Dream's Fading Shadow

Unlikely Sanctuary

“Twilight…” Applejack said, adjusting her hat as she looked at the unicorn with a puzzled expression.

“Twilight!” she exclaimed again, this time with more urgency, causing Twilight to startle.

“Yes?” Twilight responded, blinking a few times and focusing her attention on Applejack.

“I’ve been talking to you for a while. Didn’t you hear me?” Applejack asked, noticing her friend’s distracted behavior with concern.

Applejack had managed to carve out a slot in her busy schedule to visit Twilight. The last time she spoke with Rarity, she mentioned Twilight’s strange behavior.

“I’m sorry, I was a bit…” Twilight stammered, trying to clear her thoughts.

“Distracted? Yeah, I noticed,” Applejack said with an amused smile at her friend’s absent-minded demeanor. “And here I thought you’d be ‘busy’ today… or have you forgotten about me, group organizer?” Applejack teased with a playful tone.

“Sorry, what were you saying?” Twilight asked, trying to regain her composure.

“I was saying that if you’re having trouble sleeping, you might want to try this,” Applejack said, pulling out a bottle with yellow liquid from her bag. She placed it on the table and slid it toward Twilight. “When Apple Bloom can’t sleep, a spoonful of this and she’s out like a light!” she explained with a satisfied smile, proud of her remedy.

Twilight examined the bottle with curiosity but then looked up at Applejack.

“Thanks, I’ll give it a try…” she said appreciatively.

Although she wasn’t actually distracted from lack of sleep, having only slept four hours the previous day, she was quite content with that. The progress on her experiment kept her energized, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the creature’s actions: its closeness, its breath, its growls, and the temperature of its tongue when it licked her, its touch. All of this made her feel...

“There you go, distracted again,” Applejack said, pulling her out of her thoughts and startling her. Realizing what she was thinking about, Twilight felt even more embarrassed. Was she going crazy? Lack of sleep was affecting her more than she realized.

Applejack moved closer with a worried expression and examined Twilight closely.

“Do you have a fever? You’re as red as a tomato!” she said firmly and with concern in her voice.

This only made Twilight more embarrassed. Sweat, disheveled, dark circles under her eyes, and now, possibly insane? She quickly tried to excuse herself, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she felt a spoonful of horrible-tasting liquid on her tongue.

“Take it already! You really need to rest, sugarcube!” Applejack said, holding the spoon in Twilight’s mouth. “You even have a fever from lack of sleep.”

Applejack forced the spoonful of liquid from the bottle into Twilight’s throat, her concern outweighing any sense of politeness.

“There ya go! TThat's enough to knock out a draft stallion. Now, lie down and rest, you hear me?" she commanded firmly, leaving no room for argument.

Twilight felt a gag; the taste was horrible, much worse than it seemed. Her tongue twisted and she shook her head, trying to endure the flavor. She looked up at Applejack and forced a smile.

“...Yeah, I’ll do that…” she said with effort, grateful for her friend’s concern.

Applejack chuckled softly, seeing Twilight's struggle with the taste.

"Ah know, it ain't the most pleasant medicine, but it'll do ya a world a' good," she said, her concern for her friend apparent. "Get some rest, and I'll stop by tomorrow to check on ya, make sure yer feeling better."

With that said, Applejack began to gather her things, preparing to leave Twilight's home.

As she did, she said, "And don't go forgetting to take more of that tonic before bed either. You need sleep, honey."

Applejack gave Twilight a playful wink before leaving through the door, leaving Twilight alone with her thoughts. The room was now filled with a strange silence, broken only by the occasional sound of a small nocturnal animal outside.

01:00 PM

The clock struck one in the afternoon. Twilight sat in the chair with a pile of books scattered around her, but she wasn’t really reading them. Her mind was still immersed in confusing and recurring thoughts. With a casual yawn, the medicine was starting to take effect.

“What’s happening to me?” she wondered as she covered her face with a book, a slight blush on her cheeks. “Maybe it’s a fever from lack of sleep… ugh…” she sighed resignedly.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of claws scraping against a surface. Looking up, she noticed Owlowiscious outside the window, trying to get in. With a flash of magic, Twilight’s horn opened the window and the owl extended its wings to enter, perching near her.

“What do you have there?” Twilight asked, noticing a rolled-up paper on the animal’s leg.

She took the paper and read it. Seeing the first few words, she was surprised. It was a letter from Spike. Finally, after days with no news, she received a message from the little dragon. She couldn’t help but feel like a concerned mother for her child.

The letter was brief but full of positive energy. Spike mentioned he was having fun in the Crystal Empire and, in a small section at the end, asked if Twilight was okay. Spike’s concern was clearly disguised as curiosity, but Twilight understood the intention behind his words.

