Darkness Is Reborn

Above art by Zombiepuppy on Chickensmoothie.com

Chapter One
My Name

I walk through the streets, slowly. My hooves make no sound. The only sound I make is the jingling of these chains. I can't really make a sound. I'm an etheral being. I do have a corperal form, of course. But I rarely use it. Much too big a hassle.
The humans can't see me. Well, they can, they just refuse to. I've scared most of them out of their wits. The cowards. They have their curtains shut, and the few out at this time of night are sure to avoid me. As I near a house, I slow down. I stop for a few seconds, a gust of wind coming. How I wish I could feel it. But it would be too dangerous to go in my corperal form right now. While I'm on the hunt, I must stay like this.
In the house, there's a young girl. Her shoes toes are facing the door, and she's getting in bed backwards. Once in bed, she speaks softly.
It creates a haunting effect. The girl looks frightened while saying this, and her cheeks are flushed. When she begins reciting it the second time tears are running down her face. With the dim candlelight I can't help but think that it may be scarier then me. She opens her piercing green eyes, which have turned nearly ice blue. She rolls over to face her nightstand, then blows softly on the candle. Abrubtly, all is dark.
I shake my head. Human superstitions. They beleive that poem, or whatever it may be, will keep me away. How wrong they are. I go slowly through a keyhole, to the entrance of the house. Moving slowly purposefully, so I won't wake up anyone. And so the girl will sleep. I get to her room, and go through the bottom. I eye the girl warily, my eyesight better in darkness then light.
I shut my eyes and delve into her dreams. They're such happy dreams. Until I come. She's picking flowers in a field, smiling. They're red tulips. Her father is digging a hole for some reason. The sun's shining, and larks are chirping and flying around. There's a sparkling stream seperating the meadow and forest. The forest is a very pretty one, full of large green trees and more birds. There's a fox and her puppies at the edge of the forest, the puppies playing happily. The girl's smiling, not seeming to notice me. I'm sure she thinks the chant worked.
Suddenly, there's blood on her hands. Horror's in her eyes as she looks down at the tulips. They are made of blood. She screams, dropping the flowers. The birds are large black crows, blood on their beaks. Looking up, she begins crying. The leaves drop off the trees, their trunks becoming black and dead. The grass turns yellow, looking burned. The sun gets blocked by dark grey clouds, but no rain falls. I couldn't allow that. The stream turns a sickly black-green color, fish rising up to the top. The forest looks ded, even the foxes. The mother's missing an eye, and has no skin on her legs. The pups are disgusting beasts, missing ears, legs, fur, skin, teeth, and bleeding. They come towards her, growling.
The girls cries loudly, dropping to the ground. I stand infront of her, looking down. She screams, seeming scared and enraged.

You! Why?! You're purpose must be to make my life HEAVEN!.

She glares at me, her eyes showing anger. Her father is behind her, running. He's holding the spade high, as if he intends to hit her. She looks behind herself in fear, then gets up. She dashes forwards. But thats where the foxes are coming from. She'll get killed. And, she notices that. Turning, she runs towards her dad. Oddly, her father lets her pass. He then runs after her again. Looking behind her shoulder, she doesn't notice where she's running.
She falls into the hole her father was digging. He get to the hole then stops, looking down. I walk over to them, looking down at the girl. I smile cruelly, then speak.

You, Little One, were a fool. You will die a slow and painful death.

My voice is horrid. Cracked, and annoying to the ears. Like fingernails on a chalk board. But loud, oh so very loud.
She cries, dirt going over her. She'll soon be unable to breathe. A loud, soft voice suddenly breaks in. It sounds female.
Of course, her mother. I quickly exit the dream, turning etheral again. I hide, too tiny for the girl;s mother to see me. The girl wakes up, looking paniced.
The mother shakes her head, patting her daughter's hand. She smiels lightly, clearly thinking she made it up.
Her daughter nods, getting up. I leave quickly, returning to the forest. I can wait here for another day.


