Author's Note

This little chapter does affect the story, but if you don't like dark stuff, then you can wait for chapter 3 which will be out before the 11th.

I was going to wait till the 11th to drop this chapter with the other but decided to do it now so yeah.

Enjoy? Maybe?

Nightmares

Cold. That's all Clover could feel in the dark. She felt as if she was being watched from above, below, in front, behind, beside... From everywhere. A faint clicking could be heard from farther within the light consuming darkness. Something was here with her...

"He-Hello?" Clover asked with a shaky voice through the darkness. "Is somepony there?"

There was no answer besides the strange clicking sounding closer.

"This isn't funny! Whoever you are, show yourself!" She shouted out.

No response.

"I'm serious!"

The clicking was back, but even closer. What sounded like sharp talons falling upon the floor in a walking motion could be heard slowly inching it's way closer to Clover.

Then suddenly, a gravely and low voice made itself know from all around the scared mare.

"ÇÕMĘ" The voice said, "ÇÕMĘ ŤÕ ÙŠ"

The clicking was now closer.

"WĘ WĮŁĽ ŠPÃŔË ŸØÚ"

"From what?! Who are you?!" Clover shouted out, frantically looking around her.

"FŘÔM ŸØÙŔŠËŁF" The voice said. The clicking was now only a few feet away, yet Clover couldn't see through the thick darkness.

"Wh-what if I say no? What will happen?" Clover asked, facing the direction of the sound.

"ŸÓŪ" The clicking went to her left.

"WĮĹĽ" The clicking sound was now behind her.

"ĐĪÊ" The voice said from in her right ear. Long, sharp claws creeped their way into Clovers vision from behind her. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her side as if she was stabbed. She screamed out in pain before her eyes shot open. It was a nightmare. Looking around her surroundings while shaking violently, she recognised where she was. It was Visage's bed... Looking to her side, he was nowhere to be seen. And something about the room was off. It was darker then it should have been. The walls looked all worn and corroded.

That's when shuffling could be heard from under the bed... That familiar eerie clicking was back.

"GÌVĘ ŸÔÚŘŠËĽF ŤØ ÛŚ" The low voice from before said.

"Leave me alone! Why is this happening to me?!" Clover yelled out, tossing the blankets over herself to hide from the outside.

Suddenly, the bed shifted to the right a bit. Something else was on it. She began hearing whispering around her as she felt a sharp claw trace its way up her figure to her neck as it pushed itself into her neck, almost hard enough to draw blood. She closed her eyes tight as she felt the blanket being lifted from her body. Soon after, the cold air had enveloped her body and the whispering and clicking faded, as well as the sharp claw and shifted weight on the bed disappeared.

Clover waited a moment before hesitantly opening her eyes. Her hooves were covering her face, she she still couldn't see. Upon moving her hooves, she came face to face with a horrifying creature. But she couldn't scream. Or blink. Or even move for that matter. She was paralyzed and facing a horrid beast. It's face looked like a horribly mangled version of her own, with long, eroded fangs and slitted blood red eyes. It's body was that of various creatures if they were put through a blender. Blood and black goop dripped from it's half missing mouth and it's claws were easily 8 inches in length that were drenched in blood.

"ŸØÙ'ŘÈ MĮÑÉ" The beast said, it's mouth not even moving.

Several needle like appendages raised from it's back and moved towards various points on Clovers body. All simultaneously, they stabbed into her, eliciting a agonizing blood curdling scream from her as she shot up and was awoken from the hellish nightmare.

"CLOVER!" A welcome voice yelled out.

Opening her eyes while shaking violently and sobbing, light flooded her vision. Her eyes darted towards the voice and she seen Visage, with a very worried and cornered look on his face.

Without a second thought, she grappled onto Visage and held him in a tight embrace. "Help me..." Was all she could say.

Visage held the mare close to him and shushed her hoping to silence her noisy crying. "It's ok, I'm here." He said, "You must of had a fucking horrible nightmare..."

Aside from Clovers sobbing, the two sat there in silence, Visage rocking them back in forth trying to comfort the terrified mare.

It was early in the morning so the light was leaking in and shining on the two, which did provide some comfort for Clover. She's had nightmares like this before, but no where near as bad as this one. She would always be so paranoid and she'd cry for hours after waking, but right now? She felt safe wrapped around in Visage's hooves. She then broke the silence.

"I'm sorry..." She mumbled.

"For what?" Visage asked.

"For... This..." She answered.

"You have nothing to be sorry for... In fact, I should be sorry for not waking up sooner to shake you out of it..." Visage said, tightening his grip on the mare. He felt bad for her and wanted to help, but didn't know how...

"But I-"

"Clover, listen... You don't need to apologize for anything. I'm just glad I was here to get you out of that before it got any worse. Now hush it and try to relax a bit." Visage said, laying down with clover and holding her close for comfort. "I'm not letting go until I know you're ok."

Her shaking eventually began to slow down and she managed to stifle her crying, all the while keeping her eyes locked on Visage as she eased into the little snuggle he was providing.

"Vi-Visage?" She asked, her voice a little shaky.

"Hmm?" He hummed, looking down into Clovers beautiful green eyes.

"Th-ank you... You don't know how much this really helps..." She said, nuzzling her head into his neck to which Visage just smiled and said,

"Don't mention it. I'm always be here to help you."

His words brought a smile to Clovers face as she slowly drifted off into an undisturbed slumber of nothing but happy happenings. All involving Visage and herself.

To Be Continued.