//------------------------------// // Hostages in the Dream World // Story: Martha & Skits's Adventure in Ponyville // by Zenitram Nadroj //------------------------------// Martha and Skits play with Helen at the beach throwing a frisbee, going swimming, digging sand and soaking up sun. “I'm so glad you two got to come with me to the beach.”, Helen says. “It feels good to be back with you, Helen.”, Martha says. Skits barks in agreement. They both suddenly smell a scent that's very familiar. They look ahead and sees that Helen's dad is grilling steaks and hot dogs. “Steaks!”, Martha shouts. She and Skits then run to the grills and her dad gives them steaks. They two dogs start drooling at the sight. “Hello, steaks.”, Martha says. “Come to mama.” Before they can eat, they suddenly get pulled up to the sky. They both yelp in fear. “Martha! Skits!”, Helen shouts as everything vanishes. In Fluttershy's room, she then hears the dogs yelping in the other room. She then wakes up and leaves. “Martha, Skits, are you OK?”, she says as she goes to the door. She then opens the door. “What's happeni-”, she says until she gets frightened at what she sees. Three ghostly monsters use magic on the dogs and extract their dream forms. The monsters the go through the roof and leave the cottage. The pegasus heads to the window and looks outside. The ghosts take the dream dogs and vanish. Fluttershy stands their in fear and faints. The dogs then fall onto hard stone. “What the? What happened?”, Martha asks. Skits barks. “Skits, how did you get here?” He barks to the other dog. They hear laughing everywhere and look all over. Soon, three monsters appear before them. “Hello, little ones.”, the first figure says. Skits barks at them. “We have brought the two of you here to bring you to our father.”, the second ghastly figure says. “What do you need us for?”, Martha asks. “Our father doesn't want any meddlers to foil his plan.”, the third figure says. “So we have extracted your dream forms and brought you to the dream ruins.” “And now, you're both coming with us.”, the first figure says. The two dogs scream in fear and run. The first figure plunges into the stone floor and multiple figures rise and crowd them. With every figure the two cross, two by two, the figures shoot magic. The figures sink and the one figure rises back up. The second figure appears before the two. They run away as the figure flies off and comes back bigger than before. He flies inwards towards the dogs and they run away. The third figure flies up and goes around them. He grows his claws and tries to grab them. The figure then drops and his claws revert back to their natural sizes. The first figure goes in again and sinks back into the floor. This time he and his duplicates rise and surround them and circle around. As they stop, they shoot their magic all at once. The dogs duck just before they get struck. They circle the dogs again and shoots magic again. The dogs duck again and the figures sink back in and rise back up as one. The second figure approaches them again and flies out. He then grows big again and charges to them this time. The duck from the figure and the monster shrinks. The third figure then charges and vanishes. It reappears and shoots magic. It keeps disappearing, reappearing and shooting magic to the dogs as they keep avoiding the blasts. The dogs both stop and pant in exhaustion. Skits barks to Martha. “I don't know how much longer I can keep this up either.”, she says. They suddenly get captured by magic. The three monsters the surround the dogs and prepare to capture them. “Say goodbye!”, they all say. Suddenly, a gleaming light appears and blasts them away. The light clears and the dogs see the source of the light. In front of them is Princess Luna. “Princess Luna. What are you doing here?”, Martha asks. “I sensed that you and Skits were in danger and so I used my magic to find and save you.”, says Luna. Skits barks in question. “Oh, Skits asked how are you able to find us.”, Martha says. “I have the power to enter dreams.”, Luna says. The dogs are in awe at the princess's ability. Suddenly they get levitated and vanish. In the morning, back in Fluttershy's cottage, she is still on the ground. The dream forms then float back to their bodies and they wake up. They look and see that their back and are awake. “Skits, we're alive.”, Martha says. Skits barks with joy. “Martha? Skits?”, Fluttershy says as she regains consciousness. She then bolts to the dogs and hugs them tightly. “Martha, Skits, what happened?”, she asks. “Would you believe us if we told you?”, Martha asks. “Martha, you're in a world with talking ponies, with a dragon, a changeling and a draconequus.”, she points out. “Do you really think I wouldn't believe you.” Skits barks to her. “Maybe you're right.”, Martha says. She then takes a deep breath and turns to the pegasus. “OK, this is what happened to me and Skits.” Keretomatus finishes controlling the puppy triplets, when he notices a burst of light. He turns to the light and sees his sons thrown into the room. “What?”, the emperor says. “How did you get back and where are the dogs?” “We've tried to capture them, but we've been blasted away by a light.”, Scorjosemal says. “What?”, the monster says. He then goes back to the viewing pool and sees the dogs in tact back in a cottage. He then growls at the sight. “How did a burst of light overpower my spell?”, he asks. “Unless...” The then swirls his claw in the water and see two alicorn princesses. “I then came to their dream and managed to save them before they got captured.”, the nighttime alicorn says. “I'm so glad you were there, sister. Who knows what would've happened to them if they were taken.”, the daytime alicorn says. The monster then growls at the sight. “It's them.”, he says and then swipes the water in anger.