Under the sound of the falling Rain, in the middle of Canterlot residential Area, a Young Colt, with mane as black as the silent night, was struggling to get sleep this time… his name was Stormy Brave, a young Luna Guard… but very different from the others, meanwhile most of the Princess Luna's Guards are colts with bat type like wings, he is one of the few unicorns in service. But right now, the least thing he want to do is to remember his job, several boxes of mint tea and chocolate milk where scatter on the floor, his face showed a very tired look, even his teammates give him the day off because of his state… he stared at the mirror in his apartment bathroom, his usual white coat color was starting to get dirty… as he stepped in the shower, he continue to think, think and think, he could not get the nightmare out of his head
"It has been 4 months now… since those nightmare started… "
He ended his shower quickly and get himself to bed again… with his magic he pulled his sheet to protect himself from the cold tears his bed already have from his crying, he slept in quickly, but then again, his dream turned into a nightmare, one he wish he could forget but it was burned into his mind.
He was in the middle of a snowy field, surrounded for several houses in state of decay, but the strangest of things was, the street had a bloody trail he stood with more attention to the state of the houses, it was Manehatten, his birth place, but what his eyes took more attention to, was a saddle bag on the floor right in the middle of the street, ending the blood trail.
"a saddle bag?...suddenly it fells familiar, but where? "
He levitated the saddle bag, and notices a cutie mark design, a pair of gears with a wrench in them, he decided to carry it with him, after his hooves started to move more into the streets of New Orange, he noticed that there was nopony on the streets, as if the city was deserted, he continue to walk, but after a short while…his hooves stepped into something soft but cold, he was unwilling to look down, but he had no control over this nightmare, he looked down… and saw that his hooves where covered in blood!, his hooves was touching a corpse, as he looked up again, the streets where changed to metal ornaments, the already decayed houses had bloodstains and some of them corpses of ponys trapped inside in a cage, he never felt so much terror In his life before, so he started to run as quickly as his hooves took him.
But the nightmare again changed, he could see himself after that, holding a little colt at sword point, his magic was ready to took the young filly life, he wanted to stop!, he wanted to scream as loud as his lungs where capable of, but the sword move downward to the unknown colt, ending his life and splashing him of a innocent blood, the blood touched his hooves that slowly where melting away, he screamed as loud as he could, but nopony could hear him, he tried to move but he was glued to the ground, as he melted away. He closed his eyes waiting for this torture to be over, again, things changed, this time it was in a different room, Moon designs where in the halls, also Sun designs where present… but he do not wanted to see what will happen, his eyes still open, and saw his teammates slaughter… he looked down, again to his hooves… and all he could see was a blood stained sword, he put his hooves on his head, trying to wake up
"Please!, stop!, don't do this!, for the love of Celestia just stop! "
But those words where not heard, he saw a alicorn moving, and as if it where an automatic reaction, his hooves took him closer to the alicorn, his right hoof lifted and the bloodstained sword did it with it, the alicorn looked scared, her dark sapphire blue coat was already red from multiple injuries and her cobalt blue mane was turning into red, as she was losing blood from her chest… he could not believe what he was about to do, as his hoof that held the sword started to quickly run downwards to the alicorn neck, a large and painful to hear cut was heard, the red blood started that emerged from the now dead alicorn, formed a puddle where he could see his reflection, but when he stared into it… all he could see was a monster, with fangs and flesh starting to fall from his bones, and a sick smile on his face, like he enjoyed taking others ponys lives…
his dream usually ends after that, and this time, was no exception, morning rose in the sky, as his nightmare ended for the time being, he open his eyes and noticed his pillow soaked in tears, he could not resist to stare at his hooves, he could still feel the blood scurrying from them, he touched his eyes… they still wet, he could no longer bear this nightmares, he tried to not play videogames for a while, it didn't help, he also tried relaxing his mind with mint tea, it worked… only for a day thought…
He had enough he need help!, he said to himself, but who he could tell this horrible nightmares about murdering?, if he told his teammates, they will not believe him, he couldn't ask Shinning Armor either, was on royal duty in Princess Cadance kingdom. He decided to visit a specific pink pony he had not seen in a while, but first, he had to make a trip to Canterlot Royal Castle.
