Of Dreamons and Nightmares
The Dreamscape shifted and molded anew, another night, another set of children to visit. It never changes, I watch them dream, then the nightmare takes them. I step into place, and they scream. They don’t even question it, they take one look at my scarred visage, and run.
They run, they always run. No matter where I go, no matter what I do, they take one look and run for their lives. It’s not like I can blame them, hell, not to long ago I would've loved the sight of them running for their lives. Somewhere inside I still do.
I walked forward, a bored frown and crossed arms, The worn blades of my glove clattered against each other as I strode casually through the dark nothingness of the child's nightmare. I watched as the little creature stumbled and plodded endlessly, hoping to evade the inevitable.
Wishing to expedite this tedious game of tag, I warped the landscape beneath us, the familiar jungle of hissing pipes and meshed metal walls taking root and growing as I focused. The child too concerned with their escape collided face first into one of the new walls and fell to the ground, with a surprised squeak.
“Heads up, we wouldn’t want you hurting that pretty little face of yours, now would we?” I asked, chuckling at my joke.
“Please, please don’t hurt me,” the quivering form of the child begged. Staggering up and backing slowly into the wall behind them, eyes wide, mouths hanging open slightly.
“You know, ever since I got pulled into this cutesy little world of yours, everyone just assumes I’m going to hurt them. I don’t even get enough time to say hello, before you and your whole race panic and bolt,” I groan, rubbing my gloveless hand across my deformed face.
“But, you’re a monster, and monsters eat ponies,” the foal said matter of factly.
Tapping a single bladed finger of my glove on the tip of my wide-brimmed hat, I pondered the bluntness of the little filly.
“You know kid, you’re smarter than you look.”
The child beamed at the praise. “My mommy says I’m super smart.”
“Well, that being said, I still have a job to do,” Placing an ear against the nearest pipe, I listened to the hiss and any other sounds that would be out of place.
A tug at my leg had me turn and gaze at the little filly as she looked up at me. “Aren’t you going to chase and eat me?”
“Once upon a time, but my new boss has other plans, now be quiet, I’m hunting nightmares,” I said, placing a finger over my mouth.
A loud shriek bellowed from a nearby passage. I finally found my target. This was the best part of the job, the part where I could do what I loved. Reaching out, I placed my hands on a pipe to each side of me, the blades screeching as the rusty metal underneath them was scraped along. I walked calmly as the hisses and shrieks grew louder.
Steam lay a shallow veil through the maze of metal. Yet, I felt right at home, at ease, there was nothing to fear, whatever I found would quickly learn. I am the true face of fear, and nothing could take that away from me.
Thinking over this, I rolled my eyes, and I was surprised the soft, little ponies of this world ran from me. A sudden jet of steam from a nearby pipe had me nearly trip over the filly as she dove between my legs. I hadn’t noticed her following me,
“Guess I’m losing my edge.”
The screeching was echoing from all sides now. Lifting my hands in an arch, I shed the room clear of all the debris, leaving nowhere for the nightmare to hide. The nightmare for its part merely screeched louder. Now though, I could see it, a massive spider. Eight furry black legs, a glossy body with red markings. Its many tiny eyes were focused on me, its pincers snapping angrily.
“A spider, really?” I asked disappointedly, looking down at the filly, who seemed more shaken than when she saw me.
The spider took several steps forward, and the filly screamed and took refuge behind me. I merely huffed in annoyance.
“I was really hoping for something more...fun, this is just cliché and boring. You know that kid?”
The spider reared up and scurried toward us. Lifting my clawed hand, I laughed at the hopeless little bug. Before I could strike, the thicker front leg of the creature shot out and slammed into my chest, sending me crashing to the side.
The spider letting out a hiss of victory turned to the filly, who now sat unguarded from her worst fear. The monstrous arachnid seemed to smile evilly as it slowly circled the frightened child.
The filly was crying, balled up in a fetal position as the larger monster prepared to lunge. her eyes closed as she awaited the attack.. For several seconds, she merely sat there, shaking. When she finally decided to peek, she came face to face with the spider, but, the creature simply sat there. Blinking the filly pulled herself farther away from the creature, but it didn’t follow.
“Anyone for Spider kabob?” My arm stretched out far past what it should be able to do and skewered the spider through the side. In the hand of my stretched arm lay the spider’s small, still beating heart.
I turned and gave the little filly a cocky grin, before whipping my arm back from the spider and watching as the beast exploded into dust.
When my arm returned, I gave the small sickly heart of the monster a once over before tossing it over my shoulder and walking toward the stunned filly.
