Chapters Quelling A Nightmare
It's Begun
"AHH!"
I awoke to the sudden cry of fear from the rainbow maned mare lying in bed beside me.
"Rainbow, you ok?" I asked, examining her as she sat there. Her breathing was labored, sweat beading on her forehead, and she shook uncontrollably.
After a few moments, my question finally registered, causing her to shake her head and quickly recompose herself.
"Ha? What? Oh yeah, I'm fine." Rainbow said unconvincingly. She leaned over and kissed my forehead. "Don't worry 'bout me Pyrefly. I'm alright, I just need to get a glass of water. Go back to sleep, I'll be back in a second."
As she rolled out of the bed I looked at her, concern plastered all over my face.
"Ok, but if you need something, just give a shout and I'll be there in a flash, alright?"
"I told you, I fine. Just go back to sleep. I'll be right back."
'But you're not fine, ' I thought to myself. This was the third time this week where she woke up like this. Not to mention the tenth time this month, or that this was the forth month straight.
I laid motionless, in Rainbow's bed, mind racing. It had been a year and a half since my sister, Ice Dancer, and i moved to Ponyville from our old home in Coltston. We moved after the unexpected passing of our parents. A week after arriving, we had to go to a welcoming party being thrown for us by the pink party pony, Pinkie Pie. That's when I met Rainbow Dash, the most amazing mare I had ever met. After pissing her off enough, she challenged me to a race. I agreed and off we went, to get me use to the town, and the course we'd be flying.
While I practiced, I started to talk to Rainbow, just to find out how much about me she really knew. When she revealed that she knew why Ice and I left our hometown, she became sad and instantly withdrawn. So to cheer her up, I told her that I wasn't the only one who's reputation preceded them. I told her about the Wonderbolts and how I turned them down to live outside the limelight, and how they had interest in her, after she honed her skills a little more. All that picked her right up. Then, somewhere on the flight back to her Cloud Mansion, something clicked, and before parting ways, we ended up lip-locked in front of her door.
The following morning brought with it the race, the first I'd partaken in since before my parent's passing. But I was ready, feeling better than I had in a long time. And Dash certainly didn't disappoint either. The whole race we were neck and neck. She even used her Sonic Rainboom. But I closed the gap quickly with my own surprise, the secret to my title of "Fastest Flyer on the East Coast", "The Cosmic Comet".
While we sped back to the start line though, she suddenly lost consciousness and I had to save her flank from becoming a crater in town square. After getting her onto a bench, she came to and orally assaulted me after finding out i saved her. And if that wasn't enough, all of her friends where there to witness it!
Everyone was surprised by this new development, but accepted, and were happy for us. Well everyone but one pony. Ice was pissed. So pissed, that she decide to 'cool off' by turning RD into a Dash-cicle. After some quick thinking and a Cosmic Comet Tornado, I had saved Dash's life for the second time, she pounced on me, made a dirty comment, and then her, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie, all agreed to help me search the Everfree Forest for the furious unicorn filly that was my sister.
To cover more ground, we all split into groups, and me and Dash went to see the town herbologist, a zebra named Zecora, who happened to live in the forest at the end of the path that lead from town. We hoped that she had see Ice go running by. But by the time we arrived at the zebra's hut, it was too dark to keep searching and too dark to turn back. So we decided to see if we spend the night, but Zecora wasn't home. Luckily, she left a note saying her home was open to anypony that had an emergency. So we chalked our situation up as such, found the key that was left for just the occasion, and let ourselves in.
Out of respect, I told Dash to take the bed, and I'd sleep on the floor, but the frigid night air forced me to join her under the covers. Luckily I was welcomed in with a kiss on the cheek and somepony to cuddle with.
The next morning started with a heart attack after a Derpy Hooves wake up call. We found out from her that there was a path of ice that trailed off deeper into the woods out behind the hut. We thanked her and asked her to find Twilight and the others and have them wait for us at Fluttershy's cottage, then bolted out of the hut and followed the ice path straight to my sister. After an emotional heart to heart, the three of us made up and headed home.
