North Woods NightMares

Darkness and still air surrounded Polaris, and he knew he was in a small, sealed room.

“Wanna know something?” He jolted as a mare’s crisp voice whispered inches from his ear.

“I’m the pink pegasus you let get away. You made a mistake, letting me go.”

PW scoffed. “Well, you’re in big trouble then. Frosty!”

There was no answer.

“Night-Mares tend to do best when not shelled!” She laughed and shone a light on herself and then an enormous coffin.

“No!” He cried.

“Yes!” She grinned. “Thanks for letting me go, buddy! I did a lot here. I did!”

She clicked the light off as Polaris lunged for her. He roared in desperation, feeling around for her in total darkness.

“Agh!” He doubled over upon a kick to his back.

Wind whipped at his face and mane and he realized he was falling. He opened his wings but found no relief. He flapped furiously but to no avail. Panic threatened to overtake him when his fall came to an abrupt end and he found himself suspended in midair, as though a unicorn were holding him aloft with magic.

Then, a dim blue light.

“Polaris Wind, we are pleased to conduct our affair at this time!” Boomed another mare’s voice. This one was commanding and powerful but he sensed no malice.

“Who are you?” He called out.

The light brightened and a blue and black alicorn with a flowing mane emerged.

“Princess Luna!” PW gaped and made to bow but found himself unable in his suspension.

She didn’t seem to notice and gave a curt nod. “‘Tis I at last, Polaris.”

He sighed in relief.

“You look as though you’re expecting a visit from us, Polaris.” She raised an eyebrow.

“Well…” He shrugged.

“You are an exception in many ways.” She smiled. “Few wish his Night-Mare would go on forever.”

“Um, right.” He trailed and recalled what had just happened prior to the princess’ arrival. “But I need to fix Frosty. She just died!”

“Thy dedication. I may not bring ponies back to life in reality but I can certainly fix a bad dream!” Her eyes shone and her horn was alight with magic.

PW blinked and found himself standing on the deck of a pirate ship with Luna at his side.

“Look out Polaris, what do you see?” She asked.

He felt a chill upon remembering this particular dream.

“ …because as you see, Celestia, we’re going to execute a so-called ‘super soldier’ today along with her little assistant! A common, defenseless young stallion. Isn’t it comforting knowing your weapon of terror is destroyed and your citizens are vulnerable?” The Captain challenged.

“Polaris Wind! Equestria! Never stop fighting! Never give up! Size is measured in spirit, nothing else!” A bound Frosty shouted with all her might.

“2! NO!” Polaris screamed as time stopped.

PW huffed. “I see failure.”

“That is not what I see.” Luna said.

The world blurred into a white void and a new setting shimmered into focus. Another dream was recalled, this time time on a frozen plain.

“Oh no!” Frosty cried in real fear.

“Is it too late to hide?” Asked PW.

“Was the Ursa Major looking at us before she took that step?”

“Yes, and for a full minute before that. Maybe more before I woke up!”

“Fuck. I’ve really enjoyed my time spent with you, PW. I wished we had more time together. Maybe we could have grown closer.” She added.

“Agreed.” Added the vision's PW, reaching down in a futile attempt for his flashbang.

“Finally, an easy target. No aim necessary.” She said, pulling the trigger to its stop, unloading everything the D16 had.

“Does failure appear here as well?” Luna asked. “It would appear to me that you possess both a grenade and the will to use it in these last moments.”

The grenade detonated in the Ursa’s mouth. “On target and synchronized.” Luna added.

The beast lunged one more time and enveloped everything with her cavernous mouth.

A new voice hissed in the darkness.

“Silly pegasus… Did you really think you were going to save her?” Laughed the Changeling Queen.

PW watched as his other self failed to break free as Chrysalis stepped on his tail and bit into his neck.

“I see a stallion trying his hardest to reach deeper into the hive. Placing himself in harm’s way for Night-Mare 2-5.” Luna said as the world again shimmered and morphed into a dense jungle.

“All right, trash,one-mare firing squad!” Recce took aim.

“Please Reece! I am part of 2-2’s support group! I am friend, not foe!” Polaris pleaded.

“Shut it!” She whipped her tail hard against PW, drawing blood.

“I am one of your own! Please!” He cried, tears running.

“I do not see failure.” Luna turned to him. “Nor do I see cowardice. I see bravery. I see true determination! Against all odds!” Her horn lit up again. “Sometimes, the best teacher is experience. Behold, your fear of true failure!”

Another shimmer and PW found himself back at square one.

“What’s the matter, Night-Mare? Gun jammed?” Teased a stallion from around the road’s corner.

“Ack – my fingers are stuck! I need water!” Frosty shouted.

“If you uh… grab them…” PW’s construct suggested.

“What?” Frosty asked, diverting her attention away from the firefight.

Gunshots rang out from behind and she collapsed with a grunt of pain. Dream-PW began running back down the road in the direction he came.

“Princess Luna? I don’t like this!” PW cried.

Frosty groaned and struggled to her hooves.

“Ready? Aim!” A voice shouted. “Fire!”

Frosty was again struck as a hail of gunfire erupted from the treeline and she went down hard. Several more enemies made their way to her with a bound PW in tow.

