Lost in the Darkby Silver MoonChaptersRainbow DashApplejackRarityFluttershyPinkie PiePrincess Twilight SparkleEpilogueRainbow DashRainbow Dash: Forever a Failure The Wonderbolt Academy. Rainbow Dash always knew she would get there one day. She laughed gleefully as she flew through the air, her squadron of fellow cadets close behind. Her squadron. The blue Pegasus let out another whoop of delight as she reflected on how she had (literally) flown through the rankings, how she had quickly become the number one cadet EVER, but most of all, how Spitfire had told her only yesterday that she, Rainbow Dash, was ready to become a Wonderbolt. The young mare closed her eyes as she pumped her wings faster and faster, getting ready to break the sound barrier, then SMACK! Rainbow spun out of control for several seconds following her collision with some solid object. It was not long before she was right way up and flying smoothly again, yet it only took a few seconds for the worst to happen. Her five friends, Twilight, Rarity, AJ, Pinkie and Fluttershy, were all falling down, knocked out of the hot-air balloon. They plummeted towards Equestria at break-neck speeds as the blue Pegasus began to panic. There was no time to think; with a flash of colour, Rainbow sped downwards and began to gather up clouds to form a platform to save her friends. Wait, she suddenly thought. Where did they come from? The sky was clear save me and my squadron a moment ago. Was it the hot-air balloon I hit? No, I hit something smaller than that. ARG! STOP WASTING TIME!! Furious with herself, Rainbow spun the clouds faster, but she was still too slow. The Pegasus watched, helpless, as her friends all fell right through the fluffy substance, even Fluttershy. “No, no, NO!” Unable to watch, the blue pony landed on the cloud and buried her head, waiting with baited breath for the indivertible SPLAT that would fill the air as her friends crashed on the ground. But as seconds pasted and no such sound came, Rainbow felt curiosity dragging her eyes down to the ground. What she saw made her brows knit in confusion. A light opal streak with a two-coloured lightning bolt inside was right along the ground where the 5 ponies would have crashed. The streak was fading slowly, much like the rainbow that Dash leaves behind when she flies fast. Looking up, Rainbow followed the colour with her eyes, until she could see where it was coming from. A Pegasus mare flew, carrying the five fallen ponies, all at once. She swooped through the air before gracefully landing on the ground and depositing her load. Rainbow flew down and landed behind her friends’ savoir. “Oh, thank you, thank you!” The colourful Pegasus exclaimed. “I- LIGHTNING DUST?” Dash burst out in shock as the mare turned to face the other. RD stood in shock, her mouth agape as she stared at the pony that was almost her good friend. Lightning flipped her mane back arrogantly as she lazily glanced back at Rainbow. The opal coat was almost entirely covered by a familiar blue uniform. “What’s the matter, Rainbow?” Lightning Dust sneered. “Never seen a Wonderbolt before?” “How-how are you a Wonderbolt?” RD exclaimed indignantly. “You got kicked out of the academy!” “No, no, no, you ignorant fool. You are the one who got kicked out. I’m a Wonderbolt because, well,” Lightning let out a cruel laugh as she turned away, “only the best of the best, right? And you just don’t cut it.” With a final victory laugh, the Pegasus took to the sky, the squadron of Pegasi following their leader. “NO!” Rainbow Dash screamed in rage as her friends too took off after the opal mare. “SPITFIRE! Spitfire, I demand to talk to you, RIGHT NOW!” “Yes? What is it?” a cold voice snapped at the blue mare. Rainbow turned around rapidly to see her idol staring at her with contempt. “Why did you make Lightning Dust a Wonderbolt? How could you! I’m a much better flyer than she is and she is far too reckless!” “Reckless?” Spitfire echoed with a humorless laugh. “I should think not. That would be you. And as if you could be a better flyer! Ha! Lightning Dust won the Best Young Flyer 5 years in a row! You are just a failure. Now leave, you’re not even allowed here anymore.” “But-” “No buts. I said leave,” Spitfire spat. Without another word, the yellow mare turned and started to fly away. “NO!” Rainbow screamed again. With a rush of speed, she leapt forwards, tackling the other Pegasus to the ground. The two scuffed in the dirt for a solid minute before Dash managed to pin her opponent down. There was a wild gleam in her eye as she glared down at the pony that had once her idol. Despite the insanity brewing inside, the tone in which the blue Pegasus spoke in was a calm one. “Listen to me,” she said slowly. “Listen to me. I am a great flyer. I can prove it. What do I need to do to prove it?” “Why should I waste my time on a failure like you?” Spitfire spat back. “Just give me a chance. Please.” All at once, the anger and hatred was gone from Rainbow’s eyes. In their place was a hollow, empty sadness. “Please,” she repeated, stepping off of the other mare. “Fine. Fly up to that cloud there and I will see what I can do about making you a Wonderbolt,” the yellow mare said as she gestured up to a cloud not high up. “That’s it!? I can do that in my sleep!” Rainbow exclaimed, brightening up in an instant. “Sure you can,” came the disbelieving reply. “Just you watch!” With that final comment, the athletic Pegasus took to the air, flying up and up and up. As she flew, Rainbow started to find it harder and harder to fly. Looking at her back, she saw that with each flap of her wings, they grew smaller and smaller. Her balance began to waver and she let out a fearful cry for help. Her idol, staring up at her, only grinned as the younger mare struggled to fly. “Why don’t you just quit now and save us all some time?” Spitfire called up. “Never! I will reach that cloud!” It was so close; Rainbow could almost feel the soft plush beneath her hooves. But it seemed that with each flap of her shrinking wings, the cloud flew further and further away. Her wings now no more than stumps, Rainbow heard a laugh coming from the cloud she was chasing. “Wow, you really are a bad flyer!” Lightning Dust called, poking her head off the side of the cloud she kept moving. “You,” Rainbow seethed, fury urging her to flap harder still. “Yes, me,” came the giggling reply. “Wow, we are really high up, aren't we? Look way down there, Spitfire looks like an ant! I would sure hate to fall right now…” The mare trailed off, a smug grin overriding her face’s features. “Oh, would you look at that. Tsk, tsk, it seems you no longer have any wings. Well, I guess you won’t be becoming a Wonderbolt after all!” “What do you mean my wings are- AHH!” Rainbow let out a shriek of pure terror as she turned and saw her bare back. What her enemy spoke was true; Rainbow Dash no longer had any wings. As she started to plummet towards Equestria, the failing Pegasus saw her foe fly away. The world fled with Lightning Dust, RD found herself falling in a black void, wingless, hopeless, a failure. Falling, falling, falling… Forever. Author's Note See a mistake? Please let me know! Have an idea of how I can improve? Let me know! Hate this? Please tell me why so I can get better! I will also be taking ideas about who should be next and (possibly) what their nightmare would be about. Right now I have nightmares for Spike and Celestia, which I am currently working on. OK, that's it. I hope you enjoyed this! Applejack“Ah wonder where Rainbow Dash is,” the orange mare whispered to herself. She was standing at the roots Rainbow’s usual afternoon napping tree. Come to think of it, the Pegasus should have cleared the sky already, yet the blue overhead was speckled with fluffy white clouds. The Earth Pony pulled her hat down over her face, trying to hide the blush rising to her cheeks. She shook her head, trying vainly to get her crush out of her mind. “Stop it, AJ,” she berated herself. “Ya shouldn’t know RD’s daily schedule. Ya can’t like her, ya aint no fillyfooler.” But what if you are? a quiet voice asked her. It echoed in her mind, bouncing around, impossible to catch and refusing to stop. What if you do like Rainbow that way? “I aint got no problem with that,” Applejack argued as she started to walk to the farm. Sure you don’t, the voice said, thick with sarcasm. “So what if Ah do? Ah can change!” But will your family? Applejack stopped walking. It was clear that her subconscious had hit a nerve. She shook her head and tried to ignore the voice as it continued its verbal assault. They won’t, will they? the voice asked in a tone that was far too sweet. They’ll shun you, kick you out of the farm. “No they won’t.” Is that a fact? the voice questioned. It doesn’t sound like you believe yourself, how do you expect me to believe you? “Ah’m the Element of Honesty, ain’t Ah?” What does that mean, exactly? “Ah can’t lie.” To others, yes. But it seems you know how to lie to yourself. “Ah- Oh, be quiet,” AJ whispered. Head hanging low with the weight of her fears, she started walking again. The voice nagged at the mare the whole way home. Once she was back at the farm, Applejack busied herself as much as she would bucking trees and doing other chores. But soon, the heat of the sun and the exercise from farming became too much for the orange mare to handle. “Ah’ll just rest mah eyes here for a momen’ or two,” she said as she lay down in the shade of an apple tree. The humming of insects singing in her ears, it was not long before Applejack’s breathing slowed and she fell into a deep slumber. Applejack: Nopony can know Applejack woke with a start. A quick glance at the sky showed that day had passed. Cursing under her breath, she got up and trotted back to her house. “Sorry Ah’m late, ya’ll! Did Ah miss su-” the orange mare broke off as she saw the anger in the faces that greeted her. “Hey, what’s the matter?” she asked. No pony replied at first. They just sat staring at Applejack, silent. Granny and Big Mac wore expressions of anger and betrayal, hatred and rage. Apple Bloom simply looked confused, glancing from her brother to her grandmother to her sister and back again. She looked back to Applejack and cast her a glance that said ‘I’m just as lost as you are.’ “What’s goin’ on?” Applejack voiced her confusion again. This time she got an answer. “You’re a fillyfooler,” Granny Smith said. The simple statement was full of impatience and irritation. “What?” AJ exclaimed, loudly cutting across her sister asking what a fillyfooler was. “No Ah aint!” “Eeyup, you are,” Big McIntosh said, his usual placid demeanor replaced by one of agitation. “Well, maybe Ah am,” the mare finally admitted. “But-” “What’s a fillyfooler?” Apple Bloom asked, trying to get noticed. “-that don’t explain why ya’ll seem so mad,” the Element of Honesty finished as if her sister had not spoken. “What’s a fillyfooler?!?” the youngest Apple demanded, jumping to the table in her need to be noticed. “Somethin’ sinful,” Granny sneered, her words directed at her youngest grandfoal but her eyes stayed on the mare before her. “Somethin’ Ah don’t welcome on mah farm.” “Eeyup.” “Now hold on a second, Granny,” Applejack said, taking a step back. “What do ya mean Ah’m not welcome on the farm?” “Ah mean just that,” came the reply. Granny’s words were plain and simple, but they hit AJ like a buck to the face. “But- but- Ah can’t go! This is where Ah belong! Do you really want me to leave?” she stammered as she continued to back up. She watched in horror as her family started to walk menacingly towards her. “Please, no! Apple Bloom, you don’t want your big sis to go, do ya?” “Maybe,” the young filly said, pausing her advance. The others paused as well, waiting for their comrade. “What d’ya mean, maybe?” Applejack asked fearfully. “This is either yes or no!” “Well, Ah was thinkin’. If you’re a fillyfooler, then you’re sinful. And maybe if you’re sinful, then maybe you’re the reason Ah aint got mah cutie mark yet. So, maybe if you leave, Ah can get mah cutie mark!” The young filly smiled widely. “So yeah, Ah think you should leave.” A silent message passed between the three of them and they started forwards once more. As they closed the space between themselves and AJ, more members of the Apple Clan appeared behind them. The ghostly apparitions grew in number until every Apple the orange mare had ever met had joined the ranks. Even the ponies she knew to be dead. The horde moved forward as one, their eyes flashing dangerously. Applejack tried to discourage the advance, but to no avail. Finally realizing she could stay no longer, AJ turned tail and fled. She ran as fast as she could, but not swiftly enough to evade her grandmother’s parting words. “Ya’ll don’t come back now, ya hear?” Granny called after the fleeing mare. Tears fell from Applejack’s eyes as she ran. How could her family forsake her? And so easily! How? How? The cowpony ran faster and fast, trying to escape the horrible dream she was trapped in. But there is no way to flee from pain, not in a way that will last. Applejack galloped without paying any attention to where she was going, so it was not too surprizing when she crashed head-first into a tree. The sudden collision knocked her flat on her back and blasted the wind out of her lungs. She lay where she had fallen, unable and unwilling to get up, panting from pain and exertion. She was too tired to cry, too confused to figure out what was happening. She lay where she had fallen and tried to loose herself to sleep, but the relief did not come. Finally, Applejack could stay still no longer. Grunting with effort, she forced herself to her hooves. Her grunts turned to moans when she placed weight on one of her back hooves; she had sprained it during her mad dash. Balancing painfully on three legs, she looked around, trying to find her location. With a gasp of fear, she realized that she was deep in the Everfree Forest. “Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no,” Applejack whispered, turning around. “OK. Calm down, girl. Ya just gotta figure out how to get to Fluttershy’s place. One step at a time.” Closing her eyes, the mare took a few deep breaths to try and relax, but it was a futile effort. Enabling her vision again, she looked around. Even in the darkness, it was easy to see the trail she had left behind. In her terror, Applejack had crashed her way through the undergrowth with a terrifying ferocity. Well, she said to herself, at least Ah know what way ta go. With that thought, Applejack heaved a deep sigh and started forwards. Yet the night was dark and the mare tired and weak. Her bleary eyes smeared the path with the surrounding forest, sending her the wrong way. Hours passed and still the orange mare was wandering through the bush. Almost there, just around this tree. The next one. The next one. Ah just have to keep going. Applejack tried to keep up a steady stream of encouragement to herself, but it was hard to be hopefully when the sun did not rise. Although hour upon hour had passed, the night did not give way to the day and the forest stayed dark. Although the mare grew weary, she could not stop trying to find her friends. They’ll find me. They will save me. Mah family may have abandoned me, but Ah just have to find mah friends. But even Applejack could not keep up the mental encouragement. Her thoughts lowered to nothing more than how to more as she became both mentally and physically exhausted. But she had to keep moving. She had to find her friends. Applejack had to keep looking, no matter how long it took. The farmpony kept walking through the forest. Forsaken by her family and forgotten by her friends, she wandered alone in the Everfree Forest. Forever. Author's Note Ugg. I don't really like this chapter. It's not my best work, if you ask me. Oh well. The next one will be better. Anyway, if you see a mistake, let me know. I hope you're enjoying this. Rarity“Rarity, have you seen AJ around?” “No, not of late. What do you need her for, Twilight?” Rarity asked as she turned to face her friend. “She was supposed to help Pinkie with some baking earlier, but she never showed up. It’s not like her,” the Alicorn replied. She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully for a moment. