"Why're you so afraid? Weren't you prepared to take the repercussions for this? Don't chicken out now, it's only a little longer."

The world was black in similar to a realm of infinite darkness.

There was no comforting light in the distance, no towering structures, and nothing to give this world some sense of meaning. But there was a noise, a roaring noise; it sounded as if there were ponies rioting, attempting to destroy something with all their might. And running through this dark world was their target, making her way towards the infinite distance with no sense of an end, there was a baby draconequus.

She ran as fast as she could, and in the background of this dark plain appeared an all too familiar pony, overlooking the situation from the very black skies. Nightmare Moon overlooked the landscape as she watched the baby draconequus run. "Hmhm go on now, keep running, they're going to catch you if you don't pick up the pace little girl."

And her orders were actually reasonable.

Eve took a look back at her pursuers with wide eyes. She couldn't allow herself to get caught, she just couldn't; she knew what would happen if she did. She looked up towards the black sky at Nightmare Moon with a pleading expression as she ran.

Nightmare Moon could only chuckle as she looked down at the baby draconequus. "Aw what's wrong dear? Do you want your powers? Now if you had those this wouldn't be very fun for me now would it? And this is all for my entertainment so that's a no go." She snickered. "You better keep moving, they're catching up to you."

Eve only continued to run with a look of despair written on her face; her claw and hoof trekking against the flat empty space which acted as footing. Only continuing to move as fast she could, but no matter how fast she ran, this world never seemed to end; there was no end, there never was! There was only an inifinite landscape with no sense of escape, she was doomed to run until she ran out of breath, it always ended the same way here in the realm of nightmares.

Nightmare Moon smirked, this was excellent, it'd been too long since she received any form of proper entertainment. "You know I would've preferred that meddlesome Twilight Sparkle over you anyday, but you see; you helped them escape. So now I have to punish you. Why'd you have to go and get yourself involved hmm?" She paused with a wince. "Have you ever felt real pain before little draconequus? Allow me to show you!" And the mare of the moon swiped her hoof angrily.

And suddenly shackling itself around the baby draconequus's feet were large chains, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. A horrified expression ran across her face as she turned to look at her feet while laying fat on the ground. "N-No!" she cried out as she reached at the chains attempting to get them off, and she looked off in the distance as the mob of ponies only drew closer and closer now, holding their spears and pitchforks and other weapons as they charged. Eve attempted to wiggle from the chains as her inevitable fate only drew nearer. And as she realized there was no happy ending to this scenario, she looked up towards the sky and cried to the alicorn. "H-Help me! Please! I'm so sorry!"

Nightmare moon raised a hoof to her ear. "What was that?"

The baby draconequus cried. "I'm sorry for letting Twilight Sparkle go! Please, it hurts, I don't wanna feel it again! H-Help me please, I only wanted to see momma!"

Nightmare Moon scoffed, cackling maniacally afterwords. "Aha...ahahahahaha...AHAHAHAHA! You think I care about what you wanted? Foolish little girl, your sole purpose for being here is being my entertainment, and the fact you're begging for mercy only makes it that more enjoyable. Now...hmhmhmhm....enjoy."

Eve's eyes snapped wide as she cried out. "N-No! Plea-" And a spear ran straight through her slender body as she hurled up blood from her mouth. The pain was tremendous; she couldn't even manage to scream, or naturally describe how it felt. She was left speechless; and the unrelenting assault only continued. Another pony stabbed his pitchfork into her leg as their infuriated roars only continued, another pulling on her snow white mane now caked with blood as she felt herself losing consciousness as they turned her over. Another with a cleaver severed her left arm as she cried out and looked up towards the mob surrounding her; tearing her apart piece by piece.

And in her final moments before her world had gone black once again, she could only think what she'd done to put herself in this situation. And as Twilight Sparkle ran through mind; she coughed more blood, the red substance pouring from her mouth as she couldn't even bring herself to cry or scream anymore. She actually prayed to lose consciousness at this moment. And as she looked up towards Nightmare Moon while laying on her back being savagely ripped apart piece by piece by these ponies of the nightmare, she begged; somepony to save her, anypony, to just come and save her from this horror. But there was nopony coming, there never was. And as these last futile thoughts ran through her head once again and her eyes slowly started to shut, she embraced the idea; the idea of finally being able to sleep.

But it didn't end, it never did.

