L P.O.V.

"Nooo... Nooo... Get out... Get out of my head..."

Phantoms swirled above me, laughing cruelly. They slashed at me with long, sharp fingers, and I felt the pain at my side, felt the blood gush... felt the very essence of my self leave...

I was nothing... Nothing but a shell... I cradled myself, soaked in blood, while the torturers cackled and shrieked and soared...

No... it couldn't be...

The image of a man dressed in grey rags flashed in front of my eyes... a man clasped in chains... a man I recognised to be myself...

I felt the last drop of will leave me... I fell to the floor, but didn't hit my head. Instead, I felt myself leave the earth... falling, falling, falling...

"OI! Mr. Sleepyhead! Wakey wakey!"

I practically flew upwards, straight as a board. I heard a yell, and realised that the yell had come from my own mouth. I felt my forehead. Super-warm. I was doused in sweat, and shaking. Shivering.

I felt the warm morning sun flood my room as the door was pushed wide open. I looked around, and realised I was in bed, dressed in my pyjamas. I looked around more, taking in the kindly familiar sights. Brobot, standing like a sentry in the middle of the high-ceilinged room. My desk, brown, wooden and cluttered. The floor stained and messy. I looked at the bed that had just arrived last week, parallel to my desk. I looked at the door, and realised that a young girl with green hair was walking towards me.

"Hi, Mimi," I groaned, letting myself fall back onto the black pillows. "You aren't supposed to be in my room, y'know."

"Morning, L!" chirped Mimi, perching herself on the bed. "I heard you mumbling in your sleep, and saw you thrashing round and stuff. I poked you, and you stopped a little. I came back later, and now you're awake!"

"Uh-huh," I muttered, feeling my forehead again. It was still extremely warm. Was I coming down with something?

"I'd better get you a Super Shroom," jabbered Mimi, getting up and making for the door. "You look like you're sick with a fever or something!"

I laughed weakly, said "See ya later, Mi", and watched the door close. I immediately bounded up and changed.

Soon, I looked like Mr. L, the Green Thunder again. Belt, mask, cap, bandanna... perfect. I stared at my reflection in Brobot's gleaming metal. Unbidden, the memory of my nightmare flashed through my mind. I grumbled something inaudible, bashing my head lightly with my fist. "Don't think about that..."

Out in the corridor, I ran into O'Chunks. He was twisting his fingers nervously, and looking around like he was super-guilty of some mega-crime or something.

"Uh, L?" he said to me, quietly. "Uh... c'n ah have a word with ya?"

"Sure," I replied, frowning at him.

He pulled me - none too gently - into a darkened corner of the corridor. There are tons of dark places like that round here.

"Uh... y'know 'dat lass? Nastasia?"

"Yeeeeah," I said slowly. "What about her?"

"I, uh, ah think I like her."

There was a very pregnant pause.

"Gee, Chunks, ya think?" I exclaimed after a while. "It's so obvious, I actually wonder why Nasty doesn't freakin' realise! Yeesh!"

"Ahm I... that... obvious?" whispered O'Chunks.

I nodded. "Yup. Anyhoo, gotta go. I gotta watch some pony episodes... I'm way behind on 'em! L-ater!"

I raced off, leaving O'Chunks in his little dark corner. Once I was far enough, however, I turned away from the TV room and instead made a break for the nearest window. Fact is, I'm up-to-date with all my MLP eps. Anyway, back to the story.

Just to make sure, I looked around to check if anyone was there a-creeping, then I spread my wings and flew out of the window.

I've been practicing, just to let you know, so I wasn't as scared the last time I tried it. I let the air currents fly me towards Misery Forest, leaving me free to scan the ground for any sign of Bolt or Xena.

Suddenly, I saw a green blur jump out of a clump of trees directly beneath me. I folded my wings slightly, and dropped like a bullet. I opened them just in time, and flew down like a parachute.

I landed lightly on my feet and looked around. The place still looked as calm as it did the last time I visited, ruling out the nearby chomping noises.

I walked towards the particular chomping noise, and soon uncovered Bolt nibbling on the bones of a poor little squirrel. Yeah. "Poor little squirrel". What shit.

Anyway, I had to throw a rock at him (Bolt, of course) before he realised me. He looked up, blood staining his muzzle.

"What the frack do you want?" he demanded. "I'm a little busy with lunch, here."

"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Whatever. Listen, I need to talk to you about something."

"Is it your nightmare?"

"...How the L did you know?"

"Xena's been told to keep tabs on you," Bolt informed me. "Jaydes told her to."

"WHAT?" I yelled, sending a few birds into the air.

"Yup," said Bolt, resuming his devouring of the bird.

"I gotta go," I said automatically. "L-ater!"

"See ya," said Bolt.

I took flight, but instead of heading towards the Castle, I headed out for some open air, startled by the news.

Why was Jaydes wanting to keep tabs on me? Why did she want Xena to do it? And what the heck did my nightmare mean?