Dream's Fading Shadow

The Beast and the Monster

More and more questions piled up in her mind. Who was this being? Why did he only appear in her dreams? And most confusing of all, why did she long to see him again so much?

“Who does he think he is...?” Twilight murmured, sighing in frustration.

It had been many times she had seen the entity in her dreams, and each time she felt more bewildered by the way the creature seemed to shorten the distance between them. Its strange behavior had her completely puzzled. What did it want? The situation was starting to wear her out.

“What does he want from me?!” she exclaimed, her voice echoing in the room. If anyone saw her, they would think she was talking to herself.

The creature didn’t communicate with her. It didn’t want her help. Could it be that this thing existed solely to torment her? Her sleep schedule was completely disrupted; she slept during the day and encountered the beast in her dreams, waking up at midnight because she couldn’t go back to sleep due to the frustration it caused her.

“Could it be that...?” she murmured, a noticeable blush appearing on her face.

She remembered the creature’s touch, the warm embrace that, despite the general coldness of the dream, enveloped her and made her feel a strange sense of security. Its actions, its attitude that sometimes seemed even childish and stubborn. Even now, she felt its warmth.

“What am I thinking?! This can’t be!” she said, shaking her head in absolute denial. “Don’t be foolish, Twilight. Who knows what its intentions are? Maybe it wants me to lower my guard so it can possess me or something!”

She looked at the clock; it was still early. Not much time had passed since she woke up; it was 2 p.m., the fifth day.

“It’s time to move to the next level,” she said, determined.

With growing determination in her mind, Twilight got out of bed and sat at her desk. Her gaze swept over the notes and spell books, searching for any clues that might help her.

For hours, she flipped through books and notes until her eyes began to ache.

Twilight slammed her forehead against the desk, frustrated. The pile of books and papers spread out before her, but it seemed as if she was no closer to finding an answer.

“This isn’t working...” she groaned, closing her eyes tightly.

The darkness that surrounded her now felt familiar; instead of unsettling her, it now comforted her. She used to remember how, as a child, she feared the dark. Who hadn’t run to get into bed when the lights were turned off or left a window open just to let in the moonlight?

“When I fell asleep...?” Twilight murmured, searching the vast emptiness, which seemed to deserve some sort of punishment.

It didn’t take long to find him. This time, the creature was lying down, its back turned to her. Was it possible it didn’t know she was there? Even though it hadn’t been long since she had left, it seemed like he wasn’t expecting her.

Twilight approached stealthily to avoid being noticed, taking advantage of the sound dissipating in the void.

“But look at you. You’re not so intimidating now,” she said, getting close enough to notice its breathing. Who would have thought even monsters needed to sleep?

She didn’t want to wake him. She simply sat next to him, listening to his snores.

Twilight couldn’t help but wonder what had led this dangerous entity to sleep in such a vulnerable position. Was it really asleep or just pretending? If it was asleep, why had it revealed its back, leaving himself exposed to any attack?

“I could even hug him, and he wouldn’t know... Could I even hug him, and he wouldn’t know, right?” These thoughts crossed Twilight’s mind. Giving in to temptation, she moved a bit closer, resting against his fur.

She couldn’t hug him because he was much larger than her, but at least she could do this.

It felt incredibly good, a warmth that enveloped her completely. As her body relaxed, she began to feel drowsy. Was she really about to fall asleep within a dream? It didn’t matter; the feeling of comfort was so intense that she soon gave in.

...

Twilight opened her eyes and didn't expect to see what she saw.

“Your feeble attempts to unravel my plans are amusing, Twilight,” said the dark unicorn mockingly as it grabbed the chains binding her.

“What...? What is happening...? Where am I?” Twilight murmured, confused and unable to understand what was going on. Was she in a dream, or was it a dream within a dream? The sensation was so real that she began to question reality.

She looked at the figure speaking to her and, recognizing it, frowned and gritted her teeth.

“King Sombra...” she said firmly.

“Ah, finally awake, little pony,” King Sombra replied with a malevolent smile.

The malevolent unicorn approached her, the chains imprisoning her clinking ominously.

“Believe me, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time,” the evil unicorn continued, positioning himself in front of her. “And finally, you are my captive.”

“What...? You’re crazy!” Twilight exclaimed as the chains bound her, feeling a strange discomfort. The sensation was completely opposite to the comfort she had felt with the beast. Yet, something felt familiar.

“Oh, how your confidence in the future amuses me, but let’s be honest, little pony,” Sombra responded with a cold laugh. “Here you are, alone. Without your friends. Without escape.”

Sombra moved closer to her, his dark gaze focused on his trapped prey.

“I can see the desperation in your eyes, desperation and a certain fear. You know you can’t escape. You know you now belong to me.”

Sombra extended his hoof to stroke Twilight’s cheek, his touch cold and dominant in sharp contrast to the warm feeling of that strange touch.

“I want to wake up,” Twilight thought, wishing to escape this nightmare.

“I want to wake up,”

"Gasp...!"

She was breathless, unable to breathe. She got up with difficulty, staggering, feeling the pressure in her chest again.

A faint growl startled her. She had forgotten; the creature was staring at her, as if it had just woken up.

Seeing Twilight hyperventilate, he quickly got up and approached her.

“Stop! Don’t come any closer...!” she said, breathing heavily. “Wait a bit... don’t come closer now...” she trembled and collapsed on the floor, trying to regulate her breathing.

The beast only watched her, but there was something in its gaze, something strange, as if it knew exactly what was happening.

“Why can’t I wake up...?” Twilight murmured, wishing to return to the real world, feeling like she would die if she stayed there any longer.

The entity tried to approach again, which startled her even more.

“I told you not to come closer!” she said with blurred vision.

However, the creature ignored her and continued approaching. Once in front of her, it lowered its head slightly, resting its forehead against hers, their horns lightly brushing.

“What... what are you doing...?” she said, confused by the situation. The creature moved away a little and looked at her, its red eyes beginning to glow green.

There it was again, that sense of familiarity, as if she had seen it before. But where?

The creature opened its mouth again, as it had on several occasions before.

Twilight already knew what would happen; for some reason, every time he did this, she would wake up.

A mouth movement and silent words...

"Huh?"

She was in her bed, with the sheets and pillows scattered on the floor.

Her breathing was steady, and the pressure in her chest had eased. Everything was fine now, except for her.

“King Sombra...?” she finally said.

to be continued.