, moving bodies that ran across the network of string.
'Oh my god. I'm awake.'
Her senses didn't lie. She could see the same sky she saw in her tent earlier that night. The uneven, feral image of the treetops alone was enough to confirm that she was still in Everfree Forest. She could feel her hair and tail pulling down. Laying completely still, she could feel the strings keeping her suspended in the sky. With another pull, some of the string snapped, giving her a good look at it.
It glowed against her hoof, the strange, sticky webbing. A chill ran flush against her coat as the warning Orion had given her repeated in her mind.
"The toxin is gone. If I get bitten now..."
Scarlet could already feel the web shifting underneath her as the spiders moved in, undoubtedly curious as to why the feed of dreams from their fresh meal had so abruptly ended.
Her heart pounded against her chest. She closed her eyes and tried her best to calm down, her mind racing to find any way to distract the mindless predators. Her nose scrunched up, her throat shifted as she swallowed dryly, doing her best to try and lull her body back to sleep to no avail.
"I can't sleep," she said. Her eyes roamed along the tangled webbing plastered in splotches all over her body. She couldn't see the form of each individual nightcrawler making its way over to her, but she could easily make out the stars glowing on their backs, each one pulsing an eerie bright blue that mimicked that of the adhesive keeping her trapped as their nourishment.
"I can't give them my dreams if I can't sleep," she felt some sweat run down the side of her chin. "I can't! Shit! "
Scarlet could feel the particular tingle of legs crawling up her tail and onto the back of her suspended body. She shivered as it moved further up towards her neck, the nightcrawler investigating her to see where its food source had gone. Little clicks and chirps gave her goosebumps, and her ears couldn't help but flicker and flinch with every noise coming out from its creepy little mandibles. The spiders nearby waited patiently as the one on her back crawled around her sides, until it was nestled cozily against her chest.
She stared right back at it with her wet silver eyes, unable to look away from her killer. Two little fangs twitched as the blue color of the star on its back faded. The spider's front two legs hungrily squirmed around her chest and belly, fondling the webbing that had been messily attached to Scarlet's body during transit for the feeding.
Her final moment had arrived, and Scarlet, well aware of this, simply stared at the form of her little killer. Flashes of her friends and family back home swept by. The silly and not-so-sober smile of her mother as she leaned on her daughter for support. Amethyst's stoic, expressionless face bending into an almost unsettling smile. Locks ever-present smirk, and even Steele's permanent frown.
She prayed to the starry sky above her. She prayed for a painless death. She imagined whether or not her body would be found as a morbid heap of bones, or that it would be completely gone before anypony would stumble upon it by chance. Scarlet's thoughts drifted over towards an inevitable question that had plagued her mind for years. She wondered if she would see her father when her spirit eventually made its way towards Tartarus. Whether or not she'd recognize him, whether spirits wandering about in that dark land even had enough awareness to realize one another. The idea of meeting him after so long, and not knowing who he was forced a stray tear down her cheek.
She remembered resting on the couch back at home as a foal, Mysty playing with her mane while cuddling her, and her father leaning against his wife, nuzzling his family.
The strange aroma of stray magic filled the air, and it was at this point that Scarlet realized that she was still very alive and awake. She took another breath to make sure that what she was feeling wasn't a fantasy. The scent was similar to that of a magical spell that had just been fired, or more accurately, the discharge from a powerful spell. It was unmistakable, the scent of aether was strewn all over the webbing that was covering her.
Another scent interrupted, one so foul that Scarlet wretched the moment she smelled it. It hit her like a wall, her eyes unable to contain her curiosity as she looked at the smoking remains of the spider that had crawled on top of her.
Its legs twitched uncontrollably against her chest. It's abdomen was ripped open, blooming outward. A blue mist rose from the innards of the beast as it stumbled. It fell to the side, sliding off of Scarlet's body and plummeting to the ground below. The rest of the nightcrawlers, the dull creatures that they were, scurried around her, continuing to feed on the magic flowing through their webs as the arcane essence drifted into the night sky.
"What the hell happened?" Scarlet blinked in confusion. She didn't feel any puncture of fangs, no sensation of drifting off into a permanent sleep. She just remained suspended in between the trees, hanging by the sturdy network of webbing from the still starving spiders surrounding her. Orion's words continued to ring in her ears as the scent of the deceased cretin drifted carelessly away in the quiet night.