It's night again. I've been thinking. That girl has made a nice name. Maybe I'll adopt it as my true name. I nod, walking down the dirt street again. The girl is in bed, her shoes toes facing the door. She probably got in backwards again. Sighing, as if sure it won't work, she speaks.
The girl once again blows out her candle sadly. Groaning, she rolls over. I'm sure that the only thoughts in her head are to stay awake. But she knows she'll sleep. It's late, and I can tell that her eyelids are heavy. I just stay, waiting. Until she sleeps. I think she's asleep now.
Like the other nights, I slip through the keyhole. Then I go under the door. And into her dreams.
This time, it's oddly the same. Just no forest, and her father isn't here. The tulips are purple, also. She seems ready for me. Glaring, she opens her mouth as if to speak, but I cut her off.

Now, let's make a deal.

My voice sounds a bit more alluring. And, to her, I seem like a human male her age. I have for many of these dreams, only showing as a Nightmare a few times. The odd thing about me in this form is my horns and wings.
She suddenly seems much more interested, and looks at me with her green eyes. She raises an eyebrow and motions for me to continue.
She waves at me to leave.
I grumble, glaring a bit.
I grumble, and continue glaring. I hold out my hands, poking my chains.
She frowns, then begins speaking.

She nods, shutting her eyes. She grabs hold onto both of the chains on my arms, frowning as she opens her mouth.
There's a blinding flash of light. I'm drawn out of her dreams. I'm right beside her, tiny, etheral, and a horse.But, on my chains, there's now a green gem. A green gem is in my hackles, the same green as her eyes. It's still dark... Moving away, I go under the door. Then through the keyhole.
Walking along the dirt road, I'm bigger again. I can't hear anything besides the jingling of my chains. I look down at them and scowl. Another gem, another promsie, more people I can't scare. Grumbling, I leave. Leave to the astral planes.

Chapter Two
Foolish Males

It's a few weeks later. I'm back in the mortal realm. There's a boy.. I think he'll soon become a man. But, even they can be cowards. I either have to gain osmething form him, or push him into death. I wonder which one it will be?
I look into the room from a window. He's already asleep. Snorting quietly, I go down to the front door. Tiny again, I manage to get through the keyhole. My chains hit the metal part lightly, making a soft tinkly noise. If anything, I'm pretty sure it will just make them more tired.
I don't hit the ground, very few good Nightmares do. I jsut slowly continue on, my legs moving, but my hooves not touching the ground. As I get closer to his room, I lower. Until I am touching the ground. I can tell that it's cold, but like usual, I'm unable to feel it. I want to go into a corperal form. To feel the cold, again. To be living, to be breathing.
But, I have to continue my job. My job being to give nightmares. It's all because of these stupid chains. They bind me to my job, to my vile fate. I move under the door. The boy's sleeping, like before. Shutting my eyes, I delve into his dreams.
The scent of death is in the air. It's dark. Much more grimy then normal dreams. I may like this kid. Then there's a dazzling flash of light. The boy's there, in knight's armor. He looks hilarious, to be truthful. His eyes are blue, and his hair is brown in the mortal world, but blonde here.

He doesn't notice me. Tons of demon-like creatures are attacking him, but he's defeating them all. Humans have such imaginations. He'd be dead in reality. Only some of the strongest followers of the Light were ever able to do that. Grunting, I change forms in this dreams.
I'm pretty sure that to him, I appear as a female human. With big green eyes, black and white long and wavy hair, a tattered dress, and crying. But to me, I still feel like an immortal Nightmare. And, like a proud one, capable of saying I am a mare. There's plenty of Spawns who cal lthemselves Nigtmares... But, that's not the point.
The male runs towards me, picking me up. He buries his face into the hair on top of my head, smiling. I wonder, does he have a female he likes in the mortal world? Probably. I'd be surprised if he doesn't. But anyways, now's my chance.

He suddenly drops me, eyes bulging. I giggle quietly, tendrils of shadow wrapping around him, suffocating the male. He falls to the ground, writhing in pain. Looking at me in horror, her opens his mouth as if to speak.