Lucid Dreams

by Jumping Jack

Somnus

Ghost Pepper frowned quietly. Breakfast period hasn't been too kind to him. Omelets and oat nuts. His eyes gazed at his playmate's plates. Each had their omelets and nuts in proper portion. However, despite being the first to rise early, he had found himself being passively shoved back into the back of the line. By the time it was his turn, Chef Whimsy scrapped the bottom of the pot and flipped over an omelet that had shades of dark brown flakes. He even had to scrape the bottom of the pan with the roasted oat nuts. And even they looked a tad darker than usual. And it wouldn't stop there. While the kids walked with proper portions, Ghost Pepper had only walked away with half that.

His plate looking empty before he had started on his third bite of the oat nuts. His omelet now cold and spongey. 'Just another morning of being the carpet.' he thought, finding the plate to be almost clean after his fourth bite. The colt sighed before pulling out the book he had under his wing and began reading. Sherclop Holmes was ready to begin deducing the culprit of the murder. Skillfully pointing out the hows and whys along with the baffled but surprisingly well caught on Dr. Wattson. Who would have thought it was the relative of the Rich family. Before he could really turn the page, he couldn't help but sense a presence looking at him. Rising from the book, he saw Alabaster being escorted by Merriweather and a short and stout red unicorn with a chestnut-colored mane and orchid eyes.

He glanced between the three as Alabaster leaned in, her hoof supporting her on the table.

"So, who were those three you were talking to?" she asked. Ghost Pepper frowned but said nothing. Clearly, Alabaster wasn't just here to pester him about that. The filly noticed his contemplation. "I'm not going to do anything. I'm just curious as to who those three were." She rubbed her chin. "They definitely aren't apart of the orphanage. And they seem like they could get into all sorts of trouble." She then looked slyly at the colt, making him dread the reply he was going to respond with.

"I-I don't know..." The colt waited for Alabaster to toy with him on the matter. To his relief, Mother Wisp called to the children.

"Alright, dears. Today is going to be a special day." She looked at them with a smile. "We have four potential adoption pairs." The kids gasped in both excitement and dismay. Ghost Pepper narrowed his eyes at a smiling Alabaster who pat the shoulder of a sudden shocked Merriweather. "They will be pulling each of you in one at a time for an interview. In the meantime, begin your daily morning chores and begin studying for your quiz tomorrow. Dismissed." she turned to trot down the hall, leaving the children to discuss the matter.

"Alright! I can't wait to show them what I'm made of!" one filly exclaimed.

"I-I don't want to leave though..." a colt said not too far from the excited filly.

"Why not?" another filly asked.

"I don't want to leave my friends behind..." another stated somewhere behind Ghost Pepper.

"Hey, maybe we can finally show them that game you created!" He heard a colt say to Pallet.

"I-I don't know... do you think it's too confusing?" Pallet responded. Alabaster smiled at the shy grape colored filly next to her.

"Don't worry, Merriweather. You will do great! I'll even help too!" Alabaster looked at the colt through the corner of her eye. "Ghost Pepper, I expect you to be on your best behavior." Ghost Pepper frowned even more and watched as the three trotted out of the room with a few others. He bowed his head and looked at his spongey omelet.

"Good luck, Pepper." He turned to see Pallet smile at him reassuringly as he trotted past. Ghost Pepper sighed and quietly left the room. He turned and headed straight for the opened closet. Peering in, he saw nothing but a pale and a rag.

'Guess I'm wiping down today.' he thought depressingly as he took the empty pale handle in his teeth. The empty pale dangled with each step he took as the colt made his way outside and to a hose that wrapped around a beaten plastic hold. As he unfurled the hose, he couldn't help but hear something in the distance. It sounded like voices. He looked around, pinpointing the voices coming from around the corner. Peeking out, he saw the grounds keeper tending to the daisies in a flower bed. And he wasn't alone. A mare and another stallion in a fancy workers suite. The mare seemed to be dressed in a casual blouse over her blue hide and a sun hat donning over her long and neatly primed sapphire striped mane. The other stallion was chatting to the grounds keeper. The suite covered in dirt over his orange hide and a tattered hat donning his brown mane.

"... How long is it gonna' take, Funnel?" the orange stallion asked. Funnel seemed to snap at him.

"Would you shut up about it? I'm still trying to look." the mare gave a sarcastic scoff before speaking.

"Maybe you are just not cut out for this job anymore." Funnel glared at the mare.

"Perhaps if you weren't lying on your back all day on a spring bed, maybe you can actually help me look?" The mare glared in return.

"What did you say?" she growled. The orange stallion sighed.

