14 Dream or Nightmare?

Celestia stood tall on her feet, she was surrounded by a pearly white atmosphere, she didn't understand what happened to her. Wasn't she just moments ago sleeping next to Luna?

"Come, little children," spoke a divine voice, it was hallowed but strong. Like the voice of an angel but corrupted.

Celestia spun around, she only saw Luna but she was surrounded by a dark slimy liquid. Celestia tilted her head before realizing that she was slowly getting absorbed by the slime.

She immediately rushed forward only to be late, she watched as her sister was absorbed, only leaving her clothing.

Celestia fell to her knees, she couldn't believe that she let Luna die. She started feeling a sudden urge to kill. An urge to obliterate everything, her crimson eyes started to burn.

"I failed her, I must avenge her," Celestia's vocals rubbed hard against each other as she rose back up. Her body phasing between her human and a side that could cause humans to fear.

"Celestia, wake up!" a familiar voice echoed throughout the atmosphere. Celestia looked all around as she tried to locate the voice.

"Wake up!"

Celestia burst out of her slumber, she was panting heavily, her body overheating and sweat covering her face.

'It was only a dream?' Celestia thought to herself.

She looked to her side to see Luna on her knees with concernment written on her face. She was relieved to see that Celestia is woken up, she lifted Celestia's left arm to check her pulse. It wasn't stable and it from the feel, her blood cells were going crazy.

"Celestia, are you okay?" Luna asked, she knew that Celestia must have had a nightmare but it weird because she might have had the same.

"I...I don't know," Celestia replied, her mind was starting to get fuzzy. She didn't know what was going on but she knew that something wasn't right.

"Luna, what happened?"

In the distance was a running Professor Vic with Leviathan behind her. They must have noticed the odd abnormally happening near Luna. She knelt down as she scanned Celestia's condition, she was struck with confusion.

"Levy, give me a scan of Celestia's body and…"

"No!" Luna shouted, her voice echoed throughout the main building. Eyes turned to Luna as she became timid. "You can't get a scan of her body."

Celestia tried to lift her arm but only to realize that she couldn't, her body wasn't responding to her commands. What was affecting her? She took a deep breath before closing her eyes.

--- ---

Celestia opened her eyes, she appeared in the same white atmosphere but this time there was a bright light being emitted from a doorway. She turned around before deciding to walk towards the light.

She started to feel a sudden gust of wind on her body before she got through the doorway. She was stunned, she couldn't believe that she would suddenly appear in a lush meadow.

Celestia looked around the meadow, roses and tulips bloomed. It was a complete field of flowers obscuring the bright grass. Then there was a hooded figure, the cloak was an unusual design. Triangles laid beside each other on the outer rim of the cloak while the center was taken up by a symbol.

"You have something to say?" the voice sound familiar, where has Celestia heard it from?

"Yeah, two actually," Celestia said. "Why are you in here and why do you seem...familiar?"

"Ah, life's most asked questions," the cloaked figure spoke, their voice soothing and low. "Well to answer your first question, I'm the one who caused your night terror."

"And the second?" Celestia inquired.

"That should be obvious," the cloaked figure simply replied with no hint or clues.

Celestia didn't approach the figure but she didn't stay away, she stood at a reasonable distance. Then she thought of something: "if you're the reason why I had that nightmare..."

"Terror, there's a difference," the figure corrected Celestia.

"Night terror," Celestia repeated. "Then can't I get you out of here?"

"Yes, all you to do is relive your deepest regret," the cloaked figure spoke. Their words were clear, relive a regret that haunts you.

Celestia froze, she distinguishes her regrets and she knew one regret that she can never relive again. No matter how many times she tried to replay it over and over in her mind, she just couldn't stop herself from losing control.

"Are you sure that's the only way?" Celestia wanted to know if this was the only way and if so, she will have to at least conquer it one day but she knew that she couldn't do it. She just can't relive it again.

"Yes, there is no other way for you," the cloaked figure turned around this time and this time, it could be seen clearly that the face on the figure was someone that Celestia knew. It was an old pal that Celestia knew...and abandon.

Before Celestia could even say anything to the old friend, her body started tormenting itself. Bones were cracking and her body ached in pain. The sky that was once a color so beautiful turned dark, ash coated the sky.

Celestia immediately knew where she was, she was reliving a nightmare that she can never overcome. She knew it wasn't a dream, it was a nightmare.