Book Three: Horizons
Chapter One: Cracks
Twilight, Fluttershy, Scootaloo, and a disguised Celestia stood in a line, looking up at the floating city that spread through the northern skies. It dominated the view, completely blocking their line of sight to Canterlot.
Scootaloo leapt into the air and flapped her tiny wings, hovering for a moment before landing again. “I can’t wait for tomorrow! Rainbow Dash told me that it was going to be a special performance with a special announcement at the start!” the filly shouted excitedly. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but it’s gonna be awesome!”
The three others nodded their heads. “Awesome is right,” Twilight said quietly, still staring up at Cloudsdale. “I wonder why they moved Cloudsdale to here?”
Scootaloo tilted her head and gave Twilight a confused look. “Did you bump your head in that tree? You’re one of the ones who helped move it here, after all,” she said with a blink of her eyes.
Twilight cleared her throat and tapped the side of her head with a hoof. “Oh, of course!” she said nervously. “Sorry, I guess I had a bit of a ditzy moment there. Right, how could I forget that?”
“Well,” Celestia said, turning around, “I should look around this town and, you know, see the sights and gather some local information. I think that’s the best plan for right now.” She nodded her head sideways towards Twilight and Fluttershy, gesturing for them to follow.
“Oh yes, we should show you around!” Fluttershy joined in, also turning to join Celestia who was walking out towards the main areas of the village.
“You’re new around here, huh?” Scootaloo asked, sliding in front of Celestia, still wearing a big excited smile. “I could help! I know all the best places in town to have fun!”
Twilight laughed and patted the filly on the head. “Oh, that’s okay, Scootaloo. We should be fine. My cous--”
“Friend!” Celestia interrupted abruptly.
“I mean, my friend and I, here, will be fine on our own,” Twilight finished with a bit of confusion.
“Yes,” Celestia added with a nervous laugh. “More of an acquaintance, really. Twilight Sparkle was going to show me Sugarcube Corner, weren’t you?”
Scootaloo hung her head despondently. “Fine, grown-up time, I get it,” she said with a groan. “It’s just so boring around here with Rainbow Dash gone.”
All three of the travelers’ eyes lit up at the mention of Rainbow Dash, even her absence.
“Rainbow Dash is gone?” Fluttershy asked, approaching Scootaloo. “Where is she?”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes and sighed. “I think all three of you must have bashed your heads into the ground too hard when you fell out of the tree,” she said. “What were you even doing up there, anyway? And what was that flash a minute ago?”
Of course, Twilight thought, The us from this world must already know where Rainbow Dash is... and why Cloudsdale is in the sky... oh, and Twilight from this world wouldn’t recognize a cousin, or a friend for that matter!
“Silly us, I guess we really are out of it!” Twilight said, shaking her head back and forth. “Just... remind us?”
Scootaloo shrugged and pointed up at Cloudsdale. “She’s up there, of course, with the Wonderbolts! They’re getting ready for their show tomorrow! Do you remember the poster you were just gawking at, or do I need to show that you that again, too?” The orange pegasus pointed towards the wall where the poster they had been looking at was hanging.
Twilight raised her head and looked towards Cloudsdale again. “Maybe you should go up there and see how she’s doing, Fluttershy,” she said. “We’ll head to Sugarcube Corner and meet you there afterwards.”
Scootaloo looked back and forth between Twilight and Fluttershy suspiciously. “What’s going on at Sugarcube Corner, anyway?” she asked, tilting one eyebrow upward.
Twilight thought for a moment. There’s no harm in saying we’re going to see Pinkie Pie, I guess.
“We just need to have a little talk with Pinkie, that’s all,” Twilight said nonchalantly. Scootaloo took a step backwards and stared at Twilight silently, as if she’d just said something terrifying. “Is... something wrong, Scootaloo?”
After a moment, Scootaloo managed to open her mouth to speak. “Is... Is Pinkie Pie back? Did they find her?” she asked. Her eyes were were now beginning to tear up and she sniffled lightly before bringing a foreleg up to her eyes to wipe them.
Oh dear... what now? Twilight thought, And what’s happened to Pinkie Pie?