He got ready, and equips himself with his family sword and his raincoat, he used a spell in the Raincoat pocket's that could make him carry many things at once, but he also added something else to his pockets, a ocarina, is a family memento and a good luck charm for him, as he was ready, he moved to the Royal Castle.
The way to the castle was easy, he lived 2 blocks away from the main entrance, some sun guards saw him enter, but didn't ask him about his recent vacations, he needed to talk with a certain pony, after a long travel in the castle hallways he reached Princess Celestia and Luna Throne Room, he requested a private talk with the princesses, which to his surprise they accepted, well at least Celestia did, since Luna is asleep during the day, he stepped further in, being presented by his teammate and friend Noirstar, a unicorn solar guard.
"Presenting Stormy Brave, Lunar Guard Nº562 "Said the guard
"Thanks Noirstar… I appreciate it "replied Stormy
"Stormy Brave "said Celestia in her usual kind tone, looking at him "I was informed that you have been unable to perform your duties as one of my sister guards, is there something that troubles you? "
"Actually "he hesitated for a moment, but found the strength to speak " I do princess, I have been having problems sleeping, I know, as Lunar guard I have to be awake at night, but I haven't been able to sleep at all, neither in the day or in the night, I request a time off " replied Stormy with some regret
"Time off? You mean, are you quitting the Lunar Guards? "Said the Princess, with a rather surprised look on her face
"Yes, at least until I find a cure for this problem, I can no longer be a Lunar guard" replied Stormy, knowing that quitting his job was a bad idea, since that was his only income.
"Stormy… I would appreciate if you tell me what is happening "the Princess asked for a answer, looking at Stormy face, he was about to burst in tears.
"I been having Nightmares princess, and not very pretty ones, every time I close my eyes, is the same nightmare all over again, with some minor changes" Stormy said the truth, he needed somepony to talk to, and right now he is talking with the princess, seemed like a better option at this point
"Nightmares you said?" her tone of voice suddenly changed, as if she knew something "can you please be more specific?"
"you won't believe me if I tell you princess" Stormy hid the details, he do not want to reveal much, that could get him into problems, in a instant, the flashback of him killing the alicorn took his mind, he shaking his head trying to forget that kind of memories.
"I understand Stormy, I will grant you the time off you need, I wish you the best of luck, but where are you going if I may ask?" said Celestia, still a little concerned
"Im going to Ponyville, there is a friend of mine I want to visit, is a Pink pony with a balloons cutie mark" he replied
"You mean Pinkie Pie?, you know her?" Celestia reacted a little surprised by hearing that Stormy knew the Element of Laughter, he was know for being always alone
"yes " he admit it " she is like a big sis to me, I need to talk to her, so Im going to Ponyville to talk to her"
"I see, if that is the case, why don't we do something Stormy? " Celestia smiled like she had something prepared
"What do you mean your Highness?" Stormy was a little confused by Celestia reaction
"I will ask Pinkie pie to come here to Canterlot" said the princess
"Really!?, that's great!, I can talk her about –" he was interrupted by the princess, she wasn't finished yet
"Under one condition though "Celestia looked rather serious about this, Stormy saw coming, but he don't have much of a choice right know
"A condition?, ok your highness, name it" he replied
"Let me look at your nightmares, I must know what is going on so I can call her" she asked
Oh for Pete sake!, Stormy thought to himself, he did not wanted for anypony to see those nightmares, specially Celestia, but he had no choice, he accepted, Celestia then walked to a different room, and ask stormy to follow her, he follow her to a hallway, with several columns as if they where getting to a special room, as Celestia entered the mentioned place, the lights turned on, Celestia was sitting in the middle, Stormy had no idea where she was going with this, but if this was one of the ways he could talk with Pinkie, he will do it.