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Rainbow for a while either,” she said. “Oh, she’s probably just training for the Wonderbolts,” Rarity said easily. “And Applejack is probably just overworking herself again. Have you checked all of the apple orchards?” “No, I’m on my way over there now.” “Well, best of luck to you. Just let me know if you need any help.” “Alright, Rarity. See you later,” Twilight said as she walked off. Rarity shook her head as she walked back into her home, trying to put the missing ponies out of her mind. The day was coming to a close and it was time for the unicorn to go through her nightly routine. Once she was curled up in her bed, sleep seemed to claim Rarity faster than normal. In no time at all, she had drifted off to a deep sleep. Rarity: Loss of Family “Goodbye, Father, Mother,” Rarity reluctantly called as her parents rolled away in the taxi. She stayed outside and waved until they were out of sight. “What do you want to do now, Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked, looking excitedly up at her sister. “Er, well, I have a few errands to run,” Rarity began. She trailed off as the younger pony’s face fell. “But we can do something when I get back, OK?” “Alright,” Sweetie said dejectedly. “I’ll see you later.” “Just stay out of trouble, OK?” “OK.” “I’ll be back in a little while,” Rarity said. But as she walked away she could feel a slight tugging at her heart. A small seed of guilt at leaving her sister alone planted itself in her mind and swiftly grew. “Oh well,” she muttered as she gave in to the idea of going to spend time with her sister, “I can always go out later, right?” Turning around, she trotted lightly back to her home. “Sweetie,” she called as she opened the door, “I’ve decided I can go out later. Do you want to do something together?” “NO!” came the squeak of a reply. “Um, I mean, you don’t have to do that! I don’t mind, really!” the filly shouted with panic in her voice. “Are you sure? Sweetie Belle, what did you do?” Rarity asked wearily. “Nothing!” “Sweetie,” Rarity growled. “What have you d-aah!” Rarity broke off with a scream of shock as she entered her boutique. She looked around in shock at the complete mess her sister had made in the few minutes the filly had had alone. The gems that the older sister had spent seemingly endless hours gathering lay on the floor, broken, chipped and scattered carelessly. At least a dozen of Rarity’s half-finished dresses had been torn nearly to shreds and lay haphazardly around the room. Fabrics, once stacked neatly off to the side, now lay unraveled and almost everywhere. Manikins had somehow been stacked one on top of the other and came tumbling down on Rarity as she advanced on the cowering filly in the middle of the mess. “I’m sorry!” Sweetie squeaked out with wide eyes as she watched her sister advance. “I just wanted to be like you!” “Like me? Like me?!” Rarity snapped. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. But when she opened her eyes the once-soft blue had turned to ice. “You will never be like me,” she hissed. “You will only ever be a disaster. You-you-” Rarity broke off with a sob as she looked around her ruined shop. “Go. Just go.” “But-” “Just. Go,” the white mare repeated. Tears welled up in her sister’s eyes as the filly stood up. Water cascaded down the filly’s face but her green eyes flashed with rage. “Fine!” she shrieked as she tried vainly to shake away her tears. “Fine! I’ll leave and-and never come back!” Rarity took a sharp breath as her sister’s words hit her like a blast of magic. Realizing the harshness of her words, she tried to take them back, but Sweetie Belle wouldn’t let her. “I hate you!” the filly screeched as she pushed past the stunned mare. “You’re not my sister! I hate you!” she shouted again as she ran out of the boutique. “Sweetie, wait!” Rarity cried but her sister was already gone. “Oh, what have I done?” she whispered to herself. Looking around again, she saw that the room was not as messy as she had first thought. Yes, some of the fabric had been unrolled but that could be fixed, easily. A closer look at the destroyed dresses showed that they had been torn at by an angry cat. Thinking back, Rarity could remember Opalescence glaring at the outfits earlier in the day. “Oh, what have I done?” Rarity moaned dramatically as she placed a hoof over her forehead. “I’ve lost my sister again! No!” she cried as she straightened up. “I shall not let this happen again!” Her face set and eyes filled with determination, Rarity reared up and ran out of her store into the starting rain. As she ran after the small hoofprints left by Sweetie, the rain fell harder. Rarity desperately shouted her sister’s name over the growing storm as she tried to find the filly. “I hate you! Go away!” Sweetie’s voice echoed back from all sides. The quickening rain pounded harder on the ground as it tried to wash away any evidence that the filly had ever been there. Head down and tears flying in the cruel wind, Rarity ran harder than she ever had in her life, trying to catch her little sister. Mud splattered up, dying her pristine fur a dark brown but she ignored it. All that mattered was finding her sister and apologising. She yelled, pleaded, for her sister to stop, to wait, but all that came back was the rumble of thunder and the flash of lightning. Although she had never run so fast in her life, Rarity could not gain ground on her little sister. Every once in a while the filly’s tail could be seen for a split second before vanishing into the pounding rain. Undaunted, Rarity ran on. She ignored the mud as it flew from her hooves into her eyes, she ignored the wind as it tore through her messy mane, she ignored the rain as it tried to freeze her. Only one thing mattered: catching up to Sweetie Belle and apologising. “Wait!” Rarity screamed again, her voice catching in her throat. “Please!” Somehow, the filly heard this plea and stopped. Lightning carved its jagged path down the black sky as Sweetie turned around to face her weeping sister. “Why?” she screamed in a voice distorted by rage and pain. “So you can make fun of me more? So you can kill my dreams? So you can-” “No! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Rarity fell to her knees, trying desperately to catch her breath so she could calm down her hysterical sister. “I’m-I’m so, so sorry,” she panted. “I never wanted… to hurt you.” “But you did!” the filly screeched back. “You did and I hate you! I HATE YOU!” “No, Sweetie Belle, please,” Rarity begged as she tried to stand. “Please, please forgive me. I love you. You’re my sister and I-” “No!” Sweetie Belle shrieked once more, cutting across her sister’s plea. “I hate you!” the filly shouted, her voice full of hate. “You’re not my sister!” With the final word, she turned and started to run again. Her eyes closed against the torrential rain, she didn’t see the cliff. But Rarity did. “Sweetie!” Rarity shrieked desperately as her sister disappeared off the edge but her voice was swept away by the storm. Terrified, she ran closer to where the ground fell away. She let out a squeal as the muddy ground slid beneath her, almost sending her tumbling down after her sister. Unable to breathe, the white mare peaked over the edge. What she saw made her cry out in pain. The young filly lay on the ground, still save for the rain pounding her cooling body. Her neck was twisted at an impossible angle and blood trailed from her muzzle and the gaping hole where her left ear once was. Her eyes, still alight with pure hatred, lay open and oblivious to the rain and mud that fell on them. Too shocked to cry, Rarity looked along the edge of the cliff for a way down. A gray haze, caused by more than the slackening rain, surrounded her as she hopped down until she stood next to her unmoving sister. “Sweetie?” she asked softly, fearfully. “Sweetie Belle? Are you alright?” Even as she asked the pointless question Rarity knew the answer. Her knees buckled and she collapsed next to the filly as tears made their way down her face. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so, so sorry.” She sat there, in the wind and the rain, allowing tears to flow down and land on the still body. She kept apologising, even though she knew it was too late. She sat there, crying and apologising, until the realization hit her. Her sister was dead. She was now sisterless. Rarity wept, but not as hard as when the second realization hit her. Sweetie Belle died hating Rarity. There was no chance for forgiveness. No way to take the hurtful words back. Not only would Rarity now be sisterless, but her sister would hate her. Forever. Author's Note Hey, I’m not dead! Sorry for the long wait, people. I've been dealing with a lot in the real world and that includes a major writer’s block that lasted at least a month. Two more things. First of all, if you see any mistakes, please let me know! The other thing I’m curious about is if any of you have noticed that pattern yet. FluttershyThe sun was hanging low in the cloudy sky as Fluttershy walked away from the Carousel Boutique, her head lowered. She had spent all day at the spa waiting for Rarity but the white mare had never showed. Fluttershy had eventually grown tired of waiting and left, but not before her hooves had wrinkled. Feeling abandoned, Fluttershy had told herself that Rarity hadn’t shown because she had been swamped with work, but a detour past the unicorn’s home and shop had shown that it was closed. There had been no answer when Fluttershy had knocked on the door and the sun had been setting by that time. Fluttershy had decided to go home. The walk seemed to take longer than usual as the Pegasus dragged her hooves along the empty road. Although the spa had been rather empty, Fluttershy still felt embarrassed about sitting alone all day. The more Fluttershy thought about it, the more she realized that there hadn’t been many ponies out over the past few days. She hadn’t seen Rainbow Dash or Applejack for several days, although the farm pony was probably just working hard on her farm and Rainbow probably was working on her tricks again. Looking up, Fluttershy spotted a few Pegasi flying through the air corralling the clouds but Rainbow’s face was not among them. Spotting Fluttershy, one of the Pegasi swooped down and landed next to her. “Hey,” the mare said, “you’re friends with Rainbow, right?” “Um… yes,” Fluttershy said with a soft squeak. She hadn’t seen this Pegasus much before and was never very good at talking to ponies she didn’t know. To make matters worse, this pony seemed angry about something. “Well, do you know where she is?” demanded the irritated mare. Fluttershy shook her head meekly and the mare let out an irritated snort. “Well, next time you see her, could you tell her to do her job? She hasn’t shown up for weather crew in days without an excuse.” “Oh, okay,” Fluttershy muttered from behind her mane, shifting her weight uneasily. “Cool. Thanks,” said the mare, seeming much less irritated. She took to the air again but paused and turned around. “Oh, and you might want to get inside. We’ve got a thunderstorm scheduled and you don’t want to get too wet.” Without another word, the mare flew off. “Thank you,” Fluttershy whispered to the windy air. The rain started slowly but grew rapidly. Even when she picked up her pace to a run, Fluttershy was still soaked by the time she got home. Lightning flashed as she shut the door behind her and the timid mare let out a squeak. “Angel Bunny?” she called into the darkness. “Angel, where are you? Oh, you’re already asleep,” she muttered softly. Indeed the rabbit was; curled up on the foot of his owner’s bed and twitching slightly as he dreamt. “I should really dry off before I go to bed,” Fluttershy said, yawning widely. “Oh, but I’m so tired. I guess I can just go to bed n-” She broke off with another frightened noise as another bolt of lightning fractured the sky. “Oh,” Fluttershy muttered as she climbed under her comfy blanket, “I hope I don’t have any nightmares tonight. I could really use a good night’s sleep.” Within seconds, Fluttershy’s soft breaths filled the air, mixing gently with Angel’s frightened moans as he fought his own nightmare. Fluttershy: Flight School Fears “Alright, Fluttershy,” droned the teacher, “your turn.” “Oh!” squeaked the filly as she looked up with wide eyes. “Are-are you sure? Isn’t there somepony else-” “No, Fluttershy,” said her teacher in the same bored tone. He glanced down at his clipboard once again to check before looking at the scared Pegasus right in the eye. “You’ve already let everypony go before you. No more stalling. Let’s see what you got.” “Oh. Um… OK, I guess…” Fluttershy trailed off softly from behind her mane. She took a few cautious steps forward until she could look over the edge of the cloud. The distance fell away and the filly jumped back with a frightened squeak. Flailing backwards, her hoof caught on a stray tuft of cloud and she tripped. With her wings stuck to her sides with fear, Fluttershy had no way to balance herself and fell on her rump. Yet another squeak slipped past her lips as pain radiated from her blank flank at the sudden landing. “What a pathetic blank-flank,” sneered a foal from where they were perched on another cloud. Other fillies and colts snickered at the comment, their faces safely hidden by a blue-black fog. “Yeah, she can barely fly,” another agreed, drawing more giggles from the others. Tears in her eyes, Fluttershy looked up at her teacher hopefully. At times in the past, he had defended her but as she looked past her tears, she saw him holding his clipboard over his face to hide his chuckles. “Fluttershy’s a blank-flank,” somepony smirked. “Useless,” a colt laughed. “Pathetic,” another agreed. The voices continued. “Can’t fly.” “Hopeless.” “-ground her-” “-never going to have any friends.” “N-no,” Fluttershy begged, trying vainly to make her soft voice heard over the cacophony of insults, “p-please st-st-stop!” Tears fell from her eyes like rain but it only goaded the others on. One of the attackers nudged the one next to them and the two of them started to chant. Slowly but surely, the chant grew into an endless roar. “Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy can hardly fly! Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy can hardly fly! Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy can hardly fly!” the foals chanted cruelly. As one, they rose into the air and flew over to the cowering filly, surrounding her with their jeers and laughter. The teacher’s low voice cut over the younger ones but instead of offering kind words, he was just as cruel. His cold voice mocked her for her lack of ability to fly. He sneered at her lack of skill, complained about how she lowered the average grade of his class and prevented him from getting a better job. “Please stop! Please!” Fluttershy begged. Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Unable to take the ridicule any longer, she got to her hooves and ran. Blinded by her tears and mane, Fluttershy ran without looking. The clouds she ran on didn’t end and, although she could not hear the sounds of wings in air or hooves on clouds, the voices didn’t either. When Fluttershy looked over her shoulder, all she could see was the same blueish-blackish fog from earlier. The fog ate her pleas but magnified the laughter. She could not outrun it. No matter how hard she tried or how fast she ran, the cruel chant followed her, keeping pace and biting at her ears and scratching at her emotions. Try as she might, Fluttershy could not run without stopping for much longer. A dip in the cloud before her appeared faster than she could react and the filly fell to her knees. Before she could raise herself back to her hooves to run, her pursuers were upon her once more. Rather than merely circle her, they decided not to give her the chance to escape. Several stalked closer and pinned the weeping filly down as the others chanted. The chant was unoriginal; the same one they always used. But it did what it needed to. Unable to flee the cruelty, Fluttershy could do nothing but weep pitifully and try to block out the laughter. She lay, waiting for the bullies to grow tired of their teasing, to turn and fly away as they always did. But the teasing didn’t stop. The chanting didn’t cease. The mockery, the teasing, the cruelty, the chanting, they all continued, going on and on and on. Forever. Author's Note Whelp, sorry this took so long. I had school and then family issues and then medical issues and, long story short, just did not feel like writing. (At least not this story.) I give no promise as to when the next chapter will be up, although it will be Pinkie’s nightmare. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and, as always, feel free to point out any errors you see. Pinkie PiePinkie smiled gleefully as she waved the final customer of the day out the door. “Have a super-doper fun-fun-fun evening! Enjoy your cake!” the pink pony cheered as she jumped up and down with excitement. “Thanks, Pinkie,” laughed the mare as she waved back. “You have a good night, too.” “Aww, thanks!” Pinkie giggled, waving. Once the pony was out of sight, she carefully shut the door. She let out a content sigh as she flipped the sign from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed.’ It had been a good day, albeit a slower one than usual. Of course, that had made the day much easier for Pinkie, as she had been the only one working. The Cakes were off on their anniversary and had left the shop, and the twins, in Pinkie’s care. Usually caring for the twins was a challenge, although a really fun one, but Pinkie was having none of the usual trouble with them. She hadn’t heard so much as a peep from them since she put them down for their nap several hours ago. Maybe Pinkie should have been more worried about the lack of excitement caused by the babies, but she had checked on them. They had been lying side by side, cuddled up together and twitching slightly in their cutesy-wootsy dreams. She was quite relived that she could pay more attention to her customers and making other ponies happy. They were just sleeping; she wasn’t too worried. Maybe Pinkie Pie should have been slightly concerned about the lack of visitors to the store. After all, Wednesday was normally the most packed day of the week, other than Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and, of course, Sunday. She had wondered about the lack of ponies, especially when Lyra came in without Bon-Bon. The two mares came in together every Wednesday at the same time; never had Pinkie seen one without the other. When asked where the earth pony was, Lyra had simply shrugged and said the other mare was sleeping. This was the answer Pinkie had gotten almost every time she asked where a pony was. It was strange, especially around mid-day, but the pink party pony dismissed it as nothing more than a flu, or something of the sort, going around. A dismissed thought is easy to ignore, so Pinkie wasn’t concerned. Pinkie probably should have been wondering why she hadn’t heard from four of her closest friends in several days. She had thought about her friends a lot during the lonely hours of running the store and had come up with reasons for the absences. Rarity and Applejack were both probably busy with work and Rainbow was just spending lots of time practising. Fluttershy was just being Fluttershy and spending time with her animal friends, rather than her pony ones. Or they were all sick, although Pinkie had to admit there was a slim chance of that. Or they all know that Pinkie was running SugarCube Corner on her own and couldn’t leave it, although they should have known that she would always appreciate the company. Or maybe it was a combination of two or more of the above. No matter what, Pinkie wasn’t spending much time worrying about her absent friends. So it was with a mind free of worries that Pinkie Pie possessed as she pranced to her room. The sun was slowly falling from the sky and the moon was starting its climb as the pink earth pony laid down her head. She let out a content sigh as her eyes drifted closed, expecting her usual dreams of joy and friendship. Pinkie Pie: Rocks The day started just like any other. Pinkie rose with the sun and got ready for a fun-fun-fun day of helping care for the twins and run the bakery. Everything was just a super-duper fun-tastic as ever when Pinkie went out to get the mail. The Cakes were back from their vacation but Pinkie had yet to get the postcard they had sent. Therefore it was no surprise when Pinkie pulled out a piece of paper from the mailbox with her name on it. It was a surprise, however, when she saw where it was from. Confused by the sudden contact from ponies she had not heard from in a while, Pinkie told Mrs. Cake that she would be in her room and climbed the stairs in a mild daze, staring at the letter in confusion the whole time. Only once she was safely seated on her bed did Pinkie dare open the letter. As her eyes scanned the page, taking in the elegant cursive words, Pinkie could feel her mane and tail trying to deflate. Shaking her head to clear it, Pinkie read the letter over two more times, eyes flipping between it and the crest stamped on the envelope to hold it shut. She could not believe it but it had to be true. She searched desperately for some sign that it was a prank but it couldn’t be, no matter how much she wished. It was the Pie family crest on the envelope, the special Pie stationary and Mama Pie’s very own writing. No pony could copy the lines on the page to mimic Mama Pie. It just couldn’t be done. Once she admitted it was the truth, Pinkie read the letter over one last time, forcing herself to take it in slowly. Dear Pinkamena Diane Pie, the letter began, I am sorry that this is how we must reconnect after all these years. I’m afraid the news I have is not good. It is about your father, Pinkamena. I know this will come as a shock but he is rather unwell. The doctor says he will not pull through. Your father wishes to see all of his children once more before he passes. Please return home quickly, as your father does not have much time. Sincerely, Mama Pie Pinkie sat frozen for a few moments. With a shaking hoof, she reached for the envelope, which she had dropped before reading the letter for the final time. It was not merely the contents of the letter that chilled Pinkie’s blood, but the contents combined with the date on the envelope. It was dated for over a week ago. From the letter, it had sounded like her father had days to live, not the week it had taken for the letter to arrive. Shock took over Pinkie’s body as the reality hit her. The letter fell from her grip and floated to the floor. As it landed, the look of shock and pain in Pinkie Pie’s eyes changed to determination. Fast enough to rival Rainbow Dash, Pinkie sped around her room, grabbing her most valuable objects and slamming them into her saddlebag. She bolted down the stairs in a pink blur, stopping only long enough to hastily explain the situation to Mrs. Cake. Then she was off to the train station. Once on the train, Pinkie Pie started to write letters to her friends and the Cakes, explaining in more detail what had happened and adding that she didn’t know how long she would be gone. Once the letters were written and set somewhere safe to be sent when able, Pinkie had only one thing left to do. Cry. And so she did. Head down, she let her tears fall swiftly down her face and to the floor of the carriage. Her hair tried to flatten itself but she denied it the luxury; her family would need her to help lift their moods. She may be too late to see her father but she could be there for her mother and the sisters. She would get all of her tears out on the train. She had to be ready for the tidal wave of grief that would greet her on the family farm. The train ride was long. Once Pinkie Pie cried herself out, she was left with nothing to do and no energy to do it. Emotionally drained, she dropped to the floor and tried to sleep. She did not dream. She was not sure if she even slept at all. It felt as if she only blinked before the whistle was blowing and the train stopping. There was no pony waiting to great her; why would there? She hadn’t had time to let them know she was coming. Despite no guide and many years since her last visit, Pinkie Pie knew the way to the farm by heart. She trotted uneasily along the path, the first seeds of worry pricking her mind and slowing her hooves. What if she was too late? What if she couldn’t cheer anypony up? What if, what if, what if. Pinkie Pie shook her head, trying vainly to dislodge the unhappy thoughts. Her family needed her. She would do everything within her power to make them happy. She would make them happy, but not forget. No pony should ever be forgotten. Pinkie slowed to a stop as she reached the farmhouse. Should she knock or just walk in? She settled on knocking and then entering. Poking her head in the door, Pinkie Pie saw her family sitting at the dinner table, three heads turned to face her. “Pinkamena?” Mama Pie asked, her eyes dull. “I’m here, Mama,” her daughter replied. “I’m sorry I only got here now, the letter just came today. Am I too late? Is dad…?” Pinkie trailed off, unable and unwilling to finish. A simple nod was the only reply before Mama Pie went back to eating. Her two sisters, now fully grown, stared back down at their meals without so much as a peep. Slowly, methodically, they continued eating their meals. Boiled asparagus and potatoes stew. The same supper Pinkie could remember eating all those years ago. She remembered how much she hated it, the same tasteless meal every evening. Shaking away the pained memories, Pinkie Pie tried to speak again. “I’m-I’m too late?” she squeaked out. Her mother nodded again, still looking down. “I’m so sorry! I swear, I only got the letter today and I came as fast as I could and-and…” Pinkie trailed off, at a loss for words. “I’m sorry,” she said again, tears slipping down. She hung her head, unable to look into her mother’s eyes. “Pinkamena,” her mother tried, but Pinkie cut her off. “Pinkie Pie,” she corrected. “I go by Pinkie Pie now.” “No,” Mama Pie said softly, finally lifting her head. “Your name is Pinkamena Diane Pie. You cannot go back to your old life, Pinkamena. You are needed here. Your sisters and I-” “What do you mean, I can’t go back to my old life? Are you saying I can’t go home?” Despite her sadness about her father’s death, the pink mare was still shocked by what her mother was saying. Her shock only grew when the normally-docile mare rose sharply to her hooves. “This is your home, Pinkamena. Your sisters and I cannot care for the farm on our own; we need you.” For a frightening moment, the pink pony could have sworn her mother’s gentle blue eyes flashed a darker teal, the pupils narrowing to slits. Then she blinked and her mother simply looked old and tired, clearly overworked. “We needed you, Pinkamena,” Mama Pie continued as she sat down again, seeming too weak to stand, “we needed you back the moment you left. Your father had to work twice as hard to make up the loss of hooves, but he refused to call you back home. He cared too much for you. He knew this was no place for you. “But Pinkamena, your father is gone. We cannot keep the farm without his help and we don’t have enough to hire extra hooves. You’re needed here, Pinkamena. Do you see that?” “I-yes. I do, Mama. I see that. It’s just, what about my friends? My things? All my stuff is back in Ponyville, and Gummy-” “Pinkamena, I know this must be hard for you, but there is no time for you to go back. You are needed here and you are needed now.” The old mare sighed, and Pinkie saw her mother age before her eyes. She could see the wrinkles along her cheeks, and the deep shadows under her eyes brought on by trying to do more work than one pony can do. Her sisters seemed equally tired, their movements slow and heavy with weariness. “But Mama…” “Please understand, Pinkamena. It will be easier this way.” All fighting energy was lost from the normally energetic pony. She nodded meekly, knowing that her family needed her. It did not take long for her to fall back into the routine of the farm. It is true what they say: old habits die hard. She wrote to her friends, but less and less as time went on. Her mane straightened itself, no longer fluffed by constant parties. Slowly but surely, Pinkie Pie began responding to the name Pinkamena, stopping using her old name entirely. Life fell into simplicity, days blending to weeks, to months, to years. It was an easy lifestyle, if a little dull. It wasn’t hard to figure out. There was no talking. There was no smiling. Only rocks. Forever. Author's Note Let me start with this: I am a horrible person. I'm beyond sorry that this has taken so long to get out. There is a reason I'm so awful at getting these things out, but it is long. It's here, if you want to see it. The short version is that I've been through Hell the last few years. I wish I could say that the next chapter will be out soon, but that would be a lie. I have no idea when the next chapter will be out, although it will be showing Princess Twilight Sparkle's fear. After that, there will only be one chapter, Princesses Celestia and Luna, before the epilogue. I have the basic outline for both chapters, but the problem is finding the motivation to write. I've been really depressed lately, plus exams are next week. ~~Although, that's probably why I threw myself into getting this written and out.