Celestia thought quickly and interjected. “Don’t worry, child, I’m certain Pinkie Pie is okay. I’ve come all the way from Canterlot just to find her.” While not entirely truthful, this line did seem to bring a smile to Scootaloo’s face.
“Good. It has been boring without Rainbow Dash, but Pinkie Pie being gone just made it worse,” Scootaloo said. “I know you wanted to be alone, but do you mind if I come with you? I promise to not get in the way. I want Pinkie Pie back as much as anypony.”
Twilight glanced at Celestia and clenched her teeth, shaking her head slightly. However, it was too late, Celestia had already patted the filly on the head.
“Of course you can come,” Celestia said with a gentle smile.
Scootaloo leapt into the air happily and then ran off towards an alley across the way. “I just need to get my scooter! It’s around the other side of this building!” she shouted as she disappeared from sight. The three remaining ponies took this opportunity to quickly huddle together.
“Okay, Fluttershy, we’re counting on you,” Celestia said quietly. “We need you to bring Rainbow Dash down to Ponyville somehow. We’ll still meet at Sugarcube Corner. Once she’s there, we’ll awaken her.”
Fluttershy nodded. “What if she won’t come, though? How do I convince her?”
Twilight smiled and tapped a hoof against Fluttershy’s chest. “You know Rainbow Dash better than anypony else. If anyone can think of the right thing to say to her, it’s you,” she said, glancing towards the alley Scootaloo had run into. “But just remember, you can’t say anything about the changelings or the dream worlds. Once she knows the truth, she might start to reject the dream and wake up. It happened to me, so be careful not to let anything slip.”
“Yes, it’s a defense mechanism,” Celestia added. “When a dreamer starts to become lucid, that is when they know they are dreaming, there is a tendency for the lucidity to express itself by ending the dream. Lucidity is not the normal state for a dreamer, and a sudden realization could cause the dream to just end.”
Fluttershy nodded her head. “My awakening wasn’t all that terrible, though. I was scared, but the dream didn’t end,” she responded.
Twilight shook her head. “Fluttershy, you caused a worldwide earthquake and rainstorm, not to mention draining the color out of everything. Anyway... it's best just to not take the chance."
Fluttershy glanced up and saw Scootaloo approaching on her scooter at high speed. “I’ll be on my way, then. Good luck!” she said, and then spread her wings, taking off towards Cloudsdale.
Twilight and Celestia joined Scootaloo and began to head towards the town center where Sugarcube Corner was located.
Fluttershy pushed her way up through the lower levels of Cloudsdale, passing between two large cloud islands and into the southern square. It didn’t take her long to find indications of where Rainbow Dash was staying. Posters were plastered on walls and ponies in the street were talking with childlike excitement about the upcoming Wonderbolts show. She knew that a lot of pegasi were Wonderbolts fans, but this was beyond the usual levels.
Everypony is so excited, she thought. I guess that makes sense. There’s no bigger fan than Rainbow Dash, so everypony in her dream must be big fans, too.
At the northwest end of the central cloud stood a giant complex atop a cloud mound. The emblem of The Wonderbolts shone brightly from the front, and several spires shot upward from it at various points. The central tower rose higher than the rest, and Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark was emblazoned upon it.
Fluttershy sighed and rolled her eyes. She’s definitely getting a little carried away, but it’s her dream, so I guess that’s fine. It’s not like my dream didn’t get out of hoof, too.
She glided towards the compound for what felt like ages, realizing as she went that it was much larger and further away than she’d initially thought. The compound itself was practically the size of the royal palace in Canterlot. As she got closer and was able to see more detail, she could see each tower had its own cutie mark, signifying the inhabitant. At the top of each tower was an entrance to the interior, which she assumed would be each Wonderbolt’s living quarters.
She finally approached the entrance to Rainbow Dash’s tower and landed on the balcony that hung outside the large, regal doors. They were made of thick, stained wood and had her cutie mark carved in the center. It was definitely the type of thing you’d expect to see in Canterlot, and not so much in Cloudsdale. Fluttershy grimaced.
Really, Rainbow Dash? she thought to herself. This seems a bit much, even for you...
Fluttershy knocked softly against the door and put her ear against it. “Rainbow Dash?” she said timidly after a moment. The grandiosity of the whole situation had made her a bit nervous to the point where she wasn’t even sure if she should be meeting her like this without the others. It was too late now, though. She could hear hoofsteps on the other side of the door, and then it swung inward a second later.