"Do you at least have an idea where she put it?" Funnel ruffled his mane, his hat falling off in the process.

"The nanny is being too tight lip on it. No matter what I do." The mare smirked, sending a shiver down the colt's spine. That didn't look like a good smirk.

"Feeling a little limp in the process?" Funnel turned and swung the back of a forehoof at her. The colt ducked back, hearing the hit. He peeked back out and saw the mare putting a shaky hoof to her cheek, the sun hat hiding her grim expression. She then marched off, heading in the colt's direction. As she did, the colt quickly rushed to the hose and turned it on, filling the pale slowly. He watched in quiet interest as the mare marched over to a chariot. Waiting a bit, he then quickly peeked back around the corner, seeing the two stallions chatting.

"You best keep that harlot strapped down." Funnel snapped. The orange stallion pat his shoulder reassuringly.

"She's getting my full attention tonight. But we are dead serious about this. Wherever Schnitzel put it, we will find it." Funnel snorted.

"We?" He pointed over to the direction of the mare. "That so called mare is sleeping with more ponies than you can count. And what are you doing about it? Chastising me on not finding that damn cache." He motioned to the gardens. "I've spent two years on this and you are telling me to hurry up? Why don't you grab the shovel and I get to have the full attention of her?" The orange stallion grinned slyly at the fuming gardener.

"At ease. We are doing our part in making sure the higher ups aren't going to interfere." He turned and dug out a pocket watch, checking the time. "Do whatever you must. But keep it on down low. We don't want this getting out."

"Please. They are just a bunch of kids. No pony believes kids anyway." Funnel retorted.

"Perhaps one or two. But the whole orphanage?" the stallion smirked at him. "That is blood on your hooves." Funnel watched the stallion trot in the colt's direction, making the child duck back and watch quietly.

"I'm not the one with blood on my hooves!" The colt heard Funnel say to the stallion. Ghost Pepper watched the stallion enter the chariot before it took off quickly down the dirt road. Narrowing his eyes, the colt peeked back around the corner and saw Funnel quietly fuming. Picking up his hat and dusting it off, his eyes met the colt's. He spat before trotting off into the shed. Ghost Pepper darted his eyes in thought. What had he just witnessed? Something wasn't right about the whole thing. The mare and orange stallion gave off bad vibes. But why were they chastising the gardener? Does he really know them? His thought ended when he noticed the pale suddenly overflowing with water.

