Chapter 4: Night Terrors

"Run girls! Keep running, don't stop!" I shouted at Twilight and Applejack as we ran through the Everfree Forest.

I had forgotten why we came into this damned place when we started being chased by this being. The only thing I heard behind us was the sickening groan from whatever foul creature that was chasing us. I turned to look back but all I saw were the shadows it cast, never completely in my sight. The two ponies were in front of me sprinting at full speed, their four legs making much better pace than I. I tried to use my powers but something was keeping me from using even the simplest spell. As we ran through the almost pitch black forest I had tripped over something unseen. I looked up and shouted for help. My friends turned around and ran back, only to be stopped by a sudden gap that had appeared out of nowhere.

"Evan, you have to jump!" Applejack shouted, "That thing is almost here!"

I turned around and saw the horrifying shadows getting closer and closer, I got up and backed away a bit, and sprinted full speed to the gap. I tried to pick up as much speed as I could, but I only seemed to slow down as I tried, and finally I made it to the edge and jumped as high and fast as I could. I was almost to the other side but then it suddenly grew wider and I slammed onto the edge, half of my body dangling over a black abyss. I felt myself slipping as I tried desperately to grab onto anything I could until Twilight grabbed me with a hoof. I looked up at her, my eyes filled with gratitude.

"Thank you Twi, now help me up please!" I said to my friend.

But she didn't move a muscle, I looked at her getting very nervous.

"Twi! What are you waiting for?" I nearly shouted. Her eyes met mine, there were tears forming in them.

"I'm so sorry," was all she said as she let go of my hand, sending me screaming down into pitch darkness.

I woke up covered in a cold sweat, panting heavily and dazed. I looked around me and realized I was in the loft, I had forgotten I had finally moved out of my room and into the loft, much to Twilight's excitement. Still breathing heavily I looked over to Twilight who was looking at me wide eyed.

"Did you have another nightmare?" she asked.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to calm myself down, then answered, "Yeah Twi...I'm sorry I woke you again."

She looked at me with a sad expression as she said, "You cannot keep sleeping like this Evan, you're going to drive yourself crazy. Which one was it this time?"

I stared at her for a long time, gathering my thoughts. I told her about my dreams of Juno, either seeing Tamra's terrified face before the explosion or when I had killed all those soldiers. Both dreams have been haunting me lately, but this dream, it was rare but it was one of the worst.

"It was Juno..but the whole thing replayed, every single detail," I lied, not wanting to tell her about this one; I couldn't.

She got out of bed and came over and preceded to give me a hug.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Evan, I know you're never going to forget. But you have to make peace with it. Or these dreams wont stop." she said.

I just nodded, I knew what she said was true and I knew I had too, but one dream at a time.

"Do you want me to stay with you tonight?" she asked worried.

I had found that the nightmares usually stop when someone is near me, as she awoke to me one night thrashing and breathing heavy and crawled into my bed and calmed me down.

"I dunno Twi, I think I just need some water." I said as I got up out of bed.

I walked into the kitchen and cut on the light, still thinking about the dream I had. What was chasing me? Why was it always me, Twilight and Applejack? And why did Twilight let me go? I filled a cup up with water and drank it down quickly, hydration always helped also. As I walked back to bed I noticed Spike sound asleep in his little bed; that little guy could sleep through anything. I got back in bed and Twilight still gave me a worried face.

"I'll be fine Twi, don't worry okay? Goodnight," I said as my head hit the pillow and I dozed off back to sleep.

I woke up sometime later and looked at my clock, it was only two thirty, and I heard something rustle next to me. I looked to my right and saw Twilight fast asleep, head resting against my shoulder. I gave out a soft sigh and went back to sleep, silently thanking my best friend for all she did for me.

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I awoke the next morning to find myself alone in bed, a note on my nightstand. I picked it up and rubbed my blurry eyes.

"Went out to get some groceries, hope you slept well. Be back soon, Love Twi."

I smiled at that, 'Love Twi', I laughed as I re-read it.

"Yeah Twi, I love you too. Still a punk though," I chuckled to myself.

I then got out of bed and readied myself for the day ahead, not knowing exactly what I should do. I looked out the window and looked past the clock tower and saw the woods behind them. It seemed like it called to me, those unnatural woods, and I didn't know if I really felt that or because of my recent dream.

"I still don't know how Zecora lives out there by herself," I said to myself, as a thought suddenly came to mind "Wait a minute! She does all that voodoo remedy stuff...she could most likely help me with the dreams."