Other than those first two days, not much had happened. Well, except there was the Great Dragon Migration, an evil Fluttershy, an apple cider making contest, a royal wedding, having to save an empire, oh yeah, and a swarm of Pinkie Pies whose sole purpose was to have as much fun as possible, even if they destroyed town doing it.
One real important thing that started to happen involved Ice coming around to me and Dash being together. It took some time, but she has come around quite a lot. So much so that me and Dash have actually been able to sleep in the same bed with out her getting protective or anything. Thinking of this brought my mind to the present. For the past six month, me and Rainbow have been sleeping together more and more.
But lately, she has been waking up in the middle of the night, screaming, sweating and shaking. But every time I try to ask what shes dreaming about, she just brushes me off and tells me its nothing and that I shouldn't worry about it. I've even woken up to her screams on nights we were sleeping in our own beds.
"What is going on with you, Dash?" I asked myself as I laid there, staring at the ceiling.
Moments later, Rainbow returned to her room and noticed me still awake, looking into oblivion, lost in my thoughts. "Hey, why are you still up? You still worried about me? I'm fine, I swear."
"I don't think so, but what do I know," I responded sarcastically. "You're waking up screaming more and more. What in Tartarus are you dreaming about that's got you so terrified?"
"Listen, I'm fine. There just dreams, nothing more. Let's get some sleep, we could have a big day tomorrow."
"Whatever," I relented. "Goodnight Dash, I love you."
"I love you too, goodnight Pyrefly."
With that, Rainbow rolled onto her side, her back to me. And proceed to pretend to go to sleep. Not wanting to drag the discussion on any long, I slid closer to her and draped a foreleg over her protectively, and was quickly taken back into the throngs of sleep.
Chapter 2- Generosity and Advice
Quelling A Nightmare
Generosity and Advice
The next time I woke up was to the sounds of roosters crowing at the rising sun. I rolled over in bed and found that Dash was not laying beside me. No big surprise there.
"Rainbow," I called out,sliding out from under the covers, "you ok?"
"Yeah," I heard her call out from her bathroom, which, again, not that big of a surprise. "I'm just washing up, give me a second and then we can get going."
"Don't rush, alright. We don't even know what we're doing today for work anyways."
Just as nearly every night had Rainbow waking up, screaming bloody murder, the following mornings always can around with her in the bathroom, washing away dried tears and sweat from her face. And to make matters worse for me, I had to always pretend I didn't notice, but how in Equestria could I not, I loved her, and all this just ate away at me. It was just that RD and that stubborn pride of her's would always brush me off and shut me out the moment I would ask what's wrong.
I had started to walk towards the bathroom to check on Dash when someone started banging on the front door.
"Rainbow Dash!" yelled a certain googly eyed mail-pony. "You home Rainbow Dash! Hello! Rainbow Dash! Are you in there Rainbow Dash! Heeeeelllllllooooo? Rainbow Dash!"
Instantly knowing who was at the door, I started to head downstairs, calling back to RD, "I go see what it is she wants. You just focus on getting ready." As I reached the bedroom door leading to the hallway and the stairs going down, I turned around to see Dash sticking her wet face out of the bathroom. Her eyes looked looked more sleep deprived than I have ever seen them.
"Thanks," she simply replied. "I'm almost ready."
"No problem, I'll be right back."
With that, I casually flew downstairs and up to the front door. Once I got there, I cracked the door open just enough to let Derpy stick her head in, but not her whole body.
"Oh, hello Pyrefly, is Rainbow Dash here? I have her assignment for the day."
"Sorry, RD is busy. You can tell me and I'll let her know."
"Oh, ok then. Can you tell Rainbow Dash that a request for a shower over Sweet Apple Acres has been issued. Applejack wants it to start at 10 o'clock sharp."
"Thanks, how about me? What do I got today?" I asked the cross eyed pegasus.
"Just a few drifters from over the Everfree Forest that needs breaking up. Should be easy for somepony as fast as you, ha Pyrefly?"
"Yeah, cake. Thanks Derpy. Oh, and next time, three knocks and a two call maximum. We can't have you waking everypony up around here, alright?"
"Ok, I'm sorry Pyrefly. I'll see you later, have a good day."