“Oh, Spike…” Twilight murmured, feeling the affection in the dragon’s words.

With a flick of magic, the paper and ink floated toward her. She dipped the quill and began writing a short reply, just to assure him that she was okay and that he should continue enjoying himself.

“Take this to him, okay, Owlowiscious?” she said, placing the note on the owl’s leg. Owlowiscious gave a small hoot in response before taking flight with the letter.

Twilight closed the window and smiled slightly, thinking about the little dragon.

“I hope he’s having a good time,” she said aloud. Though she had originally been invited too, only Pinkie Pie attended the festival.

The others couldn’t go due to work or personal commitments. She, however, didn’t go not just because of the nightmares that plagued her. Though she didn’t want to talk about it, the last time she was in the Crystal Empire, what happened with King Sombra still troubled her.

She couldn’t stop thinking about that being at first, how it had infiltrated her mind so easily. The fear she felt initially, and the nightmares that followed, kept her in a state of constant unease.

“There’s no use thinking about it now…” she said, turning with determination. “Alright, it’s time to sleep.” With renewed resolve, she prepared to try sleeping once more.

It was the same as always: floating in space, descending onto a dark floor, and searching for the being from whom she sought answers.

This time, he was already there, as if waiting for her. They were face to face, and the distance between them had notably decreased.

The creature didn’t take long to move closer, emitting a low, almost playful growl that surprised Twilight. It wasn’t an angry sound, but rather… amused?

Suddenly, its tongue barely brushed against the pony’s cheek, and the unexpected touch made Twilight blush, confused and somewhat flustered.

“You, again! What are you trying to do? Have you no shame?” Twilight exclaimed, her voice trembling between frustration and confusion.

The beast, however, moved closer. Its eyes were fixed on Twilight’s face, and for a moment, it seemed almost… admiring?

“Why are you acting like this?” Twilight asked, not taking her eyes off the creature. “Don’t you see that you’re confusing me?”

Twilight’s frustration grew. The creature clearly seemed to enjoy her agitation, delighting in the reactions it provoked. The beast advanced, its imposing figure overshadowing Twilight’s small stature. It let out a satisfied growl, slowly licking its lips while watching her.

“You don’t have to play games with me like this!” Twilight complained, taking a step back. “What is it that you really want?”

The creature continued to watch her, its eyes filled with curiosity and something else… intimate? Slowly, it leaned toward her, its huge form completely towering over her. Without warning, the beast wrapped its strong arms around her, lifting her off the ground and cradling her against its broad chest.

Twilight’s eyes widened in surprise. Her small figure felt tiny against the creature’s solid body. Her heart raced, a mix of fear and something unknown while trapped in the beast’s firm embrace. She could feel the creature’s heartbeat resonating against hers, its body’s warmth wrapping her in a contradictory sense of comfort.

“What are you doing?!” Twilight gasped, trying to regain her composure. “Why are you holding me like this?!”

Twilight struggled to understand her own reactions. She had never felt so vulnerable, yet so protected in the presence of another being. The creature’s embrace, which had initially seemed intimidating, now felt almost… protective.

“This is… weird,” Twilight murmured, her voice trembling. “I’ve never felt this way before. Why do I feel… safe, even though I should be afraid?”

Gradually, Twilight began to relax in the beast’s arms. Its strength and size, which had initially frightened her, now felt comforting. The creature held her close, its warmth and the steady rhythm of its heartbeat creating a bubble of safety in which Twilight allowed herself to rest. Almost unconsciously, she nestled her head against the creature’s chest, a soft murmur of satisfaction escaping her lips.

“Is this… what you wanted?” Twilight whispered, speaking to herself. “Aren’t you going to hurt me? Why are you in my dreams?”

But then, the creature began to pull away slowly.

Twilight felt a pang of disappointment as the beast withdrew. She had grown accustomed to its embrace, finding an unexpected comfort in it. She was surprised to miss the closeness of its strong arms, the steady heartbeat against hers.

“Don’t go,” Twilight murmured, looking up with a confused and longing expression. “Why are you pulling away? Why are you leaving me now?”

She looked up at the creature. As usual, it began to open its mouth and move it, but, as always, no sound came out.

She opened her eyes again and looked at the clock. It was midnight, and that was new. She had slept more this time, about 11 hours, but for some reason, she felt even more tired than before. A new theory popped into her mind.

“What if it’s a demon that’s draining my energy?” she murmured while looking at the ceiling, considering the idea seriously. Then she snorted and laughed at the silliness of what she had just said.

to be continued