“So, kid, enjoy the show?” I asked, rubbing my free hand on my sweater nonchalantly.
“You...saved me? she asked.
“Killing nightmares is my job, God knows I didn’t want it. But that is none of your business.
I turned to walk off, the kid would probably wake up soon, then I’d have to report back to my con artist of a boss. I still can’t figure out why I signed up for this. For years I hunted my own prey, collecting their souls to feed my power. Now, I’m the dreamscapes version of an exterminator. A nudge at my side and the filly was still there, I resisted the urge to yell at her. Why bother, it’s not like it’d do any good.
“So...um, what is your name? You saved me, even though I called you a monster. I’m sorry,” she said, her outrageously large eyes watering slightly as her pout verged on impossibly cartoonish.
“My name is Freddy, and I don’t accept your apology. If I had a choice in the matter you’d have been right. Like I said, it’s none of your business.
The filly merely smiled sweetly, raising one of her hooves towards me. “Hi, Freddy, I’m Lilac Petal, it’s nice to meet you.”
Looking down at her, I could barely fathom this reception. she knows I’m a monster, yet, she offers a hoof. Baffled, I reach down and clasp my empty hand around her tiny hoof and give it a single firm shake.
“You know, I’ve met a lot of kids in my time, but you are either a lot dumber or braver than any, hell, maybe all of them combined,” I said, standing back to my full height and fidgeting with my hat.
“Hey, you called me smart earlier, I can’t be smart and dumb at the same time,” Lilac huffed, poking my shin to emphasize her point.
“Tis true, you must be more decisive Mr. Krueger,” a new voice agreed.
Both I and Lilac looked up as a bright light flashed and died, leaving the floating form of the princess of the night. Princess Luna, who smiled gently as she landed before us.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite boss, three months of handling your dirty work and you still check on me like I’m some kind of rookie,” I said, crossing my arms, a single clawed finger tapping irritably.
“Wow! You work for Princess Luna?” Lilac asked, eyes wide with wonder. It’d have been cute if I could even fathom such things anymore.
“Indeed, Mr. Krueger is my personal assistant. Aiding me in finding and defeating the nightmares of my subjects,” Luna said, smiling down at the filly, and taking in my growing rage as she mocked me.
“Only because I have no choice, you and your stupid magic and your fucking contract,” I defended, glaring daggers at the smug mare. I’d literally do just that if I could, but as much as I wanted to gut her, I couldn’t. I settled for a loud growl, turning and walking away from the scene.
Three months I’d been here, trapped doing whatever that stoic little pony could think of. Every moment I had to myself I contemplated my freedom, and what’d I’d do to this pesky little princess when I finally got it. I’d sat in my happy little nightmare over my favorite little street. But, the children had started to forget, all of them started to forget. With each day I grew weaker. I would have my revenge.
“Freddy Krueger!” My name drew me out of my thoughts, I sat in the middle of my boiler room, my playground and prison. Luna sat in front of me, a stoic frown on her face and a wicked gleam in her eye.
“Can I help you, little miss night bitch, I did your little errand, what else do you want?”
“It has been quite some time since you joined me here, yet, you stay just as arrogant and vile as when I first helped you. You do just as much if not more harm to those you are sent to help.”
“Well, excuse me princess, but you do remember who I am, right? I don’t exactly play well with others. You wanted me to get rid of their nightmares, I did,” I said flatly, hefting my chin onto my hand.
“When I found you fading into the void of the subconscious, I hoped that one even as vile as yourself might be redeemable,” Luna said, shifting in her position.
I huffed overdramatically. Luna had long since told me her story, once upon a time she went insane and tried killing everyone, but with some ridiculous magic, she was saved. It was a nice story, until the end when she was fixed and brought me here because of her guilt.
“You know, I bet you were a lot more fun when you were crazy,” I laughed.
No sooner had the words left my mouth as a hoof whipped across my face. Slowly turning to the princess, I saw a look that gave my own evil visage a run for its money. The anger and rage in her eyes would extinguish the sun, her cold snarling grimace enough to drive most monsters to fear. I was surprised, I had expected a response, but not one this strong.
“How dare you say such blasphemy, you wretch! In my arrogance, I nearly destroyed everything I loved!” Luna roared, her voice blowing me backward, as the volume swelled with each word. My hat being blown free by the sudden blast.
I collided with the string of heated pipes behind me, the clattering and moaning of the metal deafened as the princess continued on her tirade. Pulling myself to my feet, by means of the same pipes behind me, I whipped my hand out, slapping Luna across her cheek.