After Derpy had left, I closed the door and started back upstairs, but I didn't make it far, cause Rainbow was on her way down. As she cantered down the stairway, I couldn't help but notice her sad, beaten down expression, which she quickly shook away when she saw that I was watching her approach. She put on a saccharine smile, hoping I failed to notice her previous expression of shear despair.
"What did Derpy want?" She asked in a voice filled with forced happiness.
"She was just giving us our assignments for the day. You got a rain shower to start over Sweet Apple Acres. AJ wants it to start at 10 sharp. I, on the other hoof, have cloud busting over the Everfree border to do," I answered. "Wanna switch?"
"Nah, I got this," she said, trying desperately not to force the confidence she was currently lacking in.
"Are you sure? You really shouldn't over exert yourself, Dash." I pressed, hoping she would reconsider.
"No, no. I can handle it. Enjoy your easy day."
"How bout I come help you when I get done with the cloud busting? I'll be finished in no time flat. Then I can lend a hoof so we both can have the afternoon to relax, maybe we can grab a cloud and take a nap. How about it?"
"I said I can handle it, Pyrefly!" Rainbow snapped back. I Instantly felt like I was the size of an ant. "Pyrefly," she said more softly, clearly sorry for her outburst. "Thank you for the offers, but I'm fine. This is really no big job. Ok?"
"Ok," I said, feeling beaten down. I began to hover off the floor while I turned away from my marefriend. I turned and looked back at Rainbow, sorrow in my eyes, and tears threatening to start flowing. "I guess I'll see you later. I hope you have a good day. I love you, RD." As I said those last four words, I flew out of the house, my heart burning with a pain unlike anything I've ever felt before.
Busting the clouds was even easier than I thought it would be. I glanced at the town hall clock and saw it was quarter of ten.
'Maybe I should go check on Dash, ' I thought to myself. 'But she might get mad at me again. ' My heart began to burn again with thought. 'I guess I'll just head home for a bite to eat and check on Ice. She's probably back from her overnight with the CMC. '
But I didn't go home. I didn't eat or check on my sister. I had no where to be and no desire to be anywhere either. I just wanted to help Dash, I wanted her to talk to me about her dreams. As I wandered, the temperature grow colder and colder, but I just continued to wander aimlessly. Eventually, I made my way to Carousel Boutique, just as Rarity was walking out of her shop.
"Pyrefly, darling, how are you?" She said when she saw me.
"Oh, hi Rarity. I'm good. How about you?" I asked through my suddenly chattering teeth.
"I'm fabulous, but, if I may, why are you walking around in such terribly cold weather?" She asked me.
"No idea really," I answered. "I was just walking around, thinking. And in truth, the cold didn't bother me till just now."
"Well then my dear, come on inside and let me get you a cup of tea and make you a wonderful new scarf, free of charge, of course." she said as she turned around as she started to walk back to her door.
"A cup of tea would be nice, but I couldn't possibly accept a free scarf."
"Oh but I insist," Rarity pressed. "Besides, I can just tell you need to get something off your chest."
"Well.... if you insist." I said as I walked into the shop behind the alabaster unicorn.
"Hear, have a seat Pyrefly." Rarity said as she levitated a cushion over to the big, round table in the middle of the room. "Make yourself comfortable while I go get you that cup of tea. Then we can chat while I work on your scarf."
"Alright."
I sat down, and suddenly began looking around the shop nervously. My mind began to fill with doubt about telling Rarity about whats been going on.
'Should I really tell her about Dash? She is one of RD's best friends, ' I began to think. 'But what if she justs laughs at me? What if she tries to tell me there is nothing wrong with Rainbow, that there is nothing to worry about? No! I know that something is wrong. '
"I just know there is!"
"What is it that you know, Pyrefly?" Rarity asked me, coming back into the main room holding a cup of tea in her magic.
"Please tell me I didn't just say that last part out loud." I said as the posh pony placed the cup on the table in front of me.
"Yes, dear, you did." She said with a little giggle. "So tell me what it is that you know."
I took a second to try and mentally articulate the words I would be using, and while I did this, Rarity had begun working on my scarf.
"Well, it's about Rainbow." I started to say.
"And what about her has you so troubled?" The fashionista asked, glancing back at me, both to examine me to make the best scarf she can, and so she can hear what i was about to say a bit better.