"Stormy, sit here please" she asked politely
"Ok princess "said him as he sat down on the ground "what are we going to do?" he asked to the princess
"You, nothing, as for myself I will look into your mind, seeing what kind of nightmares you are getting" She said as she started to prepare her spell
"Promise something princess please" Stormy started to look Scared
"What is it Stormy?" She ask
"Don't tell anypony besides Pinkie Pie, please" he look rather serious asking this, Celestia has never saw one of the guards in all the palace near a point of breakdown, she he had to investigate further
"I promise Stormy Brave, know relax, I must know this so I can determine if Pinkie Pie presence is required." She promised as she touched Stormy forehead with her horn
Celestia was crossing across some things she was surprised, she saw a specific nightmare where stormy is being devoured by a strange pony with a iron mask, his eyes started to look filled with tears as she saw stormy being torn apart by the Iron Mask pony, he was using stormy own sword to rip his flesh from his bones, Stormy screamed as loud as his lungs where still able to expel air, the Iron Pony continue to stab him constantly until his lungs filled with his own blood, making Stormy cough blood, The Iron Pony took his mask up, enough to discover his mouth, blood soaked fangs bit Stormy open torso ripping his intestines out, Celestia nearly throw up from this scene, but the things didn't end there, a small corpse of a pony rose next to the Iron Pony, ready to finish stormy Life, Celestia could no longer see anymore of this nightmare and cut the spell short, returning to reality, this was something that a simple Laughter of Pinkie won't fix, she stood in front of Stormy, as for him however, he was as bad as when the spell started, or worse. He also stand up, his eyes where wet, from tears, he saw that Nightmare being awake, and felt all the pain
"Stormy, I don't think a simple visit from Pinkie Pie will be enough" her tone was more serious than ever
"Princess, what do you mean?" he feared that the Princess will not bring the help need it
"I will call my fateful student and Pinkie pie as promised, but you will have to wait a day at most" she replied, with a sad look on her face
"Princess I…" he hesitated, this could no longer wait a day! He needed Pinkie Pie help, so Stormy asked Celestia for a one specific thing, "If that is the case princess, may I ask them to bring them here today?, is still early, this can't wait a day"
Stormy needed Pinkie's help, from his memory serves him, she always made him smile, and right know he need a familiar face, Celestia accepted, but she requested for Stormy to remain in that room until she bring them, he accepted and waited there, the door closed and he started to think, in forgetting those nightmares, he do not wanted them anymore, why would he be having those dreams in the first place?, he is a Lunar guard, but a Lunar guard should not be having murderer dreams do they?.
He thought of what could be causing them, the recent fight with the changelings could not be the reason, as a guard he was more that used to the fights, drinking chocolate milk before sleep?, no, that's not it either, playing to much video games in his spare time?, come on, is video games, unless you eat cupcakes each loading screen, but whatever reason was the cause of the dreams, he had to put them a end, since Celestia had left him alone, he think of doing a little ocarina playing to relax his head a while, he took his ocarina out of his pocket and played a song, why in the hay he didn't use it before?, perhaps because it was a family memento?, either way he played a magical song, usually it doesn't affect the user, but this time, it worked, Stormy started to fell relaxed and slowly he has falling asleep.
When he woke up though, he was no longer in Canterlot, he was in some kind of hospital being restrained in a table ready to be operated, his raincoat was nowhere to be seeing, a pony he do not recognized was about to operate him and he was much than awake!, he could fell the scalpel ripping his coat, and flesh, he screamed but and assistant put his hoofs on his mouth to prevent him from screaming, he was thinking this was another nightmare, but this one must be new, since he don't remember that kind of place, neither the pain that felt so real as the doctor was trying to make the opening in his chest more bigger
"Mmmhpphph!" Stormy tried to scream, begin them to stop, he could not use his magic from the fear
"Doctor, the victim is still fighting" Said the Assistant holding Stormy mouth
"Then we should proceed my friend, bring The Helmet" The Main Doctor asked to his assistant
Stormy mind quickly process where he was, he was in a mental hospital, but he don't remember one in Canterlot, or Ponyville, he do not wanted to remain there, so he started to struggle harder, the assistant let go of Stormy to bring "The Helmet "whatever that thing is, he don't want it near him!, as the assistant left the room, everything froze, he could hear screams coming from outside the Surgery room, the Main Doctor rushed to check, leaving Stormy unattended, he saw a silhouette in the window of the door, of somepony being stabbed with a big knife, and that silhouette was coming to the Surgery Room, with the Doctors away, he calm himself a bit, to allow him his magic usage, the girdles that bounded him to the table moved surrounded in a white magical aura, as they where loose enough to take his hooves out, he jumped from the table and looked around him, there was something he could use to defend himself
"in this cases I wish I had something, like a Party Cannon of a Muffing Bazooka " he said to himself
As he searched the room, he found a rather rusty pipe, what was a Pipe doing in the middle of a Hospital?
