//------------------------------// // I'm Afraid.... // Story: I'm Having Nightmares // by bronypanda //------------------------------// Author's Note: Sup everypony, its your friendly panda brony, brony panda here bringing you the newest chapter to "I'm having Nightmares. Now just a little warning, this chapter may be a TINY bit boring but i promise you, this chapter is VERY VERY important for the rest of the story so i hope you guys will enjoy. Chapter 2 I'm Afraid (Perspective Cadence) We laid there for hours just talking. Talking about our life, our friends, when we were teenagers, and I had never felt safer than I did in that bed with my husband. I didn't dare bring up the dream; That stupid annoying.....scary...dream. But I knew better, Shining Armor was just itching for me to get it off my chest. Yet, everytime he tried to make things better, it only got worse for me. I was afraid, I was worried, and I was tired. I could tell Shining Armor was too...I mean... 'cause he was already snoring. I couldn't blame him...he's captian of the royal guard for Pony's sake, I don't think there's one day he comes home not looking tired. I let him sleep, he usually get's up around 5:30 to start his duties, and it was 3:15. So there I was, alone in the dark, so I decided to go downstairs and make some coffee. I didn't feel like sleeping anymore...or ever. I could still hear it in my head, "sunshine sunshine, what's mine I will retake, hold your hooves and try to stay awake". Try to stay awake, those 4 words... Oh Celestia, I can't take this... So I decided to go see my aunt. The one aunt who new absolutely everything about the nighttime. It was still dark out and the moon was still high in the sky so I knew Princess Luna was still awake. Shining Armor would wake up soon so I left a note telling him I went for a walk. I knew he'd still worry about me so I didn't tell him where I was going. I made my way up the castle stairs and the guards let me through. Like usual, the castle was teeming with life, but still I felt lonely, thousands of thoughts rushing through my head at once. I was afraid Princess Luna wouldn't believe me, I was afraid she wouldn't listen and I was....afraid. I was so lost in thought I hadn't realized I already made it to the throne room where my aunt was sitting there performing royal duties, surrounded by ambassadors, senators, and servants. She didn't look like she was having fun. I kept my distance, not wanting to interrupt but she noticed me and raised a hoof to silence her audience. As soon as the room was hushed, all eyes were on me. "Ah, dear niece, how are you, what brings you here at this late hour"? She asked. I swallowed my fear and gathered my courage. "Umm...Aunt Luna, I'm not doing so well". I mumbled too paranoid to be forward. "I was actually wondering if we could speak in private". She knew right away that something was wrong, which made me feel awkward as the ponies around her whispered among themselves. My aunt looked at each of them, sternly, and they got the hint, rushing out of the room immediately, the guards closing and locking the entrance behind them. I was alone there with my aunt. She looked back at me with concerned eyes. "You haven't gotten much sleep have you Cadence"? She asked. I had no idea that I had left the house in my robes; my hair was a mess... That's probably why everypony was looking at me awkwardly. "Ehehe how could you tell"? I chuckled nervously. She looked at me irritatedly. " Cadence, I've been raising the moon, beginning the night, watching over my subjects and went nights without rest for thousands of years to know when some pony is having nightmares...trust me". She told me that she knew I was having troubles the moment I popped my head through the doorway. I actually felt like this would go well. And I would not be disappointed. "By the look of those bags under your eyes, in the past 2 days, you've only received about 3 and a half hours of sleep. By the sound of your voice, you've drunk maybe 12 cups of coffee". She listed. I was a little bit embarrassed, but I believed those were necessary precautions. I admitted reluctantly but at least she was understanding. "So, why don't you tell me more about this little nightmare you've been having. I'm a professional in things like this, so don't be afraid to be open". I immediately sighed in relief, believing that she could put a stop to whatever was taking over my mind. I told her about the voice, the darkness, the rhyme. I told her how much Shining Armor kept worrying about me. After I was finished telling her everything, she nodded and told me she might have an idea whats happening to me. We made our way to her chambers and she began to unfold something I would never expect. "Cadence, I believe your condition may be more serious than you may come to believe. She informed me. "these nightmares are a product of your greatest fears and they are starting to slowly crawl into your mind". I was horrified to think of where was she possibly going with this and I was afraid I already knew. "So....these nightmares I've been having...my fears are..."? I asked, my voice shaky. "Yes I'm afraid. I've seen this before, this sort of thing only happens to alicorns, what's happening is that something that you've been holding onto has grown massively and you can no longer control this fear and it will start to control you". "I'm afraid I still don't understand Aunt Luna" I said nervously. She tried to think of a better way to explain. "Well basically, you've become so afraid of something that this fear tries to establish a sort of dominance over your thoughts, and what better way then to appear as a nightmare in your dreams where you are most vulnerable". I was speechless. I had no idea what was going to happen and I was scared. "Is.....is there anyway to stop this"? I questioned. She came over to me and laid me down on her bed, telling me to relax. "This is very dangerous and it must be taken care of immediately. In this process I will cleansing your mind and hopefully I can find your dream and destroy it.....unfortunately....this will be extremely painful". She told me. I took. A deep breathe and composed myself. "I'm ready". I breathed slowly as she approached me slowly with her horn glowing. The tip of her horn made contact with my forehead, and as soon as it did, I was torn apart, or at least it felt like I was. It was all happening so fast, my life flashed before my eyes, and I felt...calm. That all came to a end when I saw...something. Something staring at me. Tall, a wide smile on it's face, wide bloodshot eyes. It was an alicorn...but something was wrong. It was.............me. ooooooo It was me........ No....not me, I couldn't have been me. I kept eye contact with it as it walked over to me slowy. I looked around and we were in an abandoned room, it looked just like my aunt's room but it was a mess. Sheets ripped, glass shards on the ground, cracks in the wall, and the roof had a hole in it. I didn't want to be here anymore and I started to cry. I wanted to go home, I wanted my Shining Armor, I wanted this to all vanish...but it wouldn't. It was silent for a moment when I heard giggling, and then crying, I looked up to see myself, I was horrified. It was crying, loudly. The sound of it made me want to scream, I was so scared... Then I realized why I, it was crying. It was sitting next to something, something large and covered in blood. I walked a little closer and was sickened at what I saw next. I walked closer and closer until I was standing next to myself. She was a mess, her face drenched in tears, blood on her hooves and in her hair. Then I saw what was laying next to her. There was a long spear sticking out of it's neck, I almost gagged but held it in to get a closer look, I regretted looking at him..... My mind shattered as I almost fainted at the sight of him. Shining Armor......... Author's note: There you go guys, hope this wasnt too disappointing, anyway like i said this chapter is VERY VERY important so REMEBER.....REMEMBER this CHAPTER. and I PROMISE that tommorow, chapter 3 will be up tommorow. This is bronypanda, ciao