~~ On a more related note, I threw in some major hints for the ending here. Anyone catch them? Also, as usual, feel free to point out any mistakes I made. Seriously. I'm human, so I know there are some. Princess Twilight Sparkle“Spike? Spike, I need you to send a letter right now!” Twilight’s voice, usually at least somewhat calm, held clear signs of pure panic as she called to the baby dragon. She glanced down to the two scrolls that lay on the desk in front of her. Both were laden with errors, both in grammar and spelling, and were nearly illegible, the ink smudged in Twilight’s desperation to get the letters written and sent. The first was short, only a few lines, while the second, while longer, still held minimal information so it could get sent sooner. Celestia, the first started, lacking the full title in the haste with which the letter had been scribed, Somthing horrible happening. DO NOT SLEEP, find Lu, hurry! Ponyvile need help nowplease Twi The second letter held less errors and the writing was slightly neater. It contained greater details as to the happenings in Ponyville over the last week, although was still the bare bones of the cataclysm that was sweeping the small town. Luna, Something is wrong. Ponys are falling asleep but not waking, they seem to be traped. Nearly whole town sleeping, don’t know what to do. Spells notworking. Elements sleeping, just me awake, can you see their dreems? Can you wake them? Once SpIke sends this, Im gathering remaining awake together In castle, try to stay awake. Please hurry, dont know how long we will last. Twilight “Spike!” Twilight called again, her voice growing shrill with terror and uncertainty. The baby dragon never took this long to come down, especially not when there was trouble. Realization hit her with enough force to make her stumble back a few steps, her eyes, already wide and bloodshot from lack of sleep, grew. “Oh, no,” she whispered, a hoof covering her mouth. “No, no, nononononoNO!” she repeated, voice growing louder with each denial. Grabbing the letters in her magic, she rushed up the stairs, wings forgotten. When she reached the bedroom she shared with Spike, she let out a shriek, letting the parchment drop from her grasp. “No!” she screamed again, lunging towards the small shape in Spike’s basket. Twilight ripped the blanket off with her teeth, disregarding her magic as primal fear took over. Spike moaned and rolled over as Twilight watched tersely, fearing the worst. “Twilight?” Spike muttered, his voice tight, eyes still closed. “Yes, I’m right here, Spike. I need you to send some letters.” Twilight spoke softly, soothingly, telling herself that Spike was awake. “It’s really, really impor-” “Twilight, where are you going?” Spike continued his mumbling as if the Alicorn had not spoken. “I thought you n-need me?” “I do, Spike, I do!” Twilight protested as the baby dragon started to thrash desperately, his cries growing more desperate. “I need you to fight this! You have to send this letter, Spike. Please, wake up!” “Twilight! Don’t leave me!” Disregarding courtesy, Twilight lunged forward, grabbing the dragon in her magic and shaking him. “Wake up!” she screeched, thrashing him around. Spike’s eyes remained closed and unresponsive to Twilight’s desperation. Tears leapt from the purple mare’s eyes as she realized the futility of her actions. “He’s trapped,” she muttered, placing him back into his basket and absentmindedly placing the blanket over his small body once more. “Trapped, in a dream?” She shook her head, forcing herself to calm down and think. She had to figure it out, for Spike’s sake, for her friends’ sakes, for the town’s sake. “No, that’s not right. Not a dream…” A soft chuckle entered at the edge of Twilight’s hearing, scarcely distinguishable over the sleeping dragon’s moans and the sounds of sleeping animals that echoed through the ghost town. “Not a dream!” Twilight exclaimed, voice loud but still hushed. The pieces all fell into place and Twilight ran to her bedside table, tossing everything she found aside as she tried to find a quill and ink. She found the latter, but couldn’t find a quill. “Owlowiscious!” she cried. “I need a quill! It’s an emergency!” When she got no response, a desperate plan formed in her head. Pulling a wing to her face, she tore out several of her own feathers. Pain lost in the adrenaline, Twilight snatched one of the falling make-shift quills in her magic and dumped it in the ink, almost spilling the pot in the process. In the few seconds it took her to do this, the chuckling had turned to a laugh, full and malicious. As Twilight struggled to grab one of the letters, the laughter turned sour. The purple mare heard a cry of rage and saw a blue mist start to creep closer to her. Finding one of the letters - Luna’s, she noticed fleetingly - Twilight threw her feather at it, letters forming in a sprawling, randomly capitalized mess in her haste. Almost immediately after she started writing, the mist surrounded her and she fell to the ground. As her eyes closed and her breathing deepened, Twilight saw in horror that she hadn’t finished the two words she had been trying to write down. As her eyes closed, the unfinished writing floated to the ground in front of her, teasing her with its near completeness and utter uselessness. nIGhTMa Princess Twilight Sparkle: Alone The regal Alicorn let out a sigh as she raised her head to stare into the sky. It was nearly time for the sun to set, so she pulled herself to her hooves and walked to the balcony. Charging her horn with its pinkish magic, she cast one last fleeting look at the sun before lowering it below the horizon. Although the light coming from the orb was nearly blinding, the Alicorn had still managed to see the faint outline of a mare on it. She let herself rest for a moment. Although she had gotten much better at this task in the many years she had had to practice, it still took a toll on her. Ruffling her feathers, she let out a dry laugh. “How many years has it been?” she asked herself softly. After waiting another moment, she called to her powers to her again. This time the moon rose at her will, and a dark blotch, similar to the one on the sun, caught her eyes as it did every night. The Princess sighed again. She hated that the two corrupt faces of the Ancient Princesses still watched over the lands she now ruled. Solar Flare and Nightmare Moon nightmare moon why does that seem important am i missing something had been banished many years ago, yet it still pained the remaining Princess to think of the two sisters that had once been. Another pang seared through the Alicorn’s heart as she thought of her own sister, the in-law who had vanished almost as many years ago as the first two Princesses. “How long can it take,” she asked herself, “to find the Elements-” elements of harmony think i need to think when did i first use them why “-of Harmony?” The moon fully raised, the mare turned and walked inside, shutting the doors to the balcony behind her. The view she had turned her back on was exquisite and she had once spent many a day and night sitting outside and watching the city pass. She had had the castle built at the edge of a city that had been young when she started. It stood off to the side and overlooking from above, just as the Castle of the Ancient Princesses had stood over the city that had long since lost its name to time. Inside, the Princess stared at the many books that embellished her room and closed her eyes. What had that city’s name been? She had lived there once, many lifetimes ago, hadn’t she? But when the ageless mare tried to call up memories of it, all she could remember was its destruction. None had foreseen the anger the great Draconequus, none had expected him to take the news of his friend’s death so hard. Perhaps the Princess should have seen it. She had known the dragon that had befriended the monster after all the others had passed. The dragon, whose name spike it is spike i needed him why did i need him it was important she dared not remember for fear of more pain, had exchanged letters a letter i needed him to send a letter what was it with both the Princess and the Draconequus for many years as he lived among his own, too large to fit amongst the ponies. Yet it had only been the Alicorn that had been alerted to his death. How could she have known that the two had been writing each other? She had dropped contact with the monster after the death of their closest mutual friend. He had gone into hiding; she had not even known if he lived! Not that that had stopped him from blaming her for the death of his only friend. The Draconequus’s rage had leveled the once elegant city, including the castle whose replica the Princess was in as she reminisced. There had been no reasoning with him after that, not that he had ever been a creature of reason. The Princess had been forced to act, or else watch as he destroyed everything. Standing in her room, she found herself wondering if it would have been better to let him be. Perhaps she could have joined him. It was a horrible thought, she knew this, but she was so tired of being alone im not alone im never alone what about my friends they need my help i that she was unable to stop thoughts like this from invading every once in a while. Thinking of it would make no difference; too much time had passed. What harm was there in pondering? She sighed as she walked over to her bed, a deep and lonely sound. She considered talking another apprentice, another student i was a student before all of this started but what is this what is it that i need to do but shook the thought away. Few had ever been strong enough to reach ascension and the ones that had… She shook the half-forgotten memories away. No. She could not allow that to happen. not again but that never happened these memories dont make sense Not again. She would be okay, though. She had her books and her kingdom. She had her memories. but they never happened somethings wrong this isnt real i need to fix this but whats wrong i dont know She didn’t need anyone, but my friends need me somethings wrong i need to fix this but nothings wrong this is my life isn’t it pony or other, to keep her company. It would hurt too much in the end. “I’ll be okay,” she told herself, hoping against hope that she might one day believe it. “I can live by myself.” It wasn’t like she would run out of time its too late to fix anything its over isnt it this is my future my present my past cant be changed to convince herself. She had the rest of eternity to be alone. And so she would be alone. Forever. Author's Note So I was going to write another chapter after this one about Princesses Celestia and Luna, but in all honesty, I have no more attachment to this story. I just want to finish it so I can move on to other things. I had actually written this chapter and the following epilogue months ago but anxiety kept me from posting it. Whatever. Ignore the awkward jump between this chapter and the next. I'm just done with this story. EpiloguePonyville was silent. The Canterlot castle was silent. All of Equestria was silent. Or it would have been, if not for the symphony of agonised whimpers and screams that came from the sleeping mouths of every single citizen of Equestria. Alone in their dreams, they lay trapped in their worst nightmares. But among the terror and pain, a single happy sound echoed above the voices in the castle. A single, ethereal mare walked alone past the sleeping bodies, letting out a soft laugh as she did so. The dark figure wandered the home of the Princesses with a cruel grin playing across her face. She said nothing as she walked aimlessly around. She only let out another light chuckle when she found herself in the chambers of the Princess of the Night. Her hooves clopped noiselessly as she crossed the large room to where the rulers of Equestria lay. Looking down on the lighter one, the mare spoke at last. “Well, Celesita,” she said, her voice cold as the night air surrounding her, “it seems you cannot defeat me now.” The grin grew into another chuckle, which in turn grew into a full-scale laugh that lasted for several minutes. Once she regained her composure, the mare walked over to the other slumbering Alicorn. “Luna, Luna, Luna,” the mare said as she shook her head. “We could have made quite a team, you and I. But it turned out I don’t need your help. With you and your sister and everypony else trapped in their nightmares, there is nopony to stop me now.” The mare turned away and walked over to the window. She raised her head and looked at the full moon that was once her prison. She took a deep breath of the cool, night air and smiled happily before continuing. “So finally, at long last,” the mare said as her teal eyes flashed in the dim light, “the night will last “Forever.”