Either way he picked it up, the silhouette of the pony holding the big knife was just standing in the door, he put himself behind the stretcher, and pushed with all his remaining strength, forgetting about the pain for a second, using it as a moving shield, when he opened the door with it, the silhouette where nowhere to be seen, and he only manage to get himself hurt when the stretcher impacted the wall, he rose back to his hooves, a little puzzled about where did the doctors went, he still have his cut in his chest, he touched with his hoof, the pain was very real to be a dream, he felt like thousands of electrical shocks racing in his spine to his brain.
"Auch, this is not a normal nightmare, what in the hay is going on?" he tried to find a logical explanation to this.
He opened the Door which lead to the hospital hallway… his breathing made the surgery cut to spit a little amount of blood, he found a bandage on a table in the hallway, his mind told him that could be a trap, but he was without his Black raincoat, so there was no other option, he picked up the bandage and wrap it around his chest and torso with his magic, covering his open wound, he tight it up a bit, to make it close, but still the pain was there, as he continued walking in the hallway, he opened a door leading to the Examination room, there he found the Doctor Assistant, or at least half of his body, his stomach could not take it, and he puked in a near janitor bucket, what could be causing this?, and the worse yet, why he wasn't wake up?, he notices the room he was in, the Examination Room had some files about patients with traumas and some of them in need of medical assistance due to multiple bone fractures, but he notices a weird pattern in a nearby door that picked his interest, it had a message, it reads:
"Swim in your Past Sins? , what kind of message is this?" he said as he read the message
The Door was locked, he tried a unlock spell on the door, but it won't budge a bit, the doorknob was protected from magic it seems, he needed a key to open that door, he approached the assistant corpse, with some disgust in his face, he searched in his body for the key, but all he could find was a map from the hospital, and a scalpel, he don't have something to store the items so he decided to keep them levitated in the air, 2 doors of the examination room where busted, the doorknob felt to the floor as soon as Stormy placed a hoof in them, he was not going to get anywhere from there, he turned back to the hallway that leaded to the Surgery Room, there was some rooms he didn't check, he tried every door, but only one was working, they where some automatic doors that lead to the patients rooms, there was nothing in most rooms, just beds in terrible shape, and some of them had corpses in them, he checked a room under the number 402, as he enter the room, he notices that was the only room in the hospital with clean bed and sheets, but something stood in the table next to the bed, a saddle bag with Stormy cutie mark in it, he approached to it, and levitated in the air with his magic… he inspected the saddlebags to find a couple of things inside, a thing called " energy drink " and his ocarina, but mainly, there was a Key in the bag, he put the saddle bags on him back and put the scalpel and the map inside of them, but just as he exited that room, some loud noise came from room 405, 3 room next to the one he was, his curiosity made him check, the door was open, he entered the room, it was a little dark, so he used a light spell to illuminate the area like a lantern with his horn, he notices some bottles on the floor broken nothing unusual... that is until… a hoof placed on his head, he instantly moved back holding the pipe with his magic, he could use 2 spells at the same time, he checked the room and what he found almost made him lose concentration of his spells, there was a pony… or rather pony kind creature stuck on the walls, slowly crawling to Stormy position, only one hoof was attached to his body, and the eyes where missing, its hind legs where missing and he let a blood train from his open wound on his hip, he leaped from the wall opening his mouth to bite Stormy, he nearly dodge the creature, the creature seems to leap with it's only hoof, he never saw that kind of creature, the creature leaped again when it's ears caught the noise Stormy made with his plot touching the walls, he was not able to dodge this time, but he put the pipe in the middle of the creature and his neck, using his magic, he held the pipe surrounded in magical aura, as the creature tried to pass the pipe placed on its neck to bite Stormy flesh out of his bones, he pushed further, Stormy increased his magic to make the pipe push the creature back, making it fall over, Stormy then attack with the pipe the strange creature, the creature felt the pain but it was bending over to jump again, Stormy did not hesitated and attacked further, making the creature lost its balance, It took several hits to knocked it out… he did not wanted to kill it… but the creature again tried to stand up and charge another jump, this type it succeeded in thrusting it's fang on Stormy left hind hoof, Stormy screamed in pain as he felt how the cold teeth of the creature injured him, trying to rip his flesh from him, he took the pipe one more time and hit the creature with all his strength, the creature stopped moving this time, as the blow was given directly on it's skull, dark red blood flowed from it's mouth… this time… it was dead
"i…I kill it?..." Stormy grip of his magic loose and the pipe felt to the ground, also his light magic turned off, he was still in shock " I took a life… but…it was me or him… but why do I feel so bad about this?"