Fluttershy stumbled forward slightly, then regained her balance and looked up at the pony on the other side of the door. Rainbow Dash stood before her, a slightly confused look on her face. Her mane was a bit longer than Fluttershy remembered it being, and she had the back of it tied up in a ponytail. She was wearing a red velvet robe with a white collar. The robe was tied loosely at her waist and had long tails that dragged behind her. Regardless of the slight differences, it was definitely her, and this was the first time Fluttershy had seen Rainbow Dash since her dream version of her had died in her forelegs.
She swallowed, trying to hold back mixed feelings of happiness and sadness. The thought that this was the real Rainbow Dash only amplified her feelings, though, and she couldn’t keep herself from grabbing her friend and hugging her tightly.
Rainbow Dash raised a foreleg and put it around Fluttershy’s shoulders. Her brow furrowed and she blinked with confusion. “Nice to see you, too?” she said, unsure of what was going on.
Back on the ground, Twilight, Celestia, and Scootaloo had almost reached Sugarcube Corner. On the way there, Scootaloo had been explaining what had happened to Pinkie Pie.
“Nopony knows what happened, but just after getting back from the royal wedding, Pinkie Pie started acting really weird,” she recalled. “She would always look at walls, or even empty spaces, really strangely and say she could see cracks in the world.”
Twilight glanced at Celestia, who returned a knowing look. Pinkie had been aware that something was wrong with the world, just like Pinkie Twi had, she thought.
“And then what happened?” Celestia asked as they turned a bend in the road and Sugarcube Corner came into view.
Scootaloo shrugged. “She just up and vanished one night. Nopony has seen her since. Zecora came and tried to use her powers to figure out anything she could,” she said. “Hay, even you couldn't tell what happened, Twilight. You tried everything and couldn’t seem to make heads or tails of any of it, especially those weird notebooks she left.”
Twilight grinned nervously. “Ah yes, those notebooks. You know, I think I should take another look at them, are they still there?”
“As far as I know, they’re still up in Pinkie’s room,” The filly responded as they arrived at the front entrance. She looked up at Twilight hopefully, then turned to Celestia. “Please tell me you can find her, please.”
Celestia nodded confidently. “We’ll do our very best.”
Twilight pushed the door open and stepped inside, glancing around for signs of the Cakes. Sitting on a counter at the far end of the shop was a tray of steaming hot tarts. The smell of fresh baked dough and sweet apples filled Twilight’s nostrils. She felt her mouth watering and swallowed before opening her mouth to call out.
“Hello? Is anypony in here?” She asked. Celestia and Scootaloo entered behind her as the sound of hoofsteps came from the kitchen towards them. Carrot Cake, the father of the Cake family, pushed the kitchen door open and smiled as he saw Twilight and her companions.
“Hey there, Twilight! What brings you here? Planning on getting some of our famous apple tarts for the show tomorrow?” he asked, pointing a hoof towards the baked goods on the counter. “There’s more in the oven, and Applejack should be bringing another cartload or two of apples. We’re hardly able to keep up with the demand, but I can make an exception for you.”
Twilight smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Cake, but we’re actually here for a different reason. Do you mind if we go take a look upstairs in Pinkie’s room?” She glanced towards the stairs that led up to the Cake household, in which Pinkie resided in the attic.
Mr. Cake drooped his head and shook it slowly. “I suppose there’s no harm in it, but... do you really think there’s any point?” he said, and then stepped close to Twilight, pressing his mouth to her ear. “I mean, she went completely crazy, up and disappeared. It’s been most of a month now. It might be time to consider the possibility that she might be...” he whispered, trailing off at the end, not wanting to finish the thought.
Twilight shook her head. “I know she’s still out there. I’ve brought somepony with me from Canterlot who I think will be able to help us find out what happened,” she said. “Let’s go take a look up there, um... Inspector...”
Celestia nodded her head. “Orange,” she finished for Twilight. “Really, dear Twilight, try to concentrate. The game’s afoot.” She walked past Twilight and began to go up the stairs. Twilight chuckled and followed her with Scootaloo bringing up the rear.
