Chapter 10 – A Waking Nightmare

This is it. The day that Ford Mustang has been looking forward to for quite some time. Practically since the day he married the most wonderful mare in all of Equestria.

But right now, at this very crucial moment of his life, something feels… off.

Very off!

In general, he’s not the biggest fan when it comes to hospitals, especially those on Earth. Mostly, it’s because of the color in the walls. Their palette choices are usually so bland, so ugly, and for lack of a better term… so utterly lifeless. But the room he is in right now is literally devoid of any form of color. In fact, there was nothing around him whatsoever. Just a black, foggy atmosphere with a shade of deceptive red. And all he can hear in this dismal fog is the loud and irritating sound of a rhythmic beeping noise.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Then, a bloodcurdling scream echoes in the bleak darkness. A familiar outcry that Ford dreads most of all. It is the sound of his wife, Rainbow Dash. Frantically, he searches his surroundings on the horrifying screams of his beloved angel, but in this awful, foggy gloom he is in right now, he can’t find her anywhere.

Suddenly, the frantic stallion sees the abrupt appearances of two well-known associates of Ponyville Hospital, Doctor Horse and Nurse Redheart. But just as he is glad to see some familiar faces, he is shocked to see something truly spine-chilling: their faces are completely blank as they lack eyes and mouths.

Startled by the colleagues’ literally blank expressions, Ford is about to question their missing features, but once again, he hears the unpleasant screams of his wife. As he begins his hysterical search anew, another pony appears out of nowhere right in front of him. This time, it is the pony he’s about to search for: Rainbow Dash, reclining on a hospital bed. And thankfully, unlike the faceless doctor and nurse, she still has her mouth and magenta eyes.

As relief starts to set in, he attempts to call out her name, but to his never-ending shock and confusion, no words could escape from his gaping lips. And before he can ponder on this increasing bewilderment, he sharply turns his attention to far more important matters due to the agonizing cries of his wife once again.

From glancing downward, he sees that Rainbow’s pregnant belly has expanded significantly since the last time he remembered; especially when she’s carrying two foals inside. At once, the faceless Doctor and Redheart take their positions as Dash shrieks in unimaginable agony while going through the final stages of her labor. As she goes through her contractions, her cries get louder and more dreadful with each passing minute as the inexplicably mute Mustang can only hold Rainbow’s right foreleg tenderly and delicately nestle her screeching head.

In the midst of her struggle, Rainbow temporarily ceases her shrieking and pants heavily while pleadingly looking at her husband in the eye. Ford wants to comfort her so much right now. He wants to assure her by saying that everything is going to be okay. Yet he feels so utterly helpless due to his suddenly unexplained, muted voice, so all he can do is gently pat her mane as he kept his gaze unto her and pointlessly mouths out the words “It’s going to be okay” over and over again. But when he keeps up with his desperate chanting, the horrific beeping noise gets even louder as its chimes beat at a faster pace.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Soon enough, the rapid ringing throbs drastically into his mind, and Rainbow’s pain-stricken screams echo at its highest pitch. And as soon as Ford is on the verge of not taking the horrific noises anymore, the nauseating sounds finally die down and are replaced with a new one… a far more soothing sound. Two sounds to be exact. The sounds of new lives being born!

At that moment, he glances at the two faceless medical practitioners that are holding his newborn twins. He can’t see their little faces since they are securely wrapped in their individual blankets, but just knowing that their first cries are as lively as ever, he couldn’t help himself from smiling like an overjoyed idiot as this is the happiest day of his life.

But as he turns over to Rainbow Dash, his jubilant smile dissolves right away as he looks at the deprived state of his extremely exhausted wife. Her tiresome eyes have heavy bags underneath them. And her painful wheezing could only let out short, raspy breaths. Yet, despite how poor she looks right now, she has enough strength within her to bear that winning smile of hers for her ever-so concerning husband.

Kneeling down right next to her, he gently strokes her fatiguing wife’s face while displaying a caring smile on his face. But as he is tending to her, he notices that not only has the sound of the infernal beeping is beginning to grow softer, but its regular pace is rapidly diminishing as well.

BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…

From figuring out the connection of that haunting beeping noise, Ford greatly fears for the worst, and he alarmingly sees Rainbow’s eyelids starting to get heavy as they slowly make their way to shut her vibrant eyes for the very last time. At once, he desperately calls out to her despite how he is still unavailable to produce any sound as he clings onto her worn-out body while shaking her up to keep herself awake. But to no avail, Rainbow’s eyelids continue their slow, final descent. And while maintaining that heartfelt smile of hers, the false sense of comfort did nothing to prevent her from succumbing to her sleep… never to wake up ever again.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP…

As the motionless mare lies on her final resting place, the haunting sound transforms into nothing more than a screeching flat line. Soon, the earsplitting noise is merged with the cries of the newborn twins as they instinctively weep over the loss of their mother who never got the chance to see Dash's face. Ignoring the sounds around him, Ford gloomily reflects over this unforeseen tragedy right before his very weeping eyes. Lamenting heavily over the death of his beloved, the heartbroken stallion silently says his final farewells by leaning forward to his fallen angel and offering one last kiss on her unnaturally cold lips.

“AAHHH!!”

From that piercing scream, Ford Mustang finally breaks free from that nightmare as he sits straight up in full alarm. There, he catches his breath rapidly as he is drenched in sweat. With a left fore hoof pressed against his forehead, he takes a moment to reflect on what that dream was all about and why it felt so real to him. It’s only been a couple days since Nightmare Night, and he hasn’t receive dreams this disturbing since his intense training days under the guidance of Hindel, his late dragon friend and the one who gifted him Draconian Magic to begin with.

As he contemplates to himself, he feels somepony else stirring right next to him when Rainbow Dash gets herself up from her side of the bed as the semi-drowsy mare mumbles in alarm, “Huh! Wha…?! What’s the matter? Is Equestria under attacked again?”

Realizing that his own scare caused the unnecessary disturbance to his 3-month pregnant wife’s rest, Ford apologizes with a sheepish smile. “Oh, uhh… sorry, Dashie. Just… a bad dream, that’s all.”

With barely opened eyes, she stares blankly at her husband before shrugging without a care and complying tiresomely, “Ugh… alright whatever. Goodnight, Ford.” And she resumes her sleep while getting underneath the cover and her back facing the stallion.

“Y-yeah, goodnight.” he stammers awkwardly as he attempts to go back to bed himself.

But sleep won’t come so easily for him. His restless mind couldn’t help but wonder on the recent dream he just had. Could it really just be a simple, horrible dream, or… is there something more to it than that? Whatever the case may be, he can’t let that bother him throughout the entire night as he seeks to get his rest while easing his mind and heart as best as he can.

Yeah… it was… just a dream, Ford.

Just… a dream.

Author's Notes:

When I considered on making this sequel, I didn't want it to be too short compared to the other two, and I have to figure out a great obstacle/challenge that Ford and Rainbow will have to face and overcome. So, that's how I came up with this inciting incident.