Stormy took a minute to breathe and recover himself from the impression, in all his time as Lunar Guard, he never had to took a life, only injure enemies, but never killing them.. this was his first time killing a living thing… his mind recovered quickly and he picked up his rusty pipe again and exited the room, returning to the hallway, the key that he found could be the one for the examination room?, only one way to find out, he returned to the Examination Room, and found the door locked, he placed the key in the keyhole, a click was heard, the door opened with the key, a little hesitated Stormy moved forward to what it seems a corridor, he tried the doors again, to see if something was usable to defend himself… or some bandages for the previous wound he got, he entered a Hatchery it seems?, since he notices several cribs for baby ponys, some of them where broken, or with bloodstains, just imagine what could have happen made stormy tremble with fear… he noticed a large window in the room it was strange, the mirror was reflecting him, but it reflected a shinny object in one of the cribs, he used the mirror reflection to check the right crib, as he took the sheets, he found out some kind of radio, he took the radio with his hooves, and sat down in the floor, trying to make it work, the only sound it made was static, Stormy did not knew why a Radio was doing in a baby crib, but he better take it, he put it in his bag and exited the Hatchery, as he was searching in another rooms, the radio started to make a loud static noise, Stormy taking noticed turned around, but he saw nothing… he turned around to continue forward, that is when a creature felt on him, it was the size of a young pony, but had a knife instead of front hooves, it's face was skeletal and had flesh about to fall off, it have hind legs but his torso had a large cut that extended from it's neck to its belly, like a surgical cut, also on half of his head, where his mane must be, it was some screws on it, Stormy tried to shake it off, but the creature thrust it´s knife on stormy back, making The Saddle bags to fall off, the radio keep launching a loud static as the creature continue to stab over and over again it's victim, Stormy could not take it anymore and with the rusty pipe he started to hit the creature, the creature fall off, Stormy finished the creature quickly, when the creature was on the floor, trying to get on it's hooves again, Stormy jumped on him, putting all his weight on his front hooves, the weight and the strength was more that enough to finish the creature, his previous bandages where starting to turn from white to red, as the blood from his back escaped from his body… stormy felt weak, he checked the saddle bag, and took the energy drink, he read it, it says " one of these and you will fell like a newborn foal ", well, stormy was not going to wait, he opened the bottle and drank the contents, the drink itself tasted bitter and it was like a combination of cupcake frosting and herbal medicine, his stomach was happy to receive the drink though, he started to fell better, but not enough to say 100% fine, he continue onward to a Strange room, the label above the door read " Main Lobby ", thinking it was the exit of this weird dream, he enter.