"Give them your dreams," Scarlet repeated. The swarm on the nets approached her again, far more cautiously after witnessing the death of one of their own. She thought of the smell of magic that came from the spider one last time.
"Did I do that? With my thoughts?"
She struggled, trying to calm herself down once more as the spiders crept closer. She remembered what had passed through her mind just moments earlier. Her family and friends again drifting by in her memory as a colorful assortment of ponies that she relied on.
The longing sensation of meeting her father in Tartarus. It stung to remember the bittersweet feeling of seeing him once again after so many years. She gasped, something clicking in her mind as she focused on Orion’s words.
"Give them your dreams," she said with a wrinkle of her nose. Her eyes opened. They grew wide with the realization of the dreamweaver's words.
"Give them your dreams ." Scarlet took a deep breath, feeling the small tingle of legs roaming her lower half once more. Closing her eyes to focus, she bit her lip, the images of her life back in Canterlot coming to the front of her mind.
An image of Scarlet laughing with Locks as they drank coffee at their favorite little shop cropped up. Instantly, a pop rang out that made the young mare wince. The scent of magic once again invaded her senses, quickly followed by the familiar, toxic scent of nightcrawler innards. The web swayed as the weight of another from the swarm fell to the darkness of Everfree Forest.
Scarlet dreamed of embracing Amethyst, feeling her friends' mighty wings hugging her back in turn with a gentle grin. The monster hanging off her back instantly dropped dead, falling into the depths below.
One by one, Scarlet remembered everypony once more, dreams of future encounters with each and every one of them given up to save her life. With each pop, a huge strain pulled against her, much like how it felt within her dreamscape. Pain shot up the back of her neck and pounded against the inside of her head, no longer just the numbing pressure that she had felt when she was asleep.
Each dream that was devoured caused her body to twitch with agony. Tears freely ran from her eyes. An image of her sober mother vanished with a cry that came from the back of her throat. Several pops from around her went unnoticed as the nightcrawlers uncontrollably fed on the dreams she was willingly giving up.
Her eyes shot open, completely bloodshot and welling with more tears. She could see the image of everyone she held close to her heart in front of her. Surrounding and embracing her. Locks, Mysty, Amethyst, Steele, Conroy.
Even her. Jessica. The mare responsible for destroying everything she held close.
She felt it being pulled away from her by the greedy webbing. Scarlet instinctively pulled back, hesitating to let her impossible dream go without some kind of fight. The nightcrawlers practically sucked at the webbing they hung by, savoring the flavor of Scarlet's most precious memories and friendships. They couldn't stop feeding on her succulent dreams. Stopping was an impossibility!
A scream forced all of the nearby fauna wide awake, each of them fleeing in complete fear of the the cry that echoed into the darkening night. The skies above Everfree Forest lit up with a brilliant show of varying blue fireworks. Flaming balls of legs and webbing rained upon the wild forest. The magical flames erupting from several nightcrawlers ate through the webbing that suspended Scarlet in the air, forcing many of its connections to snap under her weight.
Scarlet felt her body dropping. With a pop, she broke free from the trap, dangling by a single hind leg. Bags hung under her eyes, fatigue blurring the darkened trees surrounding her.
Her ears twisted at the sound of wings frantically beating against the night some distance away. She heard the ever-familiar sound of a horn buzzing to life with magic. The final strand of web suspending her finally gave way. Only when she felt the sensation of crashing against a body below her did she understand what was happening. The feeling of a soft, warm coat beneath her all but confirmed it: Orion succeeded.
She drifted into her first real sleep since she had been attacked with a defeated sigh. Her head was pounding, she was completely drained, and despite all of the answers she wish she knew about her encounter with these vicious creatures, all she wished for was a dreamless, peaceful sleep.
Chapter 5: Damage Control
Chapter 5
The sound of rolling thunder forced a lazy eye open. Scarlet's silver iris glistened against the soft flash of lightning, which illuminated the dark, gloomy sky. She opened the other to take in the scenery around them, realizing that she had woken up in a small, secluded den. Rocky walls scaled up either side of her, water peacefully dropping in front of the entrance to her little sanctuary.
Another rumble from the sky caused her ears to swivel left and right. The sound of rhythmic breathing could be heard next to her, the feeling of warm fur putting her at ease.
She lifted her head. Instantly she felt regret, a sharp pain forcing a seething hiss between her teeth. The young mare remained calm, whimpering as she acclimated to the pain. She brought a hoof up to her temple and rubbed.