Rainbow DashRainbow Dash: Forever a Failure The Wonderbolt Academy. Rainbow Dash always knew she would get there one day. She laughed gleefully as she flew through the air, her squadron of fellow cadets close behind. Her squadron. The blue Pegasus let out another whoop of delight as she reflected on how she had (literally) flown through the rankings, how she had quickly become the number one cadet EVER, but most of all, how Spitfire had told her only yesterday that she, Rainbow Dash, was ready to become a Wonderbolt. The young mare closed her eyes as she pumped her wings faster and faster, getting ready to break the sound barrier, then SMACK! Rainbow spun out of control for several seconds following her collision with some solid object. It was not long before she was right way up and flying smoothly again, yet it only took a few seconds for the worst to happen. Her five friends, Twilight, Rarity, AJ, Pinkie and Fluttershy, were all falling down, knocked out of the hot-air balloon. They plummeted towards Equestria at break-neck speeds as the blue Pegasus began to panic. There was no time to think; with a flash of colour, Rainbow sped downwards and began to gather up clouds to form a platform to save her friends. Wait, she suddenly thought. Where did they come from? The sky was clear save me and my squadron a moment ago. Was it the hot-air balloon I hit? No, I hit something smaller than that. ARG! STOP WASTING TIME!! Furious with herself, Rainbow spun the clouds faster, but she was still too slow. The Pegasus watched, helpless, as her friends all fell right through the fluffy substance, even Fluttershy. “No, no, NO!” Unable to watch, the blue pony landed on the cloud and buried her head, waiting with baited breath for the indivertible SPLAT that would fill the air as her friends crashed on the ground. But as seconds pasted and no such sound came, Rainbow felt curiosity dragging her eyes down to the ground. What she saw made her brows knit in confusion. A light opal streak with a two-coloured lightning bolt inside was right along the ground where the 5 ponies would have crashed. The streak was fading slowly, much like the rainbow that Dash leaves behind when she flies fast. Looking up, Rainbow followed the colour with her eyes, until she could see where it was coming from. A Pegasus mare flew, carrying the five fallen ponies, all at once. She swooped through the air before gracefully landing on the ground and depositing her load. Rainbow flew down and landed behind her friends’ savoir. “Oh, thank you, thank you!” The colourful Pegasus exclaimed. “I- LIGHTNING DUST?” Dash burst out in shock as the mare turned to face the other. RD stood in shock, her mouth agape as she stared at the pony that was almost her good friend. Lightning flipped her mane back arrogantly as she lazily glanced back at Rainbow. The opal coat was almost entirely covered by a familiar blue uniform. “What’s the matter, Rainbow?” Lightning Dust sneered. “Never seen a Wonderbolt before?” “How-how are you a Wonderbolt?” RD exclaimed indignantly. “You got kicked out of the academy!” “No, no, no, you ignorant fool. You are the one who got kicked out. I’m a Wonderbolt because, well,” Lightning let out a cruel laugh as she turned away, “only the best of the best, right? And you just don’t cut it.” With a final victory laugh, the Pegasus took to the sky, the squadron of Pegasi following their leader. “NO!” Rainbow Dash screamed in rage as her friends too took off after the opal mare. “SPITFIRE! Spitfire, I demand to talk to you, RIGHT NOW!” “Yes? What is it?” a cold voice snapped at the blue mare. Rainbow turned around rapidly to see her idol staring at her with contempt. “Why did you make Lightning Dust a Wonderbolt? How could you! I’m a much better flyer than she is and she is far too reckless!” “Reckless?” Spitfire echoed with a humorless laugh. “I should think not. That would be you. And as if you could be a better flyer! Ha! Lightning Dust won the Best Young Flyer 5 years in a row! You are just a failure. Now leave, you’re not even allowed here anymore.” “But-” “No buts. I said leave,” Spitfire spat. Without another word, the yellow mare turned and started to fly away. “NO!” Rainbow screamed again. With a rush of speed, she leapt forwards, tackling the other Pegasus to the ground. The two scuffed in the dirt for a solid minute before Dash managed to pin her opponent down. There was a wild gleam in her eye as she glared down at the pony that had once her idol. Despite the insanity brewing inside, the tone in which the blue Pegasus spoke in was a calm one. “Listen to me,” she said slowly. “Listen to me. I am a great flyer. I can prove it. What do I need to do to prove it?” “Why should I waste my time on a failure like you?” Spitfire spat back. “Just give me a chance. Please.” All at once, the anger and hatred was gone from Rainbow’s eyes. In their place was a hollow, empty sadness. “Please,” she repeated, stepping off of the other mare. “Fine. Fly up to that cloud there and I will see what I can do about making you a Wonderbolt,” the yellow mare said as she gestured up to a cloud not high up. “That’s it!? I can do that in my sleep!” Rainbow exclaimed, brightening up in an instant. “Sure you can,” came the disbelieving reply. “Just you watch!” With that final comment, the athletic Pegasus took to the air, flying up and up and up. As she flew, Rainbow started to find it harder and harder to fly. Looking at her back, she saw that with each flap of her wings, they grew smaller and smaller. Her balance began to waver and she let out a fearful cry for help. Her idol, staring up at her, only grinned as the younger mare struggled to fly. “Why don’t you just quit now and save us all some time?” Spitfire called up. “Never! I will reach that cloud!” It was so close; Rainbow could almost feel the soft plush beneath her hooves. But it seemed that with each flap of her shrinking wings, the cloud flew further and further away. Her wings now no more than stumps, Rainbow heard a laugh coming from the cloud she was chasing. “Wow, you really are a bad flyer!” Lightning Dust called, poking her head off the side of the cloud she kept moving. “You,” Rainbow seethed, fury urging her to flap harder still. “Yes, me,” came the giggling reply. “Wow, we are really high up, aren't we? Look way down there, Spitfire looks like an ant! I would sure hate to fall right now…” The mare trailed off, a smug grin overriding her face’s features. “Oh, would you look at that. Tsk, tsk, it seems you no longer have any wings. Well, I guess you won’t be becoming a Wonderbolt after all!” “What do you mean my wings are- AHH!” Rainbow let out a shriek of pure terror as she turned and saw her bare back. What her enemy spoke was true; Rainbow Dash no longer had any wings. As she started to plummet towards Equestria, the failing Pegasus saw her foe fly away. The world fled with Lightning Dust, RD found herself falling in a black void, wingless, hopeless, a failure. Falling, falling, falling… Forever. Author's Note See a mistake? Please let me know! Have an idea of how I can improve? Let me know! Hate this? Please tell me why so I can get better! I will also be taking ideas about who should be next and (possibly) what their nightmare would be about. Right now I have nightmares for Spike and Celestia, which I am currently working on. OK, that's it. I hope you enjoyed this!
Applejack“Ah wonder where Rainbow Dash is,” the orange mare whispered to herself. She was standing at the roots Rainbow’s usual afternoon napping tree. Come to think of it, the Pegasus should have cleared the sky already, yet the blue overhead was speckled with fluffy white clouds. The Earth Pony pulled her hat down over her face, trying to hide the blush rising to her cheeks. She shook her head, trying vainly to get her crush out of her mind. “Stop it, AJ,” she berated herself. “Ya shouldn’t know RD’s daily schedule. Ya can’t like her, ya aint no fillyfooler.” But what if you are? a quiet voice asked her. It echoed in her mind, bouncing around, impossible to catch and refusing to stop. What if you do like Rainbow that way? “I aint got no problem with that,” Applejack argued as she started to walk to the farm. Sure you don’t, the voice said, thick with sarcasm. “So what if Ah do? Ah can change!” But will your family? Applejack stopped walking. It was clear that her subconscious had hit a nerve. She shook her head and tried to ignore the voice as it continued its verbal assault. They won’t, will they? the voice asked in a tone that was far too sweet. They’ll shun you, kick you out of the farm. “No they won’t.” Is that a fact? the voice questioned. It doesn’t sound like you believe yourself, how do you expect me to believe you? “Ah’m the Element of Honesty, ain’t Ah?” What does that mean, exactly? “Ah can’t lie.” To others, yes. But it seems you know how to lie to yourself. “Ah- Oh, be quiet,” AJ whispered. Head hanging low with the weight of her fears, she started walking again. The voice nagged at the mare the whole way home. Once she was back at the farm, Applejack busied herself as much as she would bucking trees and doing other chores. But soon, the heat of the sun and the exercise from farming became too much for the orange mare to handle. “Ah’ll just rest mah eyes here for a momen’ or two,” she said as she lay down in the shade of an apple tree. The humming of insects singing in her ears, it was not long before Applejack’s breathing slowed and she fell into a deep slumber. Applejack: Nopony can know Applejack woke with a start. A quick glance at the sky showed that day had passed. Cursing under her breath, she got up and trotted back to her house. “Sorry Ah’m late, ya’ll! Did Ah miss su-” the orange mare broke off as she saw the anger in the faces that greeted her. “Hey, what’s the matter?” she asked. No pony replied at first. They just sat staring at Applejack, silent. Granny and Big Mac wore expressions of anger and betrayal, hatred and rage. Apple Bloom simply looked confused, glancing from her brother to her grandmother to her sister and back again. She looked back to Applejack and cast her a glance that said ‘I’m just as lost as you are.’ “What’s goin’ on?” Applejack voiced her confusion again. This time she got an answer. “You’re a fillyfooler,” Granny Smith said. The simple statement was full of impatience and irritation. “What?” AJ exclaimed, loudly cutting across her sister asking what a fillyfooler was. “No Ah aint!” “Eeyup, you are,” Big McIntosh said, his usual placid demeanor replaced by one of agitation. “Well, maybe Ah am,” the mare finally admitted. “But-” “What’s a fillyfooler?” Apple Bloom asked, trying to get noticed. “-that don’t explain why ya’ll seem so mad,” the Element of Honesty finished as if her sister had not spoken. “What’s a fillyfooler?!?” the youngest Apple demanded, jumping to the table in her need to be noticed. “Somethin’ sinful,” Granny sneered, her words directed at her youngest grandfoal but her eyes stayed on the mare before her. “Somethin’ Ah don’t welcome on mah farm.” “Eeyup.” “Now hold on a second, Granny,” Applejack said, taking a step back. “What do ya mean Ah’m not welcome on the farm?” “Ah mean just that,” came the reply. Granny’s words were plain and simple, but they hit AJ like a buck to the face. “But- but- Ah can’t go! This is where Ah belong! Do you really want me to leave?” she stammered as she continued to back up. She watched in horror as her family started to walk menacingly towards her. “Please, no! Apple Bloom, you don’t want your big sis to go, do ya?” “Maybe,” the young filly said, pausing her advance. The others paused as well, waiting for their comrade. “What d’ya mean, maybe?” Applejack asked fearfully. “This is either yes or no!” “Well, Ah was thinkin’. If you’re a fillyfooler, then you’re sinful. And maybe if you’re sinful, then maybe you’re the reason Ah aint got mah cutie mark yet. So, maybe if you leave, Ah can get mah cutie mark!” The young filly smiled widely. “So yeah, Ah think you should leave.” A silent message passed between the three of them and they started forwards once more. As they closed the space between themselves and AJ, more members of the Apple Clan appeared behind them. The ghostly apparitions grew in number until every Apple the orange mare had ever met had joined the ranks. Even the ponies she knew to be dead. The horde moved forward as one, their eyes flashing dangerously. Applejack tried to discourage the advance, but to no avail. Finally realizing she could stay no longer, AJ turned tail and fled. She ran as fast as she could, but not swiftly enough to evade her grandmother’s parting words. “Ya’ll don’t come back now, ya hear?” Granny called after the fleeing mare. Tears fell from Applejack’s eyes as she ran. How could her family forsake her? And so easily! How? How? The cowpony ran faster and fast, trying to escape the horrible dream she was trapped in. But there is no way to flee from pain, not in a way that will last. Applejack galloped without paying any attention to where she was going, so it was not too surprizing when she crashed head-first into a tree. The sudden collision knocked her flat on her back and blasted the wind out of her lungs. She lay where she had fallen, unable and unwilling to get up, panting from pain and exertion. She was too tired to cry, too confused to figure out what was happening. She lay where she had fallen and tried to loose herself to sleep, but the relief did not come. Finally, Applejack could stay still no longer. Grunting with effort, she forced herself to her hooves. Her grunts turned to moans when she placed weight on one of her back hooves; she had sprained it during her mad dash. Balancing painfully on three legs, she looked around, trying to find her location. With a gasp of fear, she realized that she was deep in the Everfree Forest. “Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no,” Applejack whispered, turning around. “OK. Calm down, girl. Ya just gotta figure out how to get to Fluttershy’s place. One step at a time.” Closing her eyes, the mare took a few deep breaths to try and relax, but it was a futile effort. Enabling her vision again, she looked around. Even in the darkness, it was easy to see the trail she had left behind. In her terror, Applejack had crashed her way through the undergrowth with a terrifying ferocity. Well, she said to herself, at least Ah know what way ta go. With that thought, Applejack heaved a deep sigh and started forwards. Yet the night was dark and the mare tired and weak. Her bleary eyes smeared the path with the surrounding forest, sending her the wrong way. Hours passed and still the orange mare was wandering through the bush. Almost there, just around this tree. The next one. The next one. Ah just have to keep going. Applejack tried to keep up a steady stream of encouragement to herself, but it was hard to be hopefully when the sun did not rise. Although hour upon hour had passed, the night did not give way to the day and the forest stayed dark. Although the mare grew weary, she could not stop trying to find her friends. They’ll find me. They will save me. Mah family may have abandoned me, but Ah just have to find mah friends. But even Applejack could not keep up the mental encouragement. Her thoughts lowered to nothing more than how to more as she became both mentally and physically exhausted. But she had to keep moving. She had to find her friends. Applejack had to keep looking, no matter how long it took. The farmpony kept walking through the forest. Forsaken by her family and forgotten by her friends, she wandered alone in the Everfree Forest. Forever. Author's Note Ugg. I don't really like this chapter. It's not my best work, if you ask me. Oh well. The next one will be better. Anyway, if you see a mistake, let me know. I hope you're enjoying this.