The shock of the slap silenced the raving mare. Slowly striding over, I patted my shirt down, back into place. “Feeling better?” I asked.
Eyeing me slowly, the mare nodded. “I will not take back what I said, but perhaps I did overreact. When I brought you into my realm, I hoped that I could do as the elements have done for me to you, let you once again find the good within yourself.”
A few silent seconds parted her words, only for me to burst into a fit of laughter unlike any I’d had since arriving here. For several minutes all I could do was clench my stomach and let forth a booming wave of mirth that echoed across my domain. The less than pleased face of Luna only made the situation worse.
When I finally collected myself well enough to retort I took a deep breath. “That was pretty good princess, didn’t realize you had such a good sense of humor in ya. Guess I underestimated you, hmmm?”
Her deadpan look killed the mood, she’d been annoyed before, but I was worried she might let loose that destructive roar of hers again. She might not be able to hurt me, but that didn't mean getting flung across my Boiler room was fun.
“Twas, not a jest, I assure you, I meant what I said. No creature is without evil, but by that merit, no creature is without good either,” she said, in a surprisingly calm tone.
I shook my head, a single finger on my gloved hand waving in a slow rhythmic motion. “I have spent countless years, hunting and devouring the souls of teenagers, any good I had died long ago. I might not be pure evil, but I’d say I’m pretty damn close.”
“That is where we disagree, I thought very much the same thing as I waited amongst the stars. A thousand years of guilt can make one feel truly monstrous,” she argued, stepping forward and meeting my condescending stare with a determined one of her own.
“If you were so guilty, why'd you go crazy when you did get back?”
“I had long since let the guilt and hate inside me take control, giving in to the monster I saw myself as,” Luna answered, dropping her gave to the ground.
The boiler room faded as I waved my hand, becoming a more comfortable study. A large wooden desk separated Luna and me, I took the optimal location behind the desk, sitting in a thick leather armchair, Luna on a plush sitting pad. The walls to each side were consumed in bookshelves, a small chandelier lit the room in a fair glow, and the glossy wooden floor seemed to be set alight in the light.
“Alright Luna, I’m listening, how exactly did you plan to make me “Good” again?” I asked, putting the word good, in air quotes. Then shifting into a more business-like position, my elbows on each armrest, my fingers interlaced, a cocky smile on my lip, I nodded to her slowly.
“Barely phased by the sudden shift in the environment she placed her forelegs on the table. “I hoped by doing good here, she motioned around us, “You would see that doing good can be rewarding. ergo, our contract. The one we formed when I offered to save you,” she added. Watching my smile disappear, as hers returned.
“So, how exactly has that turned out, hmmm? I have done every task you’ve given me, even helped that weird stallion when he dreamed of giant man-eating pies. Honestly, and I thought humans were odd,” I said balking at the cherry filled beast. It took me dream weeks to get all the stains out of my sweater.
Luna sighed, removing her hooves, she scanned the shelves to her left. “I will admit, progress has been slow.” I went in to respond only for her to turn back with a small smile. “However, tonight, I believe we made a breakthrough. As the filly, you helped tonight seemed to take a bit of a liking to you by the end, or at least gave you more of a chance than any of the others.”
“So, I meet one weird filly and all the sudden I’m a model citizen?” I asked wagging my non-existent eyebrows.
“Not at all, Mr. Krueger, however, I have come to a decision, one I believe will foster that single spark of friendship,” Luna said, standing and turning to the door behind her.
I knew she was baiting me, but, I had to give it to her, she knew how to grab one's attention. “And how exactly is that?”
“I plan to make you face my world on their terms, I plan to bring you from the dreamscape, where you and my subjects will be on much more even grounds. Be ready my friend, for tomorrow you will see my kingdom, first hand,” She answered, from in front of the door.
My jaw fell, I couldn’t even begin to question her insanity before the door swung wide and she left. Slumping back in my seat, I waited, silently, endlessly, I thought just being her dream janitor was bad, but this was a whole new level of hell.
“You evil, manipulative, crazy bitch!” I growled to myself, slamming my hands onto the table. With a sickening crack, the table split in two and burst into flames. In the Dreamscape I was powerful, I was untouchable, but if she brought me into the real world, I would have to play by her rules.
I’ve seen oblivion once, I am debating if it would have been better to have stayed there. Tomorrow was going to be brutal, god, only knows what that bitch has planned.
Steam rose from the pipes, the facade I’d conjured in my meeting with Luna fading away. I roared at the top of my lungs, my rage piercing the hisses and squeals of the pipes and boilers around me.
