"Don't fall asleep. If you do, all of your insecurities shall emerge from their darkest corners and drag you down into an abyss of suffering. The calmer a person is by day, the stronger the nightmare under the surface." —Illusions Of Insanity

Leaf

My footsteps have never been so quiet.

As I walked through the strange mists, I found myself growing further and further unnerved. Soon I found that this mist was in fact snow, and that the reason behind my muted footsteps was the blanket of snow underfoot. My thoughts were as empty as the very peak of my past, becoming nothing but the echoes of the wind and snow.

I lifted my eyes from my feet and soon found myself looking off into a grey sky. So, I'm back. The voice in my mind echoed around me as I stared off into the heavy clouds. No matter how far I run, I always end up back at this snowy peak. Disgust rose in my gut as I looked around. Those pesky ice shards stabbed through my brown, ragged cloak and left me gasping for air. A sickening swirl in my chest made me desperate to escape this nightmare I was trapped inside of.

As I took a step backwards, a voice entered this ghostly remnant.

"So, you decided to come back."

I took a harsh breath and spun around. There, standing within arm's length, was a face I never thought I would ever see again. His black hair was thoroughly yanked about by the sudden bitter wind that had turned into a howling gale. His thick crimson eyes made a shiver run down my spine as I found them glaring right through me. His jacket was loose in the wind, billowing about at his left as the wind seemed to try to pull him aside.

"Red," The name escaped me as he narrowed his eyes and took a step forward. "I never thought I would see you again." Just as I was about to extend an arm towards him, a second figure appeared out of the white abyss.

"You were supposed to be dead."

I found my eyes stinging as I looked upon the second person I had left behind. His brunette hair was still reminiscent of a Sandslash's back, standing up at every angle and creating a danger to any passing eyes. His black shirt was still just as it was, the collar up straight and flapping in the wind. A glimmer of light proved that his favorite necklace was still a vital part of his outfit, making me realize just how little they had changed.

I found myself smiling as I reached for them. "Green, Red...I've missed you so much." I swallowed down a lump in my throat and took a step to close in on them. "I'm so sorry that I was such an idiot. I should have never put fame before my friends—" My melting words were interrupted by Red grabbing my arm and roughly digging his fingers into my skin. My eyes grew wide as I focused on his complexion.

His skin was as white as a dead man's.

"You don't seem to understand, Leaf." His voice was hollow and echoing, sounding as if he was in a cavern. A somehow sickening smile grew on his face as Green stood beside him. "You are supposed to be dead." I blinked in confusion as my arm started to ache in his grasp. I was certain that I would start to bleed from his fingernails digging into my skin. Before I could question his words, Green spoke up.

"You see, you fell off that cliff and disappeared forever." His voice was just as Red's was, being a painful echo of something once filled with laughter. "In all sense of the word, you should be dead. A girl who falls off a cliff should be dead, not walking among the living."

"That's just it." I felt myself choking as Red continued to glare at me. "I didn't die. I jumped but I didn't fall. Ignis stopped me from dying! He plucked me out of the sky and snapped some sense into me! I shouldn't have jumped! I was just a coward!" Green started to grin alongside Red as they both took a step closer. They then both opened their mouths in the exact same instant and spoke words that made my blood freeze.

"Then we should fix that right away."

Disbelief flooded my veins as I looked at them. What in the world are they— Before I could even finish my thought, they roughly grabbed me and pulled my to their chests. I gasped for air as Red's arm snaked around my throat and choked me. Green held my arm from pulling the boy with red eyes off of me, while my other arm was held behind my back. Every time I tried to take a breath or to speak, Red simply tightened his grip on my throat.

Slowly, painfully, they lead my to the edge of Mt. Silver's peak. I looked down with horror flooding my mind before looking back at the two I had once cared so much about. I managed to sneak a gasp as I found their eyes void of any pupils, simply existing as pools of blood and some green liquid. A laugh escaped them as I struggled against their grip.

"Well, my dear Leaf," The remnant of Red's voice found a place in his mind as I watched him glare down at me. "It seems that this is where your journey ends. Such a shame that someone so young would slip out of this world so soon." He then laughed before giving a sharp yank on my captive right arm. Silent tears of pain slipped out as a hot bolt raced up my shoulder.

"Indeed, it's such a shame." Green was the next to speak, but just as Red, his mouth didn't move. "A girl so young and promising throws it all away for fame. It's truly a shame. It seems that even the most beautiful things are corrupted at the core." He dug his nails into my left wrist as they took another step forward. The toes of my shoes sent countless pebbles to their demise as I lingered on the edge.

"Well then, it's time to leave this world, Leaf." Red's voice made a desperation rise in my mind. I couldn't struggle free, I couldn't breathe. I was trapped. "It's such a shame that you left us so soon. But, it just goes to show that even the most beautiful flowers die." Before I could even think, they released my arms and shoved me off the edge.

I found myself looking up at their grinning faces as the wind swirled around me. The clouds only hid them from sight as I slipped through the grey storm like a knife. My skin pricked at the cold bites on my arms and legs. I kept on falling as the sound of screams filled my ears. Only, this wasn't my scream. This was the scream of Red and the scream of Green as they called out for me to stop running. If only I had listened to them in that time, instead of launching myself off of that terrible cliff face.

I took a deep breath before a shocking bolt of pain ripped through my body.

Author's Note: As the title suggests, this series is about the darkest nightmares of the beloved Trainers of the different regions. It's sorta a collection of one-shots for each of the unlucky dreamers, one for each of the Trainers. We're starting this off with the great Leaf Flagro, the first hero! Next up will be yet another member of the ill-fated Kanto Trio.

Hope you stick around!