When they arrived at the doorway to Pinkie’s loft, Twilight whispered to Celestia, “Do we really want to bring her up with us? We’ll have to be careful what we say.”
“Come along, you two. Let’s get to work,” Celestia said aloud in response, opening the door and ascending the final flight of stairs.
As the three of them gained a view into the room, they saw that the whole place was torn apart. Papers, quills, and ink wells were scattered everywhere. Writing and pictures had been scrawled onto every wall, and a stack of notebooks sat neatly on a table. The top notebook’s cover read “REALITY IS NOT REAL!” in large, scribbly letters.
Twilight and Celestia began to circle the room, while Scootaloo took a seat at the table and picked up a notebook from the top of the pile.
Twilight’s eyes darted around, taking in the drawings and writing. As she went along the wall, she read the words aloud.
“Cracks in reality. Flashing beams of color. Day 12, I can see some kind of magical aura. Nopony else can see it. It’s deep red and won’t let me touch it. I want it.”
Celestia’s head jerked back towards Twilight. “Deep red magic? I’ve seen that before,” she said. “Do you remember, Twilight?”
Twilight nodded. “Pinkie had used it before. Do you think the same power has possessed her again?”
“No way to know yet, but she said she couldn’t touch it. Why would she write Day 12 on the wall like that, and not the other days?” Celestia asked, placing a hoof on her chin.
“Looks like she wanted to make sure that got noticed,” Scootaloo spoke up, flipping the pages of the notebook she was holding. “It’s in this notebook, too, but it also says ‘Put on wall,’ afterwards.”
Twilight continued to look at the wall, her eyes eventually coming across a drawing of something that looked very similar to the colorscope she had in her dream. The words next to it read “Voices won’t shut up. Telling me to break the world. This thing would let me. Have to make sure I never get it. Might do what voices say. I want to.”
At the end of the wall right before the stairwell, Twilight finished reading Pinkie’s writing. “I’m leaving. I’m so scared. I need help. Voices tell me to do terrible things. Help me.” Twilight recited. “That’s it. I guess the rest of the information we need is in the notebooks.”
Celestia tapped a hoof against the wall she was standing in front of. “Twilight, look here,” she said. “The wall here has a big oval drawn on it, and says ‘Crack here!’ I wonder if this could be... you know...”
The exit! Twilight thought. We’d have to check with the Colorscope to be sure, but that would be really useful to know! We can’t with Scoots here, though. She nodded to Celestia.
Twilight walked over to the table where Scootaloo was sitting flipping through Pinkie's notebooks. She picked one up and began to read through it.
There must be some sort of clue as to where Pinkie has gone, she thought. I just need to find it. As she was thinking this, she turned a page and found a diagram of some sort of cloak with arrows pointing to several pockets and pouches along its edges.
There were words underneath the diagram, which Twilight read out loud. "Night's Cloak, voices told me how to make it, will need to get help from Rarity," she recited. "Prin, er, Inspector... come look at this."
"Looks like she wanted to wear a disguise to help her sneak away," Celestia said, glancing at the drawing. "The design seems familiar, but I can't place it."
"In any case, we should go see what Rarity knows," Twilight decided. "Pinkie might have said something to her before leaving."
Scootaloo waved a hoof back and forth in front of her. "Don't bother, Rarity's been really tight-lipped about anything involving Pinkie Pie. I hear she made a Pinkie Promise not to tell anyone anything," she said.
Twilight sighed with frustration. "Pinkie Pie..." she muttered. "Surely Rarity could be convinced, though. Pinkie Promise or no, our friend's safety could depend on what she knows."
Scootaloo rolled her eyes and hopped up onto her hooves. "Like nopony's thought of that before," she said sarcastically.
"Nopony has been here on an official investigation from Canterlot before, either," Celestia chimed in. "I shall go pay a visit to Lady Rarity. Perhaps I can convince her to talk."
"Worth a try, I guess," said Twilight. "I'll take these notebooks and study them more. Thank you so much for your help, Scootaloo." She slipped the notebooks into her saddlebag, and then she and Scootaloo followed Celestia towards the stairs.
Descending back to the ground floor of Sugarcube corner, they were greeted by the door at the front of the store opening and Applejack pushing her way in, pulling a cart full of apples behind her.