She eyed her savior as her vision adjusted to the darkened scenery. Their coat was a beautiful nighttime blue which blended into the stone around them with ease. She felt the quiver of a wing press against her back, and as she turned her head to look up towards the other pony's face, she quickly came to realize the size difference between the two: this pony was twice her height, easily.
She couldn't help but let out a gasp as her savior's horn came into view. Long, deadly sharp at the end, with a dark black crown nestled at the base of a sparkling, nebulous blue mane. Instantly, the mare turned and looked directly at her with the sweetest smile.
"Ah, you're finally awake. Thank the heavens you're okay," said Princess Luna.
"P-Princess! Y-You're here!" Scarlet squeaked, bowing her head and accidentally slapping her nose against the ground.
"Please, you may call me Luna. And do get up from the ground," the happiness in her voice was infectious.
"Yes, Prin- err, Luna,” she grinned.
Luna looked out towards the exit of the den, her wing gently retreating to her side. "I came as fast as possible when I received word from our mutual friend. I must admit, I'm surprised that I found you as far into the Everfree as I did. Very few ponies manage to make it this far before returning to Equestria."
Scarlet sighed in relief, leaning into the Princess. "I'm sorry that I had to pull you away from your business back in Equestria. I-It all just got out of hoof so fast. I made a little mistake and everything just got crazy."
"Odd. All seemed resolved upon my arrival. Regardless, you need not worry any longer." A long pause stretched out against the constant beating of water on the stone ground outside. "What about you, Ms. Trace? Are you hurt? Would you like to return to Canterlot?"
Scarlet rubbed her head. "Aside from this terrible headache? I think I'm fine." Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Wait! What happened to the nightcrawlers? And Orion? How did you find me?"
Luna laughed, her sweet smile a priceless comfort to the smaller mocha-colored mare. "There is no need to rush things. We must wait until the rain has passed before going our separate ways as is. We have plenty of time to discuss the matters of last evening." She turned to the young pony. "Orion only provided so much detail. Perhaps you can fill in the blanks for me?"
"Absolutely!" the young mare smiled back. The warmth coming from the princess was contagious. It reminded her of her mother back home, when they would bundle up together during the winter months to ward off the chilly bite of the season. Scarlet couldn't help but nuzzle into her coat for a moment as she pieced together the happenings of the last few days.
She looked up at the regal sister with a sense of awe. "And maybe perhaps you could help me as well. I'm afraid I don't remember anything from the waking world."
The rain continued onward as she retold her story to the Princess, from the initial attack and her dive in the river, to every experience she had felt in the dreamscape. By the time her tale was done, the storm overhead had calmed down. The rain quietly continued, the shower a far cry from the storm that had been soaking the forest.
"That's all I can remember," Scarlet continued, "but I still don't really understand what happened to the nightcrawlers."
Luna remained quiet as the information gathered around in her head. She gave a silent nod, then turned down to speak. "It is as Orion says. I've encountered these beasts many times long ago, and from the looks of things, it seems that they are as ravenous and as greedy as the day I first came across them.
"These creatures are dull. They don't think at the same level as we do. They exist primarily to consume the dreams of all living things until there is nothing left to provide nourishment. They will never stop feeding on a prey so long as their dreams are fruitful. Eating is all they know.
"If I may, you said that while you were captured in their web, you focused on the thoughts of your family and friends back in Canterlot?"
"...Yes ma'am. I thought about how wonderful it would be to have my father back. And my best friends," her ears drooped.
Luna leaned against her, affectionately rubbing her muzzle against the top of Scarlet's mane. "I understand that such thoughts can be as painful as they are pleasant to retread. You're a stronger mare than most for using those thoughts as your weapon."
"A weapon? Luna, I don't completely understand."
"Orion told you to allow the nightcrawlers to feed on your dreams. When you woke up, you were no longer able to do so, so you did the next best thing: You fed them your dreams. Your aspirations and hopes and wishes, all straight from your heart, no matter how impossible or impractical they may have been.
"You fooled the monsters into consuming powerful thoughts. Those dreams were so close to your heart, so vivid, that when you surrendered them all at once, the beasts were overwhelmed by the powerful magic inside of you. With so much potent magic to feed upon, they absorbed it all until they inevitably destroyed themselves.
"I spotted their eruptions from a distance away. It was your discovery about their weakness that allowed me to track you down."