"Ahh, Buck!" he quickly turned the water off and dumped the excess before taking it in his teeth and trotting into the orphanage.

~~~***~~~

Ghost Pepper noticed kids being called in while they were cleaning. The interviews were well under way. When the short and stout filly was called in, she had forgotten she was supporting a pale of water. As she turned, the pale fell and splattered on the floor, much to the groans of protest from the others. Ghost Pepper frowned as the water trailed down over to him. Looking to see if any of the others would help him, sighing when none had offered, he quietly moved the rage over the water. His ear twitched when he heard a knock coming from the front door.

Again, the colt looked to see if any of the others would volunteer to get it. He sighed before finally reaching for the door and opened it.

"Hey, it's you!" the colt shrunk back behind the door, peeking out meekly from behind it. The yellow filly, Applebloom as she called herself, smiled at him. He noticed the other two behind her. And not only that, but the wagon they also had was full of small sacks of apples. With them at the wagon was also a freckled orange mare with a blonde mane and a brown desperado hat, who had started unloading one sack with ease. Ghost Pepper looked at each of them, studying their motives. His train of thought cut off by the sudden nanny appearing beside him.

"Why, hello! What are you three doing here?" Mother Wisp asked with a smile. The three fillies saluted to the nanny.

"We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" Applebloom stated proudly. Mother Wisp gave a small but confused smile at them.

"Crusaders?" she asked. The white unicorn filly, Sweetie Bell if memory serves the colt right, happily nodded.

"That we are, ma'am! Our job is to help the other colts and fillies find their cutie marks!" She looked to her flank, seeing the shield with a musical note surrounded by a star. Now that the colt took more time to look, the three had almost similar marks. However, the symbols in the middle of the shield were more unique to them. Applebloom with the cutie mark of an apple surrounding a small heart. And the orange filly, Scootaloo as he remembers, had a wing surrounding lightning. Mother Wisp then spotted the orange mare walking up to them with two sacks full of apples.

"How interesting. And hello, Applejack. It's a pleasure to see you again." The orange mare tipped her hat with a smile.

"Afternoon, Mother Wisp." the mare greeted. "Having yer' hooves full at the moment?" Mother Wisp chuckled before shaking her head.

"Not at all. I was, in fact, expecting you." she opened the door fully, causing the colt to back up a little to the side, motioning for them to enter. "The kids are being interviewed at the moment, but they always love it when you bring apples from the orchard." She looked at the three fillies who were hard at work on unloading the apple sacks. "And you appear to not be alone this time." Applejack nodded.

"My lil' sis wanted to do the honor of deliverin' the apples this month." she smiled to the three as an apple sack plopped on the ground as Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo struggled to drag one across the dirt ground. "Said she ran into one of yer' kids yesterday." The colt felt his dread deepen. Oh no... they told her about him? Mother Wisp clapped her hooves together.

"Of course! I remember Alabaster telling me that they were talking to dear Ghost Pepper here." She looked at the colt now, who was quietly tip hoofing away from the conversation. He suddenly felt his tail being gripped by magic and dragged back to her, making him stare blankly and fearfully at the orange mare. The mare smiled and tipped her hat.

"Well, howdy, sport. You the colt my sis ran into?" The colt said nothing but continued to stare up at the mare. Mother Wisp nudged him.

"Don't be shy dear. Why don't you go help your little friends with the wagon?" Again, he was nudged forward. He slowly passed the orange mare, not bothering to look before heading over to the wagon. Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell had just gotten back from unloading the first apple sack into the storage shed and Applebloom heaved another sack out to the ground. She smiled and waved at the colt.

"Well, howdy! Wanna help with the wagon?" she asked. Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell struggled to drag another sack across the ground. The young colt contemplated. 'Should I really be doing this? We only met yesterday and they are acting like I know them.' He looked at another apple sack that Applebloom heaved from the wagon. He poked it gently before looking up at the two who had finally placed the second apple sack into the shed. Applebloom hopped out and gripped a corner of the sack with her teeth and pulled. Surprisingly, she was able to drag it away from the wagon with ease before she had gotten it stuck on a tree root.

Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo rushed over and tried to help. But they were getting nowhere. The colt rubbed his chin. Why wasn't Scootaloo picking it up from the air? She is a Pegasus right? He got his answer when he noticed her wings buzzing almost like a bug and hadn't gained any height. Ghost Pepper felt bad now. He opened his mouth to say something. But then closed it, remembering a passage from the tale of Constance and Tussle.

"Actions speak louder than words." Constance had said to a disgruntled banker at Tussle's sudden help. He took a deep breath and flapped his wings, gaining a small bit of height, but enough to hover over the sack. As he did, he gripped the bag with his teeth and pulled up, causing the sack to lift over the root and the fillies were able to get the sack in with ease. Taking a moment's breather, the fillies hoof clapped each other before turning to the colt.

"Thanks a bunch." Scootaloo smiled. The colt rubbed his foreleg shyly.

"E-erm... why didn't..." he began. The three looked at him confusedly. He took another deep breath. "W-why didn't you fly up to lift the bag?" The three took a moment before realizing that Scootaloo was being addressed. She the rubbed the back of her head before speaking.