"Mr. Cake! Got the extra apples ya ordered, here!" she hollered towards the back. Her eye caught Twilight standing at the stairs, and she smiled and waved. "Howdy, Twilight! What're you doin' here? Thought you were off in Canterlot gettin' some last minute preparations done fer tomorrow!"
I'm in canterlot, eh? Good to know. That means the library's free, Twilight thought, then remembered something. Shoot! I bet all the books are blank, anyway!
Twilight smiled back at Applejack. "Oh, no, I got back early. I brought Inspector Orange here with me, she's investigating Pinkie Pie's disappearance."
"Oh, and we are mighty thankful for it, too!" Mrs. Cake's voice came from the kitchen as she emerged. "Carrot was just telling me all about it. We sure hope you find her. She's like family to us, and we really do miss her. Please find her! Bring us back our smiling face!"
“Well that’s sure somethin’, but I don’t know,” Applejack said with a look of concern. “She’s been gone for a good while, now, and nopony’s been able ta find any trace of her.”
Celestia smiled and nodded her head, placing a hoof above her forehead as if she were tipping an invisible hat. “Don’t worry, you two. I’m on the case!” she said confidently.
Twilight laughed. “You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?” she asked, smirking.
“Do you think I need a hat? Oh, I bet Rarity has one that’s just perfect.”
“Oh, please…” Twilight said, sighing. “Anyway, I need to get to reading through these notebooks some more, and the inspector is heading to Carousel Boutique. You know the way, right Inspector?”
Celestia nodded her head and turned to head out the door. However, she was obstructed by a small filly pulling a cart full of apples into the shop. The cart’s wheels became stuck at the entrance, and she fell over backwards, tumbling into a roll and finally stopping at Celestia’s legs.
Applejack laughed. “Come on now, Apple Bloom, you gotta do better’n that if ya wanna be a full-fledged farm pony!”
The filly rolled back to her hooves and stood up. She looked up at Celestia and blushed. “Sorry, ma’am. Sorry sis!” she said embarrassedly, rubbing her hoof against the back of her head.
“Not at all, little one,” Celestia said, patting Apple Bloom on the head. “I was just heading out. Be more careful next time.” She stepped through the door and out into the streets of Ponyville towards her destination, carousel Boutique.
Apple Bloom watched the unfamiliar pony leave and then her eyes trailed to the back of the room where Scootaloo was standing. She suddenly smiled and leapt towards the small pegasus. “Scootaloo! Long time no see!”
Scootaloo smiled and trained her eyes away from Apple Bloom. “Yeah,” she said, pausing. “A while.”
“Oh, come on now, I’m sorry I ain’t had time ta hang out as much, but I just been so busy helpin’ the family, we’ve all barely had a moment’s rest!” Apple Bloom said, pressing a hoof gently against Scootaloo.
Twilight stepped towards Applejack and leaned in, speaking softly. “What’s up with them? I thought they were such good friends. I’ve never seen either of them so reserved when there’s another Cutie Mark Crusader around.”
Applejack shrugged. “So you noticed it too, huh? Those two just ain’t been the same lately. Really, it’s all three a’ them, if ya know what I mean,” she said with a sigh. “Poor Scootaloo, I feel so bad for her, but I just don’t know what ta’ say to her, and Apple Bloom’s just as lost as I am.”
Twilight shook her head with confusion yet again. “Say to her? About what?” she asked.
Applejack gave Twilight a cold glare. “Oh, come on, Twi. You know how bad those three wanted ta’ get their cutie marks together,” she said.
Twilight nodded her head. “Right, and...?”
“Can you really be that dull, Twi?” Applejack asked in disbelief. “Ever since Apple Bloom n’ Sweetie Belle got their cutie marks, poor Scootaloo’s the only one left without one. She’s a tough kid, but it’s broken her heart and made her feel like the third wheel, I reckon.”
Twilight jerked her head suddenly towards the two fillies again. How could I have missed that she had a cutie mark? she thought. After a second, she realized that she hadn’t missed anything. Apple Bloom’s flank was as blank as ever. That’s strange. Why would AJ think she has a cutie mark?
Twilight looked back towards Applejack. Visions of Applejack from the previous dream world entered her mind-- Her glowing green eyes and the way she turned into such a formidable changeling foe. Best not mention anything and just play along for now, Twilight decided.
