The Dream Thief

by rocklobster

Pop Quiz

Twilight examined their surroundings. She remembered the first thing Luna had taught her about the Dreaming.

"The first thing to remember is that there are no rules." Luna had said. "The Dreaming has no order. No rhyme nor reason. Only chaos."

"Discord would be at home, then." Twilight had joked.

"Are you ready for this?" Luna asked.

"Not really." Twilight confessed.

"Think of it as a pop quiz." Luna giggled.

"You're not helping." Twilight said with narrowed eyes.

Two other alicorns came into view.

"Princess Celestia! Cadence!" Twilight ran up to her mentor and her sister-in-law. Their wings were frayed and they could barely run.

"Why did you bring her here?" Celestia asked.

"I'm sure she is ready for the challenge ahead." Luna said.

"This isn't a good time for one of her lessons." Cadence objected.

"And when would be a good time?" Luna fumed. "When that sorban has drained us completely?"

"Sorban? We're--you said nothing about a sorban!" Twilight gasped. "I remember them from that book you gave me. They feed on magic! We're pretty much the main course!"

"Calm down, sister-in-law." Cadence walked over a placed a comforting wing on Twilight's wing. She touched her horn with hers and sent magical energy into it.

"Fear of this kind will not help. It wants you to be afraid."

Twilight felt fear escaping her mind. She looked over at her friends. Luna, Celestia, and Cadence were depending on her.

"I mustn't panic." she told herself. "Thank you Cadence."

Cadence nodded. "Anytime"

---

They stopped at a tree with twisted limbs that dug into the ground, forming cages around several unicorns. Twilight recognized two of them.

"Twilight!" a pale blue unicorn clad in purple robes shouted. "The Great and Powerful Trixie cannot bear this! She must be freed!"

Rarity was next to her. "Must you always be so melodramatic, darling? Twilight, it's good to see you, but you shouldn't be here."

"You seem in better shape than the princesses." Twilight said.

"That's only because that thing hasn't come after us yet." Trixie explained. "It's a six-course meal. We're just dessert."

"How are we going to defeat this thing? You don't think we could simply zap it all night long." Twilight asked.

"No. That's not our strategy." Luna said. "Free your friends. Use your horn on the tree."

"Right." Twilight nodded.

She walked over to the tree and used her magic to free her friends.

"Why do you need her? The Great and Powerful Trixie..." Trixie began.

"Should be silent." Rarity cut her off. "I know we're friends, but do stop carrying on."

Luna said. "The three of us are too weak to go look for the Speckled Opal, the succubus's only weakness. That's where you come in, Rarity."

"Oh, I get it. My gem-tracking abilities." Rarity realized.

"And what about me?" Trixie said.

"I'm sure you can be of help." Luna said. "You'll come up with something."

"So where do we start looking?" Twilight asked.

"There's a cliff over that way." Luna pointed with her wing.

"Will you be all right?" Rarity asked. "I don't see how you could fight a cerebus in your condition, let alone a succubus."

"I understand your concern. I have enough magic to heal the others. We'll make do." Cadence answered.

"But--" Twilight explained.

"No time, my friend." Trixie interrupted, shaking her head. Her pride was absent for once.

Twilight fought back tears, for she knew how vulnerable Luna, Celestia, and Cadence were in their condition. There was an even
greater danger, for in the world of Dreaming, even alicorns were mortal, in a way. If they died here, they would remain in the Dreaming for eternity, unable to return to their bodies. I'm not ready to take your place just yet.