"It's a long story." she said with a small hint of sadness. Ghost Pepper caught it and the fear came back again. Oh goddesses, he said something bad. Something that shouldn't have been brought up. To his surprise though, the filly smiled and nudged him. "But I'm not too worried about it. What about you? You seem like you know what you are doing." Ghost Pepper stuttered again. What should he say? The three looked at him, waiting patiently for him to respond. When no words came out, the awkward moment was broken by Applebloom.

"Well, we still have two more sacks to unload. You're welcome to help if ya' like." Ghost Pepper said nothing but nodded quietly, following the three and helping with the last two. Once the sacks were settled, Ghost Pepper closed the shed and sighed.

'I really bucked this one over.' he thought sadly to himself. They were being nice and in return he had asked something awful. And as much as the filly brushed it off, he couldn't help but see that it bugged her. Albeit, not as much as it used too it seems. But the colt still felt heavy in the heart for asking such a question. He was then tapped on the shoulder, making him stiffen and turn quickly. He saw Applebloom smile at him.

"Thanks fer' the help. I still didn't catch yer' name." The colt arched a brow. He swallowed his shaky breath before speaking.

"I-it's.... Ghost Pepper." Applebloom smiled again and held out a hoof. The colt looked at it confusedly.

"Nice to meet ya', Ghost Pepper." The colt hesitantly took the hoof and they shook. He found himself easing a bit.

'This.... isn't so bad, I guess.' he thought with a small smile. That was when they heard a soothing sound. The filly looked around, seeing the other two walk up to her with the same questioning looks.

"What's that sound?" Scootaloo asked.

"It sounds like a violin." Sweetie Bell stated. Ghost Pepper nodded. He knew exactly who plays the violin in the orphanage. And not only that, it was accompanied by a soothing voice, singing harmoniously to the strings. For a moment, the world seemed to slow to listen to the voice and soothing melody. Ghost Pepper, without so much as a thought, trotted over to a window and climbed up a box. Peeking in, he saw ponies in the room. A mare and a stallion, staring in awe as a snow-white filly with a blonde mane sat to the side with the violin. She stroked the bow across the strings with such perfection that the notes continued in rhythm. The one singing in an angelic voice however, was a grape-colored filly who had always followed her around like a puppy. Merriweather was singing nothing in particular but rising and descending her voice along with the notes.

Alabaster had her eyes closed, stroking the bow slowly across the violin. Her expression was calm and in thought. The colt hadn't noticed the other three peeking in with him. They were awe struck.

"Whoa... she's good." Sweetie Bell said. Ghost Pepper sighed. He had to agree with her. As much torture and influence she brings, her sense of justice is clear. And as the grape-colored filly finished her song, she looked shyly at the parents.

"I... I can't believe what I just heard." the mare said, utterly baffled by the display she had witnessed. Mother Wisp and Applejack were in the room as well. Mother Wisp was wiping her eyes with a handkerchief while the orange mare smiled and tipped her hat.

"Well now. That's about an amazing voice 'Ah ever heard." Applejack said. Mother Wisp nodded before looking to the fillies.

"Thank you, Alabaster. Merriweather." Alabaster smiled and shouldered her violin. Merriweather slid off the chair and trotted shyly out of the room with a confident Alabaster at her side. Ghost Pepper pulled away, causing Sweetie Bell to turn to him.

"They are definitely getting adopted after that!" she said with a smile. Scootaloo agreed with a nod.

"No way can anyone top that!" Applebloom looked to Ghost Pepper.

"What about you, Pepper?" she asked. Ghost Pepper said nothing. He knew what was going to happen next. It was the same thing over and over. No matter how impressive or stunned, it was the same answer. And Alabaster would refuse. Because she holds too much influence in this place. Ghost Pepper had found himself suddenly trotting quietly into the orphanage, ignoring the confused looks from the three fillies. Turning down to the hall and heading up the stairs, he saw that some of the doors were closed now. And while the kids were studying for the quiz, the halls remained quiet.

Alabaster and Merriweather have definitely made an impression. But it was always the same answer. And as the colt trotted down the hall, he could hear the soothing sound of a violin in the room next to his. The door slightly ajar. He peeked in and saw Alabaster stroking the violin with the bow. Merriweather was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the bed next to hers was barren. Empty even. She made an impression and it worked. And as the young snow-white filly strummed the last note, she held it to her chest. A small sound escaping her throat.

"The price I vowed to pay." she whispered to herself. Ghost Pepper quietly stepped back and walked into his own room, leaving his torturer to her thoughts. Making his way to his desk, he pulled out a textbook and quietly read a page.

'Four potential parents.' He thought. Why had Mother Wisp said "each and everyone"? The interviews didn't last long. And the doors that were once closed were now open. That day reminded him. Reminded him why they are here. The years of spending time with the others were natural. But having to find that something has changed made it... scary. And he wasn't the only one scared. And while the three fillies he had left all of a sudden were now packing up and heading out with the orange mare on the wagon, he turned back to the book and read. The sound of a violin moving through his mind.

The same answers over and over again. And tonight, sixteen were left to study. Each with their doors closed, signaling that they are quietly enthralled in their own space. All except one. The perfect inspiration she gave to all of them. The soothing music that helped eased their troubled minds. Ghost Pepper felt his eyes heavy. Music is nice. A lullaby for his thoughts. The day went into night and the halls remained quiet. Quiet, except for the soothing melody.

