Healing Touch was worried. Her assistant could tell as the physician sent the fifth mare back out from the medical tent and followed her out, watching as she gathered with the others that had come to her for help. “I don’t get it,” the unicorn told her. “Five cases of the exact same thing and yet they are all from different divisions, have different battle experiences, so it can’t be from the trauma of the same campaign. It’s not fatigue, yet all had a nightmare last night they can’t remember, and yet act as if they’re exhausted. Like - ”

“Fly Away?” the assistant said, thoughtfully. “Did she not also say she felt an ‘evil presence’ in her dream?”

The physician’s eyes widened. “I had forgotten that! Yes, she did. Call them all back in. I want them all in here when I inquire further into this ‘nightmare’ and find out if Fly Away is awake enough yet we can also have her attend.”

“Yes, ma’am!” The assistant went away to do her superior’s bidding.

The Marazon council made quick time back to their army. As soon as the scouts spotted them, Healing Touch went out to greet them just outside camp.

The physician bowed before Ainippe. “May I speak to you in private, my Queen?”

She nodded, instructing the council to wait for her. Neris looked put out, especially when the Queen gestured for Quiet Hoof to accompany them instead of her.

“How is Fly Away?” was the Queen’s first question.

Healing shook her head. “Exhausted, upset. Understandably so.”

“Of course,” Ainippe agreed. “I would prefer to send her to the Southern Bay Tree Tribe to recover - “

“As I told her would most likely happen, your Majesty, but she is badly agitated. She claims she foresaw this attack in a dream of great detail, describing all that had happened, including the death of her squad.”

“Is she sure of this?” the Queen asked.

“Very. And there is more. Since you and the council left to confer, I have seen at least a dozen mares, all exhibiting the same signs of stress and fatigue Fly Away has,” the unicorn went on. “They all share vague recollections of a nightmare they cannot recall - “

“ - except for darkness and dread,” an elder mare’s voice said behind them.

The trip to Mirror Lake, its bad memories and disturbing portents had done much to fray the Marazon leader’s nerves, especially when it came to Neris’s persistent meddling. “Did it also tell you to eavesdrop, Neris?’ the Queen snapped, turning to her as did the other two mares.

The elder mare was taken aback by Ainippe’s vicious tone. Her gaze went briefly to Quiet Hoof who merely rolled her eyes, radiating a ‘You deserved that’, attitude that promised no support. Her gaze went back to their leader. “In this case I am glad I did since I too experienced some of what Healing Touch describes.”

Ainippe took in the comment, but ignored her for the moment, lest she say something she would regret. She turned to Quiet Hoof. “We need to learn the extent of this - condition and how it might affect our battle prowess.” She was interrupted as a vibration of intense heat passed through her, making her shiver violently.

“Ugh! What was that?” Quiet Hoof shuddered, as did Healing Touch.

“You felt it, too?” the Queen asked. Both nodded.

A peculiar vibration on the ground next to Quiet’s hoof made her look down. She yelped, jumping back. Her eyes widened. “What?”

All eyes went to where she was looking. Some unseen force was stirring the ground next to her. It flung dust and dirt in all directions, as if a small whirlwind had suddenly come into existence. When it cleared, there was a single word burned into the ground - Nyx.

Neris growled, stepping back, agitated. “How is she doing this?” she asked, uneasy.

Before anypony could answer, more writing appeared in choppy, violent stirrings of the ground.

25 affected.

Ainippe looked up. The air was shimmering and charged with a hot wind around them. She thought she saw the form of a mare fading in and out of existence next to the writing, but it couldn’t gain solid form. “Nyx? If that is you, how did this come about?”

More writing overwrote the prior message - Sombra - dreams - fear feeder.

“‘Fear-feeder’?” Healing echoed. “What does that mean?”

“This is King Sombra’s doing,” Quiet Hoof replied. “She must be trying to tell us he got to them through their dreams.”

“But what does fear-feeder mean?” the physician asked further.

“He is feeding their fears?” Neris offered.

“Or feeds on their fears,” the Marazon leader muttered. She looked to her companions. “Either way, he has gotten to two dozen of our troops.”

“But why pick the ones he did?” Ainippe asked the space where Nyx appeared trapped in some bizarre layer of time she could not quite penetrate.

The unnatural heat and awful feeling of something not quite there faded. “Nyx?” Ainippe called out. “Nyx! We need to know more!”

“Guess we’re on our own,” Quiet shivered. “Gods, that was creepy!”

“It appears that was all she could do to warn us,” the Queen shook her head. “But it was enough. Two dozen and one is not an appreciable number, unless there was a strategy in selecting the victims. We won’t know until we locate the others affected.” She turned to Quiet Hoof. “Unfortunately, we will have to do this on the move. Fortunately we already know half the number, so it should be a quicker search. Inform the Division Leaders to find the others affected thusly and report back to you at once.”

“As you command,” Quiet Hoof nodded and sped off to carry out her orders.

Neris watched Ainippe silently work out how this affected the council’s strategy in her head for a moment, then spoke up. “So we are looking for another dozen, minus myself.”

“I’m not counting you in their numbers,” the Queen replied.

“And why not?”

The Marazon started walking back towards where the Council awaited them. Neris trotted to catch up. “Well?” she asked again.

“There is no strategic value in battle in affecting you, Neris. You’re not a warrioress,” Ainippe replied, continuing without breaking stride.

“‘No strategic value’?” the elder mare huffed, offended. “How dare you - “

The Queen stopped, turning on her. “No - how dare you! The next time I say, ‘alone’, I mean ALONE! You trot over my authority like it does not exist!”

“And you felt that a necessary lesson to teach me in front of others, Ainippe?” Neris shot back.

“Yes,” the Queen replied without hesitation. “If you ignore and usurp my authority in front of others, have no doubt I will humiliate you in front of them to regain it!”

Having no valid retort to her, Neris switched topics. “This is not about authority, Ainippe. The trip here has been stressful enough. I can see it in your temper. Mirror Lake IS where Nyx went insane all those years ago.”

“She is not insane and that breakdown was thanks to you,” the Marazon Queen spat. She came up closer to Neris, her eyes burning with challenge. “If you plot to send me over the edge by sticking a poker in my side, remember this, Neris. YOU are NOT in line next to assume the leadership of those we should be concerned with right now - our people.”

“You think I would want leadership?” the elder mare balked.

“Oh, I know you do. But consider this - Nyx is next by right of birth - “

Neris looked stunned. “She is unbalanced - and ADOPTED. Everymare knows this! There would be challenges to her ascension.”

“Challenges would take time, Neris. And in the meantime she would rule,” Ainippe reminded her, a smile spreading across her face. “And you know what? She told me what her first decree would be. It seems it would involve turning you over to King Sombra for target practice.”

“She - she wouldn’t dare!” Neris sputtered.

“Oh, she would. No one else would dare, but SHE would.” the Queen drew closer, amusement in her eyes translating to her voice. “And you know what gave her the idea?”

Neris only gave a small, scared nod in question.

“Seeing it happen in the future,” Ainippe replied. “A possible future. So I wouldn’t shake her tree too much in the meantime - nor give her the chance to make that future a certain one by ousting me. Remember that and keep thy place.”

The elder mare remained quiet as the Queen of the Marazons drew back. Disgusted, yet satisfied at the same time, she galloped off to catch up to the Council, needing to burn off the pent-up energy of her hatred for the creature she blamed for her adopted daughter’s lost childhood.