And in the next moment the baby draconequus found herself standing on a small wooden platform over a pool of lava.

Nightmare Moon laughed as she looked down from the sky "Aw! Did you think it was over!?"

Eve shook her head as she looked overwhelmed with terror and fear, she backed away, lowering herself and covering her head. "No, nonononononono! I don't want to anymore! I don't want to! I won't! I'm scared! Please somepony help me! Momma!" Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sniffled, biting on her lower lip shaking her head and whining. "I don't want to get hurt anymore! I don't want to! I'm sorry I attacked the little pony and her friend! I'm sorry sorry sorry!" And she just continued crying, pleading, begging the alicorn to stop.

And this only caused Nightmare Moon to wince once more as her nose twitched. "Oh shutup! This is absolutely pathetic; show some backbone you sad excuse of a draconequus child."

Eve's eyes widened as she only continued to cry looking up towards the mare.

Nightmare Moon pointed a hoof at the tightrope leading to another wooden platform with a smile. "Your race is supposed to be tough, yet look at you, here, pathetically crying. It's disgusting! But I'll tell you what, your sad little display has actually caused a sliver of pity to course through me. If you make it across to the other side, I promise I'll give you a little break. How's that sound hm? Would you like that little draconequus, a break?"

A small hopeful smile formed across her face as she nodded hurriedly. "Y-Yes..please..please I'll do anything!"

Nightmare Moon snapped. "Then walk!"

Eve cringed as she looked towards the tight rope and the wooden platform at the opposite end. She gulped, then looking down towards the scorching hot lava that awaited her down below. She couldn't fall. She had to make it, she'd do anything for the break the mare promised. She gave herself a reaffirming nod, but still frightened as she took her first step out onto the tight rope.

Nightmare Moon giggled with delight. "Ohohoho! Marvelous! That's it, be careful! Don't fall now!"

The baby draconequus wasn't humored by her words of course, and only continued to attempt balancing herself, taking step after step. All in all she was actually doing quite well for a first timer at this. It caused her to smile as she sighed with relief, making each step slow and careful, only attempting to focus on the rope and her footing; not the lava below her.

But as she walked; it was only natural something would go wrong.

As she slipped and fell to the side, she yelped in terror as she grabbed onto the tight rope on impulse, now hanging over the side.

Nightmare Moon gasped with excitement. "My oh my! Close call, you really are quite good at this!"

The baby draconequus held on tight but could already feel her grip loosening. Her tiny frail arms weren't strong enough to pull herself up and she knew it. But she gritted her teeth, desperately attempting to pull herself back up atop the tight rope, but the harder she tried, the more painful the mental blow was when she failed, and her strength wasted. And as she felt her sharp claws uncurling as she slid slowly from the rope, she shook her head, and then started to cry once again as she looked back down towards the hot lava.

Twilight Sparkle, living up to Cheerilee's example, it wasn't worth being here, it wasn't worth all this suffering.

And right before falling to her tormenting death once again.....Somepony grabbed her claw!?

The baby draconequus's eyes widened as she looked up towards her savior, which appeared to be a strange ethereal striped pony, who said nothing.

Nightmare Moon's eyes snapped wide. "What!?"

The baby draconequus could only look up towards the strange striped pony with wide eyes and confusion.

Suddenly another voice rung out from within the realm, and it even caused Nightmare Moon to raise a brow in utter bewilderment.

"Listen to the words I speak, and I shall light the path you seek."

But as relieving as the voice was, it couldn't help her right away. Nightmare Moon reacted with haste, snapping the tight rope as the ethereal striped pony disappeared into astral dust almost right afterwords.

The baby draconequus, although she was now falling to her death once again, she now had a sense of hope that she'd be able to leave here someday. And that was all she needed at the moment, so she closed her eyes as she plummeted towards the smoldering hot substance, and prepared herself for impact. Maybe somepony did come to save her.

Eve gasped as she rose from her bed breathing heavily, she felt hot, steaming, as if she had some sort of fever.

It was only another nightmare apparently; dreaming never was a very enjoyable experience these days. Ever since she'd woken up in Zecora's hut. Some days it would be relaxing, but most, would only leave her further traumatized by memories of a time in a place she didn't want to remember.