Rarity“Rarity, have you seen AJ around?” “No, not of late. What do you need her for, Twilight?” Rarity asked as she turned to face her friend. “She was supposed to help Pinkie with some baking earlier, but she never showed up. It’s not like her,” the Alicorn replied. She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully for a moment. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Rainbow for a while either,” she said. “Oh, she’s probably just training for the Wonderbolts,” Rarity said easily. “And Applejack is probably just overworking herself again. Have you checked all of the apple orchards?” “No, I’m on my way over there now.” “Well, best of luck to you. Just let me know if you need any help.” “Alright, Rarity. See you later,” Twilight said as she walked off. Rarity shook her head as she walked back into her home, trying to put the missing ponies out of her mind. The day was coming to a close and it was time for the unicorn to go through her nightly routine. Once she was curled up in her bed, sleep seemed to claim Rarity faster than normal. In no time at all, she had drifted off to a deep sleep. Rarity: Loss of Family “Goodbye, Father, Mother,” Rarity reluctantly called as her parents rolled away in the taxi. She stayed outside and waved until they were out of sight. “What do you want to do now, Rarity?” Sweetie Belle asked, looking excitedly up at her sister. “Er, well, I have a few errands to run,” Rarity began. She trailed off as the younger pony’s face fell. “But we can do something when I get back, OK?” “Alright,” Sweetie said dejectedly. “I’ll see you later.” “Just stay out of trouble, OK?” “OK.” “I’ll be back in a little while,” Rarity said. But as she walked away she could feel a slight tugging at her heart. A small seed of guilt at leaving her sister alone planted itself in her mind and swiftly grew. “Oh well,” she muttered as she gave in to the idea of going to spend time with her sister, “I can always go out later, right?” Turning around, she trotted lightly back to her home. “Sweetie,” she called as she opened the door, “I’ve decided I can go out later. Do you want to do something together?” “NO!” came the squeak of a reply. “Um, I mean, you don’t have to do that! I don’t mind, really!” the filly shouted with panic in her voice. “Are you sure? Sweetie Belle, what did you do?” Rarity asked wearily. “Nothing!” “Sweetie,” Rarity growled. “What have you d-aah!” Rarity broke off with a scream of shock as she entered her boutique. She looked around in shock at the complete mess her sister had made in the few minutes the filly had had alone. The gems that the older sister had spent seemingly endless hours gathering lay on the floor, broken, chipped and scattered carelessly. At least a dozen of Rarity’s half-finished dresses had been torn nearly to shreds and lay haphazardly around the room. Fabrics, once stacked neatly off to the side, now lay unraveled and almost everywhere. Manikins had somehow been stacked one on top of the other and came tumbling down on Rarity as she advanced on the cowering filly in the middle of the mess. “I’m sorry!” Sweetie squeaked out with wide eyes as she watched her sister advance. “I just wanted to be like you!” “Like me? Like me?!” Rarity snapped. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. But when she opened her eyes the once-soft blue had turned to ice. “You will never be like me,” she hissed. “You will only ever be a disaster. You-you-” Rarity broke off with a sob as she looked around her ruined shop. “Go. Just go.” “But-” “Just. Go,” the white mare repeated. Tears welled up in her sister’s eyes as the filly stood up. Water cascaded down the filly’s face but her green eyes flashed with rage. “Fine!” she shrieked as she tried vainly to shake away her tears. “Fine! I’ll leave and-and never come back!” Rarity took a sharp breath as her sister’s words hit her like a blast of magic. Realizing the harshness of her words, she tried to take them back, but Sweetie Belle wouldn’t let her. “I hate you!” the filly screeched as she pushed past the stunned mare. “You’re not my sister! I hate you!” she shouted again as she ran out of the boutique. “Sweetie, wait!” Rarity cried but her sister was already gone. “Oh, what have I done?” she whispered to herself. Looking around again, she saw that the room was not as messy as she had first thought. Yes, some of the fabric had been unrolled but that could be fixed, easily. A closer look at the destroyed dresses showed that they had been torn at by an angry cat. Thinking back, Rarity could remember Opalescence glaring at the outfits earlier in the day. “Oh, what have I done?” Rarity moaned dramatically as she placed a hoof over her forehead. “I’ve lost my sister again! No!” she cried as she straightened up. “I shall not let this happen again!” Her face set and eyes filled with determination, Rarity reared up and ran out of her store into the starting rain. As she ran after the small hoofprints left by Sweetie, the rain fell harder. Rarity desperately shouted her sister’s name over the growing storm as she tried to find the filly. “I hate you! Go away!” Sweetie’s voice echoed back from all sides. The quickening rain pounded harder on the ground as it tried to wash away any evidence that the filly had ever been there. Head down and tears flying in the cruel wind, Rarity ran harder than she ever had in her life, trying to catch her little sister. Mud splattered up, dying her pristine fur a dark brown but she ignored it. All that mattered was finding her sister and apologising. She yelled, pleaded, for her sister to stop, to wait, but all that came back was the rumble of thunder and the flash of lightning. Although she had never run so fast in her life, Rarity could not gain ground on her little sister. Every once in a while the filly’s tail could be seen for a split second before vanishing into the pounding rain. Undaunted, Rarity ran on. She ignored the mud as it flew from her hooves into her eyes, she ignored the wind as it tore through her messy mane, she ignored the rain as it tried to freeze her. Only one thing mattered: catching up to Sweetie Belle and apologising. “Wait!” Rarity screamed again, her voice catching in her throat. “Please!” Somehow, the filly heard this plea and stopped. Lightning carved its jagged path down the black sky as Sweetie turned around to face her weeping sister. “Why?” she screamed in a voice distorted by rage and pain. “So you can make fun of me more? So you can kill my dreams? So you can-” “No! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Rarity fell to her knees, trying desperately to catch her breath so she could calm down her hysterical sister. “I’m-I’m so, so sorry,” she panted. “I never wanted… to hurt you.” “But you did!” the filly screeched back. “You did and I hate you! I HATE YOU!” “No, Sweetie Belle, please,” Rarity begged as she tried to stand. “Please, please forgive me. I love you. You’re my sister and I-” “No!” Sweetie Belle shrieked once more, cutting across her sister’s plea. “I hate you!” the filly shouted, her voice full of hate. “You’re not my sister!” With the final word, she turned and started to run again. Her eyes closed against the torrential rain, she didn’t see the cliff. But Rarity did. “Sweetie!” Rarity shrieked desperately as her sister disappeared off the edge but her voice was swept away by the storm. Terrified, she ran closer to where the ground fell away. She let out a squeal as the muddy ground slid beneath her, almost sending her tumbling down after her sister. Unable to breathe, the white mare peaked over the edge. What she saw made her cry out in pain. The young filly lay on the ground, still save for the rain pounding her cooling body. Her neck was twisted at an impossible angle and blood trailed from her muzzle and the gaping hole where her left ear once was. Her eyes, still alight with pure hatred, lay open and oblivious to the rain and mud that fell on them. Too shocked to cry, Rarity looked along the edge of the cliff for a way down. A gray haze, caused by more than the slackening rain, surrounded her as she hopped down until she stood next to her unmoving sister. “Sweetie?” she asked softly, fearfully. “Sweetie Belle? Are you alright?” Even as she asked the pointless question Rarity knew the answer. Her knees buckled and she collapsed next to the filly as tears made their way down her face. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so, so sorry.” She sat there, in the wind and the rain, allowing tears to flow down and land on the still body. She kept apologising, even though she knew it was too late. She sat there, crying and apologising, until the realization hit her. Her sister was dead. She was now sisterless. Rarity wept, but not as hard as when the second realization hit her. Sweetie Belle died hating Rarity. There was no chance for forgiveness. No way to take the hurtful words back. Not only would Rarity now be sisterless, but her sister would hate her. Forever. Author's Note Hey, I’m not dead! Sorry for the long wait, people. I've been dealing with a lot in the real world and that includes a major writer’s block that lasted at least a month. Two more things. First of all, if you see any mistakes, please let me know! The other thing I’m curious about is if any of you have noticed that pattern yet.