Twilight looked back at the two fillies. Suddenly, a light bulb lit up inside Twilight’s mind. Her eyes widened and she bit her lower lip as she realized a distinct possibility.
This... might not be Rainbow Dash’s dream.
Then...whose dream is it? Who would dream of Apple Bloom having a phantom cutie mark? And why did this Pinkie get so bent out of shape before anyone started interfering in the dream?
Assuming this is indeed one of the Mane SIx's dreams... Doesn't seem like anything Rarity would dream (though how much did Overgrowth seem like a Fluttershy dream?). Could be Applejack's, if she wants her sister to finally get her cutie mark, but has no idea what it would be (or perhaps what ever magic is responsible cutie marks keeps her from assigning a fake one?). That does raise the question as to why she'd bring Cloudsdale all the way to Ponyville and give Dash her life's dream without appearing to give the same fulfillment to any of the others in the Six. Unless Dashie has more than one secret admirer...
I suppose it might be the real Pinkie's dream, which would explain her losing it earlier than expected. But again, what's with Apple Bloom's cutie mark conundrum?
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Yes! Let the speculation begin!
Seriously, I feed on that stuff like changelings feed on love.
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I think that's true of every author on FIMFiction. We're like some kind of weird changeling offshoot!
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Could be!
Seriously, though... the speculation about whose dream it was during the start of book 2 was the most unexpected yet awesome thing that's happened while writing this. I knew I wanted to obscure it, but never knew people would discuss it like that.
So yeah, I decided I had to work extra hard to get all the details just perfect this time to make sure it's hard to guess. People narrowed the last one down pretty quickly. I think this one will stay mysterious until the reveal.
Ooh, I knew it! I bet this is Scootaloo's dream :D It makes sense - she's such a huge fan of Rainbow Dash, so she could easily see her not only as a Wonderbolt, but the best of the Wonderbolts, and as a little kid she could be prone to picturing everything larger-than-life (hence the opulence of the WB complex). The whole cutie mark bit would be due to her own insecurity about the idea of not getting hers/getting it last, and the marks aren't "actually" there because she doesn't yet know what Apple Bloom's or Sweetie Belle's talents are, even though she can imagine them discovering those talents.
...That, or those details are all red herrings and you're going to throw us all for a loop when the true reveal comes
Okay, so this world's Pinkie Pie was forced to leave home because of her powers going out of control.
And two of the Cutie Mark Crusaders are supposed to have Cutie Marks, but we're not able to get a look at said Marks? Calling it right now, the gang took a wrong turn at Albuquerque, because it's quite obvious that this is Scootaloo's dream world.
...at least, it might seem that way at first glance, but our author is a master of deception. The last book had us all not knowing whether it was Rainbow Dash's or Fluttershy's dream, so it's too soon to call this one.
And
Princess CelestiaInspector Orange seems to be channeling a good bit of Sherlock Holmes.By the way, perhaps Princess Luna could plant some sort of subtle subliminal message in the dreams she's being forced to create? You know, because she would want to give her sister a way to be aware that it's all a dream, since she has no way of knowing that Celestia was already able to figure it out. Besides, she could use it as a way to help keep our heroes aware of any unexpected developments in the real world. Like a blue box showing up out of nowhere and allowing an earth pony with an impossible amount of knowledge about the universe to start fighting against the changelings in reality.
Anyhow, I'll leave you with badges of the three ponies we know for sure are real. Don't want to leave you with Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, because one of them will be a changeling, and we can't let one of those buckers mess with our heroes attempts to free everyone.
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Now I've got nothing left to say, so LISTEN TO MY SONG!!! I'M GOING TO SING WITH JAM PROJECT THIS TIME!!!
And if you want some more music, then LET'S MIGHT GAINE!
Later!
Hmm... I'm going to bet on this being AJ's dream. Also betting that we'll be seeing some backround Appledash later on.
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AJ, someone wants some Appledash!
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Oh, you...
I was and still am under the impression this story will cover only the Mane 6. Could I be wrong? Certainly, but if the author starts chucking in arcs of side-ponies such as Scootaloo, the length of this story seems like it would spiral out of control. So assuming we're only dealing with Mane 6, let's see whose dream this could be. Twi and Shy are already out of the running... unless of course we are still actually in Twi's dream and this is all what she thinks is happening and... no, just stop, not going there.