What he found there was a large hallway separated from the rest of the room by a large fence, there was 2 doors, one lead to the Director's Offices and the other one to the Nursery, he checked the Fence, for his surprise, there was somepony there, but the radio didn't make a sound, he approached and saw who was it, there was a Little colt there, with Stormy raincoat on him, drawing a picture, he was a earth pony, his face was almost like him, but the mane and tail where different, the little colt was more little that Stormy, but his cutie mark was visible, it was a pair of gears with a screw and a wrench, he was drawing something, not looking at stormy
"It….it can't be" Stormy said looking at the little pony
"What do you want?" replied the colt
"Eh?... Bro, don't you remember me?, it's me Stormy, your big brother" Stormy could not believe his ears, but was positive that the young cold was his little bro
"Stormy?, funny, you have the name of my big bro" Without looking the colt continue to draw
"Mistshine please!, seriously don't you remember me? " Stormy felt to the ground, starting to cry
"The only Stormy I know is my big bro, he give me my Fluttershy doll" replied the colt
" Fluttershy doll? " he did not remembered that doll, the only time he saw it was in a Gift Shop in Canterlot, and actually he had to beg to Celestia to get it " what are you doing here Mistshine?" Stormy asked
"Im looking for my doll "answered the colt, referring to his Fluttershy doll " can you please find it for me?, I can't get out of here " the colt asked
"Little bro…. ok I will, just sit thigh "Stormy stand up ready to look for the doll
The little colt did not say anything, but Stormy was positive that colt was his young brother Mistshine Brave, he did not saw him since he left Manehatten, there was only 2 rooms where he could search for the doll, he tried the Director Room, but all he manage to find was a drawing of 3 ponys, the drawing was made by Mistshine, Stormy looked at the ponys, one of them was him, and the other one was Mistshine, but the last pony was a mare, same coat color as Stormy and Mistshine, but her mane was brown color and had a Compass with a Quill, Stormy tried to remember that last pony
"Compass with a Quill… could be…Big Sister…. Sunnybreeze?" Stormy remembered
He was the second of 3 brothers, his Big Sister and First one to born, Sunnybreeze Brave, then he came along, Stormy Brave, and then, Mistshine Brave came, what was this dream trying to tell him?, he stored the drawing in his saddle bag, there was nothing else in the Director Office, so he moved to the Nursery, as he entered he heard a faint " yay ", he searched for the room itself, he found a large medical kit, Stormy used the bandages on his back, healing his wound from the previous encounter, another yay could be heard, he followed the sound until he found out the doll on the wall, something was pulling it to inside the wall, making it sound, Stormy surrounded the doll with his levitation magic, but as soon as the doll started to move, the thing pull it more deeper into a hole, it was big enough to put your hoof in it, he could not see it, even if he used his illumination magic on the hole, so he put his hoof on the hole, trying to recover the doll, as soon as he felt the doll, he started to fell a big pain, as if something was trying to rip his hoof apart, he continue to pull to his direction, trying to free himself, not letting go the doll, he used his magic in a form of magic blast to pull himself out, it worked, but front right hoof was injured, he looked at the doll, it was without a single scratch, he remember something from the past at that moment…
When he give that doll to his little bro… he could not exit the Nursery, the door was locked, only voices could be heard…
"The door is locked?! "Stormy noticed the door won't budge
"Oh wow!, a Fluttershy doll!, big bro you are the best! " said a familiar voice that echoed the room
"Im glad you like it Little brother, I heard you Liked Fluttershy, so much that you wanted to meet her " Said the voice of Stormy, but he did not talked at all
"Stormy!, don't say it aloud! " the voice screamed a little ashamed
"That voice… that's when i… "Stormy said to himself
Right before he could finish his sentence the door unlocked by itself, he exited the Nursery, and searched for the fence again, Mistshine was still there, Stormy took the Fluttershy doll out of his saddle bag and show it to his brother, hoping he could remember him know.
"Yay" the doll sounded when Stormy pressed her belly
"That's my Fluttershy doll, may I have it back?" Asked the Colt, standing up, still he did not looked at Stormy, his mane was covering his eyes
" Of Course Bro " Said Stormy, levitating the doll until Mistshine took it
"… " Mistshine said nothing as he unlocked from his side of the fence a little door that was on the fence, big enough to crawl to where he was " thanks…. Stormy " he replied finally
" not a problem Mistshine " said stormy as he passed thought the little door
"how did you know my name?" Asked Mistshine
"….im your Brother Mistshine, Stormy Brave" Stormy replied
"My brother?... but he died a few days ago" Mistshine was still confused
"That I what?! " Stormy screamed
"You scream just like him… thanks for giving me my doll , you should get out, before…. He find you " Said Mistshine one more time, but this time running away from Stormy