"I'm so lost," the smaller mare replied. "I thought they could only eat magic coming from the dreamscape, like Orion."
"True. That is normally the case." Luna looked back to the exit. "Allow me to explain it, if I may:
"The dreams that ponies create in their sleep can be created through many outlets. Sometimes, dreams can be manifested from absolute chaos. Dreams of random events occurring in succession, or outrageous scenarios that have little to do with the pony having them.
"Dreams can also be created by memories from the pony. Dreams of past events, or dreams using the memories of ponies, places, and things from the their history. These things can be woven into stories that play out in these dreams. Whether or not they make much sense is all up to chance.
"Dreams can come from nothing, but they can also be born from all kinds of memories. Memories can become dreams, and lucid dreams eventually become memories. The two share a very intimate relationship."
Scarlet eyed the princess with an inquisitive rise of her brow. "So when I was trapped in their web..."
Luna nodded. "Your most precious dreams and desires, transformed near effortlessly into pure magic. The monsters then pulled that magic from within you and consumed it.
"Dreams, like all things that make up the mind of a pony, contain traces of their owner’s magic. The magic consumed through dreams is what nightcrawlers truly feed upon." Luna looked to the roof of the den. "Normally, with any other pony who manages to succeed in doing this, the beasts simply grow fat with all of the magic they've consumed, and become incapacitated. That's how ponies have managed to escape from them in the past. But you..."
"They exploded when I tried the same thing."
"Correct. The magic that had been so carefully linked to your memories was so rich and abundant. They were unprepared to take in such a massive volume of magic."
Scarlet raised a hoof from the ground. She stared at it, moving it from side to side as if the frog of her hoof could explain it all. "I feel like I know why I was able to make the spiders explode."
"Oh? Well please tell me," Luna insisted.
Her silver eyes shifted down to the ground. "When I was a little foal, I got sick. There was this strange disease that," she wrinkled her muzzle in thought, "I'm not sure how to say it, but according to my mother, it prevented my magic from 'maturing' as I did."
"I see." Luna looked deeply into her silver eyes, forcing a nervous twitch from the young mare’s ear.
"Is there something the matter, your majesty?"
"Though it has been some time since then, I do recall my sister informing me of something regarding a disease that was oddly selective." She rolled her head and hummed to herself. "Very familiar indeed."
"Oh, so you've heard of Scars before?"
Thunder rumbled far off in the distance. Luna's wings froze, and her deep blue eyes suddenly grew sharp and inquisitive. "You know of the Scars?"
"Yes?" She shrank.
"Is this public knowledge?!" Luna’s wings stretched out.
"I-I don't know," Scarlet shrunk. "I-It's just that I was infected by the Scars."
Luna looked at her, her majestic body relaxing. "That's quite the news to hear. I’ll have to discuss this with my sister upon my return. I fear she may have left out some details."
"I was one of the lead investigators on the case back when I worked with the Royal Guard, and I was also one of the few ponies that had been infected by it. I lost most of my friends in pursuit of the truth behind it all," her body slumped to the ground. "Sometimes, I still wonder if knowing the truth was worth everypony's livelihood."
"It's hard to imagine what you could change if you could do something all over again," Luna paused. "I've experienced that pain too. I did terrible, selfish things that hurt everypony around me, just because I refused to open up to those close to me. It nearly cost me my friends. And my sister.”
Princess Luna’s wing gently pressed upon Scarlet’s back. “One thing I've learned since my return is that the kindness of ponies everywhere finds you, no matter how much pain you've caused in the past, and no matter how much you try to run away from it. It takes time for those old wounds to heal, like all scars do, but eventually you and your friends will find your way back into each other's hearts."
Scarlet leaned against the princess. "It hurts."
Luna's wing stretched compeltely over Scarlet. "It's okay. I'm here for you, and as long as your friends love you, they’ll be here for you too."
She offered the Princess no words in response.
The rain stopped. The gray skies continued to loom overhead, and the humid forest surrounding them began to stir with life.
"Wait!" her pink mane bounced as she rose her head, becoming reacquainted with the sharp headache she still had. "What happened to Orion? Where is he?"
"Orion is perfectly safe. He is residing in my quarters back in Canterlot. There will be much that I must discuss with him now that he has returned to Equestria," she said.
The Princess finally pulled away from her. Her body lifted in a single, graceful motion, her star-filled mane and tail flowing in the air without the help of a breeze. She stretched, motioning to her new friend to rise.