“Come out here, Night-Mare! We have a hostage and you have five seconds! Four! Three! Two!” Shouted the stallion as she again tried to stand.

A cannon roared and then three grenades went off on top of her.

Now missing parts of her face, and with exposed jaw bone, Frosty still tried to rise. The ponies moved in with firearms and fired at point-blank range.

“Frosty, NO! Princess Luna?! By the crowns – make it stop! MAKE IT STOP! I could NEVER abandon her like that!” Polaris galloped out to Frosty.

All went dark, leaving him and the princess in a black void.

He whirled on her. “Why did you show me that?”

“To make you understand what true failure is.” Luna lifted her muzzle. “You can lose life and limb and even fail the mission but do not fail in purpose! You are having foul dreams because you are loyal beyond measure. Your central executive is subconsciously attempting to exercise your protective instincts to protect you from a failure in your purpose.”

With one beat of her great wings the princess hovered over him.

“The most important task now, Polaris, is that you have practiced saving these workhorses in your dreams. Now you are prepared. You must have confidence in yourself. Even in the most unconvincing, darkest, feeblest of circumstances there is more to you than meets the eye. A great deal more! That, Polaris, is your gift.”

With that she soared up and away into the void, taking the dream with her.

PW felt a gentle motion and opened his eyes. “Thank you, princess!” He whispered.

He looked out at the swaying stars to gauge the time. “Rocking? Must have been a hell of a wind gust.” He muttered.

He flicked an ear at a faint grinding noise. He froze and could feel it vibrating in the hull. Then the ship adjusted at once to begin a new swinging pattern, causing several pipes and cookware to peep in vibration.

That wasn’t just the wind.

He turned the wheel and pushed the hatch cover open.

He started at the sight of a charcoal-gray pegasus wielding hacksaw in his mouth that was working one of the guy wires. Polaris grabbed the hatch and dropped off the ladder, pulling the hatch shut with his fall to an intentional landing on Frosty’s withers, just beside the ladder base.

“Frosty!” He shouted. “Up now! Battle-stations!”

She bolted up, eyes wide.

“There’s a pegasus out there cutting the line!” Pw pointed his hoof.

She took her weapon and brushed Polaris aside to open the hatch.

She spun around but didn’t have anything to shoot. “Where was he at?”

“Over there.” PW pointed in the direction of the control stand.

She fully clambered outside and aimed her weapon.

One shot rang out and was met with a rattle of machine-gun fire. The sound of flapping wings prompted her to spin and put several bullets into another pegasus.

She scanned the perimeter and waited but no other adversaries appeared.

“Coast is clear. You’d better get out here and see this for yourself.” She called into the cabin.

“See what?” PW climbed out and flew to the top of the hull to find a severed cable. “Oh.”

“That one was already cut.” Frosty pointed. “The one above the boiler was being worked on when I took out the cutter.”

“There’s only six guy wires and we’ve lost one. This other one then is critical but still half-there. I think we’ll be alright so long as they don’t compromise it any more.”

“That won’t happen because we’re going to stand watch.” Frosty continued as PW eyed the moon and the nearby reflection off the water.

“Oh no!” PW shouted, rushing back to the controls.

“What now?” She asked, stopping at the hatch.

“We’re falling!” He shouted, rushing to the control station and flipping the blower, damper, and oil valves to their stops as fast as he could.

Frosty reared again and looked out to confirm her assistant’s report. Then she looked straight up. “PW?”

“What!” He called.

“We have a good-sized hole in the balloon!”

“How big is ‘good sized’?”

“Just big enough for you to fit through!” She shouted back.

Polaris trotted to the ladder and looked up through the thin gap and saw the fabric flapping. He blanched at the sight and considered their options. “Frosty, prepare to bail out. I don’t know if we’ll be able to stay aloft.”

She looked at him. “Roger that.”

He went to the altimeter instrument. “Altitude is one thousand feet! We’re climbing out if it gets below 500!”

“Actually, it’s going up!” He added.

Frosty shimmied back down the ladder. “So we’re stabilized?”

“I think so.” PW sighed in relief.

She smiled. “Good job.”

“We may be able to repair it in the morning. I’ll look through the toolkit.” Polaris made for the supply locker.

Frosty heard some rummaging around inside and then PW appeared triumphant. “A-ha! Balloon repair kit! Needles, thread, and fabric patches.”

“Fantastic.” She nodded. “In the meantime, is there any way we can outclimb them?”

“The pegasi? I don't think so. Even if the ship was fixed it would be limited to maybe forty-thousand. To get out of reach of all but the elite pegasi we'd have to get to at least the mid-fifties. With no pressurization capability you'd be exposed too. Most earth-ponies have trouble breathing by thirty. At fifty-five you'd be passed out and frankly I'd be hoping you don't die.”

“Alright, well so much for that.” She shrugged. “I'll hold the fort down until morning. You get some sleep so that you'll be well rested in the morning when you go to patch it.”

“Wake me up at daybreak so we can send a radio contact update.” He said.

“Roger that.” Replied Frosty as Polaris returned to his bunk.

No new nightmares were there to disturb him as he drifted off.