"Well, umm, you see," I stammered, taking a sip from the cup in front of me, trying to desperately will the words out of my mouth. "For the past couple of months, Rainbow has been waking up in the middle of the night, screaming in terror. And I know it has nothing to do with me, because i would sense it happening when we're not sleeping side by side. There have been nights I'd wake up to the feeling she woke up, and when I would get to her place, I'd find her curled up in a ball in the shower, crying, begging, PLEADING for it all to stop. I've tried to comfort her, to get her to tell me what the dreams are about. But no matter what, she just refuses to let me in. She wont let me help. Just this morning, she was given more work that me to do. So I asked her if she wanted to switch, and she turned me down! Rainbow Dash Turned down a chance to do LESS work! And then when I suggested going to help her when I finished my work, she snapped at me. I just don't know what to do. Im scared all this stress she's putting on herself will drive her to do something terrible. What should I do?"
By the time I finished talking, I was in tears. All the emotions I had kept bottled up just came flowing out of me. Rarity walked up to me and wiped the tears from my face with a napkin and she draped something over my shoulders. It was the scarf she promised me. It was incredible. The colors matched my mane perfectly. The main color was a dirty blond with fringe that was cut to look like dancing flames with jet black tips, exactly like my mane cut.
"Darling," Rarity started, "I can't begin to try and sympathize with you. But I know, with out a shadow of a doubt that whatever it is that is bothering our friend Rainbow, you can get her to talk about it."
"What makes you so sure i can?" I asked, more tears threatening to start pouring out again. "What makes you so sure that I can get her to tell me?"
"Because you love her Pyrefly. I need no other reason than that." She said with a smile. "Now I believe that you have a certain rainbow maned mare to talk to."
"Thank you Rarity, for the advice, and the scarf."
"Anytime, darling. Now you should get going."
And so I thanked her again and walked out of Carousel Boutique, determined to get Dash to tell me everything. I continued to think to myself as I started to walk towards the home of my marefriend. But suddenly my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a familiar scream filling the air.
Chapter 3- A Voice For The Dreams
Quelling A Nightmare
A Voice For The Dreams
"Rainbow!" I shouted upon hearing the screams fill the frigid air. I immediately shot into the sky, scorching the area I took off from.
As I flew, I continued to hear the screams from Dash's cloud mansion. They had never lasted this long before. This was more than her just waking up, something was wrong. Well, more wrong than I already knew of. I increased my speed even more, causing the corona of flames to intensify around me. The heat was becoming more than I thought I could handle, but I kept going.
"I'm coming Rainbow," I said through clenched teeth as a burned though the frosty night sky. "I'm coming!"
As I approached her home, something suddenly donned on me, I'm flying to fast, there's no way to slow down enough to prevent myself from smashing through the front door. And even though it was made of clouds, the impact would feel just like doing a belly flop into the lake. And that was a feeling that I wished I would never experience. But now I was at the point of no return. I just hoped that the impact wont kill me, or knock me out..... Celestia, do I hope it doesn't knock me out.
I smashed through the door with so much force, that I took out most of the front wall, but luckily, I remained alive, and wouldn't you guess it, I stayed conscious. The impact actually helped me more than it hurt me. Crashing through the door slowed me down enough that I was able to LAND and keep running, lucky me. But I didn't have time to pat myself on the back, cause now that I was in her home, Rainbow could be heard sobbing and screaming from her room upstairs.
"AHH!! Go away! Leave me alone!" I heard her scream out. "Please, please, just leave me alone!"
As I approached her door, I was brought to an abrupt stop when I heard a second voice come from within.
"No," the voice said. It was deep and distorted, almost like the voice was of demonic origin. "You fight and you fight, but in the end, I will win. You are WEAK! You will submit to me. You are having these dreams for a reason. You WILL kill her, before she kills you. Is that what you want? Do you really wish to be mutilated and gutted to make a batch of CUPCAKES?!"
Hearing the voice talking to Dash that way made me freeze, one hoof on her bedroom door, ready to push it open and save her. but the voice immobilized me.