"Wait!, who are you referring?, wait!, Mistshine! " Stormy asked raising his voice to his brother, trying to make him heard
He take a look at Mistshine drawing in the floor, it was a pony with a iron mask, and a message was behind the picture, it read " Run, you can't fight him ", Stormy galloped, in the same direction as his brother, as he turned around in the corner, he found his raincoat on the floor, and some bloody hoofprints that leaded to the double doors of the hospital exit, Stormy picked up his rain coat, and put it on himself again, and put his saddle bags on him, over his raincoat, as he approached the exit doors, he started to hear a loud metallic noise from behind him, it was the same noise he heard when the Main doctor and assistant where killed, he had to get out!, he tried to open the door, but the door was locked from the other side, how did Mistshine get out if the door was locked?, he turned around and saw the Shadow of a big Pony, almost the same size of him, and Stormy was Royal Size, the was more short that Princess Luna thought, the shadow took out a giant knife, and it was carrying something in his other hoof, the corpse of the Main doctor, he threw the corpse making it impact the wall, Stormy saw how the corpse hit the wall, and the Knife of the Big Pony, he started to lose concentration, so much his spell for light turned off, he started to kick the door down with his hind legs, the door was not moving, the Lights of that hallway lit up, something unusual, and Stormy manage to see the pony coming to him, he was hearing a Iron Mask, with fangs and was bleeding from one eye, his big knife carried blood, and his body was covered by some kind of suit, like a butcher or chef apron, his cutie mark was a Bloodstain with a Knife, he had bloodstains in his hooves, torso and back hind legs, he only part visible from his face, was his mouth, which smiled showing it's fangs teeth when he saw stormy, Stormy was scared to death, he remember a Spell that make him launch magic bullets, he stood and prepare to shoot, the spell worked and fired 3 bullets to the Iron Mask Pony, but neither of them did any damage or stop him, Stormy continue to shoot, missing most of the time due to his fear, the Iron Pony raised his big Knife, Stormy screamed in terror as the Knife moved towards him, cutting him in half, a large scream could be heard… everything faded to black…
Stormy woke up abruptly, he still screamed from the nightmare he had and he was sweating cold, he noticed he was still in the Canterlot room where Celestia left him, but somepony was there trying to making him woke up faster,
"Stormy!, wake up sleepy head!" said the earth pony
"Aaahh!, no more please!" Stormy was still altered from the dream, trying to breathe normally
" wake up!" said again the earth pony, but taking out a party horn and blowing it near to stormy ears
"Sweet Luna!, ok ok im up…. Wait, Pinkie Pie?!" Stormy recovered and saw Pinkie Pie in front of him
" well duh, how where you waiting for?, a private Date with DJ-PON3? " said Pinkie Pie
" Pinkie…. Pinkie!" Stormy suddenly hugged Pinkie starting to cry, he was so happy to see her, but also he could not take it anymore
"huh huh huh?, Stormy please calm down, I never saw you like this, what happen?" Pinkie was confused but she has hugging his friend
"I have Nightmares Pinkie, very awful Nightmares!, I need you help! " said Stormy
Stormy explained all the contents of his nightmare, including the most recent one, Pinkie usual smile turned into serious and listen to Stormy nightmares, when she mentioned the blood and murder, or the creatures, Pinkie suddenly froze for a moment, when he mentioned his brother Mistshine…
"This is super serious Stormy" Replied Pinkie
" I know, I know, but I need you help in forgetting this nightmares, what should I do, please sis help me " Stormy asked pinkie, trembling from the memories of the nightmare
"Good thing I planned ahead, I bring Twilight along with me, she helped me with a nightmares I had a long time ago, she could help you out two with the same spell "Said Pinkie Pie, touching a red ribbon she had on her mane
"What kind of Spell?, I tried everything, from mint tea, to platform videogames" asked with a little confusion
"The Mind Delve Spell, a spell that will let us know the root of your Nightmares, this can help you out to stop the Nightmares " Said Twilight Sparkle, coming to the Room where Stormy and Pinkie where talking
"Hold up, Celestia told you right?" Said Stormy to Twilight
"Yes, she told me everything, including your plans to drop out of the Lunar Guards" Replied Twilight
"…Pinkie, when this is over, remind me to make a prank on the princess "Said Stormy, kind of disappointed, that Celestia told all details to Twilight
"Stormy, she is busy right know, she also have a problem similar to this one" Twilight tried to prevent Stormy prank on the princess
"Ok… so what are we going to do?" Stormy replied, Pinkie was next to him
" We will use the spell to find the source of your Nightmares, for what you told to pinkie, it may be related to Mistshine" Twilight replied as she stood in front of Stormy
"Could be, Pinkie has been like a Big Sis for me since I know her" he said remembering his childhood with her
"That's Right, but still, that bloody blue suit…" Pinkie also remembered the moment and a specific suit
" I don't remember it where it was, I think is lost" said Stormy.
