I was running through a huge forest where the trees towered over you and the roots threatened to trip you at every turn I looked back and a bolt of fear went through me for I saw a dark shadow right behind me and it looked as if it was trying to grasp me with its huge, black claws. Fear made me run faster than ever before and I thought I could ,make it when my hoof got trapped in a root and I fell over trying to free myself but no matter how hard I tried it wouldn't come free. I looked up and the dark shadow was getting ready to strike and it jumped towards me and everything turned black.

I awoke shivering in a cold sweat but I wasn't shivering because of the cold. I heard a terrible sound that sounded so lost, so alone and so frightened but then I realised that it was coming from me. All of a sudden someone burst into the room teriffiying me even more but I saw it was just my father coming to calm me like he always did. But no amount of hugs or calming words quelled my sobs and eventually we both just laid there waiting for the tears to run its course. I usually never got nightmares but ever since mother had been taken I got them nearly every night, of course thinking of my mum brought a new round of sobs that racked my body. "sh everything will be okay" dad whispered "NO!" I screamed "NOTHING WILL BE OKAY EVER AGAIN!" then I ran outside of my bedroom then went through the front door and bolted down the cold, dark street.

I ran faster than ever before I weaved through streets and ran down alley ways, maybe if I ran fast enough I could leave behind all the grief, all the fear. I felt guilty about running away from my father but I just couldn't stay there, there were too many memories and whenever I looked him in the eye all I could see was my pain reflected in his eyes which did not help. I sat down on a bench just to catch my breath and all of a sudden I realised I was in Canterlot gardens. I had always liked this place it was always so peaceful and the plants really were beautiful and the animals were amazing but a new wave of tears swept over me when I remembered the day my parents took me here and me and my mum found the phoenix. "What is wrong child" a deep and mysterious voice asked "what?" I looked up and standing there in front of me was Princess Luna herself.

I gasped in shock and fear and I started to cower away, either the princess did not see my fear or chose to ignore it for she just went ahead and sat right next to my shaking body. "I asked you if everything was alright young one you seem extremely upset" "I... I'm fine" I whimpered then I burst out crying once again. I found myself in the arms of the princess of the night but instead of feeling trapped like whenever my father usually hugged me, Instead it felt safe and warm, which were things I have not felt for a while now. "There there child I'm sure it's not that bad" the moment she said those words even dared to utter them I felt a wave of fury like no other, who did she think she was pretending to know my problems acting as if she understood me. Even though there was only compassion in her words I pushed her away from me as if she was some disgusting creature or something of the likes of that. I started to scream terrible things to her but what was worse was that she was completely calm, during this she didn't even scowl or shout back the only thing she did when I had taken a breath between insults she muttered two words "I'm sorry".

These two words drove me into a fit of tears so strong I just collapsed into her awaiting arms "I'm sorry" I said through gritted teeth to stop the sobs "I just miss her so much" "I know I am truly very sorry for what happened to you and for what it's worth which I'm sure is not very much I too know what its like to lose someone you love". After that she would not, could not say anything else I glanced at her face and through tear filled eyes I saw that she had her eyes closed and I saw one stray tear fall down her face. And in the dead of the night with the arms of a princess around me I cried myself to sleep.

I awoke in a daze and I recalled the night before but instead of worrying about my father or why I was here I decided to put those fears aside for now. I stretched my body and I realised I was on a bed as dark as night but with little dots that looked as if they blazed. I looked to the ceiling and saw the midnight sky with a beautiful full moon and thousands upon thousands of stars scattered across the sky or ceiling I'm not entirely sure if it is real or not I strained to reach the ceiling to feel the inky black sky. I started to jump on the bed trying to reach the ceiling/sky and strangely enough I felt joy in the simplicity of it, it was almost fun. A voice startled me "having fun" chuckled Princess Luna "Oh sorry" I said still slightly bouncing on the bed "its fine child"

"Crystal"

"Excuse me"

"My name is Crystal" I said almost bitterly

"Okay Crystal, did you sleep well?" "I slept...well" I sounded surprise at the words cause it was true "I haven't had a good night's sleep for a long time" more like a half a good night's sleep I expected for the heartache and grief to hit me when I remember why I had been found crying in the gardens but no feelings came I actually almost felt safe. The sound of my stomach rumbling brought me back to my senses

"hmmm you must be very hungry would you like to join, me for breakfast or would you like me to bring some food up here"

"no thanks I'd rather eat with you than be alone" I said and though I wouldn't admit it I was dead curious to see the rest of the castle I mean for a princess her room, wasn't very decorative I mean sure her ceiling/sky was beautiful but there wasn't really anything else exciting it had four walls which were all a rich, deep amethyst and the starry patterned bed with two regular old black bedside tables "well come then Crystal we should get there soon otherwise there may be no food left it us quite late in the morning after all"

"okay lets go wait I do have one question though"

"yes?"

"Is that ceiling real" and you could hear the sound of the Princesses laughter throughout the whole castle.

As we walked down the rather bland hallway a question struck me "Hey Luna?"

"Yes dear Crystal"

"How come this place is so bland I mean with you being the princess and all I thought you would have a more decorative home".

"Well you see Crystal it has been quite a while since I've needed to worry about that, when my sister freed me I just didn't think it was important but now that you're here"

The rumbling of my stomach interrupted her making me blush like crazy. She started to chuckle which practically turned my whole face red as an apple

"Maybe we should discuss this after breakfast" she suggested

"yes maybe we should" I said trying albeit difficultly to show a cool expression but looking up to read her face I saw I wasn't fooling her and we both started to giggle like little school fillies.