Applejack - Unlikely, though possible of course. However, I can't imagine why AJ would have any fear/grudge against Scootaloo and her not getting her cutie mark along with Bloom or Sweetie. Not only that, AJ is the realist of the group, bringing every situation down to earth with a straightforward and blunt perspective. I don't see her giving Dash a huge mansion-castle-home not to mention moving Cloudsdale to Ponyville. If there would be a "bad-part" to her dream, I'd imagine it'd be Bloom NOT having a cutie mark since it is an Apple "curse" to be the last in class to receive it. And I have a hunch we'll know when we get to AJ's dream. After all, if these dreams are meant to elicit happiness for the Changelings to feed on, I can only think of one thing that would make AJ happier than ever... actually, make that two someponies...
Rainbow Dash - Most likely. Although this does seem quite a bit even for her, I wouldn't go so far to say she doesn't see herself this way at least a little bit. Not only that, she probably does miss her hometown of Cloudsdale, but wouldn't want to abandon her friends either, so what better way to have both, than to TAKE CLOUDSDALE AND PUSH IT SOMEWHERE ELSE! Sorry, I couldn't resist. And she does at least know Scoots is her biggest fan, giving her some significance here, albeit it's a bit strange that significance comes in the form of being left out, but perhaps it was the same with Dash in flight school. I dunno.
Pinkie Pie - Somewhat likely. Sure, the Pinkies so far have been a bit odd in their respective dreams but dang this one is a bit much. And she seems to share a strong relationship with Dash, giving credit to the whole Wonderbolt thing and it's definitely like Pinkie to give Dash a HUGE palace to crash in. Again the Scoots cutie-markless issue comes into play as not being very Pinkie-ish since she wouldn't want anything to happen that could drive friends apart. Her dream, whenever it does pop up is certainly going to get really crazy, really fast. Actually, if Pinkie's dream ends up being the most mundane, that would freak me out even worse.
Rarity - Only a little likely. Pretty generous to give Dash her dream fulfilled. But for now, that's about all I got for the pros. The cons are pretty much the same as what's already been said. I am at a loss for what could be done for Rarity's dream to be honest. Her character is hard to pinpoint for me and this dream idea presents a vast pool of potential realities Rarity could come up with. Blueblood may show up and be a true gentlecolt for all we know... and then he and Fancypants will have an epic clash that will shake the foundations of the world!
Of course things can (and they probably will knowing our author ) change. And as I said, this is assuming we're only dealing with the Mane6 here. Man, this comment is way too long.
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To respond in as brief a way as I can...
Do not expect this book, or probably any other future books, to meet the length of Book 2. As I said in comments a couple times, and in that long comment I made about the 1 year anniversary of the story, Book 2 spiraled out of control. What I thought would be simple and easy to handle plot points ended up needed more attention - and I didn't even give some of them as much as I wanted!
So, your ideas are actually pretty nice. Unfortunately, there's just a couple things not revealed yet that will be game changers on a lot of theorizing like this. And NO, one thing I will say for certain is that they are NOT still in Twilight's dream. This is not Inception style dream in a dream lol
EDIT: Also, your comment is a lot like book 2. Yes. You knew what you wanted to write, but it just... gained a life of its own.
3085961 I sure hope not, I enjoy the non-shipping.
I think this may be Pinkie's dream, she would want all her friends to have their dreams come true. However she went crazy before giving Scootaloo what she wanted.
Right, I've narrowed down the list of those that could have this dream:
They're alive. And they're asleep.
Seriously. I'm blank. Curses, my brain hurts!
3086916
thewookie1 X Non-Shipfics OTP
I had a bit of a feeling it might be Scootaloo's dream in the previous chapter, but now it seems even more likely
3085454
Given how it works i suspect you're on the money for the applejack theory. As for why she would have cloudsdale pulled in it's because she thinks of rainbow dash as a dear, dear friend and she wants her to have her dreams come true. Remember there's a lot of headcannon out there that says that Rainbow Dash leaves to go live in cloudsdale when she joins the wonderbolts. It would follow that Applejack would consider just moving Cloudsdale to ponyville to make up for that.