FluttershyThe sun was hanging low in the cloudy sky as Fluttershy walked away from the Carousel Boutique, her head lowered. She had spent all day at the spa waiting for Rarity but the white mare had never showed. Fluttershy had eventually grown tired of waiting and left, but not before her hooves had wrinkled. Feeling abandoned, Fluttershy had told herself that Rarity hadn’t shown because she had been swamped with work, but a detour past the unicorn’s home and shop had shown that it was closed. There had been no answer when Fluttershy had knocked on the door and the sun had been setting by that time. Fluttershy had decided to go home. The walk seemed to take longer than usual as the Pegasus dragged her hooves along the empty road. Although the spa had been rather empty, Fluttershy still felt embarrassed about sitting alone all day. The more Fluttershy thought about it, the more she realized that there hadn’t been many ponies out over the past few days. She hadn’t seen Rainbow Dash or Applejack for several days, although the farm pony was probably just working hard on her farm and Rainbow probably was working on her tricks again. Looking up, Fluttershy spotted a few Pegasi flying through the air corralling the clouds but Rainbow’s face was not among them. Spotting Fluttershy, one of the Pegasi swooped down and landed next to her. “Hey,” the mare said, “you’re friends with Rainbow, right?” “Um… yes,” Fluttershy said with a soft squeak. She hadn’t seen this Pegasus much before and was never very good at talking to ponies she didn’t know. To make matters worse, this pony seemed angry about something. “Well, do you know where she is?” demanded the irritated mare. Fluttershy shook her head meekly and the mare let out an irritated snort. “Well, next time you see her, could you tell her to do her job? She hasn’t shown up for weather crew in days without an excuse.” “Oh, okay,” Fluttershy muttered from behind her mane, shifting her weight uneasily. “Cool. Thanks,” said the mare, seeming much less irritated. She took to the air again but paused and turned around. “Oh, and you might want to get inside. We’ve got a thunderstorm scheduled and you don’t want to get too wet.” Without another word, the mare flew off. “Thank you,” Fluttershy whispered to the windy air. The rain started slowly but grew rapidly. Even when she picked up her pace to a run, Fluttershy was still soaked by the time she got home. Lightning flashed as she shut the door behind her and the timid mare let out a squeak. “Angel Bunny?” she called into the darkness. “Angel, where are you? Oh, you’re already asleep,” she muttered softly. Indeed the rabbit was; curled up on the foot of his owner’s bed and twitching slightly as he dreamt. “I should really dry off before I go to bed,” Fluttershy said, yawning widely. “Oh, but I’m so tired. I guess I can just go to bed n-” She broke off with another frightened noise as another bolt of lightning fractured the sky. “Oh,” Fluttershy muttered as she climbed under her comfy blanket, “I hope I don’t have any nightmares tonight. I could really use a good night’s sleep.” Within seconds, Fluttershy’s soft breaths filled the air, mixing gently with Angel’s frightened moans as he fought his own nightmare. Fluttershy: Flight School Fears “Alright, Fluttershy,” droned the teacher, “your turn.” “Oh!” squeaked the filly as she looked up with wide eyes. “Are-are you sure? Isn’t there somepony else-” “No, Fluttershy,” said her teacher in the same bored tone. He glanced down at his clipboard once again to check before looking at the scared Pegasus right in the eye. “You’ve already let everypony go before you. No more stalling. Let’s see what you got.” “Oh. Um… OK, I guess…” Fluttershy trailed off softly from behind her mane. She took a few cautious steps forward until she could look over the edge of the cloud. The distance fell away and the filly jumped back with a frightened squeak. Flailing backwards, her hoof caught on a stray tuft of cloud and she tripped. With her wings stuck to her sides with fear, Fluttershy had no way to balance herself and fell on her rump. Yet another squeak slipped past her lips as pain radiated from her blank flank at the sudden landing. “What a pathetic blank-flank,” sneered a foal from where they were perched on another cloud. Other fillies and colts snickered at the comment, their faces safely hidden by a blue-black fog. “Yeah, she can barely fly,” another agreed, drawing more giggles from the others. Tears in her eyes, Fluttershy looked up at her teacher hopefully. At times in the past, he had defended her but as she looked past her tears, she saw him holding his clipboard over his face to hide his chuckles. “Fluttershy’s a blank-flank,” somepony smirked. “Useless,” a colt laughed. “Pathetic,” another agreed. The voices continued. “Can’t fly.” “Hopeless.” “-ground her-” “-never going to have any friends.” “N-no,” Fluttershy begged, trying vainly to make her soft voice heard over the cacophony of insults, “p-please st-st-stop!” Tears fell from her eyes like rain but it only goaded the others on. One of the attackers nudged the one next to them and the two of them started to chant. Slowly but surely, the chant grew into an endless roar. “Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy can hardly fly! Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy can hardly fly! Fluttershy, Fluttershy, Fluttershy can hardly fly!” the foals chanted cruelly. As one, they rose into the air and flew over to the cowering filly, surrounding her with their jeers and laughter. The teacher’s low voice cut over the younger ones but instead of offering kind words, he was just as cruel. His cold voice mocked her for her lack of ability to fly. He sneered at her lack of skill, complained about how she lowered the average grade of his class and prevented him from getting a better job. “Please stop! Please!” Fluttershy begged. Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Unable to take the ridicule any longer, she got to her hooves and ran. Blinded by her tears and mane, Fluttershy ran without looking. The clouds she ran on didn’t end and, although she could not hear the sounds of wings in air or hooves on clouds, the voices didn’t either. When Fluttershy looked over her shoulder, all she could see was the same blueish-blackish fog from earlier. The fog ate her pleas but magnified the laughter. She could not outrun it. No matter how hard she tried or how fast she ran, the cruel chant followed her, keeping pace and biting at her ears and scratching at her emotions. Try as she might, Fluttershy could not run without stopping for much longer. A dip in the cloud before her appeared faster than she could react and the filly fell to her knees. Before she could raise herself back to her hooves to run, her pursuers were upon her once more. Rather than merely circle her, they decided not to give her the chance to escape. Several stalked closer and pinned the weeping filly down as the others chanted. The chant was unoriginal; the same one they always used. But it did what it needed to. Unable to flee the cruelty, Fluttershy could do nothing but weep pitifully and try to block out the laughter. She lay, waiting for the bullies to grow tired of their teasing, to turn and fly away as they always did. But the teasing didn’t stop. The chanting didn’t cease. The mockery, the teasing, the cruelty, the chanting, they all continued, going on and on and on. Forever. Author's Note Whelp, sorry this took so long. I had school and then family issues and then medical issues and, long story short, just did not feel like writing. (At least not this story.) I give no promise as to when the next chapter will be up, although it will be Pinkie’s nightmare. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and, as always, feel free to point out any errors you see.
Pinkie PiePinkie smiled gleefully as she waved the final customer of the day out the door. “Have a super-doper fun-fun-fun evening! Enjoy your cake!” the pink pony cheered as she jumped up and down with excitement. “Thanks, Pinkie,” laughed the mare as she waved back. “You have a good night, too.” “Aww, thanks!” Pinkie giggled, waving. Once the pony was out of sight, she carefully shut the door. She let out a content sigh as she flipped the sign from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed.’ It had been a good day, albeit a slower one than usual. Of course, that had made the day much easier for Pinkie, as she had been the only one working. The Cakes were off on their anniversary and had left the shop, and the twins, in Pinkie’s care. Usually caring for the twins was a challenge, although a really fun one, but Pinkie was having none of the usual trouble with them. She hadn’t heard so much as a peep from them since she put them down for their nap several hours ago. Maybe Pinkie should have been more worried about the lack of excitement caused by the babies, but she had checked on them. They had been lying side by side, cuddled up together and twitching slightly in their cutesy-wootsy dreams. She was quite relived that she could pay more attention to her customers and making other ponies happy. They were just sleeping; she wasn’t too worried. Maybe Pinkie Pie should have been slightly concerned about the lack of visitors to the store. After all, Wednesday was normally the most packed day of the week, other than Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and, of course, Sunday. She had wondered about the lack of ponies, especially when Lyra came in without Bon-Bon. The two mares came in together every Wednesday at the same time; never had Pinkie seen one without the other. When asked where the earth pony was, Lyra had simply shrugged and said the other mare was sleeping. This was the answer Pinkie had gotten almost every time she asked where a pony was. It was strange, especially around mid-day, but the pink party pony dismissed it as nothing more than a flu, or something of the sort, going around. A dismissed thought is easy to ignore, so Pinkie wasn’t concerned. Pinkie probably should have been wondering why she hadn’t heard from four of her closest friends in several days. She had thought about her friends a lot during the lonely hours of running the store and had come up with reasons for the absences. Rarity and Applejack were both probably busy with work and Rainbow was just spending lots of time practising. Fluttershy was just being Fluttershy and spending time with her animal friends, rather than her pony ones. Or they were all sick, although Pinkie had to admit there was a slim chance of that. Or they all know that Pinkie was running SugarCube Corner on her own and couldn’t leave it, although they should have known that she would always appreciate the company. Or maybe it was a combination of two or more of the above. No matter what, Pinkie wasn’t spending much time worrying about her absent friends. So it was with a mind free of worries that Pinkie Pie possessed as she pranced to her room. The sun was slowly falling from the sky and the moon was starting its climb as the pink earth pony laid down her head. She let out a content sigh as her eyes drifted closed, expecting her usual dreams of joy and friendship. Pinkie Pie: Rocks The day started just like any other. Pinkie rose with the sun and got ready for a fun-fun-fun day of helping care for the twins and run the bakery. Everything was just a super-duper fun-tastic as ever when Pinkie went out to get the mail. The Cakes were back from their vacation but Pinkie had yet to get the postcard they had sent. Therefore it was no surprise when Pinkie pulled out a piece of paper from the mailbox with her name on it. It was a surprise, however, when she saw where it was from. Confused by the sudden contact from ponies she had not heard from in a while, Pinkie told Mrs. Cake that she would be in her room and climbed the stairs in a mild daze, staring at the letter in confusion the whole time. Only once she was safely seated on her bed did Pinkie dare open the letter. As her eyes scanned the page, taking in the elegant cursive words, Pinkie could feel her mane and tail trying to deflate. Shaking her head to clear it, Pinkie read the letter over two more times, eyes flipping between it and the crest stamped on the envelope to hold it shut. She could not believe it but it had to be true. She searched desperately for some sign that it was a prank but it couldn’t be, no matter how much she wished. It was the Pie family crest on the envelope, the special Pie stationary and Mama Pie’s very own writing. No pony could copy the lines on the page to mimic Mama Pie. It just couldn’t be done. Once she admitted it was the truth, Pinkie read the letter over one last time, forcing herself to take it in slowly. Dear Pinkamena Diane Pie, the letter began, I am sorry that this is how we must reconnect after all these years. I’m afraid the news I have is not good. It is about your father, Pinkamena. I know this will come as a shock but he is rather unwell. The doctor says he will not pull through. Your father wishes to see all of his children once more before he passes. Please return home quickly, as your father does not have much time. Sincerely, Mama Pie Pinkie sat frozen for a few moments. With a shaking hoof, she reached for the envelope, which she had dropped before reading the letter for the final time. It was not merely the contents of the letter that chilled Pinkie’s blood, but the contents combined with the date on the envelope. It was dated for over a week ago. From the letter, it had sounded like her father had days to live, not the week it had taken for the letter to arrive. Shock took over Pinkie’s body as the reality hit her. The letter fell from her grip and floated to the floor. As it landed, the look of shock and pain in Pinkie Pie’s eyes changed to determination. Fast enough to rival Rainbow Dash, Pinkie sped around her room, grabbing her most valuable objects and slamming them into her saddlebag. She bolted down the stairs in a pink blur, stopping only long enough to hastily explain the situation to Mrs. Cake. Then she was off to the train station. Once on the train, Pinkie Pie started to write letters to her friends and the Cakes, explaining in more detail what had happened and adding that she didn’t know how long she would be gone. Once the letters were written and set somewhere safe to be sent when able, Pinkie had only one thing left to do. Cry. And so she did. Head down, she let her tears fall swiftly down her face and to the floor of the carriage. Her hair tried to flatten itself but she denied it the luxury; her family would need her to help lift their moods. She may be too late to see her father but she could be there for her mother and the sisters. She would get all of her tears out on the train. She had to be ready for the tidal wave of grief that would greet her on the family farm. The train ride was long. Once Pinkie Pie cried herself out, she was left with nothing to do and no energy to do it. Emotionally drained, she dropped to the floor and tried to sleep. She did not dream. She was not sure if she even slept at all. It felt as if she only blinked before the whistle was blowing and the train stopping. There was no pony waiting to great her; why would there? She hadn’t had time to let them know she was coming. Despite no guide and many years since her last visit, Pinkie Pie knew the way to the farm by heart. She trotted uneasily along the path, the first seeds of worry pricking her mind and slowing her hooves. What if she was too late? What if she couldn’t cheer anypony up? What if, what if, what if. Pinkie Pie shook her head, trying vainly to dislodge the unhappy thoughts. Her family needed her. She would do everything within her power to make them happy. She would make them happy, but not forget. No pony should ever be forgotten. Pinkie slowed to a stop as she reached the farmhouse. Should she knock or just walk in? She settled on knocking and then entering. Poking her head in the door, Pinkie Pie saw her family sitting at the dinner table, three heads turned to face her. “Pinkamena?” Mama Pie asked, her eyes dull. “I’m here, Mama,” her daughter replied. “I’m sorry I only got here now, the letter just came today. Am I too late? Is dad…?” Pinkie trailed off, unable and unwilling to finish. A simple nod was the only reply before Mama Pie went back to eating. Her two sisters, now fully grown, stared back down at their meals without so much as a peep. Slowly, methodically, they continued eating their meals. Boiled asparagus and potatoes stew. The same supper Pinkie could remember eating all those years ago. She remembered how much she hated it, the same tasteless meal every evening. Shaking away the pained memories, Pinkie Pie tried to speak again. “I’m-I’m too late?” she squeaked out. Her mother nodded again, still looking down. “I’m so sorry! I swear, I only got the letter today and I came as fast as I could and-and…” Pinkie trailed off, at a loss for words. “I’m sorry,” she said again, tears slipping down. She hung her head, unable to look into her mother’s eyes. “Pinkamena,” her mother tried, but Pinkie cut her off. “Pinkie Pie,” she corrected. “I go by Pinkie Pie now.” “No,” Mama Pie said softly, finally lifting her head. “Your name is Pinkamena Diane Pie. You cannot go back to your old life, Pinkamena. You are needed here. Your sisters and I-” “What do you mean, I can’t go back to my old life? Are you saying I can’t go home?” Despite her sadness about her father’s death, the pink mare was still shocked by what her mother was saying. Her shock only grew when the normally-docile mare rose sharply to her hooves. “This is your home, Pinkamena. Your sisters and I cannot care for the farm on our own; we need you.” For a frightening moment, the pink pony could have sworn her mother’s gentle blue eyes flashed a darker teal, the pupils narrowing to slits. Then she blinked and her mother simply looked old and tired, clearly overworked. “We needed you, Pinkamena,” Mama Pie continued as she sat down again, seeming too weak to stand, “we needed you back the moment you left. Your father had to work twice as hard to make up the loss of hooves, but he refused to call you back home. He cared too much for you. He knew this was no place for you. “But Pinkamena, your father is gone. We cannot keep the farm without his help and we don’t have enough to hire extra hooves. You’re needed here, Pinkamena. Do you see that?” “I-yes. I do, Mama. I see that. It’s just, what about my friends? My things? All my stuff is back in Ponyville, and Gummy-” “Pinkamena, I know this must be hard for you, but there is no time for you to go back. You are needed here and you are needed now.” The old mare sighed, and Pinkie saw her mother age before her eyes. She could see the wrinkles along her cheeks, and the deep shadows under her eyes brought on by trying to do more work than one pony can do. Her sisters seemed equally tired, their movements slow and heavy with weariness. “But Mama…” “Please understand, Pinkamena. It will be easier this way.” All fighting energy was lost from the normally energetic pony. She nodded meekly, knowing that her family needed her. It did not take long for her to fall back into the routine of the farm. It is true what they say: old habits die hard. She wrote to her friends, but less and less as time went on. Her mane straightened itself, no longer fluffed by constant parties. Slowly but surely, Pinkie Pie began responding to the name Pinkamena, stopping using her old name entirely. Life fell into simplicity, days blending to weeks, to months, to years. It was an easy lifestyle, if a little dull. It wasn’t hard to figure out. There was no talking. There was no smiling. Only rocks. Forever. Author's Note Let me start with this: I am a horrible person. I'm beyond sorry that this has taken so long to get out. There is a reason I'm so awful at getting these things out, but it is long. It's here, if you want to see it. The short version is that I've been through Hell the last few years. I wish I could say that the next chapter will be out soon, but that would be a lie. I have no idea when the next chapter will be out, although it will be showing Princess Twilight Sparkle's fear. After that, there will only be one chapter, Princesses Celestia and Luna, before the epilogue. I have the basic outline for both chapters, but the problem is finding the motivation to write. I've been really depressed lately, plus exams are next week. ~~Although, that's probably why I threw myself into getting this written and out.~~ On a more related note, I threw in some major hints for the ending here. Anyone catch them? Also, as usual, feel free to point out any mistakes I made. Seriously. I'm human, so I know there are some.
