A ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' {{Fanfic}} written by zaptiftun.

After spending the day in Cloudsdale at a Wonderbolts air show and even getting to spend some time with her heroes, Rainbow Dash heads home content that she'd had one of the best days of her life. That is until she hears a terrible scream coming from her friend Pinkie Pie's house and enters to find the pink Earth Pony nearly broken by a horrific nightmare. Rainbow Dash must now help one of her best friends overcome some serious inner demons and get back to her happy, normal self.

''[[http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/09/story-light-in-darkness.html The Light In The Darkness]]'' ([[http://www.fimfiction.net/story/16531/the-light-in-the-darkness here]] on Fimfiction.net) is considered by many to be one of the most heartwarming fanfics in the fandom and quickly became extremely popular on both Website/DeviantArt and Equestria Daily. Despite being a OneShotFic and relatively short, it's gained a reputation for being heartwarming enough to [[BrainBleach neutralize reading the]] [[EvilCounterpart infamous]] ''Fanfic/CupcakesSergeantSprinkles'' fanfic. It was originally intended to be another Alternate Ending for ''Cupcakes'' but was revised to be more of a stand alone story though there's enough vagueness with Pinkie Pie's nightmare to still consider it as one or just a stand alone. It's also considered a great example of a "Friendshipping" story, depicting the characters' love for each other as completely platonic but still very real.

A live reading can be found [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw_sIt1PfQ8 here]].

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!! This ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' {{Fanfic}} contains examples of the following tropes:

* AllJustADream: If you consider this an alternate ending to ''Fanfic/CupcakesSergeantSprinkles'', then the events of that fic. Regardless, it begins with Pinkie Pie suffering a horrible nightmare.
* AxCrazy: Pinkie Pie is ''terrified'' this may be true of her. [[spoiler:Ultimately averted.]]
* BreakTheCutie: Pinkie Pie's nightmare pretty successfully did this to her. [[spoiler: She gets better.]]
* CoolDownHug: [[spoiler:When Pinkie Pie starts to slip back into her HeroicBSOD, Rainbow Dash uses this and some words to pull her out of it. And then following this up with an impromptu movie night so that she won't have the nightmare again.]]
* EnemyWithin: Pinkie Pie believes this may be true of her. [[spoiler:It turns out it's not but it takes a lot of convincing.]]
* AFriendInNeed: The premise of the story; Pinkie Pie needs cheering up and Rainbow Dash is there to help.
* GoshDangItToHeck:
--> '''Rainbow Dash''': Why the hay does a bakery have a cleaver?!
* HaveIMentionedIAmHeterosexualToday:
--> '''Rainbow Dash''': Come on, Pinkie, you know I like stallions!
* HealTheCutie: Achieving this with Pinkie is Rainbow Dash's goal. [[spoiler:She eventually succeeds.]]
* HeroicBSOD: Rainbow Dash comes upon Pinkie Pie in the midst of very serious one. [[spoiler:Rainbow Dash uses this to convince Pinkie Pie that she's ''not'' psychotic because she had this reaction to the dream.]]
* MadnessMantra:
--> '''Pinkie Pie''': Can't let it happen...have to protect friends...won't let them die.
* NoodleIncident: Apparently the Cakes are not at Sugercube Corner because they're on vacation to help Mr. Cake recover from getting a TwitchyEye in response to Pinkie Pie performing an experiment involving [[NoodleImplements pies and popcorn.]]
* OhCrap: Pinkie has a moment of this near the end [[spoiler:when she realizes she overslept]].
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: It doesn't take long for Rainbow Dash to realize something's not right with Pinkie. And when she realizes just how bad Pinkie's nightmare was...
* ParanoiaFuel: InUniverse, her nightmare and the existence of "Pinkamena" are this for Pinkie Pie.
* PlatonicDeclarationOfLove: [[spoiler:Pinkie and Rainbow each make one towards each other near the end.]]
* RecursiveFanFiction: A fanfic known as ''FanFic/WakingNightmares'' treats this as taking place before it, and treats ''Fanfic/CupcakesSergeantSprinkles'' as a nightmare by extension.
* ShoutOut: Pinkie Pie is a fan of the Creator/MarxBrothers.
* ShowWithinAShow: Pinkie Pie's favorite show is explained to be ''My Little People''.
* TakeOurWordForIt: We never learn the full truth about just what happened in Pinkie Pie's nightmare, but considering what is said and how it sent her spiraling into a ''serious'' HeroicBSOD, [[NothingIsScarier it's much scarier that way]].
** We also know that the story was supposed to be an alternate ending to ''Fanfic/CupcakesSergeantSprinkles'', so we can make some guesses...
* ThousandYardStare: Rainbow Dash finds Pinkie Pie in this state, noting her eyes are glazed over and, while she's focused on what she's doing, she just looks like she's in blind terror.
* TrueCompanions: Considered one of the best examples in the fandom for depicting the heroes' relationship thusly.
* WhamLine: Rainbow Dash, at least, gets completely blindsided by it. [[spoiler:"Dashie, I KILLED you! I killed EVERYPONY!"]]
* WhoWouldWantToWatchUs: Pinkie Pie mentions she likes a show called ''My Little People''. Rainbow Dash is amused that Pinkie Pie has an obsession with a "little filly's show".
* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: Rainbow Dash has this reaction (at first) when she is told a nightmare was the cause of Pinkie Pie's HeroicBSOD. That changes ''very'' quickly when she learns just a ''little'' bit of what that nightmare was about. She also has this reaction due to the fact that the bakery for some reason has a ''meat cleaver''.
** MyGodYouAreSerious: Once Rainbow Dash finds out the nightmare was from Pinkie killing everypony, ''including'' Rainbow Dash's dream self, she's a lot more understanding about Pinkie's HeroicBSOD.
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