~~~oooOOOooo~~~

The melody was soothing. Ghost Pepper found himself in a trance. Music is nice. He listened closely to the melody. It was sad. Almost as if it was crying out. Then, he heard the voice. Young and angelic. The colt blinked once, finding himself surrounded by ponies. Ponies he couldn't make out the faces of. And not only that, he looked down at himself. he was dressed in a penguin tuxedo. Confusion came to mind. Why was he here? And why is this lullaby so clear? Looking ahead, he saw a stage. It was spacey and circular. The lights were dim, all except for a spotlight on a mare. A beautiful mare. One who he couldn't help but feel she was familiar.

"Tis a soothing melody." he heard a voice next to him. He looked to his right and saw a tall and elegant alicorn in a black as night dress. Her flowing mane was wrapped into a ponytail. the colt found it fascinating and odd at the style of mane choice. But another thought came to mind. Why is she here? "Do you know where exactly this is?" Ghost Pepper arched a brow before realizing he was being addressed.

"A... stadium of some kind?" the colt responded. Princess Luna nickered quietly before looking ahead at the performance.

"Not quite." She smiled. The colt rubbed his chin.

"A dream?" he asked. The princess nodded.

"The real question you should be asking thy self. Whose dream?" Ghost Pepper rubbed the back of his mane.

"Umm... I'm not sure." He looked to watch as the mare slowly strummed the violin with a bow. The crowd quiet and attentive. That was when he heard a small gasp.

"She's beautiful!" He looked and balked at the very young and small filly next to him. No wonder the mare looked familiar. Alabaster stared in star struck awe at the mare in the spotlight. She happily beamed at the stallion next to her. The colt darted his eyes in thought at the filly. He then looked to the princess, hoping she would provide the answers. But the alicorn continued to smile at the performance.

"I am no stranger to dreams like her's. It is one of my duties as the Princess of the Night." Princess Luna's horn glowed and the spotlight became a glimmer spectacle. The sight stole the colt's breath away. "Dreams like these are memories. But in thou case, you can easily change its course." This was all so strange. What was the princess getting at? That he could change a dream's course? The colt looked at the glimmers from the light. He could almost imagine them as stars. He blinked once and gasped. The glimmers were indeed that. Small little star specs floating around the mare. He heard the young Alabaster let out a breath and stare happily at the sight. The innocence clearly displayed on her face. This was completely different to the filly he knew.

"So... I'm in her dream, yet... I can change its course?" Princess Luna nodded to the colt.

"You can change a dream's course. Anyone of our subjects can. But only a few are aware." The colt looked up at the princess. He couldn't help but notice her eyes darting the scene. Was she... looking for something? Her expression went from motherly to grim in a blink of an eye. That was when the colt noticed ponies from the crowd suddenly stand up while a few were rushing away from their seats. It didn't take him long to realize what was going on. On the stage was no longer the mare, but a pile of debris. Destroyed catwalk metal and railing along with lights and sandbags. The music was silent now. He looked and balked at the sudden change of the filly's expression.

Alabaster at first couldn't register what had happened.

"M-momma?" Ghost Pepper stood up and put a hoof on her shoulder.

"Alabaster? What's going on?" He looked to the grim looking princess. "What's going on?"

"A mind like yours is something I find interesting, yet normal." The princess suddenly said. "But it can be blessing and a curse. Do not give in to your nightmare, child. It is your domain." Ghost Pepper furrowed his brows and looked back at Alabaster. She was no longer tiny, but the same filly he knew now. She was strumming the violin. He looked around, seeing that the stage was no longer a scene. Just a black empty void. With only the accompaniment of the two and the melody.

"A price I vowed to pay." Alabaster said suddenly as she stopped playing. Ghost Pepper again furrowed his brows in worry.

"Alabaster, what was all that?" he asked. It took a moment, but the filly finally responded to his touch. She blinked in confusion.

"P-Pepper?" Ghost Pepper was about to respond when he suddenly heard the sound of creaking metal. He and Alabaster looked up just in time to see a heavy spotlight fall down on them.

~~~oooOOOooo~~~

Ghost Pepper jolted up from his bed. His heavy breath disrupting the quietness of his room. He kicked off the covers and rushed to the window. Early dawn. The colt withdrew from the window and looked over to his door. Only silence. The image of Alabaster and the stage came back to him.

'What was all that?' the pegasus thought to himself. 'And what was the princess trying to tell me?' She had told him that his mind is interesting to her. But what was normal about it? And why did they meet under those circumstances? so many questions were running through his mind. The colt shook away the thought. He had other important matters to attend too. Today was the quiz. And he needed to be at the top of his game. And more so, he wanted to try and at least discuss what he had witnessed. But he was fearful of the thought. That would mean confronting his torturer. The very pony that made him dread his waking existence.

He can only hope that nothing too bad will happen. 'But of course, this is Alabaster I am talking about.' he thought. It would take some convincing to do. And what no better way than to get a little help from a certain detective from a book. Taking the Sherclop book under his wing, the colt rushed out of his room and straight down to the dinner hall. If he wanted answers, he needed to figure out the motive. Time for a little recon.

Author's Note:

Six days untill the fair. Sixteen remaining.

Dreams are scenes of imagery we play out in our mind during sleep. But they can also have meaning. And symbolism is no stranger to art.