"The Everfree remains neutral to the pain you've endured. If you truly wish to continue your journey towards the east, I highly recommend that you begin your travels immediately. Predators will be prowling again very soon."
The mocha colored mare obeyed, rising to her hooves stretching and yawning, doing her best to ignore the throbbing in her head. "I've lost most of my belongings on my travels. Is there anything I can do about that?"
"You are not far from civilization if you continue," Luna replied. "There is a small town at the edge of the forest. That town has a network of transportation that shall take you further east towards your destination." Luna's horn glowed with a powerful, thick aura. A small brown baggy popped into existence, floating towards the smaller pony. The spell surrounding the baggy vanished the moment it fell into her outstretched hoof, landing with a jingle of coins.
"P-Princess!" Scarlet took a peek inside the bag, "This is too much! I can't accept this!"
"Use it for resources once you enter the small town. I'm sure that will be plenty to keep you fulfilled for the rest of your travels."
The two walked together to the exit of the den. Before they could breach the opening, Luna stopped her with an outstretched wing.
"Before we go our separate ways, there is something else I wish to inform you of," Luna said, her tone less than friendly.
A chill ran up her spine. "Yes, Princess?"
"When you surrendered your memories to the nightcrawlers, you irrevocably severed your personal connection to those memories."
Luna’s words bounced right off of her. She looked at the princess, perplexed.
"How can I say this," Luna looked away, "Your personal connection to those friends who were dear to you in those memories has been permanently damaged."
"I still don't understand, Princess."
"Friendship, my little pony. Friendship is magic . Because those memories were taken from you, the magic linked to those memories and friendships has become wild. Free. Your magical essence has become dangerous. Perhaps even uncontrollable. Even I have no way of knowing what can potentially happen to you at this stage."
Scarlet let the information sink in. "You mean," she gulped, "I could end up like those monsters!?"
"I don't have the answer to that, I'm afraid. I'm sorry," she bowed her head. Her wings stretched out as Luna finally exited the den. Her wings beat against the ground, kicking up stray bits of grass and pushing rocks along the soggy land. "Be careful wherever you go, Ms. Trace. If it's true that your body's magical essence was already unstable before your endeavors here, then there's no telling what can happen next. Your magic caused an entire swarm of nightcrawlers to perish. Do your best to prevent something like this from happening again, or somepony can be seriously hurt."
With a mighty flap of her wings, Luna launched herself into the sky. Scarlet waved her off until she shrank to the size of a blue blur against the dull skies.
"I'll do my best, Princess."
==========
She continued to crawl her way through the forest, her mane wrought with small twigs and wet leaves. The path she was on showing more indications of other life. Slowly, she recognized marks along the road where heavy carts would be towed or parked along the forest. The wild trees grew smaller in number, and there was a notable drop in the wild beasts roaming about. Smaller, less menacing birds fluttered about, and the sun was beginning to break through the gray clouds above.
Civilization seemed right around the corner, and the simple thought of getting out of the Everfree quickened her pace. Her hoof bumped against an aged, fallen tree trunk, forcing her to a brief stop.
She looked down with a frown, a familiar blue glow surrounding a tiny white web adorning a rogue branch from the log. From a small hole next to the web, a single, harmless spider crawled out from within, a large blue star glowing on its back. It stared at her for a moment, as if it was confused to what she was.
She looked right back at its many eyes with a eerie, distant gaze, uncaring to whether or not it would launch at her. This single little spider posed little threat to her, yet her heart began to throb against her chest. The entire time the two species locked eyes, all she could feel inside was a creeping dread that urged her to run as far away as possible.
The nightcrawler wiggled its little fangs, then turned and continued crawling about the log, completely nonchalant that it had come face to face with a pony who had slaughtered so many of its kind just hours ago.
As it disappeared from sight, Scarlet sighed. She wiped her head free of the cold sweat building up, the alarms in her head all silent as her hooves urged her towards the exit to the Everfree. She looked up ahead, into the sunshine that promised her sanctuary. Step by step, her mission, and her rattled drive to complete it, pushed her onward.
Author's Note
Well, here we are, at the end of Nightmares! I hope you enjoyed it.
I'm also going to be doing one-off shorts involving characters from "Scars" that won't be used in the sequel. The characters will be a lot more free to do what they want in these shorts, so hopefully I can find ways to make them entertaining.
Thanks again for reading my work, it means a ton to me. <3