"Ahh here we are "Luna exclaimed,

I hadn't even realised we were still walking down the ridiculously long hallway which of course was as bare as ever. We stopped in front of a beautiful door and it was also the strangest for two halves of it were completely different one side was nearly pure white with a golden sun in the middle spreading light all over its side and it positively oozed beauty and purity while the other side was a rich navy blue with a full moon right in the middle and thousands of stars burning brightly it was dark and mysterious but it was also beautiful and it also reminded me how hard it must be to live with someone who was pretty much your polar opposite "shall we enter" Luna asked with a hint of smile playing on her lips I realise I had been staring at the door far to intently "let's go" I said quickly so we could avoid the awkwardness of the moment and with a push of her hooves we entered the room beyond.

I gasped loudly in shock and then awe and I had to check more than once that I was awake. The room was absolutely indescribable their table (which filled almost half the room)f looked as if it was made from pure gold with amazing, intricate patterns that were made from what looked like silver and some other definitely precious material she had no name for except it was blue as a clear summer sky the patterns were delicate swirls and symbols that looked as if only a pony far superior and intelligent then herself would understand the chairs were in a similar fashion but they had a burgundy cushion on each one and they looked as soft as clouds. There were columns of marble with green leaves wrapped around them and the green complimented the white marble nicely. The two huge windows had extremely detailed pictures of the two princess it was so detailed you could almost see there manes flowing due to some mysterious magic that was beyond her, then of course there was the contents of the table. The food looked delicious there were platters of fruit that looked like precious gemstones with a sprinkle of sugar on each one, there were puddings of every shape, size and flavour, pancakes piled so high they looked as if they touched the ceiling (I wondered at the inconvenience it would be to get those but then I remembered they were unicorns to them it would be as simple as ABC), there were rolls of bread that were practically begging to be dripped in the sizzling sauces that were laid down right next to them, and on one part of the table there were literally thousands upon thousands of chocolates and sweets and little cakes that looked like they had been made from fairies and for all I know they could of been.

I sat down next to Luna who had already found a place to sit and soon I found myself grabbing everything that was edible within hoofs reach. It was undeniably the most delicious meal I have ever had. After I had finished stuffing myself I finally noticed that we were completely alone

"Excuse me princess" I asked

"Please call me Luna"

"Umm okay Luna why is there nopony here apart from us?"

"Well it is quite late in the morning"

"How late?" an uneasiness washing over me that had nothing to do with the large amount of food I just ate.

"Well i it's about an hour to midday" she stammered uncertainly

"WHAT! It's been that long already"

I can't believe I had just forgotten about my father but I had this place had distracted me and so did Luna I must be the worst daughter in history my eyes started to burn as tears sprang into them thinking about the pain I had put him through, how I had ran off without even considering his feelings I mean mother's death was hard on him too I mean most days now he just sat at the table staring at the nothingness sometimes a drink in his hand sometimes none. But whatever the problems we had, we have to face them together

"Thank you so much for everything Luna but I have got to get going"

"May I ask why" I threw words at her like father and help but already I was scampering for the door

"WAIT!"

"Sorry Luna" and then I pushed open the door and ran outside the room not hearing the alicorns warnings.

I ran out into a maze of marble tunnels and immediately lost my bearings. I looked back and instead of seeing kind, sweet Luna I saw the dark shadow that plagues my dreams and haunts me when I'm awake. I had no idea what I was seeing was real or just some creepy hallucination I was having but I didn't want to found out so I ran through the maze hoping I could lose her in the web of tunnels and winding stairwells. But everywhere I went there was the shadow blocking me whenever I thought I saw an exit. Pretty soon with all the fear, sadness and adrenaline coursed through me my legs just gave out and I just laid in a dark empty room shivering as the shadows crept up to me and once again everything turned black. Eventually I awoke and saw that the room was almost too dark to see anything though could make out small details such as various shapes of what looked to be stone but it was too dark to be sure. I noticed that there were no evil beings surrounding me and plotting the most painful and evil way to kill me and I started to doubt my own sanity but no matter what had actually happened my fear had been real and so were the tears that were running down my face. I tried to wipe them away but they kept on streaming out of my eyes and after a hard attempt to stem, the flow I gave up. I noticed a door (that was not unlike the one that entered into the dining room, it was too magnificent to call a dining room but I couldn't think of what else to call it) and mustering up all my bravery I went through the door.

I entered into a room that looked like it had been carved from one block of marble everything fitted together so well and it looked as if the tables that were all on the edges of the massive room had been grown from the rock itself. I then saw that I was not alone there were about 50 guards all in talking and eating it seems I have entered the barracks I was not entirely sure if this was a bad or good thing "THIEF!" somepony screamed, bad it was definitely bad. I had no idea what do as the 50 or so guards advanced to me I considered going through the maze but who knows what could happen in there so I stood my ground and looked for another way to escape. There, there was door with sunlight glinting through the bottom. But how was I supposed to get there so I did the first thing that came to mind "CHARGE!" I screamed as I ran towards the guards as fast as I could and this was something they weren't expecting from, a little pony like me and their surprise caused a break in rank which I quickly galloped through and I ran as hard as I could to the door but when I got to it all hope seemed lost but strange purple air covered the door and I heard a satisfying click of the door opened and I looked back for just a moment and I saw Luna right at entrance to the barracks and as I turned back to run through the door and to home I swore she winked at me. Okay so she wasn't trying to kill me at all I smiled at the thought as I was being chased by a horde of guards.

So what do you thin you can tell me if it's horrible