Princess Twilight Sparkle“Spike? Spike, I need you to send a letter right now!” Twilight’s voice, usually at least somewhat calm, held clear signs of pure panic as she called to the baby dragon. She glanced down to the two scrolls that lay on the desk in front of her. Both were laden with errors, both in grammar and spelling, and were nearly illegible, the ink smudged in Twilight’s desperation to get the letters written and sent. The first was short, only a few lines, while the second, while longer, still held minimal information so it could get sent sooner. Celestia, the first started, lacking the full title in the haste with which the letter had been scribed, Somthing horrible happening. DO NOT SLEEP, find Lu, hurry! Ponyvile need help nowplease Twi The second letter held less errors and the writing was slightly neater. It contained greater details as to the happenings in Ponyville over the last week, although was still the bare bones of the cataclysm that was sweeping the small town. Luna, Something is wrong. Ponys are falling asleep but not waking, they seem to be traped. Nearly whole town sleeping, don’t know what to do. Spells notworking. Elements sleeping, just me awake, can you see their dreems? Can you wake them? Once SpIke sends this, Im gathering remaining awake together In castle, try to stay awake. Please hurry, dont know how long we will last. Twilight “Spike!” Twilight called again, her voice growing shrill with terror and uncertainty. The baby dragon never took this long to come down, especially not when there was trouble. Realization hit her with enough force to make her stumble back a few steps, her eyes, already wide and bloodshot from lack of sleep, grew. “Oh, no,” she whispered, a hoof covering her mouth. “No, no, nononononoNO!” she repeated, voice growing louder with each denial. Grabbing the letters in her magic, she rushed up the stairs, wings forgotten. When she reached the bedroom she shared with Spike, she let out a shriek, letting the parchment drop from her grasp. “No!” she screamed again, lunging towards the small shape in Spike’s basket. Twilight ripped the blanket off with her teeth, disregarding her magic as primal fear took over. Spike moaned and rolled over as Twilight watched tersely, fearing the worst. “Twilight?” Spike muttered, his voice tight, eyes still closed. “Yes, I’m right here, Spike. I need you to send some letters.” Twilight spoke softly, soothingly, telling herself that Spike was awake. “It’s really, really impor-” “Twilight, where are you going?” Spike continued his mumbling as if the Alicorn had not spoken. “I thought you n-need me?” “I do, Spike, I do!” Twilight protested as the baby dragon started to thrash desperately, his cries growing more desperate. “I need you to fight this! You have to send this letter, Spike. Please, wake up!” “Twilight! Don’t leave me!” Disregarding courtesy, Twilight lunged forward, grabbing the dragon in her magic and shaking him. “Wake up!” she screeched, thrashing him around. Spike’s eyes remained closed and unresponsive to Twilight’s desperation. Tears leapt from the purple mare’s eyes as she realized the futility of her actions. “He’s trapped,” she muttered, placing him back into his basket and absentmindedly placing the blanket over his small body once more. “Trapped, in a dream?” She shook her head, forcing herself to calm down and think. She had to figure it out, for Spike’s sake, for her friends’ sakes, for the town’s sake. “No, that’s not right. Not a dream…” A soft chuckle entered at the edge of Twilight’s hearing, scarcely distinguishable over the sleeping dragon’s moans and the sounds of sleeping animals that echoed through the ghost town. “Not a dream!” Twilight exclaimed, voice loud but still hushed. The pieces all fell into place and Twilight ran to her bedside table, tossing everything she found aside as she tried to find a quill and ink. She found the latter, but couldn’t find a quill. “Owlowiscious!” she cried. “I need a quill! It’s an emergency!” When she got no response, a desperate plan formed in her head. Pulling a wing to her face, she tore out several of her own feathers. Pain lost in the adrenaline, Twilight snatched one of the falling make-shift quills in her magic and dumped it in the ink, almost spilling the pot in the process. In the few seconds it took her to do this, the chuckling had turned to a laugh, full and malicious. As Twilight struggled to grab one of the letters, the laughter turned sour. The purple mare heard a cry of rage and saw a blue mist start to creep closer to her. Finding one of the letters - Luna’s, she noticed fleetingly - Twilight threw her feather at it, letters forming in a sprawling, randomly capitalized mess in her haste. Almost immediately after she started writing, the mist surrounded her and she fell to the ground. As her eyes closed and her breathing deepened, Twilight saw in horror that she hadn’t finished the two words she had been trying to write down. As her eyes closed, the unfinished writing floated to the ground in front of her, teasing her with its near completeness and utter uselessness. nIGhTMa Princess Twilight Sparkle: Alone The regal Alicorn let out a sigh as she raised her head to stare into the sky. It was nearly time for the sun to set, so she pulled herself to her hooves and walked to the balcony. Charging her horn with its pinkish magic, she cast one last fleeting look at the sun before lowering it below the horizon. Although the light coming from the orb was nearly blinding, the Alicorn had still managed to see the faint outline of a mare on it. She let herself rest for a moment. Although she had gotten much better at this task in the many years she had had to practice, it still took a toll on her. Ruffling her feathers, she let out a dry laugh. “How many years has it been?” she asked herself softly. After waiting another moment, she called to her powers to her again. This time the moon rose at her will, and a dark blotch, similar to the one on the sun, caught her eyes as it did every night. The Princess sighed again. She hated that the two corrupt faces of the Ancient Princesses still watched over the lands she now ruled. Solar Flare and Nightmare Moon nightmare moon why does that seem important am i missing something had been banished many years ago, yet it still pained the remaining Princess to think of the two sisters that had once been. Another pang seared through the Alicorn’s heart as she thought of her own sister, the in-law who had vanished almost as many years ago as the first two Princesses. “How long can it take,” she asked herself, “to find the Elements-” elements of harmony think i need to think when did i first use them why “-of Harmony?” The moon fully raised, the mare turned and walked inside, shutting the doors to the balcony behind her. The view she had turned her back on was exquisite and she had once spent many a day and night sitting outside and watching the city pass. She had had the castle built at the edge of a city that had been young when she started. It stood off to the side and overlooking from above, just as the Castle of the Ancient Princesses had stood over the city that had long since lost its name to time. Inside, the Princess stared at the many books that embellished her room and closed her eyes. What had that city’s name been? She had lived there once, many lifetimes ago, hadn’t she? But when the ageless mare tried to call up memories of it, all she could remember was its destruction. None had foreseen the anger the great Draconequus, none had expected him to take the news of his friend’s death so hard. Perhaps the Princess should have seen it. She had known the dragon that had befriended the monster after all the others had passed. The dragon, whose name spike it is spike i needed him why did i need him it was important she dared not remember for fear of more pain, had exchanged letters a letter i needed him to send a letter what was it with both the Princess and the Draconequus for many years as he lived among his own, too large to fit amongst the ponies. Yet it had only been the Alicorn that had been alerted to his death. How could she have known that the two had been writing each other? She had dropped contact with the monster after the death of their closest mutual friend. He had gone into hiding; she had not even known if he lived! Not that that had stopped him from blaming her for the death of his only friend. The Draconequus’s rage had leveled the once elegant city, including the castle whose replica the Princess was in as she reminisced. There had been no reasoning with him after that, not that he had ever been a creature of reason. The Princess had been forced to act, or else watch as he destroyed everything. Standing in her room, she found herself wondering if it would have been better to let him be. Perhaps she could have joined him. It was a horrible thought, she knew this, but she was so tired of being alone im not alone im never alone what about my friends they need my help i that she was unable to stop thoughts like this from invading every once in a while. Thinking of it would make no difference; too much time had passed. What harm was there in pondering? She sighed as she walked over to her bed, a deep and lonely sound. She considered talking another apprentice, another student i was a student before all of this started but what is this what is it that i need to do but shook the thought away. Few had ever been strong enough to reach ascension and the ones that had… She shook the half-forgotten memories away. No. She could not allow that to happen. not again but that never happened these memories dont make sense Not again. She would be okay, though. She had her books and her kingdom. She had her memories. but they never happened somethings wrong this isnt real i need to fix this but whats wrong i dont know She didn’t need anyone, but my friends need me somethings wrong i need to fix this but nothings wrong this is my life isn’t it pony or other, to keep her company. It would hurt too much in the end. “I’ll be okay,” she told herself, hoping against hope that she might one day believe it. “I can live by myself.” It wasn’t like she would run out of time its too late to fix anything its over isnt it this is my future my present my past cant be changed to convince herself. She had the rest of eternity to be alone. And so she would be alone. Forever. Author's Note So I was going to write another chapter after this one about Princesses Celestia and Luna, but in all honesty, I have no more attachment to this story. I just want to finish it so I can move on to other things. I had actually written this chapter and the following epilogue months ago but anxiety kept me from posting it. Whatever. Ignore the awkward jump between this chapter and the next. I'm just done with this story.
EpiloguePonyville was silent. The Canterlot castle was silent. All of Equestria was silent. Or it would have been, if not for the symphony of agonised whimpers and screams that came from the sleeping mouths of every single citizen of Equestria. Alone in their dreams, they lay trapped in their worst nightmares. But among the terror and pain, a single happy sound echoed above the voices in the castle. A single, ethereal mare walked alone past the sleeping bodies, letting out a soft laugh as she did so. The dark figure wandered the home of the Princesses with a cruel grin playing across her face. She said nothing as she walked aimlessly around. She only let out another light chuckle when she found herself in the chambers of the Princess of the Night. Her hooves clopped noiselessly as she crossed the large room to where the rulers of Equestria lay. Looking down on the lighter one, the mare spoke at last. “Well, Celesita,” she said, her voice cold as the night air surrounding her, “it seems you cannot defeat me now.” The grin grew into another chuckle, which in turn grew into a full-scale laugh that lasted for several minutes. Once she regained her composure, the mare walked over to the other slumbering Alicorn. “Luna, Luna, Luna,” the mare said as she shook her head. “We could have made quite a team, you and I. But it turned out I don’t need your help. With you and your sister and everypony else trapped in their nightmares, there is nopony to stop me now.” The mare turned away and walked over to the window. She raised her head and looked at the full moon that was once her prison. She took a deep breath of the cool, night air and smiled happily before continuing. “So finally, at long last,” the mare said as her teal eyes flashed in the dim light, “the night will last “Forever.”