I thought the plan over and decided I'd give it a try, but that meant trudging through the forest again.

At that moment Twilight popped through the front door and I smiled at my closest friend and said, "Hey Twi, wanna help me with something?"

I lead the way towards the forest as Twilight and Applejack, who we had picked up on the way, trotted behind me.

"So I'm glad y'all came and got me for this, but don't ya think we could just wait for Zecora to come into town?" Applejack said.

I turned to look back at my friend, her brown Stetson duster hat almost hiding the worried look on her face.

"Yeah, A.J. I believe Zecora is my best chance to get rid of these nightmares for good, and I want to get it done fast," I explained.

Twilight had taken the lead as she knew the way to the zebra's hut better than anyone. The woods around us seemed to get darker and darker as we pushed farther into the wild, I felt like we were being watched as I remembered the Timber Wolves attack on me and Fluttershy. I lit my hands, the fire emitting much needed light and also protection from watching eyes.

We finally reached Zecora's home and she happily let us in. "Ah my dear friends, what can I do for you before this day ends?" the zebra said in her usual way of speaking in rhymes.

Applejack and Twilight left Zecora and me alone so I could talk to her in private. I then explained to her the dreams about Juno and of the new one.

"Ah nightmares plague your mind, a terrible thing what happens to human kind," she rhymed.

Zecora seemed to know about humans quite well, but I let that go as she continued, "But no longer will you sleep with dread, as I have the perfect remedy for your head."

She brought me over to her cauldron and added various spices and herbs before mixing and boiling them together. She then had me drink at least two cups of the stuff, which tasted like rough cinnamon.

"After that you should dream the night away without anything tragic, but be careful as one ingredient drains magic," she warned me.

I was surprised to see that she was right as I attempted to gather power. This started to worry me, no magic in the Everfree and this seemed eerily familiar. But I thanked the mystic Zebra and started back home with my friends.

"So the stuff she had you drink drains your magic?" Twilight asked, and then playfully commented, "That must be a pretty strong potion, keeping you at bay."

I chuckled, still uneasy at the familiar circumstances, and said, "Well as long as it stops the nightmares I'm fine."

We continued making our way back home, but instead of getting lighter the forest grew even darker all around us.

Applejack got very uneasy at that point and said, "Hey y'all...is this the way we came? It sure is awfully dark?"

I silently agreed with her, but I kept walking, trying to push thoughts out of my head. But It was to no avail.

I thought, "How could this be so similar? Am I dreaming right now? No I couldn't be, but what if..."

My thought trailed off as I heard the sound of a terrible, horrible moaning.

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"Run girls! Keep running, don't stop!" I shouted at Twilight and Applejack.

My thoughts were racing at this point, "How could this be happening? I thought it was just a dream!"

Then the realization hit me. It had to have been a vision of the future. I've read about it before in Karkland, anybody can have one, but someone with magic abilities have them with greater clarity. This knowledge almost made me drop, for I knew what happened next. But I kept running along my friends, who had started to pick up their pace, my magic was useless just as in the vision. I looked back behind me to see what I already knew was there, the shadows of whatever terrible creature upon us, I just ran as hard as I could muster, nearly catching up to my friends.

As they ran ahead one of them shouted, "There's a gap ahead! We have to jump it!" as they picked up speed.

"No...no.." was the only thought in my head kept repeating myself.

I saw Twilight and Applejack suddenly leap clear across, their speed and powerful legs helping immensely. I sprinted to the gap, determined to make my vision wrong, and I jumped with all my might. I landed hard, but that's what I did I landed, until the ground beneath me crumbled. I was now hanging onto a tiny cliff, slipping off slowly.

"Girls! Help me!" I shouted.

They turned and bolted back to me, but it was too late as I lost my grasp and felt myself fall.

"I gotcha!" said Twilight, catching me mid-air.

I looked up and saw a grin across her face as she pulled me up.

"There we go, it's okay Evan relax. You know I wouldn't have let you go." she said smiling.

My heart was racing and we looked back across the gap, the creature was there, a massive grotesque looking shadow. It sat there moaning and then just turned around and left, leaving us in peace. I turned to my pony friend and grabbed her in a hug.

"It's gone Twilight, it's finally over." I said.

She gave me a confused look but didn't say anything, instead she just hugged me back and then we all continued back home. I had beaten it, the nightmare was finally over.