It also explains the very canterlot style furnishings in cloudsdale. Rainbow dash grew up there and would know on a subconsious level that the archetectural style doesn't belong. Applejack, who only visited cloudsdale once for the best young flyer competiton, wouldn't know and I can see her filling in the gaps with what she's seen in canterlot.
I agree with the arguments for it being Scootaloo's dream, and add that it would explain why Fluttershy thought the grandiosity in Coudsdale was "a bit much, even for Rainbow Dash".
As for the counterargument that it being Scootaloo's dream would open the door to way too many secondary characters, I only have this to offer: they are on the trail of Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo is a very plausible false positive there. For some reason, even Applejack's and Rarity's sisters don't seem quite as likely to me to have the same thing happen.
I suppose this could all be a big fakeout and it's Rainbow Dash after all, but there's just so much that it's hard to make sense of if so. For instance, I guess it is just barely possible that Rainbow Dash's perception of Scootaloo kept her blank flanked while her friends got cutie marks, but that doesn't explain why they don't actually have them. The phantom marks seem much more like the taunt of a nightmare, which could only be Scootaloo's IMO.
3085454 It's Scootaloo's dream, and the voices are another pinkie's and Luna's voice, working behind the scenes to try and wake everyone up and free them.
3089621
Luna and the real Pinkie want Pinkie in this dream to destroy the dream world? Right... not so much ;)
3090009 Ah, but maybe being long ranged communication through dream weaving magic and who knows what else, the messages are being interfered with and coming out wrong? :P
3087054 Nein!!!
3090009
You didn't quite convey that the voices wanted her to destroy the world. It felt more like Pinkie misinterpreted what she was being told. They told her to make the Colorscope and how. In a sense, it would destroy "her" part of the world because it'd make her self-aware and be able to join the other Pinkies, if we're going on what you've already given us.
It's totally the chicken's dream and you're just trying to throw us off. I'm onto you. NO ONE (except Scootaloo) thinks that highly of RD, not even Dash herself. And no one who thinks well of Dash thinks so poorly of Scootaloo except perhaps Scootaloo herself.
3103783
I will say there's a rather important piece of information I am withholding, though. Technically I've portrayed this information in book 2, and it will be portrayed again, but I don't expect anyone to have caught on to it yet. In any case, it's a piece of information about how dreams work. It's the last big thing that you are readers just don't know yet, and our heroes don't either. This book is their discovery of it, for sure.
3104038
They were all chickens all along? Even Chrysalis and Luna and Celestia. The world as we know it was just an illusion. My life is so bleak now.
3104068
i.imgur.com/1u4wy4s.jpg
I will say this, though... next chapter, someone is gonna guess it. For sure. And for the right reasons, I bet.
Also, listen to this.
Yep, I am even more positive that this is Scootaloo's dream world than I was when I said it last chapter. Yep yep.
3116717
You're my favorite kind of reader.
either apple or scootaloo( the rainbow idolization works with both)
3116817
Yay! I'm someone's favorite! WOO!
3085931
Or it could be raridash... who the heck knows anymore.
Remember how everypony thought the fluttershy dream was a shared dream between Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash?
Honestly. Everypony seems to think this is Scootaloo's dream, but I disagree.
I think it may be a shared dream between Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash.
No, not in a shipping sort of way!
A shared dream would explain many things. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle's cutiemarks exist only in Scootaloo's half of the dream (or nightmare), whereas in Rainbow's half, they have not gotten them yet. Rainbow would make her house "grandiose" in her dream, but it is made even more so by Scootaloo's idolization of her.
As for Applejack, I don't think this would be her dream. I would see Applejack placing herself in an equal (or higher) status with Rainbow Dash, because of the friendly rivalry they have.
filly
just
Canterlot
Canterlot
By the way, this fiction is becoming one of my all time favorites.
YAY! I knew it was Scoots dream hehe... or maybe I'm wrong but we'll see!
Help... I'm so... Excited... I can hardly read!
That's why I took a 2.5 month break between books 2 and 3. Book 2 was literally the most epic thing I've ever read.
Nope, it's Scootaloo!
Also, Luna seems to be trying to help, but...
Uh oh...
Now who would dream about Dash in a Wonderbolts palace?