As the knife scratched Pinkie Pie in the shoulder, Rainbow Dash's sanity came back to her and she regretted what she did. Shaking, she dropped the weapon, getting spots of blood on the floor.
Red blood dripped from the wound on Pinkie's shoulder, and she said, "Rainbow, are you ok…?"
Rainbow stared at Pinkie in shock. "Pinkie...I...I didn't mean to attack you…" Her heart began to pound in her chest. She just attacked one of her friends like the monster in her nightmares did to her.
She stood up, spread her wings, and flew out the door as fast as she could. "Rainbow, wait!" Pinkie called out, but Rainbow didn't listen. She just flew past some houses and disappeared.
The commotion was heard by Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight. They ran into Sugarcube Corner and stared in horror at the blood-soaked knife on the floor and the would on Pinkie's shoulder. "Pinkie, are you ok?" asked Applejack. "What happened here?"
"I offered some cupcakes to Rainbow, but she didn't want them," Pinkie began. "From her appearance, I could tell she was having nightmares. When I went over to her, she accidentally attacked me with a knife. She apologized and flew away before I could tell her that forgave her."
The other ponies gasped and looked at each other in surprise.
Rainbow ran through the Everfree Forest as fast as she could. She had to get away. She had to get as far away from Ponyville as possible before she ran into anypony else. Trees passed by her in a blurr. Disturbing images from her nightmares raced through her mind: the blood, the bleeding, the crazed laughter. She wasn't flying because she knew somepony would see her in the sky.
"Rainbow!" a voice called her name. Startled, Rainbow tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground. She scrambled to her hooves and hid behind a tree just as hoofsteps came into the clearing.
"Y'all don't have to hide from us," said Applejack. "We want to help you."
Rainbow came out from behind the tree to face her friends. Rarity was the first to step forward, and when she was close enough, she placed a hoof on her shoulder.
"Pinkie told us about your nightmares. They are so dreadful!" The two hugged each other. Fluttershy was next to hug her rainbow maned friend. Then all six ponies hugged each other.
Pinkie offered to let Rainbow stay at Sugarcube Corner for a little while. She slept in the same bed with her when her nightmares returned. The nightmares came farther between and one night, they were gone. They never bothered her again.