'Why can't I move? ' I thought, 'Dash needs me! ' I tried to force my body to obey me, but it refused. 'Fine, if I can't open the door, then I'll just talk through it. ' I opened my mouth to shout out to my marefriend, to let her know I was here, but the words caught in my throat. "What the hay! Why can't I do anything? I can't move, can't talk, am I just suppose to sit here while Dash is alone in there with Celestia knows what! '
"Now Rainbow," the voice began again."Its really only a matter of time now. She will get you, she will KILL you. And no pony will be able to save you. Not even your beloved Pyrefly. Just let me take over and end this once and for all. LET ME KILL HER!"
"Pyrefly will always be there for me, no matter what!" RD snapped defiantly. "Its because of you that I haven't been able to tell him the truth about my dream. He's worried sick about me and I can't tell him. Why wont you let me tell him?"
"BWAHAHAHA! Do you honestly believe that I'm the one preventing you from telling him? Oh no Dashie, my dear. That's all you. Your so afraid that he'll reject you, abandon you, if you tell him. And you are right to think that. Do you know why? Because you are his escape. His escape from the limelight. He is only using you. If you were never in his life, he would have either killed himself, or went back to racing. You are his anchor, and If you were to disappear, you'll become nothing more than a foot note in the story of his return to the top. But that sister of his is why he stays with you. If he was to go back to racing, then she would never forgive him, and she would run away. Just like she did that day those few, short, years ago. She would be without her darling brother in one form or another. And Pyrefly knows it. So he uses you as a reason to stay out of the spotlight. To hide from the fame that is awaiting his triumphant return. What I'm trying to say is that, in truth, HE DOES NOT REALLY LOVE YOU! Which is why after I kill HER for you, HE will be the next on the list."
'What? ' I thought after hearing the malicious voice's speech. 'That's not true! Dash! Don't listen to him, um, her, IT! Its all a lie! I love you Dash! I need to move, I need to scream, I need to let her now I'm here! '
I began to struggle harder, trying to overcome the invisible force that help me in place and that kept me silent. As I fought, the voice spoke again.
"Ah? What do we have here? Is that PYREFLY on the other side of the door? I'm curious as to how he is here, figuring that our little talk is happening inside Dashie here's mind. I wonder how much he heard, not that it matters. Do you hear me boy? You're out cold in Dash's foyer. Crashing through the door was certainly a risky idea. Hmm, looks like I just lost Dash's mind. So now its just you and me. No doubt that she finally realized that her front wall was obliterated by your failed rescue attempt, and will now be rushing to your side, trying disparately to wake you up. but before you go, I want to let you in on a little secret. She doesn't want your help. You may have heard her say she does, but its a ruse."
Suddenly, the demonic voice stopped talking, and another, familiar voice filled my mind, calling my name. It sounded distant at first, but quickly grew louder.Then I recognized it. It was Dash!
'Was I really just listening to a conversation that was happening in her mind? '
"Pyrefly! Please, Pyrefly,wake up!"
'Rainbow, is this voice really the source of your problems? Do you really feel that way? '
"Of course she really feels that way. And it is the sudden realization of this that gave me such sway with her. I am the madness that dwells within your dear Rainbow Dash. And I'm gonna be straight with you, I want her mind, I want her body, I want her SOUL! But then again, I'm having so much fun torturing her. But, alas, the day to stop playing is almost here. In a few weeks, she will be mine.And on that day, my fun will really begin! Before you leave though, I wanna let you know that when the day comes when I take control of Dashie, one of her dear old friends will never throw another party ever again! BWAHAHAHAHA!"
"Please! Wake! UP!"
'Dash. I'm sorry that I wont remember this, but if I am still linked to you mind, hear me now. You are the only one that can tell me about all this. For your sake, and hers. Dash, if I wake up, you need to tell me everything. Then we can beat that thing. ' The room around me began to blur, and I started to hear Dash crying again. But this time it wasn't from the dreams, or the voice of her madness. This time she was crying because of me. Though I was still in the dream world, I felt her tears falling onto my chest, soaking my coat. 'Dash, you know I hate it when you cry. ' I thought with a smile on my face.
"Pyrefly, please, wake up. I love you, I need you! Do you hear me! I WANT YOU BACK! WAKE UP!"
And with those last words repeating in my mind, the dream world faded, and I fell into darkness.