The baby draconequus was in her private chambers, and outside the blizzard was picking up violently due to her emotions as the thunder's boom only followed. She ran her paw across her forehead in a tired manner, her eyes halfway shut as she just sat there in her bed for some time, looking down at her blanket. Of course now she knew that savior of her's was Zecora and these night terrors were scars on her mind from her time spent in the realm of nightmares. And it was funny how much she wished she could forget those times completely, she wished she could forget many things these days, right after wishing she could get all her memories back, it was ironic.

She didn't want to start remembering her time spent in....that place.

And as she sat there lost in thought, it was disheartening to think she couldn't even find peace for herself in her dreams, for even outside; there was something waiting for her.

"Have a good rest?"

Eve's eyes widened as she looked towards the marble statue fastened in the center of the room. Cheerilee's stone face almost creepily focused on her as the light from the thunder revealed a frightening disheveled stare, as if the statue were a living being upset with the draconequus.

Eve never took her eyes off it as shiver ran down her spine and she muttered, looking back down. "N-No..."

"Such a bad bad girl, always disobeying her mother. While you're here sleeping, my orders still remain ignored, for you still haven't been able to pay back the ponies for the crimes you've committed. You still sit here whining about how much it hurts and how sad your life is. Such a bad bad girl."

Eve shook her head with an almost angered look. "T-That's not true! I...I am sorry for what I did! I want to repay the ponies, I just...I just don't-"

The voice snapped, now sounding like an accumulation of multiple voices combined. "You're scared! A pathetic little child too selfish to accept responsibility for her actions! That's all you are! Why won't you listen to me? Why won't you go back and pay for the crimes you've comitted!? Why must you wait for Twilight Sparkle to do it? I'll tell you why, because it's all a sad little excuse to buy time! You selfish brat, all you've ever wanted was to hide away and hope that nothing ever happens! That you could just escape! If you were too much of a coward to accept the consequences, then you should've finished the job when you had the chance!!!!!"

Eve's body trembled as she scurried against the back of her bed, looking at the statue with wide eyes. "M-Momma..wait!..."

The voice's only progressively deepened as they shouted. "I've told you many times not to refer to me as your mother you sick creature! You despicable monster! You freak of nature!" And a looming shadow started to form before the statue as the room began to darken, the windows battering and shaking as the baby draconequus trembled with fear in her bed. "If you're too scared to go pay for it yourself, then I'll help you, I'll punish you! You will be punished!"

The baby draconequus's eyes widened as she whimpered. "N-No...Please Momma I!-"

"SILENCE! YOU WILL BE PUNISHED!" And black tendrils arose from the shadow's, striking at the baby draconequus.

Eve cried out angrily as she shook her head. "NO!!!" And she ripped the bandages from her paw and pointed it at the statue.

The voice gasped. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE-" And in that next moment it'd been obliterated completely. Cheerilee's stone head flying off into the corner as the torso, legs, tail and crown skidded about to other parts of the room, trailing debris and emitting smoke from the destructive spell.

Eve's angered eyes only looked upon the broken statue as tears swelled in her eyes and she snickered, grinning fiercely. "Eheh...eheheheh.....hnhnhnhnhnh......hahaha...HAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!"

Suddenly the chamber room doors burst open, and standing in the doorway with worried frantic looks were Mr.Talon, Ms.Tusk with her sword unsheathed, and Ms.Prowl.

Mr.Talon breathed heavily as he shouted on impulse "My lady! Are you alrigh-" but he paused, noticing much like the others, the destruction laid about the room as Eve just sat in her bed, laughing. "M-My lady? What-"

Ms.Prowl took a few steps forward. "My lady w-what has happened here?" But as she saw Eve was acting much like that time when she'd found her out in the forest, it caused her to tremble a bit.

Eve stood to her feet, spreading her arms as she chuckled sadistically. "Couldn't you hear her Ms.Prowl!? Momma thought she could punish me just like that mean pony, but I showed her! I showed her just what she was dealing with! I wasn't a pathetic little girl anymore! I was assertive! Just like they always wanted! I wasn't being stupid hehe!"

But as Ms.Prowl looked back towards Mr.Talon and Ms.Tusk, they all knew they were thinking the same exact thing. None of them had heard anything, nothing besides the lady.

Eve sneered playfully as she leant her head back and looked down towards the severed stone head of Cheerilee. You all were just like her, manipulating me, using me, watching me fall. She licked her lips. You all were just,...Scum......