" Well… are you ready Stormy?" Twilight replied ready to use the spell
" yes I am, I want this to end" Stormy answered, ready for the spell
"Whatever you do Twilight, I will not leave him alone " Said Pinkie Pie, also ready for the Spell
" not this time Pinkie, the Princess Herself told me you must make sure his body is ok " replied Twilight, thing that Stormy did not wanted to hear…
Twilight Horn touched Stormy Forehead, next to his Horn base, Stormy felt how his mind started to loosen up… the room once again started to felt cold and the images of Pinkie and Twilight where disappearing, he felt as his body was feather weight and he even felt a little pain, like if he where falling from a high altitude towards the ground, he lost track of how many minutes he was Knocked out, when he regain his consciousness, the Room where he was, was even more dark that before, and his friends where nowhere to be seeing.
" uuuughhh… my head, I fell like I have been inside a tornado, Pinkie?, Twilight?" he called to his friends, but there was no answer.
He tried to walk forward but he almost felt to the ground, he was dizzy from the spell, and he had troubles breathing, since the area was dark, he used his Light Spell, and his horn once again, shared light with his surroundings as if it where a lantern, he found out everything in the same place, except, no trace of Twilight and Pinkie, is this their idea of a prank?, they knew he need help, why leaving him alone?, he noticed something on the floor where Twilight was standing, a saddle bag, Stormy took a look at it, it was the same one as his dream, he open it and all he could find was the Canterlot Castle Map, he put the saddlebags on, and he took out his ocarina, he store it on the saddlebags, if something happens to the raincoat, the ocarina could get damaged, and is his mother who give him that instrument, she opened the door that leaded to the stairs, he was going upwards on the stairs until he got to another door, this ones was locked from his side, he unlocked the door, and exited the secret room, he was know in the Elements of Harmony Hallway, the door leading to the secret room closed by itself and locked again, but that was not the strange thing, it was the silence, a Silence like if there was no pony in the Castle, he tried to call his teammate " Noirstar?, Noirstar are you here?" but he did not get any answer, he checked the room where he was, the Lock where the elements are hidden is active, but the unusual thing, are the windows, one of them had a different picture that the one the castle had before, it was the picture of Luna only, and next to her was the Iron Mask Pony, the one Stormy saw in his dream, he started to worry for the princess so he tried to go to the Princess Bedrooms, when he exited the Elements of Harmony hallway and enter the gardens, he almost felt to a bottomless Pit, he hold himself to the floor, and looked at the pit, it was if like a earthquake has tear apart Canterlot, he checked the map, trying to find where to go, he could not get to the princess bedroom from the gardens.
"ok, Gardens out of the Question, but… what's with this fog?, I can barely see what I have in front"
Stormy noticed the fog that was present in the area, he stepped inside the Elements of Harmony hallway again, he then took a look outside one of the windows, the fog was preventing the view of the city, there was something he could use to move from the Hallway to the Castle Main Entrance, but he had to pass the bride that connects that section of the castle to the main castle area, but as soon as he turned around and opened the door that leaded to the bridge controls, a creature leaped towards him, it was the same creature of his dream, the one with 1 hoof and half body missing, Stormy fear kick in again, and he used his sword as a provisional shield, the creature continue to try to bite the colt neck, he pushed harder, making the creature lost its balance, Stormy did not hesitated this time and cut the creature with a Slash from his sword, the blood feel more real this time…
"This must be another nightmare… it must be… right...right?"
He questioned himself as he moved in the direction where the map says, if this was a dream or one, one thing is for sure, he was starting to regret in having used the Mind Delve Spell, either way, the only living pony he has found so far was the Hopping Pony he killed earlier, and he feared about what picture he saw in the window, he tried to open the Door to the bridge and it was locked with a special key, he turned around and opened a different door, this one lead him to the Custodian Room, a room designed for a Guard that looks who enters and exit the building, as also responsible of maintain security, but when he entered, the fog was present, he tried to see what happened, and saw a hole in the wall that leaded outside, but also found the corpse of the Custodian, in his bed, he was bitten all over his neck and hooves, the window as broken and several books where scattered on the floor
"Custodian Sharpeye!, what in the hay is happening?!"
He screamed and covered his mouth with his hoof as he saw the current state of the former custodian.